Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-04-01
OLD TINE ECLJPsES.
Peculiar Belief of the Malays, and Others,
Regarding Them.

An eclipse Of the sun was formerly con-
s1dered OMNIBUS. The Romans supposed
1t was owing to the influence of magical
charms, to counterfeit which they had re
course TO br5z9n instruments of all kinds
Indeed, ecllPses, which to US are we'll
known phenomena, witnessing the exact
ness OF the natural laws, were, in the
earlier stages Of civilization, regarded as
the very embodiment of miraculous dis.
aster. 1t was a popular belief that the
moon was affected by the influence OF
Wltchcraft, and that the witches had suff
Gent power to put down the moon by
their enactment. During an eclipse al
the close OF the sixteenth century, visible
In Scotland, men and women thought the
day OF Judgment had come. Many women
swooned, much crying was heard in the
streets, and In fear some ran to the
churches to pray. The alarm early in the
century was very great, indoor work was
suspended fer the time, and prayers were
In numerous instances offered for protec.
ton, believing that it portended some
awful calamity.
In France, III 1854, at an eclipse of the
sun, some people bou ght drugs which they
supposed would counteract the effects Of
the eclipse. Others hid in caves and vel
closed chambers, and many believed that
the last day had come and that the eclipse
would shake the foundations Of nature
The custom prevailed among tribes SO
widely apart as Peruvians, Creeks anG
Esquimaux to thrash ours most soundly
during eclipses. The Creeks explain this
by saying that the big dog was swallow
ing the sun and that by whipping the little
thpu n0f1id liz. -
what the big dog was they were not pre-
pared to say The peculiar powers sup
posed TO be contained in the dog are still
believed IL by some of our northern IL.
dian tribes, who think 10 Offering sc
likely to appeaSe the angry water god who
raises the tempest as dog. Therefore in
showery weather they hasten to tie the
feet of one and throw him overheard.
The course of progressive science went
far beyond this with the Aztecs, who, as
part of their remarkable astronomical
knowledge, seem to have an idea of the
cause Of eclipses, but who kept up relic
Of the old belief by continuing to speak in
NEUROLOGICAL phrase of the sun and moon
being eaten. So 10 Africa there may be
found both the rudest theory of an eclipse
monster and the more advanced concep
ton that solar eclipse is the moon catch
ing the sun. Among the Malays is also
the sun; the stars are the moons children
and the sun In old times had as many as
the moon. Fearing, however, that man
kind could not bear so much brightness
and heat, they agreed each to devour he1
children; but the moon, instead of eatine
up the stars, hid them from the sun Z
sight. The latter. believing them all de-
voured. ate up her own, whereupon thu
moon brought her family from e hiding
place. When the sun saw them, filled
with rage, she chased to moon to kill her
The chase has lasted ever since, and some
times the sun even comes near enough t.
bite the moon, and that is represented BY
the eclipse. The sun, as men may still
see, devours her stars at dawn and th,
moon hides hers all day while the sun i
near, and only brings them out at nigh
when Der pursuer is far away.-New Y0rl
Times.