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The Alquonins believe it is the light from a fire built their creator.

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Imagine standing on a frozen lake just north of the Arctic Circle. The only noise comes from a gentle wind playing with the pine trees in the forest behind you. In front lies a vast and flat expanse of snow-covered ice stretching away into the distance until it encounters the dark, haphazard barrier that is more forest on the opposite shoreline. Above that forest is darkness, an ink black sky, dotted with more stars than you had ever believed possible. Suddenly, somewhere in the northern sky, a green smudge of light begins to materialise and slowly manifests itself into dancing stair rods of shimmering green light which skip across the darkness of space.

Of course, you know that you are watching the Northern Lights, a spectacular light show created by the interaction of electronically charged particles in our atmosphere but what must our ancient ancestors have thought as they stood and beheld the skies ablaze with light?

Not surprisingly, the Aurora Borealis figures prominently in the mythology and legends of most indigenous people living in countries situated within the Auroral Oval and often further afield. We've picked out a few of our favourites but it's only once you have been held in the Aurora's thrall that you can truly appreciate how these stories originated and how our forefathers might have believed them to be spirits or gods or celestial warriors.

The Northern Lights: Gods, spirits or celestial warriors?

Image credit: Antti Pietikainen

Ancient Greece and the Romans

Aurora Borealis is derived from the Greek words "Aurora" meaning "sunrise" and "Boreas" meaning "wind". For the ancient Greeks to have seen the lights there must have been some incredibly strong solar activity because sightings so far south are almost unheard of. The Greeks held that Aurora was the sister of Helios and Seline, the sun and moon respectively, and that she raced across the early morning sky in her multi-coloured chariot to alert her siblings to the dawning of a new day.

The Romans also associated the Northern Lights with a new day believing them to be Aurora, the goddess of dawn.

Image credit: Guercino - The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.

Europe

It's rare for the Northern Lights to appear over Southern Europe and such appearances require intense solar activity which usually results in red Auroras appearing in the night sky. Not surprisingly, on the rare, rare occasions that they do appear, they cause quite a stir and, until fairly recently, were enough to terrify a populace unaware of the Aurora's origin.

The poor residents of France and Italy for example believed the lights to be a bad omen heralding the outbreak of anything from war to plague and death. In Scotland and England, the skies are said to have blazed red just a few weeks prior to the French Revolution and were later considered to have been a sign of the coming strife in their Gallic neighbour state.

Image: Markku Inkila

Image credit: Antti Pietikainen

China, Japan & Australia

Auroral sightings in China are also rare and would have been caused by a significant solar event so unsurprisingly, the ancient Chinese were in awe of the lights that sporadically illuminated their night sky.

It is said that many of the early Chinese legends associated with dragons were a result of the Northern Lights. The belief is that the lights were viewed as a celestial battle between good and evil dragons who breathed fire across the firmament.

In Japanese culture, the belief is that a child conceived underneath the Northern Lights will be blessed with good looks, intellect and good fortune. Indeed, there is a fascination with the Aurora in South East Asia and it is no coincidence that visitor numbers from the likes of Japan, Singapore and Malaysia have increased significantly in recent times.

Aboriginal Australians were more used to seeing the Aurora Australis (The Southern Lights) and watched in awe as their gods danced overhead.

North America

Centuries ago, human settlements were far less concentrated and we lived in far smaller and remoter communities with barely any communication with other tribes. As a result, many, many North American tribes or people evolved their own myths surrounding the Aurora Borealis. Here are just a few of the many and varied beliefs held by our ancestors in North America.

The Cree Indians held that the Aurora was part of life's circle and were the spirits of the dead who remained in the sky but apart from their loved ones. The Cree believed that the lights were spirits of these departed friends and relatives trying to communicate with those they had left behind on earth.

The Algonquin's take on the Aurora was that it was created by light from a fire built by Nanahbozho, their creator. They understood the fire to be Nanahbozho's way of telling his people that he remembered them and was watching over them.

Further north, many Inuit tribes considered the Aurora to be the spirits of dead humans playing a ball game using a walrus skull as the ball. For reasons we will doubtless never fathom, the good people of remote Nunavik Island told the same story but the other way round so for them, the Northern Lights were walrus spirits playing ball with the skull of some unfortunate human.

In Washington State, the particularly imaginative Makah Indians thought the lights were fires in the north created by a tribe of dwarves who used it to boil whale blubber. Fire and cookery were also at the forefront of the Mandan people's thinking in North Dakota. Their explanation was that the lights were again fires over which great warriors boiled their enemies in huge cooking pots.

Just to illustrate how different the legends and myths became, disparate North Americans accepted the lights as anything from ravens to spirit guides holding torches aloft to direct the departed to the next world. The lights were deemed to be the spirits of those who had died violently, spirits rejoicing because the sun was absent, spirits of dead animals such as deer and salmon and spirits of revenging enemies killed in combat.

Image: Antti Pietikainen

Water ejected by a whale?

Lighting the way to the afterworld

Northern Scandinavia, Iceland and Greenland

Our Icelandic ancestors associated the lights with childbirth and held that they would relieve the pain of delivery as long as the expectant mum didn't look at the Aurora whilst giving birth (we imagine she had other things on her mind at the time!) because the child would be born cross-eyed!

In Greenland the lights were also linked to giving birth but rather sadly they were judged to be the souls of still born babies or even babies killed at birth.

One of our absolute favourite myths comes from Finland where it was held that the lights were caused by the firefox who ran so quickly across the snow that his tail caused sparks to fly into the night sky creating the Aurora. Indeed, the Finnish word for the Northern Lights "revontulet" translates literally as "fire fox". Another belief held by the Sámi people of Finnish Lapland amongst others, was that the lights were created from the spume of water ejected from whales.

It's perhaps worth mentioning here that one of the Sámi words for the Northern Lights is "guovssahasah" and it's best not trying to pronounce it after a few drinks!

In Sweden, the Aurora was often seen as a portent of good news. Many of our Swedish forefathers believed the lights to be a gift from benevolent gods providing warmth and light in the form of a volcano in the north. Elsewhere in the country they were believed to be the light reflection from large shoals of herring and bode well for the local fishermen and the Swedish farming community saw the lights as heralding a good harvest in the coming year.

The Northern Lights feature prominently in Norse mythology. One legend suggests that the lights were reflections or glow from the shields and armour of the Valkyrie, female warriors who would choose who may die in battle and who may live to fight another day. Dying in battle seemed to occupy Norse mythology quite a bit and the Aurora was also believed to be "Bifrost Bridge", a glowing and pulsating arch which led those fallen in battle to the warriors final resting place in Valhalla.

Top image credit: Antti Pietikainen. Middle & bottom image credit: Markku Inkila

The Baltic States

We rather like the view taken by our Estonian ancestors regarding the Northern Lights so we kept it until last. The Estonians believed the lights to be magnificent horse drawn carriages carrying heavenly guests to a spectacular celestial wedding.

Now that's the kind of party we would like to be invited to!

Image credit: Antti Pietikainen

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Of course, you know that you are watching the Northern Lights, a spectacular light show created by the interaction of electronically charged particles in our atmosphere but what must our ancient ancestors have thought as they stood and beheld the skies ablaze with light?

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The Pomo indigenous group believes that a bear got in a fight with the sun and took a bite out of it. In fact, the Pomo name for a solar eclipse is Sun got bit by a bear. As the story goes on, the bear meets the moon and has a conflict with the moon and also takes a bite of it, causing a lunar eclipse. We believe this is the way the Native Americans were able to tell the difference between the Lunar and Solar Eclipse.

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Solar eclipses have caused fear, inspired curiosity, and have been associated with myths, legends, and superstitions throughout history. Even today, an eclipse of the Sun is considered a bad omen in many cultures.

©bigstockphoto.com/wuttichok

Ancient Explanation for Solar Eclipse

Ancient cultures tried to understand why the Sun temporarily vanished from the sky, so they came up with various reasons for what caused a solar eclipse.

In many cultures, the legends surrounding solar eclipses involve mythical figures eating or stealing the Sun. Others interpreted the event as a sign of angry or quarreling gods.

Hungry Demons, Thieving Dogs

In Vietnam, people believed that a solar eclipse was caused by a giant frog devouring the Sun, while Norse cultures blamed wolves for eating the Sun.

In ancient China, a celestial dragon was thought to lunch on the Sun, causing a solar eclipse. In fact, the Chinese word of an eclipse, chih or shih, means to eat.

According to ancient Hindu mythology, the deity Rahu is beheaded by the gods for capturing and drinking Amrita, the gods' nectar. Rahu's head flies off into the sky and swallows the Sun causing an eclipse.

