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The Sun and the Moon For thousands of years, the Sun and Moon have filled man with inspiration, admiration and fear. The Sun, the bringer of Light, Heat and Fire, is one of the most crucial elements needed on Earth for life. Without the Sun, life would perish rapidly. It is therefore unsurprising that many human cultures have worshipped the Sun, and sometimes the Moon, in acknowledgement of their importance, their beauty and their magnificent powers. Throughout the thousands of religions across the globe, the Sun and the Moon have been said to be a bewildering range of entities, from the eyes of a giant in Chinese mythology to sparks of fire tossed into the air according to the Norse belief. More often, however, the Sun and Moon are personified as gods. Frequently, the Sun is associated with masculine qualities and the Moon is portrayed as a woman. St. Francis of Assisi wrote a prayer dedicated to "Brother Sun and Sister Moon," while in West Africa, the Fon tribe tell of the male Sun god Lisa and his twin sister, the Moon goddess Mawu. However, there are exceptions; the oldest Japanese religion, Shintoism, tells us that both deities of the Sun and Moon are female; the shy but extraordinarily beautiful Sun goddess Amaterasu, who was later to be associated with the Buddha, and the goddess of the moon, Tsuki-yomi. Both were created from the tears of the higher god, Izanagi. The ancient Egyptians, renowned for their sun-worship, knew the Sun as their chief god Ra (also known as Re or Amun-Ra), who rides across the sky in a boat called Sektet and is often represented by the falcon. The scarab beetle was thought to be sacred in Egypt, as it was believed that it carried the Sun across the sky on its back legs. The myth of the Phoenix, the fabulous bird of the Sun and fire, may have been hatched by the Egyptian belief in the Bennu, a magnificent heron which was born within fire. The Phoenix is also found in Oriental beliefs, where it is known as Feng-Huang in China and Houou in Japan, and was thought to be born in the Sun. Both the Greeks and Romans believed in the Sun god Apollo, who rode across the sky on a fiery chariot drawn by wild horses and is among the most famous of Sun deities in human history. Apollo, also the god of love, hunting and music, was said to be favoured among women for his handsome features and immortal strength. He also had a mortal son, named Phaeton, whose arrogance and audacity lead him to his death by falling from the sun chariot which he tried to control despite his father's warning. The Greek legends also recount the tale of Prometheus, the skilful giant who created humans from clay. However, Prometheus was too clever for his own good - after out witting the emperor of all the gods, Zeus (later known to the Romans as Jupiter), mankind was punished by the extinguishing of all fire on Earth. But Prometheus was unwilling to let humanity suffer. He crept up Mount Olympus, the home of the gods, and stole a piece of the burning Sun. Thus, the gift of fire was once more restored to mankind. Strikingly similar to Apollo is Tsohanoai, the god of the Sun to the Navajo tribe of north America. Tsohanoai is said to carry the sun on his back and hang it on the west wall of his house before unravelling the dark rug of Night. He also has children, two fearless sons named Killer of Enemies and Child of Water, whom he helped to overcome some of the evil spirits which once inhabited the world. Another Amerindian culture which practised Sun worship were the Incas of pre-Columbia. They said that a couple were sent to bring civilisation to humanity by their father, the Sun god Inti. Inti was honoured in the silverware of the Incas, and depicted as a formidable face surrounded by blazing rays. The Aztecs, a tribe similar to the Incas in many ways, told that the Sun was home to the great god Quetzalcoatl, and moved in his breath. In Australian Aboriginal belief, the Sun was discovered by Bamapama, one of the ancestors of man today. Bamapama's people once lived underground, but when the no-good Bamapama went hunting a great kangaroo on the surface, he discovered a new way to live: to hunt during the day, while the Sun shone, and sleep at Night when it passed over. While the Sun and its various deities are usually attributed with positive forces, such as goodness, love, warmth and joy, the Moon is sometimes believed to exude evil unto the world. One commonly-held superstition was that the Moon could make a person insane: hence the word "lunatic" from "luna," the Latin word for the Moon. Nights of a full moon were supposed to be extremely unlucky, as hellish beasts and demons such as were-wolves drew their sinister powers from its dark energy. However, there are cultures today who demonstrate great reverence for the Moon. The Inuit peoples create spiritual masks from wood depicting the woman in the Moon whilst the Moon and star make up the symbol of Islam, the world's fastest growing religion. In order to keep the Gods and Goddesses pleased so the crops would continue to grow and people would be spared from natural hazards, worship had to be offered to the deities of the Sun and Moon. Stonehenge, the world-famous megalithic monument in Wiltshire, England, was perhaps erected in order to honour the Sun. To signal the beginning of summer on May 1st, the Celtic peoples held the Beltana fire ritual. By driving cattle though the smoke of enormous fires, the Celts believed their livestock would be purified and fertile. The Celts also celebrated Lugnasad on August 1st, which was in honour of the light at its zenith. Today, most cultures still honour the Sun in some form. The Amazon Indians wear head-dresses made from feathers during special occasions, which aim to represent the Sun's rays. The written religious traditions also honour the light and fire which is brought by the Sun. Christianity speaks of "the Light of God," and candles are lit to represent God's divine presence. Hinduism describes the Fire god Agnee and celebrates the Festival of Light, while in Buddhism fire is regarded as a sacred and purifying element. We may know far more about the Sun and Moon today, but these two celestial bodies do not cease to continue to inspire man with awe, wonder and respect. Written by Megan Balanck Click here to visit the gift shop
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