Snake trying to eat the moon.. Why were ancient civilizations afraid of lunar eclipses?

Written By ندى ماهر عبدربه on 2024/09/18

This article was written originally in Arabic and is translated using a 3rd party automated service. ArabiaWeather is not responsible for any grammatical errors whatsoever.

Arab Weather - Astronomical phenomena such as lunar eclipses have always amazed humans since ancient times, and with their lack of scientific understanding in ancient times, many myths and beliefs arose around them that spread awe and fear in people's souls. Ancient civilizations linked lunar eclipses to supernatural events, such as attacks by mythical creatures.

Despite scientific progress in explaining this natural phenomenon, some people still feel anxious or afraid of a lunar eclipse, influenced by the legacy of these ancient beliefs that have continued through generations. In this article, we review the most prominent reasons why some people still fear a lunar eclipse today, and how ancient myths played a major role in shaping these fears.

Ancient Civilizations and Lunar Eclipses

Ancient civilizations feared eclipses because they believed that this natural phenomenon carried negative connotations or was a bad omen. There were several reasons behind this fear, which varied according to the culture and beliefs prevailing in each civilization, including:

Ignorance of scientific reasons

Ancient civilizations did not have scientific knowledge to explain astronomical phenomena such as eclipses and for them, it was unexpected and frightening. They did not know that an eclipse is simply the shadow of the Earth covering the moon or the moon blocking the sun, so they explained it in supernatural and magical ways.

fear of natural disasters

Eclipses are associated in the minds of some with natural disasters such as earthquakes, famines, or wars. Ancient Chinese civilizations, for example, believed that a celestial dragon would swallow the moon or sun during an eclipse, and people had to make noise to scare it away and restore the light.

Symbolism of eclipse for ancient peoples

In civilizations such as the Maya and Inca, eclipses were considered a sign of serious changes in the cosmic order, which caused panic among people. Eclipses were considered a symbol of the reversal of things and the deterioration of conditions. The following are some of the most famous ancient civilizations and their myths related to lunar eclipses:

Babylonian Civilization : In Babylonian civilization, a lunar eclipse was believed to be a bad omen or a sign of the wrath of the gods, and was often thought to target the king in particular. The eclipse was interpreted as an attempt by the gods to take revenge on the king or as punishment for a sin he had committed. To protect the king, a false king was temporarily placed during the eclipse to deflect danger from the real king.
Chinese Civilization : In ancient China, they believed that a lunar eclipse occurred when the moon was attacked by a celestial dragon trying to swallow it. Every time an eclipse occurred, people would beat drums and make noise to scare the dragon and return the moon to its normal position.
Inca Civilization : The Inca people of South America believed that a lunar eclipse was the result of an attack by a wild animal, such as a jaguar or snake, trying to eat the moon. To avoid this, people would shout and shoot arrows at the moon to fight off the mythical animal and protect the moon from destruction.
Indian Civilization : In Hindu mythology, a lunar eclipse is believed to be caused by the demon Rahu. Legend has it that the god Vishnu beheaded the demon after he drank the potion of immortality without earning it. His head then turned into the planet Rahu, which seeks revenge on the sun and the moon. When he grabs the head of one of them, an eclipse occurs.
Mayan Civilization : For the Mayan civilization, the phenomenon of a lunar eclipse was associated with the afterlife and death. They believed that eclipses occurred when the spirits of the dead were angry and tried to eat the moon. For protection, the inhabitants performed religious rituals to alleviate the anger of the spirits.
Greek Civilization : In Greek mythology, lunar eclipses were believed to be the result of magical work. Some cultures in ancient Greece feared that witches or evil priests could manipulate the moon and steal its light, thus causing an eclipse. For this reason, they performed rituals and spells to protect the moon from magic.
Viking Civilization : The Vikings believed that lunar eclipses were caused by a mythical wolf called "Hatti" trying to devour the moon. During the eclipse, they would make a lot of noise and use war tools, such as swords and shields, to scare the wolf and return the moon to its normal position.
Ancient Egyptian Civilization : In ancient Egypt, lunar eclipses were believed to be part of an eternal battle between the sky god Horus and the forces of chaos represented by the god Set. Eclipses were interpreted as part of this battle, with Set trying to control the moon, a symbol of justice and order.
Roman Civilization : The Romans had beliefs similar to the Greeks, as it was believed that magicians could summon eclipses as a magical weapon and the Romans performed rituals to protect themselves from the potential evils that eclipses might bring.

Time system instability

Because the sun and moon were the basic time system of ancient civilizations, any disruption in the movement of the sun or moon raised concerns about the cosmic order in general. The disappearance of the moon or sun was understood as a threat to the continuity of normal life and the time system, causing people to feel fear and anxiety.

The effect of eclipses on political and religious beliefs

In some cultures, eclipses were used to assert the ruler's authority or to manipulate popular beliefs. For example, some rulers or priests used their astrological knowledge to predict eclipses to demonstrate their power or ability to "control" nature.

The fear of eclipses was the result of ignorance of the scientific reasons behind this phenomenon, in addition to the influence of religious and symbolic beliefs that interpreted cosmic phenomena as messages from higher powers.