Picture Courtesy: Anjan Pratapsingh
New Delhi: The country will witness the last partial solar eclipse of the year on Tuesday (October 25). Myths, misconceptions and beliefs abound about the astronomical event. Folklore in different parts of the world perceives it differently.
India
According to Hindu mythology, a beheaded but angry Rahu swallows the sun and the moon, causing eclipses. But he cannot hold them for long in his mouth. Neither does he have his body and hands to grab them. That is the reason eclipses don’t last long.
Vietnam
The legend here has it that eclipses occur when a giant frog swallows the sun. Its master, Lord Hahn, then convinces the frog to spit it out. The lunar eclipses are also explained along similar lines.
China
Myths and dragons are nearly inseparable here. It is believed here that a dragon eats the sun for lunch, thereby causing the eclipse. As for the end, the legend goes that Zhang Xian, the god of birth, fired arrows at the dragon forcing it to throw up the sun.
North America
The Chippewa tribe of North America shot flaming arrows towards the sky to rekindle the sun and believed that it was because of this that the solar eclipse ended.
Greece
There is a different spin on the celestial event here. Greeks believe that eclipses are a sign that gods ware angry with humans, and that disasters would follow, bringing untold misery to people.
Indonesia and Polynesia
Rahu consumes the Sun—but burns his tongue doing so and spits it out.
Armenia
The legend here says that a dragon swallowed the Sun and Moon.
Transylvanian
According to folklore here, an eclipse stems from the angry Sun turning away and covering herself with darkness, in response to men’s bad behaviour.
Germany
In German mythology, the hot female Sun and cold male Moon were married. The Sun ruled the day, and the sleepy Moon ruled the night. Seeking companionship, the Moon was drawn to his bride and they came together and thus, a solar eclipse occurred
Australian Aborigines
The Sun is seen as a woman who carries a torch. The Moon, by contrast, is regarded as male. Because of the association of the lunar cycle with the female menstrual cycle, the Moon is linked with fertility. A solar eclipse is interpreted as the Moon-man uniting with the Sun-woman.
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