All around the globe, ancient cultures and religions attempted to explain solar and lunar

eclipses. Many of those stories involved gods, demons, dragons and other creatures that
prowled through the sky and threatened to devour the sun or the moon. People prayed,
made offerings or hurled things into the sky to chase off the invaders.
Today, as the U.S. prepares for the total solar eclipse of Aug. 21, 2017, when the moon
will cover 100 percent of the sun's disk, areas that lie in the path of the total eclipse are
planning festivals and multiday celebrations. In the modern age, scientists can predict
when and where these cosmic events will occur, and skywatchers can appreciate their
beauty rather than fear that the events might bring devastating consequences. It seems
that humanity's perception of eclipses has changed over the centuries.
And yet, the stories and superstitions of ancient times haven't completely gone away,
said E.C. Krupp, director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and an expert on
cultural aspects of astronomy including eclipse folklore and superstition. And even
though most people today have access to science-based information about eclipses,
misinformation, myths and superstitions continue to surround these celestial events.
[Where to See the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse, State

A depiction of Columbus observing a lunar eclipse in Jamaica in 1502. (Image credit: New York Public Library)
Serious trouble
What causes the moon to turn a deep shade of red during a lunar eclipse? A story from
the Toba people of South America claimed it was because the spirits of dead people
had taken the form of jaguars and attacked the Earth's lunar companion, leaving it
bloody in the sky, Krupp wrote in his book "Beyond the Blue Horizon: Myths and
Legends of the Sun, Moon, Stars and Planets," (HarperCollins, 1991). When the Toba
people saw the moon turn red, they would have to shout and make their dogs bark at
the sky in order to scare off the jaguars and stop the slaughter.
There is great variety in the world's many myths and folktales that attempt to explain the
occurrence of solar and lunar eclipses. But these ancient stories tend to have a few
things in common, Krupp told Space.com: They often involve eating or biting, and they
tend to portray the eclipse as bad news.

"There's certainly a uniform response — and by that I mean worldwide — that most
people, most of the time, thought eclipses of the sun or the moon were trouble. Serious
trouble," he said. "And the nature of the trouble had to do with the fact that the
foundation of their world seemed to be at risk [during an eclipse]."
People living in the modern world might not often think about why eclipses would be so
deeply terrifying to ancient groups, Krupp said, but the lives of those people would have
relied deeply on the "fundamental rhythms of the sky." Things like sunrise and sunset,
the lunar cycle, and the change of seasons gave order to the world, traced the passage
of time, and in many ways determined people's ability to survive, he said.
Throughout history, different cultures and religions have told stories to explain celestial events, including eclipses. Greek
stories about the arrangement of stars in the night sky persist in modern culture. Shown here, Sagittarius the centaur and
archer. (Image credit: New York Public Library)
"So, when a tremendous break in the rhythm happens, like the sun going even partially
out or the moon disappearing, it is more than just an astronomical inconvenience. It's
actually serious business for them," he said.

The people who held these beliefs about eclipses also carried out rituals included
shouting or wailing at the sky during an eclipse, firing arrows into the heavens to chase
off beasts, or making offerings to the creatures responsible for these events. "The myth
and the ritual are all part of interpreting and engaging the forces that make the world the
way it is," Krupp said.

In his book, Krupp excerpted a passage from a book by a Spanish priest named
Bernardino de Sahagún, who lived with Aztecs in ancient Mexico. According to the
priest's account, when a solar eclipse became visible in the sky, there was "tumult and
disorder. All were disquieted, unnerved, frightened. There was a weeping. The common
folk raised a cry, lifting their voices, making a great din, calling out, shrieking … People
of light complexion were slain [as sacrifices]; captives were killed. … It was thus said, 'If
the eclipse of the sun is complete, it will be dark forever! The demons of darkness will
come down; they will eat men.'"

Fear of eclipses didn't end with the dawn of the scientific era. Krupp noted that total
solar eclipses can be somewhat unsettling to behold because they are "an extraordinary
reversal from what should be" — specifically, day turning into night. Modern
skywatchers have reported being so hypnotized by these events that they completely
forget to do things like snap a photograph or execute a scientific experiment.
Skywatchers who have witnessed total solar eclipses may understand why people
throughout history, and even into the modern era, have felt that these celestial events
were a sign from another world.

