Folklore: Black Sun
A Faeries and Folklore by Ronel post
Welcome to Faeries and Folklore by Ronel.
You can listen to this post in English or Afrikaans at the end of this post.
Folklore in a Nutshell
A solar eclipse is no big mystery: the moon passes between the Earth and sun, blotting out the sun for a few minutes. But throughout history, the sun’s mysteriousness, significance and awesomeness proved fodder for folklore.
In Ancient China, it was believed that a dragon was devouring the sun during a solar eclipse. This led to people banging on pots and drums to scare the evil sun devourer away.
In Norse myth, the wolf Sköll chases the sun goddess Sól through the sky and a solar eclipse is a sign that he is getting dangerously close to devouring her. Of course, when he finally succeeds Ragnarok will come with major battles and extinction.
In Egyptian mythology, the falcon-headed sun god Ra captains a boat across the sky to bring light to mortals. At night, he returns to the east through the Underworld, bringing light to the dead. The giant serpent Apep tries to devour Ra every day. A solar eclipse signal that Apep got the upper hand, but Ra escapes him every time.
Other cultures have their own stories: canines trying to steal the sun, frogs swallowing the sun, archers shooting suns out of the sky, and even squirrels eating the sun.
Origin of the Fae
The solar eclipse can power various magical beings and magic spells if harnessed correctly. Depending on the type of eclipse (full or partial) and the duration, its magical properties can be weaker or stronger.
The Sun gives life to all on Earth (and in some other realms). It can also be fickle in what it wants to do and who it wants to help. Summer Fae and Fire Elementals have a stronger connection to the Sun and can intervene on behalf of various other fae.
You can read the full folklore post with references on my blog.
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