Between mythologies and science: how were eclipses explained in ancient cultures?

Myth is considered knowledge, just like common sense and science itself. In fact, before science could explain some things, myths were largely responsible for providing answers to human curiosities.

In this sense, today science reveals to us how an eclipse actually occurs. But before this was proven, many cultures developed their own theories about this phenomenon. Therefore, astronomers, physicists and other groups of scientists know that there are two types of eclipses.

On the one hand, we have the lunar eclipse, which happens when the Earth is placed between the Moon and the Sun, causing the Earth's shadow to be projected onto the Moon. This results in the Moon temporarily disappearing as it enters the Earth's shadow.

Additionally, there are solar eclipses. In this phenomenon, the Moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun, thus blocking sunlight, causing its shadow to be projected on our planet.

As a result, there is a temporary darkening of the area where the lunar shadow is cast. However, not all places on Earth experience the eclipse in the same way.

The darkest, central part of the Moon's shadow is called the “umbra,” where a total eclipse occurs, and the surrounding areas experience a partial eclipse, where only a portion of the Sun is blocked.

But, after all, how was this phenomenon explained before these proofs?

How did ancient people understand eclipses?

(Image: Shutterstock/reproduction)

Chinese sages said there was a heavenly dragon. When the eclipse occurred, it was a sign that this fierce animal was devouring the Sun.

In view of this situation, the Chinese played percussion instruments and made many other sounds in order to scare away the dragon and save our solar system.

The Norse believed that the eclipse occurred when the wolves Skoll and Hati tried to devour the Sun. The Incas of the South American continent believed that the eclipse was the divine force of their sun god, called Inti.

Because of this, there were worship rituals, including some sacrifices, to extol this god and preserve harmony. The story developed by the Hindus is somewhat disturbing.

This mythology said that the eclipse occurred when the head of a demon called Rahu was decapitated, as this evil deity tried to drink the nectar of some gods and suffered this death.

You Africans in the West, more specifically in northern Benin and Togo, assumed that the eclipse was the result of human anger.

For them, when the world was filled with anger, it was mirrored by the Sun and the Moon, and, to alleviate the situation, there were some rituals that propagated peace.

Finally, Egypt stands out when it comes to astronomy, since they have always been advanced in this sense, and, therefore, there are few myths about this natural phenomenon. However, there is a story that suggests that eclipses were avoided, or only seen symbolically as an event of reverence for Ra, the sun god of the ancient people of pyramids and hieroglyphics.

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