Abstract
THE legends of primitive peoples connected with astronomical events are of interest to students of the history of culture, ethnography, etc. A story of this kind explaining the eclipse of the moon was heard by me last August in Karačaj—a region to the west from Elborus (Caucasus). The Karačaïans believe that on the moon there is a handsome girl guarded by two dogs. The evil spirit Žemilaùz, whose mouth is so large that when opened the lower lip lies on the earth and the upper on the sky (žemìl = large, aùz = mouth), wants to devour her; but he can do this only when the girl and the dogs are asleep. He watches this moment to swallow the moon with the girl and dogs. Thus begins the eclipse. The Karačaïans help the girl to be saved by means of shooting, shouting, and prayers. All this noise, they believe, must awaken the dogs, which, on their part, will wake up the girl. The girl being awakened, she is beyond the power of Žemilaùz, who is then obliged to discharge the moon.
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IVANOV, N. A Lunar Eclipse Legend. Nature 122, 845 (1928). https://doi.org/10.1038/122845c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/122845c0
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