Korean folklore offers another ancient explanation for solar eclipses. It suggests that solar eclipses happen because mythical dogs are trying to steal the Sun.

Traditionally, people in many cultures get together to bang pots and pans and make loud noises during a solar eclipse. It is thought that making a noise scares the demon causing the eclipse away.

Native American Solar Eclipse Myths and Legends

The Pomo, an indigenous group of people who live in the northwestern United States, tell a story of a bear who started a fight with the Sun and took a bite out of it. In fact, the Pomo name for a solar eclipse is Sun got bit by a bear.

After taking a bite of the Sun and resolving their conflict, the bear, as the story goes, went on to meet the Moon and take a bite out of the Moon as well, causing a lunar eclipse. This story may have been their way of explaining why a solar eclipse happens about around 2 weeks before or after a lunar eclipse.

Angry Sun

The ancient Greeks believed that a solar eclipse was a sign of angry gods and that it was the beginning of disasters and destruction.
How superstition influenced the course of history
The Tewa tribe from New Mexico in the United States believed that a solar eclipse signaled an angry Sun who had left the skies to go to his house in the underworld.

Quarreling Sun and Moon

According to Inuit folklore, the Sun goddess Malina walked away after a fight with the Moon god Anningan. A solar eclipse happened when Anningan managed to catch up with his sister.

The Batammaliba, who live in Benin and Togo, used a solar eclipse as a teaching moment. According to their legends, an eclipse of the Sun meant that the Sun and the Moon were fighting and that the only way to stop them from hurting each other was for people on Earth to resolve all conflicts with each other.

Modern Day Sun Superstitions

Fear of solar eclipses still exists today. Many people around the world still see eclipses as evil omens that bring death, destruction, and disasters.

A popular misconception is that solar eclipses can be a danger to pregnant women and their unborn children. In many cultures, young children and pregnant women are asked to stay indoors during a solar eclipse.

In many parts of India, people fast during a solar eclipse due to the belief that any food cooked while an eclipse happens will be poisonous and unpure.

Not all superstitions surrounding solar eclipses are about doom. In Italy, for example, it is believed that flowers planted during a solar eclipse are brighter and more colorful than flowers planted any other time of the year.

No Scientific Basis

Scientists and astronomers around the world have debunked any such claims. There is no scientific evidence that solar eclipses can affect human behavior, health, or the environment. Scientists, however, do emphasize that anyone watching a solar eclipse must protect their eyes.
Make your own pinhole projector
Topics: Astronomy, Eclipses, Moon, Sun

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Solar eclipses have caused fear, inspired curiosity, and have been associated with myths, legends, and superstitions throughout history. Even today, an eclipse of the Sun is considered a bad omen in many cultures. Ancient cultures tried to understand why the Sun temporarily vanished from the sky, so they came up with various reasons for what caused a solar eclipse.

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the Norsemen  believed that  Thor  was a hammer using god that controlled thunder and lightning with his hammer  and could manipulate the  weather https://mythology.wikia.org/wiki/Thor#Powers

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Indra the god if thunder and lighting. http://www.mahavidya.ca/2008/06/23/indra-god-of-thunder-and-lightning/

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In ancient Egypt There were vary serious sandstorms and heat waves.

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Leonardo Montelongo Mar- Thunder and Lightning

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Leonardo Montelongo Mar- Thunder and Lightning

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In Norse Mythology, Thor is the god of Thunder and Lightning. Thor's hammer, Mjölnir, can send out lightning bolts. Thor has a chariot that is pulled by two goats. Sometimes, Thor has to cook the goats and eat them, then he revives them with Mjölnir. The loud sounds from the wheels is called Thunder, and when the wheels are spinning, they release sparks and lightning.  This information is from https://norse-mythology.net/thor-the-god-of-thunder-in-norse-mythology/

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In Norse Mythology it is known that the god Thor (god of thunder)  creates thunder by driving his chariot in the sky and his chariot making that sound. Lightning is also believed to come from his hammer (Mjölnir) and Thor slamming his hammer in the ground in turn creates lightning.

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Lightning in cultures has been viewed as part of a deity or a deity in of itself.

One of the most classic portrayals of this is of the Greek god Zeus. An ancient story recounts when Zeus was at war against Cronus and the Titans, he released his brothers, Hades and Poseidon, along with the Cyclopes. In turn, the Cyclopes gave Zeus the thunderbolt as a weapon. The thunderbolt became a popular symbol of Zeus and continues to be today.

In Slavic mythology the highest god of the pantheon is Perun, the god of thunder and lightning.

Pērkons/ Perkūnas is the common Baltic god of thunder, one of the most important deities in the Baltic pantheon. In both Latvian and Lithuanian mythology, he is documented as the god of thunder, rain, mountains, oak trees and the sky.[citation needed ]

In Norse mythology, Thor is the god of thunder and the sound of thunder comes from the chariot he rides across the sky. The lightning comes from his hammer Mjölnir.

In Finnish mythology, Ukko (engl. Old Man) is the god of thunder, sky and weather. The Finnish word for thunder is ukkonen, derived from the god's name.

In Judaism, a blessing "...He who does acts of creation" is to be recited, upon sighting lightning. The Talmud refers to the Hebrew word for the sky, ("Shamaim") - as built from fire and water ("Esh Umaim"), since the sky is the source of the inexplicable mixture of "fire" and water that come together, during rainstorms. This is mentioned in various prayers, Psalm 29, and discussed in writings of Kabbalah.

In Islam, the Quran states: "He it is Who showeth you the lightning, a fear and a hope, and raiseth the heavy clouds. The thunder hymneth His praise and (so do) the angels for awe of Him. He launcheth the thunder-bolts and smiteth with them whom He will." (Qur'an 13:12-13) and, "Have you not seen how God makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a stack, and then you see the rain come out of it..." (Quran, 24:43). The preceding verse, after mentioning clouds and rain, speaks about hail and lightning, "...And He sends down hail from mountains (clouds) in the sky, and He strikes with it whomever He wills, and turns it from whomever He wills."

In Japan, the Shinto god Raijin is considered the god of lightning and thunder. He is depicted as a demon who strikes a drum to create lightning.[citation needed ]

In the traditional religion of the African Bantu tribes, such as the Baganda and Banyoro of Uganda, lightning is a sign of the ire of the gods. The Baganda specifically attribute the lightning phenomenon to the god Kiwanuka, one of the main trio in the Lubaale gods of the sea or lake. Kiwanuka starts wild fires, strikes trees and other high buildings, and a number of shrines are established in the hills, mountains and plains to stay in his favor. Lightning is also known to be invoked upon one's enemies by uttering certain chants, prayers, and making sacrifices.[citation needed ]

Ceraunoscopy is divination by observing lightning or by listening to thunder. It is a type of aeromancy.

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Lightning in cultures has been viewed as part of a deity or a deity in of itself. One of the most classic portrayals of this is of the Greek god Zeus. An ancient story recounts when Zeus was at war against Cronus and the Titans, he released his brothers, Hades and Poseidon, along with the Cyclopes.

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Solar Eclipse
According to Choctaw legend, a mischievous black squirrel gnawing on the Sun is the cause of eclipses. Like the Chinese dragon, the squirrel must be frightened away by the clamor and yells of the event's human witnesses.The moon is associated with our subconscious desires and our emotional lives.

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Solar eclipse© Paul Morley/Fotolia

Without a scientific explanation, the darkening of the Sun (or Moon) during an eclipse would be a startling event, to say the least. Throughout history, eclipses have been seen as a disruption of the natural order, and many groups have believed them to be bad omens. Many ancient (and not so ancient) peoples had spiritual explanations for solar and lunar eclipses to help them make sense of these seemingly inexplicable and random phenomena. Read on to learn some of these theories from around the world.

Chinese

In ancient China it was commonly held that solar eclipses occurred when a celestial dragon attacked and devoured the Sun. Chinese eclipse records are some of the oldest in the world and go back more than 4,000 years; at least one simply states "the Sun has been eaten." To frighten away the dragon and save the Sun, people would bang drums and make loud noises during an eclipse. Since the Sun always returned after this ruckus-making, it is easy to see how the tradition was perpetuated. Interestingly, it seems the ancient Chinese were not particularly bothered by lunar eclipses, and one text from about 90 BCE dismisses them as "a common matter."

