Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Tuesday 22 augusT 2017

The lore and lure of eclipses: Blood, sex and some snacking

BY SETH BORENSTEIN sun. They fought about
AP Science Writer who was in the way, so the
WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s bear, in a fit of rage, bit
not just the skies that get the sun and kept eating
dark when there’s a total until the moon came and
solar eclipse. So do we. saved the day.
Modern science explains LYING
that the sun disappears Andean people used to
because the moon is pass- speak of the moon whis-
ing in front of it. But before pering lies in the sun’s
that, people had to come ear — the crescent in the
up with reasons for what eclipse. So they would
was happening in the sky. bang drums and make
Some of them weren’t ex- dogs howl to alert the sun
actly bedtime stories. that “the moon is a liar and
The lore of early eclipses he’s lying to the sun” about
often told us more about the people of Earth, Aveni
the people spinning the said.BATTLES
yarns than it did about the An eclipse stopped the
sun or the moon, said An- battle between the Lydians
thony Aveni, author of “In and the Medes more than
the Shadow of the Moon: 2,500 years ago, according
The Science, Magic, and to writings by the first Greek
Mystery of Solar Eclipses.” historian Herodotus. “Sol-
“It’s not myth. It’s not sci- In this Tuesday night, Sept. 16, 1997 file photo, worshippers pay their respects to Rahu (the God of diers on both sides were
ence. It’s culture,” said Darkness) during a ceremony at the Srisathong Temple in Nakhon Pathom Province, 50 kilometers so terrified they stopped
Aveni, a professor of phys- (31 miles) west of Bangkok, on the occasion of a lunar eclipse. fighting” and they made
ics and sociology at Col- Associated Press peace, with the daughter
gate University. of the Lydian king marrying
They are often morality A demon named Rahu swallows the sun or moon, eclipse. the sun of the Median king,
tales to warn against every- tried to steal the nectar of they soon reappear. MUNCHING Littmann said.
thing from incest to lying, immortality from the gods, SEX Because the sun disap- UNITING
Aveni said. They could be but the sun and the moon German myth has the cold pears like a cookie be- Tenskwatawa, a Shaw-
quite bloody and scary— recognized him. Rahu and lazy male moon, ig- ing nibbled, eating myths nee prophet of the early
and thus make a good les- started drinking the nectar noring the fiery passionate abound. The Norse had a 19th century, was trying to
son. After all, what’s more when Vishnu threw a discus female sun during the day wolf that took a bite out of unite tribes in Indiana and
unnerving than the sun dis- and it “sliced right through most of the time, except the sun. Elsewhere it’s been Ohio. William Henry Harri-
appearing in the middle of Rahu’s neck,” Littmann for a few bits of passion a dog, dragon, bird and son, then governor of the
the day? said. during an eclipse. Then snake from the underworld. Indiana territory and later
A sampling of eclipse lore The nectar was still in Ra- they’d squabble again Often the beast would spit president, tried to belittle
and history. hu’s mouth but the rest of and the sun would resume out the sun because it was the efforts.
VIOLENCE the body disappeared. So shining again, Littmann too hot. End of eclipse. He asked the prophet if
Perhaps the bloodiest the immortal head would said. In western Africa, it’s RAGE he could perform miracles
eclipse story comes from chase the sun and moon the occasional and furtive Littmann described what and challenged him to
India and “it’s not for the around the sky and “when- rendezvous but this time might be the first case of “cause the sun to stand
faint of heart,” said former ever it catches up with the between the male sun California road rage. The still, the moon to alter its
planetarium director Mark sun and moon it takes a and female moon, with Pomo Indians talked of course, the rivers to cease
Littmann of the University bite.” But because Rahu the couple modestly turn- a bear that was walking to flow or the dead to rise
of Tennessee. has no body, when he ing out the lights during an when it bumped into the from the graves.”q