Take, for example, the story of a Roman emperor who witnessed a total solar eclipse in
A.D. 840. In his book "American Eclipse" (Liveright, 2017), journalist David Baron
reported that the emperor was "so unnerved" by the sight of the eclipse that he stopped
eating and eventually starved to death, "plunging his realm into civil war."
On a somewhat happier note, in the sixth century B.C., a battle in Asia Minor between
the Medes and the Lydians came to a halt when a total eclipse darkened the sky, Baron
wrote; following the event, the soldiers were eager to make peace, believing the eclipse
was a sign for them to stop the fighting, reports say.
 An edition of Harper's Weekly describes the total solar eclipse of 1869. (Image credit: Harper's Weekly)

Total solar eclipses continued to have such dramatic effects on people at least into the
19th century. In the summer of 1878, a total solar eclipse swept down through the
continental U.S. In his book, Baron chronicled the deep impact this eclipse had on 19th
century astronomy, due largely to observations of the eclipse performed by a young
Thomas Edison, and the scientists James Craig Watson and Maria Mitchell.

But despite relatively extensive news coverage of the event, and despite the fact that
astronomers knew not only when the event was coming but also where it would be
visible, some of the people who witnessed the event swore it was a sign of the end
times, Baron's book said. A man named Ephraim Miller believed the eclipse marked the
coming of the apocalypse, and rather than stay to see the horrors that were sure to
follow, he took his own life, right after he murdered his son with an axe.

"The way beliefs work, it's rare that someone suddenly lifts the shade and everybody
changes their mind," Krupp said. "There's a spectrum of understanding across any
culture." [Solar Eclipses and Thailand's Kings: A Curious History]
A demon's revenge
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Out of the many folktales Krupp has heard from around the world that provide an
explanation for the eclipses, one stands out as his favorite, he said. "There's nothing
quite so elaborate and colorful and entertaining," he said, as the eclipse myth from the
Hindu text known as the Mahabharata.
The very simplified version of the story goes like this: A group of gods wish to create an
elixir of immortality, so they enlist a few demons to help them churn the cosmic ocean
(using a mountain for a churning stick). The ambrosia eventually emerges like curds in
milk. This process also leads to the creation of the moon and the sun, among other
enchanted things. The gods promise to share the elixir with the demons, but when the
task is done, the god Vishnu disguises himself as a woman, enchants the demons and
steals their portion of the elixir.
In the Hindu text known as the Mahabharata, the demon Rahu creates eclipses of the sun and moon by periodically
swallowing the celestial bodies.
The demon Rahu then sneaks into the camp of the gods and manages to steal a swig of
the elixir, but the sun and the moon spot him and blow the whistle on him. Vishnu cuts
off Rahu's head, but because the demon is immortal, this doesn't kill him. He's angry at
the sun and the moon for ratting him out, so he chases the two objects through the sky.
Every once in a while, he catches up with one of his betrayers and swallows it, but
because he's just a severed head, the sun or the moon slips back out through his
disconnected neck. Nonetheless, the demon continues his pursuit indefinitely.
The complete story is beautiful and entertaining — not to mention one of the less
ominous eclipse myths — and it did not disappear as people who practiced Hinduism
learned about the science of the planetary bodies, according to Krupp. As Eastern
astronomers deciphered the orbital geometry of these three bodies, the story was
adapted, not abolished. In particular, the demon Rahu became associated with what are
known as eclipse nodes, Krupp said.

During a lunar eclipse, the Earth lies directly between the sun and the moon, casting a
shadow on the lunar surface. During a solar eclipse, the moon is between the Earth and
the sun, casting its shadow on the Earth's surface. The moon's orbit is tilted with respect
to Earth's orbit, so the three bodies don't line up every time the moon loops around the
planet. The points where the moon's path crosses the path of the sun are called nodes,
and both the sun and the moon must be located at those nodes for an eclipse to occur
(this can include partial or total eclipses, as well as annular solar eclipses). The sun and
the moon both come close to these two nodes about every six months, when Earth
experiences an "eclipse season."
As Western astronomy from Greece and the Mediterranean made its way east to
regions like modern-day India, Hindu astronomy adopted geometric and mathematical
models of the motions of heavenly bodies, Krupp said. The demon Rahu was
associated with the two nodes, and eventually one node became associated with Rahu
while the other became associated with the demon Katu, which is actually Rahu's tail,
Krupp said. The nodes are invisible, and so are the demons; the nodes change position
in the sky, as the demons are pictured to do. By tracking the movement of the nodes,
astronomers could eventually predict when and where eclipses would occur.

The story of Rahu's vengeful pursuit of the sun and the moon is also depicted on a wall
of the main temple on the predominantly Hindu island of Bali, Krupp said. In 1983, when
a total solar eclipse passed over Indonesia, representations of this traditional story were
used extensively in advertising, he said. Two competing beer manufacturers on the
neighboring island of Java (which is predominantly Muslim) both used images of the
demon Rahu on their eclipse-themed brews.