Indian

Ancient Hindu mythology provides a rather graphic and disturbing explanation for solar eclipses. According to legend, a cunning demon named Rahu sought to drink the nectar of the gods and thus attain immortality. Disguised as a woman, Rahu attempted to attend a banquet of the gods and was discovered by Vishnu. As punishment, the demon was promptly beheaded, and it is his decapitated head flying across the sky that darkens the Sun during an eclipse. Some versions say that Rahu was actually able to steal a sip of the nectar but was beheaded before the elixir reached the rest of his body. His immortal head, in perpetual pursuit of the Sun, sometimes catches and swallows it, but the Sun quickly reappears, as Rahu has no throat.

Incan

The Inca of South America worshiped Inti, the all-powerful sun god. Inti was generally believed to be benevolent, but solar eclipses were understood to be a sign of his wrath and displeasure. Following an eclipse, spiritual leaders would attempt to divine the source of his anger and determine which sacrifices should be offered. Although the Inca rarely practiced human sacrifice, it is thought that an eclipse was occasionally deemed serious enough to do so. Fasting was also common, and the emperor would often withdraw from public duties during and following an eclipse.

Native American

According to Choctaw legend, a mischievous black squirrel gnawing on the Sun is the cause of eclipses. Like the Chinese dragon, the squirrel must be frightened away by the clamor and yells of the event's human witnesses. Ojibwa and Cree peoples have a story that a boy (or sometimes dwarf) named Tcikabis sought revenge on the Sun for burning him. Despite the protestations of his sister, he caught the Sun in a snare, causing an eclipse. Various animals tried to release the Sun from the trap, but only the lowly mouse could chew through the ropes and set the Sun back on its path.

West African

The Batammaliba are an ancient people of northern Togo and Benin. According to their legend, human anger and fighting spread to the Sun and the Moon, who began to fight with each other and caused an eclipse. The legendary first mothers, Puka Puka and Kuiyecoke, urged the villagers to demonstrate peace to the Sun and Moon to convince them to stop their brawl. During an eclipse, Batammaliba people make amends for old feuds and peacefully come together to encourage peace between the celestial bodies.

Egyptian

Surprisingly, ancient Egyptians did not leave any explicit records detailing solar eclipses, though such an event would undoubtedly have been observed by these astronomy-savvy sun worshippers. Some scholars have suggested that perhaps eclipses were highly distressing and were deliberately left unrecorded so as to not "endow the event with a degree of permanence" or tempt the sun god Re (Ra). One Egyptologist has suggested that various references to an apparently metaphorical form of blindness align with historical eclipse dates and may be symbolic records of these events. Or perhaps papyrus records were simply lost to time.

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The Sun Was Eaten: 6 Ways Cultures Have Explained Eclipses

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Without a scientific explanation, the darkening of the Sun (or Moon) during an eclipse would be a startling event, to say the least. Throughout history, eclipses have been seen as a disruption of the natural order, and many groups have believed them to be bad omens.

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Japanese Myth: Creation presented by Ezra Bazan

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Japanese Myth: Creation presented by Ezra Bazan

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During the begging of time the universe was in chaos, and in silence. Movement of particles forming together could be heard throughout the silence of the universe. Soon the clouds and heavens could be seen with light, also known as Takamagahara. Particles that weren't used made up Earth, whenever the heavens appeared the 3 Gods appeared as well. During that time they most likely started planning on creating

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Vikings long ago used to believe in mostly thor and odin. This world was inhabited by various mythological races, including dwarfs, giants, elves, and land spirits. Norse cosmology revolved around a world tree known as Yggdrasil, with various realms existing alongside that of humans, named Midgard.

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Norse mythology is the body of myths of the North Germanic peoples stemming from Norse paganism and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia and into the Scandinavian folklore of the modern period.

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According to the Natives no one knows where tornadoes come from how they're form.

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The  Asatros believed that thor and other gods rode a  Árvakr which was the name of the chariot that was pulled by very strong goats and it was said that the gods would only use this and there feet to get around. Thor was also not allowed to ride the chariot on the rainbow bridge because other gods through that the goats would break it. Later when the reguion is not very well known people are tattooing thor's hammer on themself along with jewelry being impaired by thors two goats who name are  Tanngrisrnir and Tanngnjostr, meaning teeth grinder.

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Mayan God named Chaac who controlled the rain and controlled the weather and is the brother of the sun god Kinich Ahua.  The brother were tourmented by their evil adopted parents and they defeated them in the battle. Then whenever they were freed Chaac had an affair with his brothers wife so he had to suffer . So wheever it rains Chaan is crying in sorrow for what he had done. There are also different versions of the myth.

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The Japanese culture believed that Raijin the god of lightning, storms, and thunder flew across the sky landing on dark clouds throwing lightning bolts at unsuspecting towns.  https://mythopedia.com/japanese-mythology/gods/raijin/

Lightning is an electrical discharge caused when there is an imbalance between the clouds or just the ground and the clouds. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/lightning/#:~:text=Lightning%20is%20an%20electrical%20discharge,lightning%20occurs%20within%20the%20clouds.&text=Lightning%20is%20extremely%20hot%E2%80%94a,hotter%20than%20the%20sun's%20surface.

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The native Hawaiians believed that volcanic eruptions were the work of a malevolent deity named Pele (pay-ley) whos anger and jealousy cause the magma to boil. There are vast differences in myth and legend between the different legends, but one constant is that Pele causes mischief and even chaos and wrath upon the islands with her power over volcanoes. Volcanic eruptions are said to be Pele's anger exploding. The myths describe Pele from being anywhere from a demon to be sure to not follow in the ways of, or more commonly, a quick to anger goddess of the creation new land, fire, magma, and volcanoes who is to be feared and respected and worshiped.

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In the Hawaiian religion, Pele (pronounced ), is the goddess of volcanoes and fire and the creator of the Hawaiian Islands. Often referred to as "Madame Pele" or "Tūtū Pele" as a sign of respect, she is a well-known deity within Hawaiian mythology, and is notable for her contemporary presence and cultural influence as an enduring figure from ancient Hawaii.

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Solar eclipse is thus an attempt of the warg to devour the sun. Vikings believed that at Ragnarök three winters in a row will come with no spring to revive nature. Then the wargs will swallow the sun and the moon, as described in the Younger or Poetic Edda.

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In the Norse mythology ascribed, the Vikings of Northern Europe believed that, during a total solar eclipse, the Sun was being eaten by two wolves known as Skoll and Hati.

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In the Japanese culture it's believed that the god of fire Ho-musubi was created when his mother burned creating him and now he is known in Japanese Mythology as the fire god.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ho-musubi
Fire is made when high tempters of heat is mixed with flammable stuff like fuel and oxygen and if you combine all of that then that makes fire.

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The Egyptians thought that the moon gave of light in the night thanks to Thoth, and Ra appointing him to moon god for us humans to have light at night.
The light from the moon actually comes from the sun when the Earth rotates to it's side and the moon stays in place and we see the light from the sun off of the moon.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/thoth.htm#:~:text=The%20wisest%20of%20the%20Egyptian,with%20his%20skill%20at%20games.

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Joseph G- Fujin, the god of wind. (Storms & Typhoons.)

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Joseph G- Fujin, the god of wind. (Storms & Typhoons.)

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Fujin is the god of wind which the Japanese believed in and also thought was a demon. The Japanese also believe his brother Raijin also had to do with wind and weather and caused typhoons and storms.

https://mythopedia.com/japanese-mythology/gods/fujin/

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robbie holder the god of death (the reaper)

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robbie holder the god of death (the reaper)

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Shinigami , "Grim Reaper", "death bringer" or "death spirit") are gods or supernatural spirits that invite humans toward death in certain aspects of Japanese religion and culture. Shinigami have been described as monsters, helpers, and creatures of darkness. Shinigami are used for tales and religions in Japanese culture.

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They believed that Ra was the sun god and the king of gods . He is also described as the creator of everything. It is sometimes proposed that the pyramids represent the rays of light extending from the sun and thus these great monuments connected the king with Ra.

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Ra (Re) was the primary name of the sun god of Ancient Egypt. He was often considered to be the King of the Gods and thus the patron of the pharaoh and one of the central gods of the Egyptian pantheon. He was also described as the creator of everything.

Ra was so powerful and popular and his worship was so enduring that some modern commentators have argued that the Egyptian religion was in fact a form of veiled monotheism with Ra as the one god. This seems to be somewhat of an overstatement, but underlines his primary position within religious texts throughout Egyptian history.

It is sometimes proposed that the pyramids represent the rays of light extending from the sun and thus these great monuments connected the king with Ra.

The Egyptians also built solar temples in honour of Ra. Unlike the standard type of Egyptian temple, these temples were open to the sunlight and did not feature a statue of the god because he was represented by the sunlight itself. Instead the temple centred on an obelisk and altar.

