Can you explain an eclipse? No googling.

E. C. Krupp, director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California, has a custom: during eclipses, he wears his wizard's costume. (This tells us more about observatory directors than we really wanted to know.) Thus clad, he leads the observatory visitors around the building. They bang on pots and pans to drive away whatever's eating the sun.

It always works, he claims in National Geographic. We're impressed.

Here are the answers,

1. In Norse mythology, what swallowed the sun during an eclipse? A wolf.
2. What swallows the sun in Vietnam? A frog.
3. In Korea, what steals the sun? A fire dog.
4. In Hindu mythology, a demon tries to steal the gods' immortality elixir, but the sun and moon rat him out. What chases the sun and moon looking for revenge? A severed head. The demon's head swallows the sun and moon – but they fall out again, because the head is. . . er, severed.
5. According to the Batammaliba people of Togo and Benin, who's fighting during an eclipse? (They try to make peace.) The sun and moon. It's a great opportunity for conflict resolution.
6. The Pomo of the Northwest US have a name for a solar eclipse. It means, 'Sun got bit by a bear.'
7. The Tewa of New Mexico have a story about the sun getting mad. It goes off to the Underworld to sulk.
8. In India, it is bad luck to cook food during an eclipse. (It will spoil or taste bad.)
9. In Italy, it is a good idea to plant flowers during an eclipse. (They'll grow bigger and brighter.)
10. According to the Navajo, what is happening during an eclipse? Something completely natural. What? You thought they'd be superstitious? All the rest of you people are silly. They do have a tradition that says. . .wait for it. . . it's a bad idea to stare at the you’re your eyes might have problems later.

So make all the noise you want during the eclipse. We're sure it will help.

Dmitri Gheorgheni

14.08.17 Front Page

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