"It shows you that [the story] is part of the living tradition in Bali," Krupp said. "And then
if you were to ask the devout Balinese people, 'Do you believe these Hindu stories?' …
The answer is yes. And probably if you asked many of them 'Do you understand how
the solar system works?' they'd say yes. And that is a confirmation of the extraordinary
human ability to talk out of both sides of the mouth at the same time."

The people of Bali aren't the only ones carrying these historic interpretations of eclipses
into the present day. In many languages, Krupp said, the words used to describe
eclipses are the same words that mean "to eat" or "to bite." In the English language,
"eclipse" is derived from the Greek term "ekleipsis," which means "an omission" or "an
abandonment."
An artistic depiction of the July 29, 1878 total solar eclipse by E.L. Trouvelot. (Image credit: New York Public Library)

Modern myths
In 1963, a total solar eclipse was visible in Alaska and parts of Maine, while a partial
eclipse was visible from much of North America. That year, Charles Schultz produced
an eclipse-themed edition of his famous "Peanuts" comic strip. In it, the character Linus
states, "There is no safe method for looking directly at an eclipse. And it is especially
dangerous when it is a total eclipse."

Linus' statement is entirely untrue. One can look directly at an eclipse with the help of
solar viewing glasses, and when the moon fully covers the solar disk (a total eclipse),
skywatchers should absolutely remove their eye protection and view the event with their
naked eyes. Space.com columnist and night sky expert Joe Rao said he deeply laments
that this eclipse myth was spread by Schultz — so much so that Rao wrote a children's
bookto help dispel it.
Observers at the University of Colorado's Folsom Field football stadium use solar eclipse glasses to view the annular solar
eclipse of May 20, 2012. (Image credit: Casey A. Cass/University of Colorado)
The false belief persists; many people have a general fear that looking at a total solar
eclipse can be worse than looking at the unobscured sun. And Krupp said that in
modern-day society, many people have reservations about looking at the eclipsed sun
without eye protection, because so much emphasis is placed on not looking directly at
the sun at any other time. Doing that can in fact cause blindness or other permanent eye
damage. (Having never seen a total solar eclipse myself, I confess I was skeptical when
an expert told me that observers should look at the totally eclipsed sun with the naked
eye.) Krupp said this concern or a fear of a liability issue could persuade parents or
teachers to keep children from viewing the eclipse.
Fear of eclipses has not been completely snuffed out in the modern age. Krupp
wrote an article for "Sky and & Telescope" magazine about a persistent belief that
eclipses can cause birth defects in unborn fetuses or miscarriages in pregnant women.
He said there is clear evidence that this belief arose in central Mexico around the time
that European settlers arrived there (people also thought that during an eclipse children
would turn into mice), but the idea is not unique to that country. Over the decades, the
observatory has received multiple calls from people wanting to know if this belief is true,
so that they might protect themselves or a pregnant loved one, Krupp said.
To be clear, there is no evidence that eclipses harm pregnant women or their fetuses.
For the Aug. 21 eclipse, NASA and the American Astronomical Society have conducted
a massive campaign of public awareness. In addition to providing people with
information about eye safety, the organizers are warning people about the massive
crowds that are expected to gather in the path of totality. Traffic is likely to be
nightmarish if too many people drive into the path of totality on the day of the
eclipse, experts have warned. Gasoline could become scarce near the path, and people
should make sure they have access to food, water and bathrooms. Angela Speck, a
researcher at the University of Missouri who is part of the AAS Eclipse Task Force told
Space.com that conditions are "going to resemble a zombie apocalypse."
While humanity may have moved beyond some ancient responses to eclipses, the 2017
total solar eclipse could be an example of a new mythos surrounding these awe-
inspiring cosmic events.