The most significant early solar temple is thought to be the one erected in Heliopolis, sometimes known as “Benu-Phoenix”. Its location was thought to be the spot where Ra first emerged at the beginning of creation, and the city took its name (“Iwn”) from the word for a pillar.

History

Ra was an ancient god, but not the oldest of the gods; the first references to Ra date from the Second Dynasty. However, by the Fifth Dynasty he was a powerful god who was closely associated with the pharaoh.

The pharaoh was already seen as the embodiment of Horus and so the two gods became linked, sometimes as the composite deity Ra-Horakhty (“Ra (is) Horus of the Horizon”). Ra also came to be associated with Atum (the creator god of the Ennead in Heliopolis) as Atum-Ra.

By the Fifth Dynasty the pharaoh was referred to as the son of Ra and the name of Ra was incorporated into the throne name of every king from that point onward. Many Old Kingdom pharaohs built sun temples in which to worship Ra.

The Middle Kingdom saw the rise to prominence of Amun of Thebes. Although Ra kept his association with the pharaoh, he was to some degree absorbed by Amun as Amun-Ra. However, the priests of Amun became very wealthy and influential, and so some of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom chose to elevate Ra in his stead, perhaps partly because he was already closely associated with the pharaoh. For example, Thuthmosis promoted Re-Horakhty as his favoured god while Amenhotep III took the epithet “the dazzling sun” and named his wife’s pleasure boat “the Aten Gleams”. His successor (and probable son) Akhenaten went one step further and rejected Amun and many of the other gods in favour of The Aten (a solar god).

The worship of the Egyptian God Ra was at its peak during the New Kingdom. Many of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings (dating from this period) included depictions of Ra’s journey through the underworld over twelve “hours” or stages. In the fifth hour, Ra dies and is reunited with Osiris in the underworld, but in the twelfth hour he is reborn as the scarab (Khepri).

Sun temples were again constructed during the New Kingdom (although those of the Amarna Period are dedicated to the The Aten).

Amun-Ra was also popular in Nubia and was the chief deity of the Nubian Kingdom of Napata during the Twenty-fifth Dynasty. The Greeks associated Ra with Zeus and so he remained popular during the Ptolemaic Period. However, after this point Egypt was governed by a series of foreign rulers who were not associated with the god of the pharaohs and so his popularity declined.

Associations with other gods

Ra was often described as the father of the gods. He was sometimes thought to be married to Hesat or Hathor, although the latter is usually referred to as his daughter.

As his worship was pre-dated by that of some of his “children” (such as Hathor and Horus) it seems likely that he took on this role when he was associated with the creator god Atum.

According to the Pyramid Texts, Ra (as Atum) emerged from the waters of Nun as a benben stone (an obelisk-like pillar). He then spat forth Shu (air) and Tefnut (moisture), and Tefnut in turn gave birth to Geb (earth) and Nut (sky). Ra tried to separate Geb and Nut by placing Shu between them and decreed that Nut could not give birth on any day of the calendar. However, Thoth won an extra five days from the moon so that Nut could give birth to Osiris, Set, Isis, Nephthys, and Horus the Elder.

It was thought that Ra “died” or was swallowed by Nut every evening as the sun dipped below the horizon. He travelled through the world of the dead by night and was then reborn in the morning (making Nut both his granddaughter and his mother). At sunset he was linked to Horakhty (Horus on the Horizon) and Atum, and at dawn he was linked to the scarab beetle, Khepri (“the Emerging One”) and Nefertum

Ra-Horakhty-Atum was associated with Osiris as the manifestation of the sun at night. When Osiris was murdered by his brother Set, he became the God of the Underworld. Thus, the Pharaoh was the son of Ra who ruled as the living Horus and who became Osiris on his death.

According to another myth, Ra ruled on earth as Pharaoh until he became old and weary. The people had lost respect for him and no longer obeyed his laws and so Ra decided that they should be punished. He sent his “Eye” to teach them a lesson, but then had to arrange to get her drunk to prevent her killing everyone. Once the danger had been averted, Ra decided it was time for him to leave the world to Horus ( who took his place as the king) and travel across the sky on Nut’s back.

Bibliography

Bard, Kathryn (2008) An introduction to the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt

Goodenough, Simon (1997) Egyptian Mythology

Kemp, Barry J (1991) Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilisation

Pinch, Geraldine (2002) Handbook Egyptian Mythology

Redford Donald B (2002) Ancient Gods Speak

Watterson, Barbara (1996) Gods of Ancient Egypt

Wilkinson, Richard H. (2003) The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt

Copyright J Hill 2008

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Ra (Re) was the primary name of the sun god of Ancient Egypt. He was often considered to be the King of the Gods and thus the patron of the pharaoh and one of the central gods of the Egyptian pantheon. He was also described as the creator of everything.

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In Yokai, Ameonna is the goddess that became a cloud in the morning and rain in the evening. There are many different myths about why it rains in Japan and  in the link below it  lists a few different ones.

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In modern usage in Japan, "ameonna" (or the male equivalent "ameotoko") refers to an unlucky person that seems to be jinxed to have the rain follow them wherever they may go, thus gaining a reputation for ruining special events such as weddings or sporting events.

In the collection of yōkai pictures, the Konjaku Hyakki Shūi by Toriyama Sekien, there is a picture titled "ameonna," and the explanatory text says "in Fuzan (Wu Shan), China, the goddesses become a cloud in morning and rain in the evening. The ameoona is probably like one of these" (もろこし巫山の神女は 朝には雲となり 夕には雨となるとかや 雨女もかかる類のものなりや). This quotes from an episode in the Gaotangfu (高唐賦) by the Chu literati Song Yu, wherein King Huai of Chu had a dream about falling in love with a woman in Wu Shan who, before leaving, left the words "I will be clouds in the morning, and rain in the evening, so at morning and evening, let's meet down at the balcony," and 朝雲暮雨 (Chaoyunmuyu in Chinese, Chōunbō in Japanese), written as "morning cloud evening rain," is an old chengyu (Chinese proverb) referring to secret relations between a man and woman. There are no statements about any rain-related yōkai to be seen, so it's been suggested that the ameonna is simply a made-up creation by Sekien in order to satirize the Edo Period Yoshiwara Yūkaku.

There is also the idea put forth that women who lose their recently born children on a day of rain due to a kamikakushi (spiriting away) would become rain women (ameonna), so they would appear before crying children carrying a large sack.

Sometimes, they are considered a "bothersome yōkai that calls forth rain," but they are also sometimes considered a holy "rain god" as a "yōkai who saves people by calling forth rain" in times of continuing drought by making it rain.

In Shimoina District, Nagano Prefecture, there is an eerie woman called " yukionba" (雨おんば) said to appear on rainy nights, and it has been supposed that they are a yōkai that kidnaps children, or a god that visits on rainy days who has fallen and turned into a yōkai, among other suggestions.

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In modern usage in Japan, "ameonna" (or the male equivalent "ameotoko") refers to an unlucky person that seems to be jinxed to have the rain follow them wherever they may go, thus gaining a reputation for ruining special events such as weddings or sporting events.

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In Japanese Mythology a the reasoning behind of tsunami was a giant catfish called the Namazu (鯰) or Ōnamazu (大鯰) who causes earthquakes. He lives under the mud of islands of Japan. He is restrained by the god Kashima who restrains cat fish with a stone.

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Egyptian god of the desert

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Lightning is an electrical discharge caused by imbalances between the storm clouds and the ground. Lightning occurs within the clouds. Lightning is a extremely hot flash, and can heat the air around it to temperatures five times hotter than the sun's surface.  The heat can cause the surrounding air to rapidly expand and vibrate which creates the sound we hear. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/lightning/#close

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the reason for earthquakes in Indian mythology is because of the turtle that the earth lies on is taking a gentle step. each step makes a might earthquake. reason for the elephants is because they lift the earth on top of the turtle and each step the turtle takes it shakes the elephants which makes earthquakes again i'm as confused as you are on this. link

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The Namazu or the Onamazu is a giant catfish who is responsible for creating earthquakes. He is thought to live under the Earth, and to swim underwater seas and rivers. He on a  occasion brings good fortune, and distribution of wealth as well as devastation.
https://www.ancient.eu/Namazu/

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There was nothing. Then a hill, called ben-ben, rose up and there stood Atum (a god). He gave birth to two children, Shu and Tefnut. They set out on a journey. Atum was concerned about where his children were, so he removed his eye and sent it to search for his children. They came back with the eye. They then gave birth to Geb (the earth) and Nut (the sky).
https://www.ancient.eu/Egyptian_Mythology/

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Matthew Molina - Norse Mythology (Earthquakes)

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Matthew Molina - Norse Mythology (Earthquakes)

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Loki one of the Gods that the Vikings had explain during their life. Loki's actions upset other gods, which they punished him with a snack inside of a cave. Loki tries to escape but the snack puts venom on him and it punishes the land above him to shake, which is now know as a earthquake. The real reason is that when two of earth's plates collide they make the land above it shake.
https://historyofvikings.com/explanation-of-norse-nature/

https://www.usgs.gov/natural-hazards/earthquake-hazards/science/science-earthquakes?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

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Tornados descended from the sky to the pyramid top in the
Egyptian legends. They would blow away sand, boats and many other things. http://sciencegiz.com/images/bookpdf/The-PERSONAL-TORNADO-for-PHARAOHS-SOUL.pdf

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Egyptian Mythological Explanation of Night and Day By Olivia Luna

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Egyptian Mythological Explanation of Night and Day By Olivia Luna

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You may already know the sun god, Ra. However, the goddess of the sky is named Nut. (Yes, that was her name.) Now, Nut had a brother . This god was Geb, god of the Earth. According to the myth, Nut and Ge were very close and in the morning they were seperated,  but at night they came together, causing darkness.

