Folk Tales about the Eclipse

A hybrid solar eclipse will occur on Thursday. Before any scientific explanation was made, various folk tales and myths about the eclipse abounded.

ARSIP KOMPAS

An illustration from a fairy tale about an eclipse when Batara Kala or Kala Rahu eats the Sun or Moon causing an eclipse.

A solar or moon eclipse is a natural event that can be scientifically explained. However, such an explanation was not available in antiquity. Folk tales and myths thus bridged the gap in ancient human understanding of the eclipse.

A solar eclipse takes place when the earth, moon and sun are in alignment when observed in certain positions on the earth surface. On 20 April 2023, part of the global population will witness a hybrid solar eclipse (HSE).

There are two types of eclipse in one moment when the HSE occurs, which are a total solar eclipse (TSE) and an annular solar eclipse (ASE). The HSE begins with the ASE, which changes to the TSE and then reverses to the ASE. This process is very brief.

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Yet in the past, the eclipse was believed by some people to result from the deed of a giant named Rahu or Rau. This figure was thought to have eaten the sun so the sky turned pitch dark. The myth about Rahu or Rau can be found among others in the folklore of Bangka and Bali.

In the story, Rau proposes to a goddess but is rejected. Rau gets enraged and forces the goddess to accept him. This is discovered by the Sun God and Moon Goddess and Rau is reported to God Wisnu.

God Wisnu later punishes and executes Rau. The head of Rau falls off, plunging into a holy-water lake and staying alive. Meanwhile, his body falls onto the ground and is lifeless.

Rau, with only his head left, is very furious. He blames the Sun God and Moon Goddess for what has happened to him. Rau chases and tries to devour the god and goddess. When the Sun and Moon get caught, the eclipse follows.

KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG

Image of total solar eclipse March 9, 2016 taken from Palu, Central Sulawesi. At that time, there were 12 provinces that could witness this eclipse starting from the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi to Halmahera.

Various versions

This tale comes in different versions. Some relate that God Wisnu shoots an arrow at Rau’s neck to cut it off, but in other versions God Wisnu beheads Rau with his cakra weapon.

In one of the versions, Rau’s head falls into the holy-water lake for the immortality of the gods. That is why the head of Rau remains alive despite his dead body.

Yet another version recounts Rau is executed when drinking the water of immortality. His is decapitated just when the water is beginning to pass his throat.

People eventually make noises whenever an eclipse occurs by means of [pounding] mortars or whatever they find to frighten Kala in order to flee helter-skelter from the hullabaloo.

In Java, Rau or Rahu is known as Batara Kala. Like Rau or Rahu, Batara Kala is reported to God Wisnu by the Sun and Moon due to his deed. Batara Kala is said to be trying to drink Lake Amerta water that will make him immortal.

God Wisnu beheads Batara Kala while he is drinking the Amerta water. Batara Kala’s head, already affected by the water, stays alive while his body is dashed down, dead. Incensed, Batara Kala pursues the Sun and Moon and tries to gobble up the two “tattletales”.

“People eventually make noises whenever an eclipse occurs by means of [pounding] mortars or whatever they find to frighten Kala in order to flee helter-skelter from the hullabaloo,” said a cultural expert and professor of Javanese literature, Semarang State University, Teguh Supriyanto, on Sunday (16/4/2023).

SUCIPTO

After the eclipse prayer, the public witnessed the phenomenon of a partial solar eclipse at the At Taqwa Great Mosque, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Thursday (12/26/2019).

Driving off a dragon

Meanwhile, North Maluku people respond to an eclipse by beating dolo-dolo (wooden tubes) hard. They believe the eclipse is caused by a dragon swallowing the sun. The noisiness of dolo-dolo is expected to make the dragon throw up the sun in the sky (Kompas, 11/3/2016).

According to head of the Center for Environmental Archeology, Maritime and Sustainable Culture Research, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Marlon Ririmasse, folklore about sky objects circulates in the Maluku community regarding the figure named Atuf. Atuf is narrated as a fighter defeating the sun with his spear.

It is said to have happened in the past when the earth was so close to the sky. The sun therefore broke into pieces. Its big piece became the moon while the small ones turned into stars.

Grasping natural phenomena

Folk tales arose as a means by which humans of bygone times grasped natural phenomena. This is the reason for the many tales connected with the sea, forests and mountains.

“It was the middle path to overcome deadlocks and avoid any dispute. Men have always wanted to control nature. When they were incapable of controlling, understanding and conquering nature, myths appeared,” said Teguh.

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Folklore may vary due to the effect of the oral culture of communities. A story was verbally conveyed by different people. This was taking place for generations without our knowledge of who the original writer had been. It means the tale would further be modified and reproduced.

Generally folk tales were modified in order to suit their audiences. Some were also modified in the social and cultural context of a region.

“People will always link [folklore] with rulers. Formerly, literary men were paid by their kings. Their literary works were most likely praising or exalting their rulers,” added Teguh.

This article was translated by Aris Prawira.