Editor's note: Space.com has teamed up with Simulation Curriculum to offer this
awesome Eclipse Safari app to help you enjoy your eclipse experience. The free app
is available for Apple and Android, and you can view it on the web. If you take an
amazing photo of the Aug. 21 solar eclipse, let us know! Send photos and comments
to: spacephotos@space.com.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the Rahu-themed beers
were produced in Java for the 2016 total solar eclipse; they were produced for the 1983
eclipse.
On Sunday (Sept. 27), skywatchers around the world will try to catch a glimpse of the
full harvest moon as it passes through Earth's shadow. The upcoming "blood moon"
eclipse is a chance for stargazers to ponder the forces behind this rare event, which is
something that humans have been doing (quite creatively) for millennia.
Scientists now know precisely what causes total lunar eclipses (when Earth's shadow
blocks out the sunlight that usually reflects off the moon), but in the absence of this
knowledge about eclipses, humans have historically invented all kinds of other
explanations for the awesome phenomenon.
From sky bears duking it out with the moon to coital relationships between celestial
bodies, here are some of the coolest eclipse myths from around the world. [Stop the
Lunacy! 5 Mad Myths About the Moon]
Throughout history, many cultures have associated lunar eclipses with some kind of
conflict occurring in the heavens. Speaking with National Geographic in 2013, Edwin C.
Krupp, director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, said that for many people,
eclipses symbolized a "disruption of the established order."
That was certainly the case for the Pomo people of northern California. According to
Pomo myth, lunar eclipses occur when a bear, wandering along the Milky Way, met the
sun. When the sun refused to get out of its way, the bear challenged the sun to a fight.
The scrap that ensued left the sun eclipsed for a brief period of time until finally, the
bear moved on.

But the rough-and-tumble bear wasn't done fighting yet. The story goes, the bear
walked along until it reached the moon (who happened to be the sun's sister) and
challenged her to a fight, too. The moon, like her brother, was eclipsed in the battle.

Mmm, moon
While few traditional eclipse myths suggest that the moon is made of cheese, many do
involve the moon getting swallowed up by some hungry creature. The Cherokee, an
indigenous tribe of the southeastern United States, told a myth about a frog that ate the
moon, creating a lunar eclipse. The people of Vietnam told a similar, amphibian-themed
tale, Krupp told National Geographic.

But the Nuu-chah-nulth and Kwakwaka'wakw peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast of
Canada believed that something else had swallowed up the moon during an eclipse —
the mouth, or the door, of heaven.

Ancient Mayan mythology explains that lunar eclipses occur when a jaguarlike goddess
consumed the moon, and the ancient Aztecs point the finger at the fertility goddess,
Cihuacoatl, who sometimes gobbled up Earth's only satellite, according to Susan
Milbrath, curator of Latin American art and archeology at the Florida Museum of Natural
History.
Celestial romance
Not all ancient tales about lunar eclipses end in destruction. Some of them are actually
romantic. The Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America said that
eclipses occurred when the sun and his wife, the moon, needed some time alone (in the
dark).

And the Hupa people of northwestern California told a different kind of love story about
lunar eclipses. According to Hupa myth, the moon was a man who went out to hunt
every day and brought home the game he killed to a household full of hungry pets.
When they weren't satisfied with their meal, the pets, which included rattlesnakes and
mountain lions, would devour the moon (hence the eclipse). Luckily one of his many
wives was always around to help bind his wounds and set him to shining in the sky once
more.

A Glimpse of Eclipse Related Superstitions Throughout The World

In this section we will briefly describe the various kinds of eclipse-related superstitions
prevalent all over the world, and also indicate the rationale behind such practices as
spelt out by the local priests and or the governors.

Since time immemorial, eclipses have been interpreted in various ways by different
communities all over the world, reflecting many a time the working philosophy of the
religious denominations they belong to.

The lunar and solar eclipses have, by and large, been held to bring in their wake
calamities like epidemics, wars, etc. It has been a common practice to observe several
do's and don'ts with religious overtones so as to avoid such cataclysmic fallouts of
eclipses as well as hasten their end.

In ancient Egypt (c. 2650 B.C.) the clan of the ruling kings, the Pharaohs, thought
themselves to be direct descendants of the Sun, and therefore, the earthly
representative of their Sun god. The king walked around their main temple of Osiris till
the solar eclipse was over. The idea behind this rituals seems to be the wish that the
Sun should keep on moving continuously in the sky without any obstruction. When the
Sun becomes engaged in a process of eclipse, his human representative, namely the
Pharaoh, must do whatever best he can on his behalf to ensure his regular motion in the
sky (Fig.3).

Eclipses became quite accurately predictable at the hands of the Babylonians, who
among other things discovered what is known as the Saros cycle of eclipses. Eclipses
are found to recur once every 6585.321 days (corresponding to 18 years and 10.3 or
11.3 days, depending upon whether there are five or four leap years in between).
Babylonians kept very meticulous observational records of astronomical interest, from
about 1800 B.C., in the form of several tens of thousands of clay tablets. They also kept
weather charts and documented all the natural calamities as well as the downfall and
ascendance of the Babylonian rulers. Some of these clay tablets survived till about the
eighth century B.C., and the Assyrians and the Greeks developed a theory of the
universe. In fact, the Greek historian Herodotus (c. 485-c.425 B.C.) narrates the case of
Thales of Miletus who accurately predicted that a total solar eclipse would occur in the
year 585 B.C. A war between the Lydians and the Medes ended in a truce due to the
occurrence of this predicted eclipse while they were in the battlefield.