The scientific explanation is the earth revolving around the sun and revolving on its axis at the same time. This means only half of the Earth can be illuminated (day) at one time while the other half is in the dark (night).

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StarChild Question of the Month for March 2001

Question:

Why is there day and night?

Answer:

Clearly, when you see the Sun shining in the sky, it is day, and when you don't it is night. So the real question is "why is the Sun in the sky at some times and not at others?" We can see that the Sun seems to move across the sky starting in the east in the morning, moving toward the south at noon, and then toward the west as the day ends. How does this happen?

Long ago, people believed many weird things about the Sun and how it traveled across the sky. The ancient Greeks believed that the Sun rode across the sky in a chariot drawn by four white horses driven by the god Heleius! These days, we know that the Sun appears to move across the sky because the Earth rotates on its axis.

So how does the turning of the Earth lead to the Sun's motion across the sky? It is easy to see this if you shine a bright light on the side of a globe in a darkened room. Find where you live on the globe. Now slowly spin the globe on its axis so that if you look down on the north pole, it is rotating counterclockwise. Watch what happens to the place where you live. Do you see that it is sometimes pointed toward the light (which represents the Sun) and sometimes away from the light? Hey, you've made day and night!

When where you are is pointed toward the Sun, it is day. Then the Earth rotates you away from the Sun, and it is night.

Think about this!

So, how fast does the Earth have to rotate in order to make one complete spin in 24 hours? At the equator, the Earth is rotating at a speed of about about 2200 kilometers per hour. Good thing we human beings can't feel this motion!

The StarChild site is a service of the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC), Dr. Alan Smale (Director), within the Astrophysics Science Division (ASD) at NASA/GSFC.

StarChild Authors: The StarChild Team
StarChild Graphics & Music: Acknowledgments
StarChild Project Leader: Dr. Laura A. Whitlock
Curator:J.D. Myers
Responsible NASA Official: Phil Newman

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Why is there day and night? Clearly, when you see the Sun shining in the sky, it is day, and when you don't it is night. So the real question is "why is the Sun in the sky at some times and not at others?"

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When a hurricane is the result of Huracán is angry and when he is in rage he cannot be stopped.

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Mayan Gods: Huracan

Huracan, Bolon Tzacab, U Ku'x Kaj, the One-Legged God, Source of the Sky, Water and Fire

Then may it be sown, may it dawn. May there be true life-giving roads and pathways. Give us steadfast light that our nation be made steadfast. May the light be favorable that our nation may be favored. May our lives be favored so that all creation may be favored as well. Give this to us, you, Huracan...

-Popol Vuh

Like many primordial deities, Huracan is difficult to pin down. Mayan mythology is poetic and often ambiguous. For starters, despite the obvious association with storms, Huracan more accurately represents the energy responsible for a hurricane; pressure differences, electron imbalances or any disparity resulting in energetic change: friction, entropy and growth. As the representation of raw, chaotic energy, Huracan's name became synonymous with powerful tropical storms.

This description fits well with the Popol Vuh creation myth, which describes a world that began with absolutely no disparity. Then, two gods in the endless sea, Tepeu and Gucumatz, discussed their desire to create beings capable of worshipping them. Their conversation unleashed Huracan, a change that forced duality onto the world and led to the rise of mankind. From Huracan's chaos the "shapers" were able to pluck creation and give it material expression.

The eye of the hurricane forming the divine axis around which time and creation revolve in endless repetitive cycles of birth and destruction.

The source of inspiration, Huracan resides in the endless sky and is actually a trinity of natural phenomenon known as the "Heart of Heaven." The three aspects are Ray of One Leg, Smallest Ray and Beautiful Ray. All three aspects are associated with lightning.

Lightning was associated with fire and fertilization of the earth. There was even a belief that lightning was needed to split open the mountains so humans could retrieve the maize hidden within to plant and eat. (This part of the story makes me want lightning-toasted popcorn.) Reverence for the "sky serpents" as a symbol of power and regeneration was an important aspect of Mayan mythology.

This symbolism was attractive to Kings who are depicted wielding sceptres carved in the likeness of Huracan: with one serpent leg and a branching nose. In addition, Mayan priests and shaman refer to divine inspiration as "lightning in the blood" or "body lightning."

Despite evidence to the contrary, I prefer to think of the Heart of Heaven trinity as different, regenerative aspects of a storm:

Caculha Huracan (Ray of One Leg) - A column of heavy rain, seen from afar, looks like the single, grey leg of a one-legged god.

Chipi Culha (Smallest Ray) - Wind whips waves and moves earth; carries seeds and animates the branches of plant-life like a small, imperceptible ray.

Raxa Caculha (Beautiful Ray) - Of course, lightning would be the sudden, fresh, beautiful ray. Some translations of the Popol Vuh name this aspect "Flash which Wounds."

Se manifestó la creación de los árboles y de la vida y de todo lo demás que se creó por el Corazón del Cielo, llamado Huracán.
La primera manifestación de Huracán se llamaba Caculhá Huracán, el rayo de una pierna. La segunda manifestación se llamaba Chipi Culhá, el más pequeño de los rayos. Y la tercera manifestación se llamaba Raxá Caculha, Rayo muy hermoso.
Y así son tres el corazón del Cielo.

Whatever interpretation you prefer, Huracan is an important Mayan deity and tells us a lot about early Mayan philosophy and values. We embrace Huracan's aspects during flashes of realization ( Raxa), through gradual life changes ( Chipi) and at the start of new things ( Huracan). The force of change and inspiration is unstoppable as a mighty hurricane, a giant serpent or a bolt from the blue. It is a power that mankind loves, laments and struggles to control.

Thanks for reading!

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Then may it be sown, may it dawn. May there be true life-giving roads and pathways. Give us steadfast light that our nation be made steadfast. May the light be favorable that our nation may be favored. May our lives be favored so that all creation may be favored as well.

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sink holes are a big one for sure...the way that i have seen them has only been in japan.

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Amaterasu aka the "Sun Goddess" is one of the major deities of Shinito, also being portrayed in some of Japan's earliest literary texts called the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki (I believe). She is also considered to be on of the "Three Precious Children.

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The Cherokee Legend/Myth
A few men packed their bags and started traveling towards where the sun rose every  day and set every night. They traveled for days until finally they reached the end where the sky lifted up (like a trapdoor) to let the sun in and out. One of the men tried to walk through the door but was too slow. He was crushed by the sky never to be seen again. Looking in terror the other men turned around and headed back to their home.
https://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/TheJourneyToTheSunrise-Cherokee.html

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The reason behind day and night includes a father who became so proud, he turned arrogant. To which the gods responded by carrying the moon and sun on a chariot which created our daylight cycle.
||| Source of story |||

What really happens is, when Earth is on its axis rotating, the area receiving light from the sun will then no longer receive it after tuning from the sun causing night.
||| Source of Information |||

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CAIRO - 23 March 2020: On March 22, the Pyramids' archeological region witnessed a distinct astronomical phenomenon, as the sun set on the right shoulder of the Sphinx.

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CAIRO - 23 March 2020: On March 22, the Pyramids' archeological region witnessed a distinct astronomical phenomenon, as the sun set on the right shoulder of the Sphinx.

Former Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass noted that the phenomenon occurs twice a year over the course of four days, as the sun sets on the right shoulder of the Sphinx, on March 21 and 22, and September 21 and 22, that is, in spring and autumn. The phenomenon is called Equinox, meaning when the night and day become equal.

