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Asians Fighting Injustice@asiansfightinginjustice Chances are you've heard that there's an eclipse today and that the path of totality will stretch across North America, including 13 states in the US. We thought this would be a great opportunity to look at what Asian cultures believe about eclipses, in this case, solar eclipses. China: According to Chinese mythology, eclipses were thought to be the result of a celestial dragon or dog, “TianGou”, devouring the sun. Because lunar and solar eclipses were seen as a bad omen, people were encouraged to make noise to scare the creatures away. This is reflected in the Chinese terms for eclipses which both include the character 食 (“to eat”). Japan: In Japanese mythology, Amaterasu, the Sun goddess, retreated into a heavenly cave after a dispute with her brother Susanowo, plunging the world into darkness and unleashing evil spirits. To coax her out, the gods staged a lively party near the cave, with Uzume, the goddess of laughter, performing a dance and music. Intrigued by the commotion and her own reflection in a mirror placed outside the cave, Amaterasu emerged, bringing light and color back to the world. Vietnam: In Vietnamese mythology, a giant frog had a penchant for devouring celestial bodies like the moon or sun whenever its master, the lord of Hahn, slept. However, the moon ladies would hastily awaken the lord to intervene, as only he could persuade the amphibian to spit out the sun or moon before swallowing it whole. Korea: In Korean folklore, eclipses were attributed to Bulgae, or fire dogs from the dark realm. According to the belief, solar eclipses happened when these dogs attempted to bite the sun, while lunar eclipses occurred when they tried to eat the moon. The Bulgae found both celestial bodies too hot or too cold for their liking, prompting them to retreat back to their realm. Continued in comments
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@justlovelymary333 😮😮😮😮😮
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@i__am_san_ Very interesting
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@danimal110 These japanese one sounds like an anime
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@asiansfightinginjustice India: In Hindu mythology, the deity Rahu attempted to drink the elixir of immortality. Vishnu, informed by the sun and moon, intervened and decapitated Rahu mid-drink. Although Rahu's head became immortal, his body perished. Rahu pursued the sun and moon, swallowing them when possible. However, they emerged unharmed from his severed neck, ensuring their eternal presence in the sky. What are your favorite eclipse myths and superstitions? Tell us in the comments! Sources: https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/transient-effects/eclipses-art/total-solar-eclipse-china-japan-and-korea https://pearlriver.com/blogs/blog/a-total-solar-eclipse https://www.windows2universe.org/mythology/amaterasu_sun.html #northamericansolareclipse #solareclipse #solareclipse2024 #mythology #folklore #asianmythology #asianculture #eclipsemyths
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@lpny10 @devamecredy @weiweiwong
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