The Babylonians, regarded eclipses as highly important omens. Though the date and
place over which an eclipse was visible in the sky were accurately recorded, still there is
a possibility that these events might have been entered under the title 'the Sun
becoming the Moon', which could also indicate dust storms.

Omens regarding the lunar eclipses are more abundant than those for the solar ones.
Not only was a total lunar eclipse regarded as universal--since it would be visible from a
large part of the globe--it was also seen to be impartial in its intensity given the totally
eclipsed disc of the Moon. On the contrary, a partially eclipsed Moon would have one of
its four sides (western, southern, eastern or northern) obscured. Depending on the side
of the lunar disc eclipsed to the maximum extent, it was possible for the Babylonians to
ascertain which geographical directions pointing to the neighbouring kingdoms would
experience a bad or good phase. Such details are to be found in their compendium,
known as Enuma Anu Enlil. Each entry in the record of a watch of a lunar eclipse
included detailed data on the exact year, month, date, day of the week, hour of the night
watch, wind and its direction, and location of the star nearest to the eclipsed Moon in the
sky. From all these factors, the nature of the omens could be ascertained. For example,
we find the following report on a certain eclipse (lunar) in the month of Simannu
occurring just before dawn:

An eclipse in the morning-watch meant contracting to diseases....

The morning watch is toward Elam, the 14th day is over Elam,
Simannu is at Amurru, the second side is towards Akkad.... When
an eclipse occurred during the morning watch and it lasted for the
entire duration of the watch, and at the same time the north wind
was blowing, any sick person viewing it will recover. On the other
hand, when the eclipse started on the first side and stood on the
 second side, there would be a slaughter of Elam; Guti would not
approach Akkad.... When an eclipse happens and stands on the
second side, gods will have mercy on the land.... When the eclipse
is in the month of Simannu, there will be flood....

More detailed ones would warn the kings about possible disasters in an ensuing war,
and prescribe the most favourable geographical directions for a possible victory, and so
on.

Many a such rich enumeration of omens had a profound significance not only for the
then astrologers but also for the then rulers of the territories. One should always
remember that in those ancient times there was no distinction between what are now
formally classified as astronomy and astrology. Our aim is to filter out the astronomy
component, and give a thought to finding out plausible reasons as to why certain
ritualistic details figured in the form of astrological conventions. Details such as these
indicate fairly accurate observations of the eclipses. Thus, the Babylonians had
mastered the art of predicting the eclipses before the seventh century B.C. For example,
it is stated in Thompson (p. 273): "On 14th an eclipse will take place, it is evil for Elam
and Amurru, lucky for the king, my lord, rest happy. It will be seen without Venus. To the
king my lord I say thee: there will be an eclipse."

As it happened the day turned out to be cloudy and the eclipse was not sighted. This
was interpreted as : 'The god of Ashur, Tutelary, knowing that no evil threatened the
country and its king drew the curtain of cloud over the horizon so that the king and his
subjects should not be unnecessarily frightened'. This interpretation is important
because this was a period when the king was ill and had returned from an unsuccessful
Egyptian campaign.

According to the Chaldeans, the occurrence of a lunar eclipse signified that the wrath of
the Moon had been incurred, resulting in the onset of diseases, famine, war,
earthquakes and other natural calamities. Since witnessing the eclipse would cause
viewers to suffer from these disasters, they were instructed to stay indoors during its
duration.

The Greeks considered an eclipse to be a forerunner of ill omens, and believed that it
occurred only when both the Sun god and the Moon god became angry. There were
occasions when one part of the territory witnessed the eclipse, while other areas did not.
In such instances, inhabitants who lost wars against their neighbours understandably
regarded eclipses as bad omens. It is said that the Greeks used to halt and sometimes
retreat from a war front if they had sighted an eclipse during their war adventures.

The Roman historian Levy (59 B.C.-A.D. 17) has recorded that during a lunar eclipse it
was common practice to scream and shout to drive away the demons who cast their
shadows on the lunar disc. Another Roman historian Tacitus (A.D. 55-117) has similarly
asserted that people used to make loud noises using drums and cymbals to shorten the
duration of the eclipse (Fig. 4).
Similar practices were observed by people living in Turin. The Armenians thought that
eclipses occurred when a black planet invaded the space between the Earth and the
Moon (Fig.5). Such an idea is certainly more credible and ingenious,-- it would explain
why the darkened portion of the eclipsed Sun or the Moon should have a round shape.
The idea of demons engulfing the Sun or the Moon does not explain why the two
interfaces are circular in nature. However, given the fact that the Sun god and the Moon
god are both round in shape and luminous in nature, the celestial demon could have
been imagined to have a similar shape though a dark nature. The way a lunar eclipse
proceeds is visually not the same as that due to the changes in phase of the Moon. So
the idea of shadows engulfing the Moon during a lunar eclipse could also emerge during
such early epochs.