Hawass continued that the sun, after falling at sunset on the right side of the sphinx, heads south, and during the summer it moves to the north.

The veteran archaeologist and former minister of antiquities emphasized that a more significant phenomenon, called Solstice, can be seen on June 21 and 22. It is when the sun sets directly between the Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) and the pyramid of Chephren (Khafre).

Hawass pointed out that the phenomenon proves that archaeologists made a mistake when they said that the ancient Egyptians accidentally found an ancient rock and turned it into a statue with a human face and an inhuman body.

He further explained that the phenomenon proves that there is an astronomical and religious reason for sculpting the statue of the Sphinx, which is the sun god, that rises and sets between the horizons of the pyramids of Cheops (Khufu) and Chephren (Khafre).

This theory is unique and confirms the tremendous scientific superiority of the ancient Egyptians.

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Hawass: Sun setting on Sphinx's shoulder proves superiority of ancient Egyptians

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CAIRO - 23 March 2020: On March 22, the Pyramids' archeological region witnessed a distinct astronomical phenomenon, as the sun set on the right shoulder of the Sphinx.

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Isis and Osiris were children of the Earth Goddess Nut. They were married and Osiris was the oldest. Since he was older he took the throne. His brother was jealous so he killed him, chopped him into pieces and spread them across  Egypt. The scientific explanation is that it's all due to the way our brain thinks.

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In Egyptian mythology, Nut was the goddess of the sky. Her body made a protective layer over the Earth. Nut was the sister and wife of Geb, and the mother of (with Ra) Osiris, Nephthys,Isis and Seth and grandmother of Horus. Horus was also a grandchild of Ra.

The ancient Egyptians believed that Nut swallowed the sun-god, Ra, every night and gave birth to him every morning.

Although Nut was pictured in many temples and tombs, as well as on ceilings. She was not well observed in popular places.

Nut was the goddess of the sky but had many other purposes as well. She had three other names: Nuit, Newet, and Nueth. Nut was known as the mother of all gods, including Ra (her grandfather) because she swallowed him up every night and gave birth to him again in the morning. She was also the mother of heavenly bodies, whose laughter was thunder and tears were rain. She often carried the sun across the sky. She played a part in funeral beliefs and was sometimes drawn on the tops of sarcophagi. Nut was one of the nine major gods. She was the personification of the sky and the heavens. Egyptians called her "the mother of the sky". Nut was one of the oldest deities among history.

As the sky goddess, Nut was shown arching over Geb (earth god), her fingertips near his head and her toes by his feet. She was commonly pictured dark blue and wore no robes, although some Egyptians believed that Nut wore a rainbow-colored robe, with stars all over her body. Big paintings of her were often found on ceilings of tomb chambers. She can be seen with small vulture wings or a vase on her head. She was often shown as a cow, when carrying the sun across the sky. The cow was a very motherly figure.

Nut was a very beautiful and kind goddess. She was loving, and caring. She fell in love with Thoth, the god of knowledge, and Geb, the god of the Earth. She was a motherly figure and a very strong and independent goddess, for she would not marry just any person. She did what she wanted and when angered she never let anyone stand in her way.

Nut had a strong relationship with Geb, her twin brother, as well as Thoth the god of scribes and wisdom. She was the goddess of the Sky and Geb was the god of the Earth. In the morning they were separated but at night they came together, which created the darkness. This is a story the ancient Egyptians used to explain their 365-day calendar. Nut loved Geb and Thoth, but she was married to Ra. When Ra found out about her secret loves, he was furious. He told Nut that she could not have any children on any of the 360 days of the year. This saddened her, so she went to Thoth for help. She gambled with Khonsu (the moon god) to create 5 more days, so she and Geb could have five children. The children were: Osiris was first, Horus was second, Set was third, Isis was fourth, and Nephthys was the fifth. These days (December 27-31) were called the Demon Days.[source? ] She and Ra also had one daughter named Sekhmet, the lion goddess, who had a flip personality called Hathor the goddess of love and peace. Nut is gorgeous and worshipped, and she was a protective goddess, like Bast (the cat goddess). The Egyptian Gods are commonly thought to have been incestuous however it is now known by students of ancient Kmet (previous name of ancient Egypt) that brother-sister father-daughter language referred to the principle relationship these entities embodied and shared. The incest concept is a common error in Egyptology literature and needs be corrected. Revealed texts (scripture) consistently call people "sons of" and "daughters of" those unrelated, and people understand this is a social rather than sexual term. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers were generic terms which still can be seen among Africans and African Americans, in addition to most religious groups (a "sister" is a nun Catholicism and Buddhism). When the pantheon is understood as reflecting "first principle" conceptions and worldview, and when attributing male and female to myths is appreciated as sheer anthropomorphism, it is easier to comprehend these relationships. Follow the defining principles, and the mating and birth of consequent principles (relationships) become clearer.[source? ]

The ancient Egyptians had three calendars, but the Agricultural one was the one that was used in everyday life. It was made up of three seasons, each containing four months. The seasons were Akhet, (the inundation) Peret (when the water retreated) and Shemu (harvest season). Nut loved Geb, but Ra was not happy that she loved Geb so he told Shu, their father (the air god) to separate them. Then, Ra put a curse on Nut so she could not have babies on any of the three-hundred sixty days of the year. Thoth wanted to let Nut be able to have babies so he challenged Khonsu, the moon god, to a game of Senet. If he won, he would be able to add five days to the year. If he lost, he would be killed. Thoth won and added five more days to the year. On the first day, Nut had Osiris to replace Ra, but Set later deceived him and Osiris became god of the underworld. On the second day she had Horus, the war god. On the third day, she had Set, the god of storms, evil, and Chaos, on the forth day she had Isis the goddess of magic, and on the fifth day she had Nephthys the river goddess. After a long time, the Egyptians realized the calendar was off because they did not have the quarter day at the end, like we do by having leap years. The calendar said it was flood season, but the flood did not come until later. The ancient Egyptians noticed the star Sirius would rise right before the flood. They used this as the beginning of the year and as the beginning of flooding.

1. Fleming, Fergus & Lothian, Alan The Way to Eternity P. 52

2. Lesko, Barbara The Great Goddesses of Egypt pp. 22-23

3. Thames & Hudson The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient #Egypt p. 160-61

4. Lons, Veronica, Egyptian Mythology pp. 48-50

5. Lurker, Manfred The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Egypt P. 90

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In Egyptian mythology, Nut was the goddess of the sky. Her body made a protective layer over the Earth. Nut was the sister and wife of Geb, and the mother of (with Ra) Osiris, Nephthys,Isis and Seth and grandmother of Horus. Horus was also a grandchild of Ra.

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Olivia Luna's Explanation of Night and Day from Japanese Mythology

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Olivia Luna's Explanation of Night and Day from Japanese Mythology

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There are two siblings, the goddess of day and the heavens who is named Amaterasu, and the god of night and the moon who is named Tsukiyomi. These siblings got married and one day, Amaterasu asked Tsukiyomi to go visit Uke-Mochi, the god of food. Now, Tsukiyomi went to visist Uke-Mochi as his wife asked, but when he asked for food, Uke-Mochi's way of producing food was so disgusting (he barfed it up) that Tsukiyomi decided to MURDER Uke-Mochi. When Amaterasu saw that he had done this, she cast him out of the heavens and declared him an evil and traitorous god, and that is why night and day are now separate and why night is considered evil and a time when witches and spirits come out.

The scientific explanation is the earth revolving around the sun and revolving on its axis at the same time. This means only half of the Earth can be illuminated (day) at one time while the other half is in the dark (night).

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Throughout history, ancient peoples and religions have often represented the sun and moon as deities. Shinto (literally, "way of the gods"), a Japanese ethnic religion with records dating back to the 8th century, sought to explain the natural phenomena of the universe through , which can be defined as spirits, essences, or gods. Kami does not represent a single god, but rather several divine beings that can manifest in various forms. According the Nihon shoki, one of the earliest written recordings of Japanese history, the origins of day and night can be traced back to the sibling rivalry of three kami.

The three kami

A long, long time ago, the god Izanagi-no-Mikoto and goddess Izanami-no-Mikoto got busy and produced three children: Amaterasu, goddess of the sun and ruler of heaven, Tsukiyomi, god of the moon and ruler of the night, and Susanoo, god of storms and ruler of the seas. Amaterasu, whose name translates to "shining in heaven," would go on to be a major deity of the Shinto religion. Tsukiyomi, her brother (and also her husband), initially ruled the sky and heavens together, while her other brother Susanoo was cast out of heaven due to bad behavior and forced to spend the rest of his days in what is now known as Shimane prefecture.

