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 Solar eclipces have caused fear, inspired curiosity and have been associated with

myths, legends and superstitions throughout history. Even today, an eclipse of the Sun

is considered a bad omen in many cultures.

Hindu deity Rahu is known for causing eclipses.

©bigstockphoto.com/wuttichok 

Ancient cultures tried to understand why the Sun temporarily vanished from the Sky, so they came up with

various reasons for what caused a solar eclipse.

Hungry Demons

In Vietnam, people believed that a giant frog was devouring the Sun, while Viking cultures blamed wolves for

eating the Sun and causing a solar eclipse.

In ancient China, a celestial dragon was thought to lunch on the Sun, causing a solar eclipse. In fact, the

Chinese word of an eclipse,chih orshih meansto eat.

According to ancient Hindu mythology, the deityRahu, is beheaded by the gods for capturing and drinking

ambrosia. Rahu's head flies off in the sky and swallows the Sun causing an eclipse.

In order to get rid of the demon, people in many cultures got together to bang pots and pans and made loud

noises during a solar eclipse. It was thought that making a noise would scare the demon away.

How often do solar eclipses happen?

Bear Eats the Sun

The Pomo, an indigenous group of people who live in northwestern United States, tell a story of a bear who

started a fight with the Sun and took a bite of it. The Pomo name for a solar eclipse isSun got bit by a bear.

After taking a bite of Sun and resolving their conflict, the bear, as the story goes, went on to meet the Moon and

take a bite out of the Moon as well, causing a lunar eclipse. This story may have been their way of explaining

why a solar eclipse happens about afortnight before or after a lunar eclipse.

Types of solar eclipses

Angry Sun

The ancient Greeks believed that a solar eclipse was a sign of angry gods and that it was the beginning of

disasters and destruction.

How superstition influenced the course of history

The Tewa tribe from New Mexico, US, believed that a solar eclipse signaled an angry Sun who had left the

skies to go to his house in the underworld.

Quarrelling Sun and Moon

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According to Inuit folklore, the Sun goddess, Malina walked away after a fight with the Moon god, Anningan. A

solar eclipse happened when Anningan managed to catch up with his sister.

The Batammaliba who live in Benin and Togo, used a solar eclipse as a teaching moment. According to their

legends, an eclipse of the Sun meant that the Sun and the Moon were fighting and that the only way to stop

them from hurting each other was for people on Earth to resolve all conflicts with each other.

Celestial Theft

Korean folklore suggests that solar eclipses happen because mythical dogs are trying to steal the Sun.

Modern Day Superstitions

Fear of solar eclipses still exists today. Many people around the world still see eclipses as evil omens that bring

with them death, destruction and disasters.

A popular misconception is that solar eclipses can be a danger to pregnant women and their unborn child. In

many cultures, young children and pregnant women are asked to stay indoors during a solar eclipse.

In many parts of India, people observe fasts during a solar eclipse due to the belief that any food cooked whilean eclipse happens will be poisonous and unpure.

Not all superstitions surrounding solar eclipses are about doom. In Italy, for example, it is believed that flowers

planted during a solar eclipse are brighter and more colorful than flowers planted any other time of the year.

No Scientific Basis

Scientists and astronomers around the world have debunked any such claims. There is no scientific evidence

that solar eclipses can affect human behavior, health or the environment. Scientists, however, do emphasize

that anyone watching a solar eclipse must protect their eyes.

Myths about the solar eclipse

Threat to the monarchy: The eclipse in 1133AD was known as King Henry's Eclipse in

Britain. When Henry I died shortly ater the eclipse! it reair"ed #elies that the

pheno"enon was a #ad sign or "onarchs. Ba#ylonians placed s$#stit$te kings on the

throne d$ring eclipses to protect the real r$lers.

Hinduism: In Hind$ "ythology! the serpent de"ons %ah$ and Ket$ are #elie&ed to

ca$se eclipses #y swallowing the s$n! s$cking away the light that gi&es lie.

Pregnancy: A"ong "odern s$perstitions is the #elie that solar eclipses can pose a

danger to pregnant wo"en and $n#orn children. o"e c$lt$res s$ggest e(pectant

"others and yo$ng children stay indoors d$ring an eclipse.

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Disaster: The Ancient )reeks #elie&ed eclipses were a sign o i"pending disaster and

destr$ction! as a res$lt o the wrath o the gods.

Beheading: In ancient *hina! predicting eclipses was o high i"portance as they were

#elie&ed to #e a threat to e"perors. In +13,B*! two *hinese astrologers ailed topredict the solar eclipse - one o the earliest recorded in history - and they were

#eheaded.

Poison: In parts o r$ral India! asting still takes place a"ong so"e co""$nities who

ear the eclipse will poison any ood prepared d$ring the e&ent.

Crucifixion: )ospels state the skies darkened d$ring the cr$cii(ion o es$s! which

so"e ass$"ed to #e a "iracle and a sign o dark ti"es to co"e. Historians ha&e

s$ggested it "ay reer to an eclipse in either +/AD or 33AD.