Astronomical ideas play their important part in the culture of the Chinese civilisation. It is
difficult to arrive at a correct picture of their development as the later Chinese authors try
to ascribe an earlier date to relatively more recent ideas to enhance the mystique of
their civilisation. Massive burning of books containing extremely valuable records of
astronomical interest over a period of at least two thousand years took place in 213 B.C.
at the command of the then Emperor Shih Huang Ti. In the ensuing Han period much of
the old philosophy was restored, but many distortions crept in when the books were
rewritten. The famous example is the story of the Hsi and Hso brothers who were
portrayed as being beheaded for failing in their predictions of an eclipse (Fig. 6). In
reality both the brothers were beheaded for having taken sides in a civil strife. The later
editions transformed this into the anecdotal, demoralizing tale of two astronomers who
in their merry life neglected their duties, failed to predict the solar eclipse, and were
punished by decapitation. Since the date (the first day of the autumn) and the location of
the Moon (the Moon being stationed in Fang, that is, in Scorpion's head) had been
added to the tale, modern astronomers could calculate the date of the above reported
eclipse to be 22 October 2137 B.C. But surely, it would be too much to expect an
accurate prediction of a solar eclipse in such ancient times. Questions would also arise
as to the credibility, if any, of the original tale.

Astronomical rather than cosmological ideas were deeply interwoven in the Chinese
way of life. According to its orthodox state religion, China was the centre of the flat
earth, the centre corresponding to the celestial pole, and the centre of Heaven. Here the
god Shang-ti ruled as the emperor of the Earth, the emperor being 'Son of the Heaven'.
He maintained harmony between Heaven and Earth by precisely following the rituals
and prescriptions of his forefathers in his action. It was believed that disorders in one
realm led to turmoil in the other. In other words, not only were irregularities in Heaven
the cause of calamities on Earth, but the evil actions of man (including the rulers) also
brought about disturbances in nature and in Heaven. Eclipses and comets were signs
that the emperor and/or his officials had sinned, governed badly, or neglected the
ceremonial. According to the astronomical work Shih-Shen of the fourth century B.C.:

When a wise prince occupied the throne, the Moon follows the right
way. When the prince is not wise and the ministers exercise their
power in a wrong way, the Moon loses its way. When the high
officials let themselves act against the interest of the public as well
 as monarchy, the Moon goes astray towards north or south. When
the Moon is rash, it is because the prince is slow in punishing....

For a long time, the Chinese believed that an eclipse was caused when a dog or some
such wild animal bit (by way of casting shadows on) the Sun or the Moon. In order to
drive away those animals they used to ring bells loudly. And since the solar eclipse was
thought to be a bad omen, they used to fast during the eclipse hours to prevent its
recurrence.

During solar eclipses, the Shintos in Japan used to have a talisman, a precious stone-
studded necklace, put on the branches of the sacred Clauria tree. The brilliance of these
stones was thought to compensate for the amount of sunlight lost during the eclipses
(Fig.7). At some places bonfires were lit during the eclipses, with the idea that their light
would make good the loss of sunlight and might help shorten the duration of the eclipse,
as it did without failure!

Some of the Eskimo tribes also held that eclipses brought the Earth under bad
influences, believing further that their failure to place all their utensils upside down
before their deities would lead to widespread diseases (Fig.8). Even today, Eskimo
women follow this ritual for the duration of the eclipse. Underlying this belief is the idea
that during an eclipse the Sun and the Moon are diseased for a short period, much like
the ordinary humans on the Earth, who fall sick for a while. Therefore, rays from these
striken bodies falling on utensils could transmit the same disease to the Eskimos, as
well as their respective deities.

The people living along the western coast of Africa believed that the lunar eclipse
occurs because of the Sun's shadow, which is always following the Moon. So during
eclipses, people gather on the street and shout: 'Leave Him', 'Go away', and so on.

According to the Ojibawas sect of the Red Indians the solar eclipse signifies the
extinguishing of the Moon or the Sun for a while. Consequently, they hurl burning arrows
in the direction of the Sun so as to rekindle its original brightness (Fig.9).

