The Solar Eclipse & Cultural Beliefs & Traditions
The day is here! The solar eclipse is about to happen! Whether you are an astronomy enthusiast or you are just looking to the sun for the day, it is clear the solar eclipse has millions of people preparing to look to the sky!
For those of you who do not know, solar eclipses are events when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun so the view of the Sun from the Earth is obscured. They occur globally between every one and three years. Solar eclipses have taken place throughout history and various cultures have spiritual explanations for what they are and some of them even have specific food traditions in which they partake during solar eclipses.
The following are a few of the cultural explanations and traditions:
The word “eclipse” comes from the Greek word meaning “abandonment.” Ancient Greeks believed that eclipses were a sign that the gods were unhappy and that the Sun would abandon the Earth and lead to ultimate desolation.
In ancient China, the people believed that solar eclipses occurred when an otherworldly dragon attacked and ate the Sun. These ancient people would make all sorts of loud noises in an attempt to scare off the dragon, and, because the Sun always came back after their noise-making, this became a longstanding tradition.
The Navajo tradition considers solar eclipses to be a rebirth of the sun. This time is held as sacred and thus, members of the Navajo nation take this time to sit and reflect and refrain from eating or drinking.
Hindu mythology also has a spiritual explanation for the solar eclipse. According to the Hindu tradition, it is believed that a demon named Rahu attempted to drink the nectar of the gods in an attempt to achieve immortality. He was thwarted in his attempt by the god Vishnu and was beheaded; it is believed that his decapitated head is what blocks out the light of the Sun during eclipses. Many Hindus also believe that no food should be cooked during eclipses.
In Incan tradition, the Inca worshiped the God of the Sun known as Inti. These people considered Inti to be a kind, generous god but solar eclipses were considered to be indications of his wrath. Fasting was a common practice during solar eclipses.
The Viking people believed that during solar eclipses, the Sun Goddess Sol had been swallowed by the wolf Skoll, marking the beginning of Ragnarok—the ultimate battle between the gods and the bringing of the end of the world.
The Vietnamese legend of the solar eclipse is that a giant frog swallows the Sun and that its master has to convince it to spit it out.