The murder of Uke-Mochi and the separation of day and night

Amaterasu ordered Tsukiyomi to go down to earth to visit Uke-Mochi, the food goddess. Uke-Mochi had a rather peculiar way of producing food: by vomiting and defecating it onto the Earth. Upon seeing this, Tsukiyomi became so disgusted and enraged that he murdered Uke-Mochi before returning to heaven. When Amaterasu learned of what he had done, she declared him an evil god and vowed never to see him again, thus separating night and day for all of eternity.

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Here's the Reason for Night and Day, According to Japanese Mythology

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Throughout history, ancient peoples and religions have often represented the sun and moon as deities. Shinto (literally, "way of the gods"), a Japanese ethnic religion with records dating back to the 8th century, sought to explain the natural phenomena of the universe through , which can be defined as spirits, essences, or gods.

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Here it is:

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StarChild Question of the Month for March 2001

Question:

Why is there day and night?

Answer:

Clearly, when you see the Sun shining in the sky, it is day, and when you don't it is night. So the real question is "why is the Sun in the sky at some times and not at others?" We can see that the Sun seems to move across the sky starting in the east in the morning, moving toward the south at noon, and then toward the west as the day ends. How does this happen?

Long ago, people believed many weird things about the Sun and how it traveled across the sky. The ancient Greeks believed that the Sun rode across the sky in a chariot drawn by four white horses driven by the god Heleius! These days, we know that the Sun appears to move across the sky because the Earth rotates on its axis.

So how does the turning of the Earth lead to the Sun's motion across the sky? It is easy to see this if you shine a bright light on the side of a globe in a darkened room. Find where you live on the globe. Now slowly spin the globe on its axis so that if you look down on the north pole, it is rotating counterclockwise. Watch what happens to the place where you live. Do you see that it is sometimes pointed toward the light (which represents the Sun) and sometimes away from the light? Hey, you've made day and night!

When where you are is pointed toward the Sun, it is day. Then the Earth rotates you away from the Sun, and it is night.

Think about this!

So, how fast does the Earth have to rotate in order to make one complete spin in 24 hours? At the equator, the Earth is rotating at a speed of about about 2200 kilometers per hour. Good thing we human beings can't feel this motion!

The StarChild site is a service of the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC), Dr. Alan Smale (Director), within the Astrophysics Science Division (ASD) at NASA/GSFC.

StarChild Authors: The StarChild Team
StarChild Graphics & Music: Acknowledgments
StarChild Project Leader: Dr. Laura A. Whitlock
Curator:J.D. Myers
Responsible NASA Official: Phil Newman

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Why is there day and night? Clearly, when you see the Sun shining in the sky, it is day, and when you don't it is night. So the real question is "why is the Sun in the sky at some times and not at others?"

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The legend is  about thunderstorms    Its about a family that live on an island that farm and plant crops but when the thunderstorm starts they have to run to house and get to shelter because the thunderstorm will take them.

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Njǫrd was the Norse god of the wind the sea and its riches

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Egyption god of the desert

During Egypt's Old Kingdom- the pyramid building time 4,200 years ago, droughts and fires plagued the region, causing famine and social unrest.

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Japan God named Fujin controlled the wind he is feared by many mostly because of his appearance. He has a red head but a green body with and wears leopard skin. He carries a long bag that hangs around his neck that contains wind. Fujin waves his bag of wind around and controls all of the wind in the world. He uses his bag of wind to launch himself around the world he also rides on a storm cloud. Fujin has a brother that controls lighting, thunder, and storms his name is Rajin.

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massively multiplayer online role-playing game

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The Japanese believe that Namazu is a giant catfish that moves the Earth with his giant tail. Originally he acted as a warning if danger is coming. Such as a flood or heavy rains
https://listverse.com/2019/09/25/10-crazy-ways-humans-have-tried-to-explain-natural-disasters/

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Egyptian Mythology: Philip Juarez: OSIRIS

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Egyptian Mythology: Philip Juarez: OSIRIS

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The Living God named Osiris is the Egyptian Lord of the Underworld and Judge of the Dead, brother-husband to Isis, and one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt.

https://www.ancient.eu/osiris/#:~:text=Osiris%20is%20the%20Egyptian%20Lord,powerful'%20or%20'mighty'.

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Osiris is the Egyptian Lord of the Underworld and Judge of the Dead, brother-husband to Isis, and one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt. The name `Osiris' is the Latinized form of the Egyptian Usir which is interpreted as 'powerful' or 'mighty'. He is the first-born of the gods Geb (earth) and Nut (sky) shortly after the creation of the world, was murdered by his younger brother Set, and brought back to life by his sister-wife Isis. This myth, and the gods involved, became central to Egyptian culture and religious life. Osiris was originally a fertility god, possibly from Syria (though this claim is contested) who became so popular he absorbed the function of earlier gods such as Andjeti and Khentiamenti, two gods of fertility and agriculture worshipped at Abydos. He is associated with the djed symbol and is often depicted with black or green skin symbolizing the fertile mud of the Nile and regeneration. He is also frequently shown as a mummy or in partially mummified form in his role as Judge of the Dead.

Images of Osiris as a living god depict him as a handsome man in royal dress wearing the crown of Upper Egypt as a plumed headdress known as the atef and carrying the crook and flail, symbols of kingship. He is associated with the mythical Bennu bird (inspiration for the Greek Phoenix) who rises to life from the ashes. Osiris was known by many names but chiefly as Wennefer, "The Beautiful One" and, in his role as Judge of the Dead, Khentiamenti, "The Foremost of the Westerners". The west was associated with death and 'westerners' became synonymous with those who had passed on to the afterlife.

He was also known as The Lord of Love, King of the Living, and Eternal Lord. After Isis, Osiris was the most popular and enduring of all the Egyptian gods. His worship spanned thousands of years from shortly before the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150-2613 BCE) to the Ptolemaic Dynasty (323-30 BCE), the last dynasty to rule Egypt before the coming of Rome. It is also possible that Osiris was worshipped in some form in the Predynastic Period of Egypt (c. 6000-3150 BCE) and probable that he originated at that time. Scholar Geraldine Pinch writes:

Where, when, and how Osiris was first worshipped is much disputed. It has been claimed that Osiris was originally a deified Predynastic king, a primitive vegetation spirit, a jackal god of an early royal necropolis, or a mother goddess. Even the etymology of his name is uncertain, though it may simply mean 'The Mighty One' (178).

Although he is usually seen as a just, generous, and giving god of life and abundance there are also depictions of him as "a terrifying figure who dispatches demon-messengers to drag the living into the gloomy realm of the dead" (Pinch, 178) though these are the minority. Osiris as the kind and just ruler, murdered by his resentful brother, who comes back to life is the most popular and enduring image of the god.

The Osiris Myth

After the creation of the world, the first five gods were born of the union of Geb (earth) and Nut (sky) and these were Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys, and Horus. Osiris, as the first born, assumed rule as Lord of the Earth, with Isis as his queen and consort. He found the people of Egypt uncivilized and lawless and so gave them laws, culture, religious instruction, and agriculture. Egypt became a paradise under Osiris' rule where everyone was equal and there was abundant food as the crops were always plentiful. Set was jealous of his brother's success and grew resentful. Their relationship deteriorated further after Nephthys, Set's wife, disguised herself as Isis and seduced Osiris, becoming pregnant with the god Anubis. Set had a beautiful coffin made to Osiris' exact height and then threw a grand party where he presented this box and told the guests that whichever of them fit in it most perfectly could have it as a gift. When Osiris lay down in the coffin, Set slammed the lid on, fastened it shut, and threw it into the Nile, where it was carried away down river.

Osiris' body traveled out to sea and eventually his coffin became lodged in a great tamarisk tree growing near Byblos in Phoenicia. The tree grew quickly around the coffin until it completely contained it. The king of Byblos, Malcander, came to the shore with his wife Astarte and admired the tree and the sweet scent which seemed to emanate from it. He ordered the tree cut down and brought to his palace as an ornamental pillar for the court, and there Osiris remained, trapped inside the coffin within the pillar, until he died.

Osiris as the kind and just ruler, murdered by his resentful brother, who comes back to life is the most popular and enduring image of the god.

Isis had meanwhile left Egypt in search of her husband and eventually came to Byblos, disguised as an older woman, where she sat down by the shore and cried for her missing husband. She was invited to the palace by the royal handmaidens who had come to the shore to bathe and there ingratiated herself to the king and queen so she was asked to be nursemaid for their young sons. Isis tried to make the younger boy immortal by bathing him in fire and, when Queen Astarte discovered this, she was horrified. Isis then revealed herself as the goddess and the king and queen promised her anything she wanted if she would only spare them. She requested only the pillar - which they swiftly granted to her.