The inhabitants of the Tahiti Islands are found to believe that a lunar eclipse is a sign of
impending disaster caused by evil spirits. In order to free the Moon from the clutches of
these diabolical influences, they gather at their shrines and prey.

The aborigines of Sri Lanka also understand the solar eclipse as an indication of an
unholy and disastrous event and observe a fast on the day of the eclipse.

The Todas from the Nilgiris believe that there is a rabbit on the Moon, which is not very
difficult to imagine if one closely looks at the face of the Full Moon. According to them
when a serpent swallows the Moon the lunar eclipse begins. In order to drive the
serpent away, these people shout and make loud noises; they also fast during the
eclipse hours. It seems that they have hardly witnessed any of the total solar eclipses.
The Maoris in Assam and Bihar believe that the lunar eclipse is a sign of imminent
victory over their enemy in a war and the collapse of their enemy's fort. It would have
been logical for their enemies to also arrive at a similar interpretation. But one has to
keep in mind that war always takes place between two communities, religious
denominations, or rival rulers. If one of them wins just after witnessing a lunar eclipse by
fortuitous coincidence the previous night or within a few days of its rest day, a
superstitious belief which attributes final victory in a war to the occurrence of an eclipse
is quite natural. In that case, the vanquished party would naturally view an eclipse as a
bad omen.

The imagination of the Munda tribes hailing from Bihar, and Bastar region in Madhya
Pradesh is quite fertile. They believe that the Sun and the Moon take loans from a
demon, named 'Dhanko'. Their failure to repay within the scheduled period invites
imprisonment by their creditors, and therefore, the Sun and the Moon are not seen in
the sky at their usual positions. This, in their opinion, is why eclipses take place. So the
Munda people bring their utensils, rice and weapons to their courtyards in the belief that
the Sun and the Moon will accept these to repay their debts to the demon thereby
liberating the Mundas from the ghastly spectre of an eclipse.

In the Holy Quran, in the Sura of Resurrection (Al-Qiyama), it is stated that before the
day of Resurrection, the Moon will be eclipsed, and the Sun and the Moon will be
brought together (75: 7-11). It may sound either paradoxical or trivial, depending upon
how one is interpreting these words. In the Holy Bible (Mathew 24:29), similar
statements are recorded about the signs of the future return of Jesus Christ. The Holy
Prophet had advised the people to resort to prayer and charity during eclipses, be it
solar (kusoof) or lunar (khusoof). The Prayer Book (Salat, p. 66-76) prescribes a two
Rak'aat prayer on the occassion of any eclipse. In fact, the Holy Prophet performed two
Ruku in each Rakat. The central theme behind this is to rekindle the human spiritual
light in the believer's heart while the celestial spiritual light diminishes during eclipses.

The Holy Prophet also stated that a Divine Reformer (Mahdi) would come and His signs
would be a lunar eclipse on the thirteenth night of Ramazan (first of eclipse nights) and
a solar eclipse on the twenty-eighth day of Ramazan (middle of eclipse days).
(Darqutani, vol. I, P.188). In fact, eclipses have played very crucial roles during the
formative phases of Islam.

The birth year of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (A.D. 569-570) was also a year of total
solar eclipse (on A.D. 24 November 569), with its path of totality passing within about a
thousand kilometers of His birth place. This was in concurrence with the prevailing
notion that a total solar eclipse ushers in a new regime or signals the downfall of older
dynasties, although the Quran does not make a causal connection between these two
events. However, the tragic death of the Prophet's infant son, Ibrahim, on A.D. 22
January 632 coincided with the occurrence of an annular solar eclipse. On A.D. 2 July
632 another annular solar eclipse took place when Mu'awaiyah (the son of the chief
Meccan enemy of Ali) assumed leadership after the revolt against Ali (who was
Prophet's son-in-law), and decided to transfer the Prophet's pulpit from Medina to his
capital in Damascus, Syria. Due to the occurrence of an annular solar eclipse during the
raising of the pulpit, the mission was abandoned.

Generally, the Jains also regard an eclipse (solar and lunar) as a bad omen, and have
laid down certain rituals to ward off their ill effects. A total solar eclipse is thought to be
the sure cause of the death of the king or some such highly placed person. If two
eclipses occur during the same month, it is believed to be a definite harbinger of some
great calamity, such as a war.

The Buddhist tradition interprets eclipses as being caused by two demons, namely
Rahu and Ketu, devouring the Sun and the Moon (Fig. 10). Many Buddhist scriptures,
written in Pali language, refer to eclipses caused by Rahu and Ketu. This issue will be
dealt with in more detail in the context of the beliefs and practices of the Hindus in the
following section.

