Auseklis is the Morning Star of Latvian belief, the planet Venus personified as a radiant youth whose name springs from the word for dawn. Rising before the sun, he announces the coming of daylight and belongs to the shining company of the celestial family. His place in myth is that of a suitor in the great sky-wedding: he is betrothed to one of the Daughters of the Sun, but his bride is carried off by the Moon, an act of treachery avenged by Pērkons. Beyond the songs, the eight-pointed star that bears his name became one of the most widespread signs of Latvian folk ornament, embroidered on textiles and mittens as an emblem of light and a charm against the powers of darkness.