After leaving the court, Isis cut Osiris from the tree and carried his body back to Egypt where she hid him from Set in the swampy region of the Nile Delta. She left him to go gather herbs to make a potion to return him to life, leaving her sister Nephthys to guard the body. While she was gone, Set learned of his brother's return and went out to find his body. He managed to get Nephthys to tell him where it was, and when he found it, he hacked it into pieces and scattered it across the land and into the Nile. When Isis returned, she was horrified but quickly composed herself and went to work finding the pieces of her murdered husband. With Nephthys' help, she recovered all of the body parts except the penis, which had been thrown into the Nile and eaten by the oxyrhyncus fish, which is why this fish was forbidden food in ancient Egypt.

Isis was able to revive Osiris and, once he was alive, she assumed the form of a kite and flew around him, drew the seed from his body into her own, and became pregnant with a son, Horus. Even though Osiris now lived, he was incomplete and could no longer rule the land of the living. He withdrew into the afterlife where he became Lord and Judge of the Dead. Isis, fearing what Set might do to her son, hid Horus among the swamps of Egypt until he was grown. At that point, Horus emerged as a mighty warrior and battled Set for control of the world. In some versions of the story, Set is killed but, in most, he is defeated and driven from the land. The chaos Set had unleashed on the world was conquered by Horus, who restored order, and then ruled with his mother.

Worship of Osiris

The myth embodied some of the most important values of Egyptian culture: harmony, order, eternal life, and gratitude. Set's resentment of Osiris, even before the affair with Nepthys, grew from a lack of gratitude and an envy for someone else's good fortune. In Egypt, ingratitude was a kind of "gateway sin" which opened the individual up to all others. The story dramatically illustrated how even a god could fall prey to ingratitude and the consequences which could follow. Just as importantly, the myth told the story of the victory of order over chaos and the establishment of harmony in the land; a central value of Egyptian culture and religion.

Osiris' rebirth was associated with the Nile River, which was considered a symbol of his life-giving power. Osiris' festivals were held to celebrate the beauty of the god and his transcendent power but also his death and rebirth. The festival of the Fall of the Nile commemorated his death while the Djed Pillar Festival celebrated Osiris' resurrection. Historian Margaret Bunson writes:

As the Nile receeded, the Egyptians went to the shore to bestow gifts and to show grief over Osiris' dying another time. The Nile represented Osiris' capacity to renew the earth and to restore life to the nation. When the Nile began its steady rise toward the flood stage, Osiris was again honored. Small shrines were cast adrift on the river, and priests poured sweet water into the Nile, declaring that Osiris was found again (198).

The city of Abydos was his cult center and the necropolis there became the most sought-after burial ground as people wanted to be buried as close to the god as they could get. Those who lived too far away or did not have the resources for such a burial had a stele erected there with their name on it. Osiris was most widely worshipped as Judge of the Dead but the 'dead' continued to exist in another realm and death was not the end of one's existence. The festivals, therefore, celebrated life - both on earth and afterwards - and part of these celebrations was the planting of an Osiris Garden which was a garden bed molded in the shape of the god and fertilized by the mud and water of the Nile. The grains which would later grow symbolized Osiris rising from the dead and also the promise of eternal life for the one who tended the garden.

Osiris Gardens were placed in tombs where they are known as an Osiris' Bed. Margaret Bunson describes this practice, writing:

These were boxes fashioned out of wood or pottery normally in the shape of the god. Osiris' Beds were often hollow, planted with Nile mud and corn. The boxes were then wrapped as mummies and placed in the tomb. The corn was expected to sprout as a symbol of Osiris' resurrection. Some boxes did contain actual evidence of growth when they were unwrapped centuries later (198).

Priests of Osiris tended the temple and statue of the god at Abydos, Busiris, and Heliopolis and, as was customary with Egyptian worship, the priests alone were allowed into the inner sanctum. The people of Egypt were invited to visit the temple complex to make offerings and ask for prayers, seek medical advice and counsel, receive aid from the priests by way of material goods or financial gifts, and leave sacrifices to the god in asking for a favor or by way of thanking the god for a request granted.

Osiris, the King, & the People

Osiris was considered the first king of Egypt who established the cultural values all later kings were sworn to uphold. When Set murdered the king, the country plunged into chaos and order was only restored with the victory of Horus over Set. The kings of Egypt identified with Horus during life (they each had a personal name and a 'Horus Name' they took at the beginning of their reign) and with Osiris in death. As Isis was the mother of Horus, she was considered the mother of every king, the king was her son, and Osiris was both their father and their higher aspect and hope of salvation after death.

It is for this reason that Osiris is so often depicted as a mummified pharaoh; because pharaohs were mummified to resemble Osiris. The image of the great mummified god preceeded the practice of preparing the royal body to look like Osiris. All the Egyptian symbols and images which made up the Pyramid Texts on the walls of tombs were meant to remind the soul of the deceased what to do next once they arrived in the afterlife. Their appearance as Osiris himself would not only remind them of the god but also would drive away dark spirits by fooling them into thinking one was the great god himself. The king's appearance as modeled after Osiris' extended throughout his reign; the famous flail and shepherd's staff, synonymous with Egyptian pharaohs, were first Osiris' symbols as the flail represented the fertility of his land while the crook symbolized the authority of his rule.

Osiris was the all-merciful, the forgiving, & the just judge of the dead who oversaw one's life on earth & in the afterlife.

Harmony and order had been established by the son of Osiris, Horus, and the king was Horus' living representative who provided for the needs of the people. Osiris was credited with establishing both the kingship and the natural order and law of life and so, through one's participation in one's community and observance of rituals, one was following Osiris' guidelines. The people, as well as royalty, expected the protection of Osiris in life and his impartial judgment after death. Osiris was the all-merciful, the forgiving, and the just judge of the dead who oversaw one's life on earth and in the afterlife.

The Mysteries of Osiris

Osiris' identification with eternal life, with life from death, gave rise to his mystery cult which would travel beyond the boundaries of Egypt as the Cult of Isis. Although no one knows what rituals were involved in the mystery cult of Isis, they may have developed from Osiris' earlier mysteries celebrated at Abydos beginning in the Twelfth Dynasty (1991-1802 BCE). These were very popular festivals which drew people from all over Egypt to participate in the ritual. Bunson notes that "the mysteries recounted the life, death, mummification, resurrection, and ascension of Osiris" (198). Dramas were staged with the major roles given to prominent members of the community and the local priests who enacted the story of the Osiris myth.

The story known as The Contention Between Horus and Set was then acted out in mock battles between The Followers of Horus and The Followers of Set where it seems anyone could participate. Once the battle had been won by the followers of Horus, the people celebrated the restoration of order and the golden statue of Osiris was brought forth from the inner sanctum of the temple and carried among the people who lavished gifts upon the image. The statue was carried through the city in a circuit and finally placed in an outdoor shrine where he could be admired by his people and also participate fully in the festivities. The emergence of the god from the darkness of his temple to participation in the joys of the living symbolized Osiris' return to life from death.

Although this festival was primarily held at Abydos, it was also celebrated at other cult centers dedicated to Osiris throughout Egypt such as Bubastis (which was another very important cult center), Busiris, Memphis, and Thebes. Osiris, of course, was the central figure of these celebrations but, in time, the focus shifted to his wife, Isis, who had actually saved him from death and returned him to life. Osiris was intimately tied to the Nile River and the Nile River Valley of Egypt but Isis eventually became detached from any given locality and was considered the Queen of Heaven and the creator of the universe. All other Egyptian gods were finally seen as aspects of the mighy Isis and in this form her cult traveled to Greece, to Phoenicia, to Rome and throughout the Roman Empire.

The Cult of Isis was so popular in the Roman world that it outlasted every other pagan belief system once Christianity took hold of the popular imagination. The most profound aspects of Christianity, in fact, can be traced back to the worship of Osiris and the Cult of Isis which grew from his story. In ancient Egypt, as in the modern day, people needed to believe that there was a purpose to their lives, that death was not the end, and that some kind of supernatural being cared for them and would protect them. The worship of the great god Osiris provided for that need just as people's religious beliefs do today.

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Osiris is the Egyptian Lord of the Underworld and Judge of the Dead, brother-husband to Isis, and one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt. The name `Osiris' is the Latinized form of the Egyptian Usir which is interpreted as 'powerful' or 'mighty'.