HOME CHANDRA OBSERVATORY SOLAR ECLIPSE

The Inca feared that a lunar eclipse was caused by a jaguar attacking the moon. They'd try to
drive it away by making noise, including beating their dogs to make them howl and bark.

PHOTOGRAPH OF ILLUSTRATION BY LEONARD DE SELVA, CORBIS

Lunar Eclipse Myths From Around the
World
Many cultures view the disappearance of the moon as a
time of danger and chaos.
Marauding demons, murderous pets, and ravenous jaguars are just
some of the culprits that cultures around the world have blamed for
the moon's disappearance during lunar eclipses.

During the night of April 14 through April 15, the first total lunar eclipse
in more than two years will be visible across North and South America,
and from Hawaii. (See "Viewing Guide: Watch Moon Turn Red During
Total Lunar Eclipse.")

While such celestial events are celebrated today with viewing parties,
road trips, and astronomy talks, eclipses haven't always been events
that people looked forward to.

Many ancient cultures saw solar or lunar eclipses as a challenge to the

normal order of things, says E. C. Krupp, director of the Griffith
Observatory in Los Angeles, California. "Things that shouldn't be
happening are happening." (See "Solar Eclipse Myths From Around the
World.")

Howling at the Moon

"[The Inca] didn't see eclipses as being anything at all good," says David
Dearborn, a researcher at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
in California, who has written extensively on how the Inca viewed
astronomy. Accounts written by Spanish settlers in the New World
record the Incan practices surrounding eclipses, he says.
Among the collected myths is a story about a jaguar that attacked and
ate the moon. The big cat's assault explained the rusty or blood-red
color that the moon often turned during a total lunar eclipse.
(See "Lunar Eclipse Pictures: When the Moon Goes Red.")

The Inca feared that after it attacked the moon, the jaguar would crash
to Earth to eat people, Dearborn says. To prevent that, they would try to
drive the predator away by shaking spears at the moon and making a lot
of noise, including beating their dogs to make them howl and bark.
(Read about the Inca Empire in National Geographic magazine.)

A Substitute King

The ancient Mesopotamians also saw lunar eclipses as an assault on the

moon, says Krupp. But in their stories, the assailants were seven
demons.

Traditional cultures linked what happened in the sky to circumstances

on Earth, he says. And because the king represented the land in
Mesopotamian culture, the people viewed a lunar eclipse as an assault
on their king. "We know from written records [that Mesopotamians]
had a reasonable ability to predict lunar eclipses," says Krupp. So in
anticipation of an eclipse, they would install a surrogate king intended
to bear the brunt of any attack.

"Typically, the person declared to be king would be someone

expendable," Krupp says. Though the substitute wasn't really in charge,
he would be treated well during the eclipse period, while the actual king
masqueraded as an ordinary citizen. Once the eclipse passed, "as you
might expect, the substitute kings typically disappeared," Krupp says,
and may have been dispatched by poisoning.

Healing the Moon

The eclipse myth told by the Hupa, a Native American tribe from
northern California, has a happier ending.
The Hupa believed the moon had 20 wives and a lot of pets, says Krupp.
Most of those pets were mountain lions and snakes, and when the moon
didn't bring them enough food to eat, they attacked and made him
bleed. The eclipse would end when the moon's wives would come in to
protect him, collecting his blood and restoring him to health, Krupp
says.

To the Luiseño tribe of southern California, an eclipse signaled that the

moon was ill, says Krupp. It was tribe members' job to sing chants or
prayers to bring it back to health.

Modern Myths

Not all cultures view an eclipse as a bad thing, says Jarita Holbrook, a
cultural astronomer at the University of the Western Cape in Bellville,
South Africa, in an interview last year.

"My favorite myth is from the Batammaliba people in Togo and Benin"
in Africa, she says. In this myth, the sun and the moon are fighting
during an eclipse, and the people encourage them to stop. "They see it
as a time of coming together and resolving old feuds and anger,"
Holbrook says. "It's a myth that has held to this day."

Ancient rituals will mingle with contemporary science as the Griffith

Observatory marks the April 14-15 eclipse. "Based on past experience,
we expect a very large crowd to show up," Krupp says, as staff and
astronomers gather on the Los Angeles observatory's front lawn with
telescopes—and with noisemakers.

"If there's a celestial object threatened, Griffith Observatory is in the

business of protecting and observing," Krupp says with mock gravity.
He plans to don his "official eclipse-dispersing wizard's robe and hat"
and lead marchers around the lawn with noisemakers, to scare off
whatever is swallowing the moon.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/4/140413-total-lunar-eclipse-myths-space-culture-
science/