A long time ago, the sky was not what it was today. There were no stars, and it was much closer. The only thing that held it up was a giant white pillar. Now, the pillar was very strong, so it could hold the sky up perfectly, but the people living near the area feared that it would one day shatter, and bring the heavens down upon them. To prevent this, they offered sacrifices every full moon so that the gods living above the ceiling (for the sky was really just the roof of the world) would keep the pillar strong. The sacrifices never complained, for they were taught that it was an honor to be chosen to die and let the rest of the people live in peace.

One full moon, when the villagers were about sacrifice a young woman, a large earthquake occured. It shook the pillar, and the pillar swayed and broke into pieces. The sky came crashing down, and the only thing that stopped it from killing everything on Earth was the fact that the mountains barely held it up.  However, the sky was beginning to cave in, and a giant crack appeared in it as it was about to break in two and fall onto the people below.

"Oh, help us!" The villagers cried. "Save us from the sky!" But the gods did not answer. The humans wailed out prayers and curses, but they could only wait for the sky to crush them.

Then, out of the crowd stepped the young woman sacrifice. Without a sound she walked slowly up to the base of the ruined pillar. Taking up a knife, she lay herself down upon the structure and slit her own throat. Her bright soul tumbled out of the cut and raced toward the heavens. Ever so slowly, the sky began to rise. It rose, higher than the height that the white pillar had held it up to. The people shouted with jubilation and cried tears of joy. But the job was not done yet.

Without warning, the young woman's soul scattered into a million particles, nailing themselves to the sky to prevent it from falling. And these particles became the stars we have today. Her blood spattered across the clouds, forming the Milky Way, so that she would remind the villagers of the price she paid. And the humans, in their own way never forgot. They praised the stars and wondered at them, far after the memory of the brave young woman had faded away.