The lunar eclipse of the blood moon is approaching, what do the ancient residents think?
From the evening of May 15 and May 16, residents in some regions of the world will have the opportunity to observe lunar eclipse totality. Those regions include much of the Americas, Antarctica, Africa, Europe, and the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Meanwhile, a penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible in New Zealand, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon is completely in the shadow of the Earth created by sunlight.
The phases of the Moon during the upcoming lunar eclipse in North American Eastern time.
During this time, direct light from the Sun reaching the Earth’s natural satellite will be blocked. Instead, light refracted by Earth’s atmosphere will reflect off the surface of the Moon, creating a red light, also known as a “blood moon”.
As an interesting natural phenomenon, the blood moon is not only a topic of interest to those who love astronomy, but also a cultural topic that has been noticed by many civilizations throughout history. Many stories and legends have been created to try to explain this phenomenon, most of which associate it with a bad omen.
This is not difficult to understand. For the ancients, the basic phenomena of the sky and the universe had a great influence on life. Sunrise, sunset, lunar cycle or the change of seasons are associated with the laws of the natural world, are a way to observe time and sometimes determine human viability.
For many ancient civilizations, the “blood moon” carries very bad energy. The Incas interpreted this phenomenon to occur when a jaguar attacked and tried to eat the Moon and then made its way to Earth. For this reason, they would scream, swing their spears, and make the dogs bark back in hopes of driving away this invisible jaguar.
Lunar eclipses are associated with bad omens according to many superstitious notions.
The ancient Mesopotamians believed this to be a bad omen for kings. With the ability to predict quite accurately when this event will happen, they will temporarily substitute a fake king while the real king hides for “safety”.
Some Hindu legends claim that a lunar eclipse occurred when the many-headed demon Rahu hunted the Moon and swallowed it. According to the ancient Indians, this phenomenon portends bad luck. They will cover food and drink, perform cleansing rituals. Pregnant women should not eat or do housework to protect the fetus at this time.
However, not all civilizations associate this phenomenon with a bad omen. The Batammaliba of Togo and the Benin of Africa are prime examples. They believe that a lunar eclipse is a time when the Moon and the Sun are in conflict – a kind of conflict that should be encouraged to resolve all past grievances.
Source: Space, Theconversation
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