What does eclipse on your birthday mean? Myths, folklore surround astronomical event
Do you avoid walking under ladders? Stay away from black cats? Jump over cracks — because who wants to risk hurting mom?!
Whether you're on Team Superstitious, Team You're Kidding Right, or Team Better Safe Than Sorry, the total solar eclipse coming in April is filled with myths — or are they? — you either need to know.
So as we count down the days to April 8, enjoy a step into room of folklore and myths associated with eclipses.
But first ...
Is there an eclipse in 2024?
Why yes, yes there is. It will take place April 8 and will be visible to millions across the U.S.
The total eclipse — where the moon completely blocks the sun — will occur along a 115-mile-wide swatch from Texas to Maine.
How much of the eclipse will be visible in Florida?
Anywhere from 54 percent of 82 percent of the sun will be covered during the eclipse, depending on where you are in Florida.
Residents in the northwest corner of the Panhandle will see the most coverage.
Now that we've covered the basics, here are myths and folklore surrounding eclipses.
Best eclipse views in Florida: Florida won't see total solar eclipse in April, but here are best, worst views in state
Myth 1: An eclipse will poison any food prepared during the event
This myth is related to another false concept: that during a total eclipse the corona emits emits electromagnetic radiation that can cause blindness, according to NASA.
So the thinking is radiation will harm food. If that were the case, all food in your pantry — including those cans with a 2001 expiration date — and crops yet to be harvested would be affected.
While the ghostly green corona may look frightening, don't look for coincidences, NASA warned.
Myth 2: If you are pregnant you should not watch an eclipse because it can harm your baby
This myth also is tied to the fear of radiation.
Actually, neutrinos from the sun are always speeding through space, through the moon and even through Earth. Yes, through us, too. It happens during an eclipse and even when the sun is below the horizon.
"This is an entirely harmless effect and would not harm you, or if you are pregnant, the developing fetus," according to NASA.
Many ancient people worried an eclipse caused pregnancy issues such as blindness, cleft lips, and birthmarks, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
"Even today ... pregnant women are sometimes warned to stay inside, not eat, not carry sharp objects, and not eat cooked food from prior to the eclipse," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
"Some say that the baby superstitions date from the Aztecs, who believed that a celestial beast was biting the Sun — and the same thing would happen to a baby if the pregnant mother watched."
Myth 3: Eclipses are harbingers of something very bad about to happen
Psychologists call this confirmation bias, when we remember when two things happened together, but forget all the times they didn't. In other words, it's our tendency to see only data that supports an idea and ignore everything else.
Blame this on our early ancestors. "The human brain is predisposed to looking for, and remembering, patterns that can be used as survival rules-of-thumb," NASA said.
Myth 4: A solar eclipse means the end of the world or a 'great evil will come'
"For many people in ancient times, a total solar eclipse generated fear. They thought the world would end or a great evil would follow," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
"Myths often involved a beast trying to destroy the Sun with the fate of earth hanging in the balance — or, a sun-god becoming angry, sad, or sick."
Myth 5: Solar eclipses 6 months after your birthday, or on your birthday, are a sign of impending bad health
This is a common belief among astrologers, and once again is only supported by confirmation bias, so go back to myth 3.
"There is no physical relationship between a total solar eclipse and your health, any more than there is a relationship between your health and a new moon.
"Among a random sample of people, you may find such correlations from time to time but they are outnumbered by all the other occasions during which your health was excellent," NASA said.
Don't believe it? Check back on Oct. 8.
Let's dive in to folklore now.
What have been past responses during an eclipse?
The Old Farmer's Almanac shared folklore associated with an eclipse:
Fear led Chippewa people to shoot flaming arrows into the sky to try to rekindle the sun. Tribes in Peru did the same for a different reason; they hoped to scare off a beast attacking the sun.
In Indonesia and Polynesia, Rahu consumes the sun — but burns his tongue and spits it out.
In Transylvanian folklore, an eclipse stems from the angry sun turning away and covering herself with darkness, in response to men’s bad behavior.
In India, many believe an eclipse happens when a dragon is trying to seize the sun and moon. People immerse themselves in rivers up to their neck, imploring the sun and moon to defend them against the dragon.
In Tahitian myth, the sun and moon are lovers who join up — providing an eclipse — but get lost in the moment and created stars to light their return to normalcy.
In Bohemia, miners believe an eclipse means good luck in finding gold.
Another myth shared by KidsEclipse said that in Japan, people once believed poison dropped from the sky during an eclipse. To prevent the poison from dropping into their drinking water, they covered all the wells during an eclipse.
Not surprisingly, many legends have the sun being eaten
Many legends explain an eclipse as the sun being eaten and what people did to have it return to normal.
Exploratorium gathered these legends from around the world:
In Vietnam, legend has it that a giant frog swallows the sun. Its master, the lord of Hahn, convinces the frog to spit it out.
In Javanese mythology, the god of darkness, Batara Kala, swallows the sun. Javanese villagers try to make Batara Kala release the sun by offering sacrifices and beating drums.
In Andean mythology, a puma devours the sun. To prevent the sun’s death, the puma must be frightened away by the screams of children and the cries of animals.
According to Choctaw legend, a mischievous black squirrel gnaws on the sun.
In the U.S. Northwest, the Pomo people’s name for a solar eclipse is “Sun got bit by a bear.” They tell a story about a bear who goes out for a stroll along the Milky Way. The bear meets up with the sun, and the two begin to argue about who will move out of the other’s path. The argument turns into a fight, which is the eclipse.
In ancient China, it was commonly held that a celestial dragon attacked and devoured the sun. To frighten away the dragon and save the Sun, people would bang drums and make loud noises.
Emperors, kings, and rulers throughout history have been nervous about eclipses, with court astrologers interpreting them that the monarch’s power was in danger. In ancient Babylon, there was the practice of hiring “stand-in” kings to sit on the throne during an eclipse, so any harm would come to them instead of the real king, according to the Farmers' Almanac.
Christopher Columbus, Leap Day and an eclipse
On his last voyage to America, Christopher Columbus was stranded with his crew on Jamaica with a badly damaged ship. Native Americans got tired of feeding Columbus and his crew. It didn't help that some of the crew mutinied, robbed and murdered some of the Arawaks, according to Space.com.
On the night of Feb. 29, 1504, Columbus — who had access to an almanac detailing the coming eclipse — told the natives God was angry with them for withholding food and God was going to make the moon disappear.
During the eclipse, the natives "begged Columbus to ask God to forgive them and bring back the moon. After an hour passed and the lunar eclipse was ending, Columbus told the natives that God had forgiven them and the moon would be returned," according to accounts from KidsEclipse and Space.com.
Leap day: Serial killer Aileen Wuornos and 'Gone With the Wind' film have a Feb. 29 tie
Let's blame Loki for eclipses
As almost any viewer of Avenger movies will attest, Loki is probably to blame and that includes what caused an eclipse.
In Norse culture, the evil enchanter Loki is chained by the gods. He gets revenge by creating wolflike giants, one of which swallows the Sun. Another of the giant wolves chases the moon, trying to eat it, according to Exploratorium.
Think 'modern' people are immune from solar eclipse fears?
In 2010, during a very large partial eclipse, restaurants and hotels saw a dip in business and many customers preferred not to eat during the event, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Maybe they were occupied watching the eclipse?
In Cambodia, in 1995, instead of screaming and banging during a solar eclipse, soldiers shot into the air to scare the mythic dragon from the sky. It was reported that the only scattered casualties were from the bullets.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Eclipse myths, folklore surround solar eclipses. Columbus, Loki
