Sun-Earth Day Presents: Eclipse, In a Different Light
Join us for a captivating journey with Jordan Hill, into the cultures and stories along the path of totality.
PROFESSIONAL STORYTELLER
The path of totality of the 2006 total solar eclipse will travel through several countries with many different cultural beliefs and myths about what causes an eclipse. Jordan Hill, a professional storyteller, is here to present a few of these great stories for you. If you would like to contact Jordan Hill he can be reached at johill12@gmail.com
- Arakho
- Combining different Mongolian solar eclipse legends into one, this is an exciting tale of the monster responsible for eating the sun or moon and his dangerous dealings with humans and the gods.
- Battle of the Eclipse
- Probably in the year 585 BCE, a battle took place between the Lydian and Mede empires on the banks of the Halys River, which flows through modern day Turkey. In the midst of the battle, a shocking event took place—the sun went dark up in the sky and day turned to night! This account describes the feelings and experiences of a young Mede soldier, named Madya, who bore witness to this stunning occurrence and its historic aftermath.
- Mawu and Lisa
- This story is a creation myth of the Fon, a people that dwell in the West African nations of Benin and Togo. In it Mawu and Lisa create the world with the aid of the great rainbow serpent, Aido-Hwedo. The Fon hold the belief that eclipses are moments when the love between the moon (Mawu) and the sun (Lisa) can be seen. The myth told here speaks of how this came to be.
- Kuiyecoke and Puka Puka
- According to the Batammaliba people of Benin, West Africa, Kuiyecoke and Puka Puka were the first women in the world. They are a part of our very beginnings, and in this myth we hear their story. It is the wisdom of these first mothers that helps their people make peace in response to the fighting of the sun and moon during an eclipse.
- Horus and Seth
- Hear of the legendary battle between two of the most powerful Egyptian gods vying to be the next Pharaoh. This story of betrayal and redemption, violence and justice, has often been interpreted as a mythical take on solar eclipses. In it we can hear allusions to both the appearance of the sun's corona (a great winged disc) and effects viewable only during full solar eclipses (e.g. the diamond ring effect).
ABOUT OUR STORYTELLER
- Interview with Jordan Hill
- Lou Mayo asks Jordan a few questions about how he became a storyteller, and Jordan reveals that every one of us has a little bit of storytelling inside us.
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Eclipse Fact
From the Earth's surface, the Sun's corona ("crown") can ONLY be seen during a total eclipse.