Prophet Mohammed: The eclipse o +0 an$ary 3+AD coincided with the death o

2rophet oha""ed's son I#rahi". According to Isla"ic scholars! this led the p$#lic to

spec$late that the pheno"enon was a "iracle to "ark the death - #$t oha""ed

clariied that eclipses were neither the o"en o #irth o death.

Dogs: Korean olklore tells o the s$n #eing stolen #y "ythical dogs.

Evil spirits: *o""$nities in so"e Hind$ co""$nities across Asia greet eclipses with

the #anging o pots and pans or ireworks! to scare away the de"on %ah$.

acts about the solar eclipse

!un and moon: A solar eclipse is a nat$ral e&ent that takes place on Earth when the

"oon "o&es in its or#it #etween Earth and the s$n - which is also known as an

occ$ltation. It happens at new "oon! when the s$n and "oon are in con4$nction with

one another.

Distance: The reason solar eclipses take place is that the distance #etween the s$n

and the Earth is appro(i"ately ,55 ti"es the "oon's distance ro" the s$n! and the

s$n's dia"eter is aro$nd ,55 ti"es larger than the "oon's.

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Total eclipse: This e&ent occ$rs when the Earth intersects the $"#ra portion o the

"oon's shadow! whereas when the $"#ra does not reach the s$race o o$r planet! the

s$n is only partially hidden which res$lts in an ann$lar solar eclipse. 2artial solar

eclipses take place when the &iewer is inside the pen$"#ra.

"###: The last solar eclipse o e6$i&alent signiicance occ$rred on 11 A$g$st 1///!

when 1557 o the s$n was co&ered when &iewed ro" *ornwall.

$ength: The longest a total solar eclipse can last is 0.8 "in$tes.

!peed: The speed o the "oon as it "o&es across the s$n is appro(i"ately 1!3/9 "iles

:+!+85 k"; per ho$r.

%nvisible: Total solar eclipses ha&e not always #een &isi#le ro" Earth. In the past! the

"oon was too close to Earth! so d$ring eclipses it co"pletely #locked o$t the s$n's disk.

<&er ti"e! the l$nar or#it has changed at the rate o aro$nd +c" per year and in the

c$rrent epoch! the align"ent is nearly perect at ti"es.

Disappearing eclipses: <&er the ne(t ew h$ndred "illion years! solar eclipses will no

longer occ$r as the "oon's or#it will contin$e to widen. kywatchers in the $t$re will

only see partial or ann$lar eclipses.

&nnual eclipses: Depending on the geo"etry o the s$n! "oon and Earth! there are

#etween two and i&e solar eclipses e&ery year.

!aros: Al"ost identical eclipses occ$r ater 19 years and 11 days! a period o ++3

synodic "onths called a saros.

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 ears will be visible across !orth and "outh America, and from #awaii. $"ee  %&iewing

uide( )atch Moon *urn +ed During *otal unar -clipse.%

 )hile such celestial events are celebrated toda with viewing parties, road trips, and

astronom tal/s, eclipses haven't alwas been events that people loo/ed forward to.

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Man ancient cultures saw solar or lunar eclipses as a challenge to the normal order of

things, sas -. 0. rupp, director of the riffith 2bservator in os Angeles, 0alifornia.

%*hings that shouldn't be happening are happening.% $"ee %"olar -clipse Mths 3rom

 Around the )orld.% 

Healing the Moon

*he eclipse mth told b the #upa, a !ative American tribe from northern 0alifornia, has a

happier ending.

*he #upa believed the moon had wives and a lot of pets, sas rupp. Most of those pets

 were mountain lions and sna/es, and when the moon didn't bring them enough food to eat,

the attac/ed and made him bleed. *he eclipse would end when the moon's wives would

come in to protect him, collecting his blood and restoring him to health, rupp sas.

*o the uise6o tribe of southern 0alifornia, an eclipse signaled that the moon was ill, sas

rupp. 7t was tribe members' job to sing chants or praers to bring it bac/ to health.

Modern Myths

!ot all cultures view an eclipse as a bad thing, sas 8arita #olbroo/, a cultural astronomer

at the 9niversit of the )estern 0ape in :ellville, "outh Africa, in an interview last ear.

%M favorite mth is from the :atammaliba people in  *ogo and :enin % in Africa, she sas.

7n this mth, the sun and the moon are fighting during an eclipse, and the people encourage

them to stop. %*he see it as a time of coming together and resolving old feuds and anger,%

#olbroo/ sas. %7t's a mth that has held to this da.%

 Ancient rituals will mingle with contemporar science as the riffith 2bservator mar/s the

 April 14;15 eclipse. %:ased on past e<perience, we e<pect a ver large crowd to show up,%

rupp sas, as staff and astronomers gather on the os Angeles observator's front lawn

 with telescopes=and with noisema/ers.

%7f there's a celestial object threatened, riffith 2bservator is in the business of protecting

and observing,% rupp sas with moc/ gravit. #e plans to don his %official eclipse;

dispersing wi>ard's robe and hat% and lead marchers around the lawn with noisema/ers, to

scare off whatever is swallowing the moon.