Final answer:
The townspeople created myths and legends to interpret the nighttime phenomena, infusing natural events with cultural significance and weaving these beliefs into folklore. Celestial movements were personified in stories involving creatures like vampires, and places became the settings for haunted tales.
Step-by-step explanation:
The townspeople interpreted the nighttime phenomenon through myths and legends, which were developed to make sense of the stellar patterns and the Milky Way's appearance in the absence of artificial light. This interpretation of the night sky can be seen in the stories they told, such as that of the full moon's behavior mirroring that of mythical creatures like vampires, and in beliefs that ghosts haunted certain locales.
The fear and wonder of natural nighttime phenomena were woven into the cultural fabric, contributing to a rich tapestry of folklore and superstition that helped explain the otherwise mysterious and daunting nocturnal world.
For example, legends such as the one about Ichabod being spirited away by supernatural means, or the behavior of the full moon paralleling the behavior of Dracula, showcase how people personified celestial movements and natural occurrences into stories meant to provide explanation or serve as cautionary tales.
Even the paper changing in different lights, described in another passage, could be seen as an attempt to articulate the unknown or unsettling aspects of night through creative or supernatural interpretation.