Eclipses Unveiled: Unraveling Myths and Legends from Drunken Stargazers to Supernatural Beings
Unveiling the captivating allure of eclipses, this compelling new book delves into the rich tapestry of myths and folklore surrounding these extraordinary celestial events, offering an illuminating journey as the 2024 total solar eclipse draws near
Two court astronomers in ancient China, Hsi and Ho, faced execution by Emperor Chung Kang after failing to predict a solar eclipse due to getting drunk. This historical event, dating back to 2159-1948 BC, is considered the earliest known reference to a solar eclipse. It is among the many fascinating cultural stories detailed in "Totality: The Great North American Eclipse of 2024", a new book authored by Mark Littman, a journalism professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and Fred Espenak, a retired astrophysicist emeritus at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
Littman expressed his fascination with the mythology and folklore of eclipses in an email, saying, "To see how people long ago and people today reacted to a total eclipse of the Sun, a sight so unexpected, so dramatic, so surprising in appearance, and so unnatural even though it is utterly natural."
A total solar eclipse is seen on Monday, Aug. 21, 2017 above Madras, Oregon.
Aubrey Gemignani/NASA
Prepare for the upcoming solar eclipse in April 2024 with Littman and Espenak's captivating book. The book not only explores the science of eclipses and offers tips for photographing the upcoming total eclipse, but also features stories from travelers who journeyed to the United States to witness the last total solar eclipse in 2017. Espenak, a renowned eclipse photographer with over 30 total solar eclipses under his belt, brings his expertise to this informative and visually stunning book.
CNN interviewed Littman to delve deeper into the historical significance of eclipses, their ongoing relevance, and the mixture of awe and superstition they still inspire. This interview has been edited for brevity and coherence.
CNN wants to know the details of the oldest known references to eclipses in human history.
According to Mark Littman, the Chinese started recording eclipses on animal bones as far back as 772 BC. By the first century BC, they had enough records to recognize a pattern in the occurrence of eclipses and could use this to accurately predict future eclipses, even ones that wouldn't be visible from their location.
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What is a solar eclipse?
Beginning in 750 BC, the Babylonians documented eclipses using cuneiform on clay tablets. Around 600 BC, they observed a pattern in the timing of eclipses, allowing them to predict future occurrences with impressive accuracy. This method still holds up today, as adding 18 years and 11⅓ days to the date of one eclipse almost always leads to the same type of eclipse at the end of that period.
As early as 2000 BC, the Maya, who lived in Mexico and Central America and thrived from 250 to 900 AD, developed their own written language and used books to record their astronomical observations. Unfortunately, only four of these books survived the devastation of the Spanish conquest. One of these, the Dresden Codex, reveals the Maya's ability to predict solar eclipses by identifying the intervals between their appearances.
The Chinese, Babylonians, and Maya were able to predict eclipses, but they did not understand the cause behind them. CNN asked about common cultural myths surrounding eclipses.
The mythology of eclipses often involves a beast attempting to consume the sun. In Chinese mythology, this beast is a dragon or a dog, while in Scandinavian mythology, it is a wolf. In Indian mythology, a demon named Rahu lost his body when trying to steal the nectar of immortality from the gods. Rahu's head remains and is filled with anger. This head, still hungry, attempts to swallow the sun, but due to lacking a body, the sun emerges from his neck, bringing brightness back to the sky. Rahu persists in pursuing and consuming the sun and moon, causing eclipses.
Not all cultures interpreted eclipses as a monstrous event where the sun or moon is swallowed. Some societies in northern South America believed that the sun and moon engage in periodic bouts, temporarily blocking each other's light.
Littman and Espenak's new book explores the myth, folklore and the science behind eclipses, as well as the most effective way to photograph these stunning natural phenomena.
Oxford University Press
The violence in these tales was not always confined to the heavens. According to folklore from Transylvania in central Romania, the sun occasionally looks down on Earth and is appalled by the cruelty and corruption of humanity, leading to a solar eclipse.
In another culture, eclipses were not seen as acts of celestial or terrestrial violence. The Fon people of western Africa believed that the male sun rules the day, while the female moon rules the night. Despite their mutual affection for each other, their duties in the sky keep them apart most of the time. Yet when they do come together, they humbly dim their light.
CNN: What modern myths and superstitions still surround total eclipses?
Littman: Ancient myths portray eclipses as perilous events, threatening the Earth's light and warmth. Even today, the sudden disappearance of the sun during a total eclipse can evoke confusion and terror when the cause and timing are unknown.
In 1918, young Florence Andsager, at the age of 13, was frolicking with her siblings in the yard of their family's Kansas farm. Suddenly, in the midst of broad daylight, the sky started to darken despite its clear appearance. Their mother urgently called for them to seek shelter in the house, and together with their father, they huddled with the children, fearing that the world was nearing its end. Little did they know, it was a total eclipse of the sun.
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Witness a solar eclipse while attending the world's largest balloon festival. In 2012, an annular eclipse was visible north of Sacramento, California. It was a rare sight and a pregnancy blog shared a unique tradition from Hispanic culture. Expectant mothers were advised to wear red underwear with a safety pin attached over their bellies to protect the fetus from birth defects during a solar eclipse. If red underwear was unavailable, any color would do as long as a red ribbon was attached to it. The tradition also warned pregnant women to stay indoors during the eclipse.
CNN: How do the ancient traditions you've studied about eclipses shape your current experiences of witnessing them?
Littman: I often wonder how people in the past reacted to a total solar eclipse without knowing it was coming and how they tried to comprehend what they saw to share that knowledge with others. Reflecting on this helps me better understand how ancient people dealt with this phenomenon.
Their stories often spoke of a monstrous creature devouring the sun, a fitting portrayal of the partial phases of an eclipse. This vivid description is one that lingers in the mind. The commitment and diligence of the ancient Babylonian, Chinese, and Maya astronomers, who meticulously observed and documented eclipses across generations, despite knowing they would not live to find all the answers, is truly astounding.
The astronomers in each of those cultures who persistently studied the records eventually made groundbreaking discoveries about the rhythm of eclipses, giving their societies the ability to predict the future. Terry Ward, a freelance writer, is based in Tampa, Florida.
