On August 21, most of the United States will see the first total solar eclipse since 1918. Is it any wonder that this rare astronomical event immediately became overgrown with many myths, most of which look pretty silly, but they continue to find their followers, even though NASA has allocated an entire page of its official website to debunk them. Nevertheless, thanks to the millennial development of science, we know what happens to the Sun during an eclipse.
What about our ancestors? What people should have thought about solar eclipses at a time when they did not yet understand the peculiarities of the solar system and all its eccentricities? In short, most of them were terrified.
The opinion of the ancient Greeks
The ancient Greek historian Herodotus recorded the story of how the philosopher and astronomer Thales of Miletus was able to successfully predict the solar eclipse on May 28, 585 BC. Despite doubts about the veracity of this prediction, the eclipse, according to Herodotus, occurred during a battle between the Medes and the Lydians. The soldiers thought that this heavenly omen was a blessing from above (or perhaps a threat), so they dropped their weapons and stopped fighting.
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Unfortunately, not all myths surrounding solar eclipses end up with such peaceful scenes.
What the Aztecs believed in
The Aztecs, for example, are famous for their love of the sun. Imagine their fear and bewilderment when this symbol suddenly disappeared from the sky. Fray Bernardino de Sahagun was a missionary during the Spanish conquest of America in the 16th century and was given the opportunity to document the 1596 eclipse.
According to Edwin Krupp, director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Sahagun said: “There was a scream everywhere. People with fair skin were killed. It was said that if the eclipse was total, the earth would forever remain immersed in darkness. After that, demons of darkness will appear and begin to eat people."
Vengeful monster
Numerous ancient cultures have described the eclipse as a vengeful beast that consumes the sun. People living in the territory of present-day Vietnam believed that an eclipse is an evil spirit in the form of a toad swallowing the Sun. The Vikings saw a pair of wolves in the sky chasing him, and the Buryats of Siberia believed that it was a giant bear.
For the ancient Chinese, dragons were such evil spirits. In fact, one of the earliest words for eclipse ("shi" or "chi") translates to "is." Since none of the people of Ancient China wanted to be eaten by this fearsome dragon, they used drums and empty pots to scare it away.
Forgiveness symbol
The Batammalibs in West Africa have had one of the most unique and optimistic interpretations of a solar eclipse. According to their legend, the eclipse occurs because the Moon and the Sun are falling, which means that people must do their best to appease them so that they stay. When the eclipse did occur, it was perceived as a symbol of forgiving enemies and restoring old friendships.
When you are lucky enough to witness another solar eclipse, remember these ideas that people of bygone eras believed in.
Anna Pismenna