Educate ourselves about the heavens, and be witnesses to celestial history

BY STEVEN KASZAB

Historically the darkening of the sun and or moon during an eclipse has been a startling event, disruptive of the natural order and with many cultural and religious implications. Many ancient peoples tried to explain what was happening, providing spiritual explanations to both solar and lunar eclipses. In Ancient China, a commonly accepted explanation was that a celestial dragon attacked and devoured the Sun, “The sun being eaten.” The cultural response was to bang drums, making noises during the eclipse to drive the dragon away.

In Indian culture, a myth provided an explanation, saying the demon Rahu sought to drink the nectar of the Gods, attempting to gain immortality. Disguising herself as a woman, Rahu attended a banquet of the Gods and was discovered by Vishnu. The demon was punished by being beheaded and his decapitated head flew across the sky that darkened the sun during the eclipse.

Incan’s worshiped Inti, the all-powerful Sun God. Inti was usually a benevolent God, but most wrathful and displeased with humanity when an eclipse happened. Many Native North Americans believed a mischievous black squirrel was biting the sun, thereby causing the eclipse. Like the Chinese Native North Americans made a clamour and much noise trying to scare the squirrel to depart.

In ancient Togo and Benin, the people believed that human anger, fighting and warfare spread to the sun and moon, causing these two celestials to fight among themselves. By demonstrating “peaceful ways” the people of that region could convince the sun and moon to stop their fighting. The sun worshippers of Ancient Egypt found eclipses to be very: distressful, frightening, and actions of the Gods. Scientists have found little to record Egyptians response to eclipses, perhaps showing that Egyptians feared and did not even speculate what these celestial events could mean. Vikings saw celestial sky wolves fighting in the heavens, foretelling of horrid events to come.

Knowledge of when an eclipse will happen has saved many a great man and foretold the Gods’ pleasure during war. Xerxes of the Persian Empire was consoled and encouraged to invade Greece by his priests who could tell when an eclipse was to happen. Xerxes successfully attacked the Greek’s, but when his navy was sunk, he retreated.

Herodotus tells of a battle between the Lydians and Medes, while fighting the eclipse happened and all soldiers stopped fighting and stood still in fear and anguish. The battle ended in a stalemate.

Could this eclipse on April 8^th, be an omen of future events, a possible European War perhaps. EU Officials are warning European civilians of possible aggression from Russia, and to prepare themselves.

Eclipses today are events of interest and entertainment value, where people stop their daily routine and focus their attention on an event that happens only so often. Understanding the earth’s rotation, and that of the other celestial planets makes for a thrilling, special event, so educate yourselves about the heavens, and be witnesses to celestial history.