Starlight — The Garden of the Gods

Author: [French] Mircea Eliade, translated by Xu Hejin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-06-01
Features: Romanian mythologist Mircea Eliade once pointed out that any culture "is a reflection of history," and therefore, any culture has its limitations. Greek culture is no exception. The entire Western world has been influenced by Greek culture to some extent, and thus, in the eyes of the West, it is often regarded as the universally recognized perfect model. However, "as a historical phenomenon, it is not universally applicable. If you introduce Greek culture to Africans or Indonesians, what may be meaningful to them is not the wonderful Greek style you admire, but the familiar images they see in Greek statues or classical literature." The Andamanese are one of the most primitive ethnic groups remaining in Asia, distributed around the Bay of Bengal. Their main deity is Puluga. Puluga lives in the sky, thunder is his voice, the sound of his breathing, and hurricanes represent his anger. In the mythology of the Andamanese, because humans almost forgot him, he punished them by letting the floods rise, and as a result, only four people survived. Obviously, the power and strength Puluga possesses are similar to those of Zeus in Greek mythology, and his actions resemble those of Yahweh of the Jewish nation. If the legendary image of Puluga were to spread to other cultures, it would likely surprise the Greeks of the Homeric era and amaze the Jews who traveled through Egypt with Moses. The civilizations of India and the West each have their own flood legends. In both of these flood legends, only one person knows the disaster is coming and survives. In the West, this person is Noah; in India, this person is Manu. Manu, like Noah, is commanded by the heavens to build a boat. However, the religious significance of the flood Manu encounters is different from that of the flood Noah faces. The flood in India is not a punishment from the heavens but a normal natural phenomenon. The world will not be completely destroyed, but it will be periodically destroyed and then reborn. The flood in the West is brought down by God to destroy everything. In Greek mythology, there is a nymph named Callisto, some say she is the daughter of a king. Zeus fell in love with her and made her pregnant. Later, she was transformed into a bear. Some believe this is the result of Zeus's wife—Hera—seeking revenge on her. Others believe it was Zeus's trick to hide his mistress from Hera's jealousy. Whatever the case, in the legend, Callisto was placed by Zeus in the sky and transformed into the Big Dipper. The Aztecs of Mexico, however, believed this constellation was Tezcatlipoca. This gloomy god pointed north and represented death. He had one foot missing, allegedly eaten by a monster from the heavens. Indeed, in the high-latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere, none of the stars in the Big Dipper ever set below the horizon, but in the highlands of Mexico where the Aztecs lived, the last star of the Big Dipper was always obscured by the horizon. In Indian legends, the seven brightest stars in the Big Dipper are the homes of seven great sages. The Chinese also see these seven stars as seven powerful elders in the sky or seven holes in the night sky and seven holes in the heart. The Basques of Western Europe see these seven bright stars as two oxen followed by two thieves. The cowherd and the maidservants are secretly watching from the shadows. The eighth star is dimmer and is called Alcor, a small dog. The Alcor star above the second ox is a small mouse, gnawing at the thong of the yoke. Some believe the Big Dipper is a pot, and Alcor is a dwarf watching when the pot boils, ready to take it off the fire. That day is the end of the world. Thus, legends become myths, myths become stories, and stories turn back into myths, even talking about the end of the world. Diderot and d'Alembert, in the Encyclopédie, pointed out that people also make specific noises at the doors of those whose marriages are very different in age. Van Gennep, in his monumental Manuel du folklore fran?ais, also mentioned this custom and noted that this condemnatory noise is called "charivari." When an "inappropriate marriage" occurs in the village, young men are responsible for making the noise and carrying out the condemnation. The couple accused of the "inappropriate marriage," if there is a significant age difference or other disparities, or if they have a bad reputation, will receive louder condemnation and noise during the charivari. Some folklorists believe that the purpose of charivari is to eliminate the negative impact that an "inappropriate marriage" might have on society. They argue that this condemnation aimed at "inappropriate marriages" is similar to the noisy sounds made out of fear during solar and lunar eclipses. In people's eyes, the waning of celestial bodies is the result of a monster devouring them or a dangerous union of celestial bodies; while the target of charivari is the "inappropriate or dangerous union" of the married couple due to disparities in various conditions. So, does the noise and clamor condemn "inappropriate or dangerous unions"? French anthropologist Lévi-Strauss proposed a compelling explanation: he believed that the noise and clamor do not condemn the "inappropriate union" itself but rather the disorder caused by the "inappropriate union." Solar and lunar eclipses "disrupt the order of day and night, light and darkness, and the regular alternation of these cycles," causing cosmic disorder; while marriages with disparities in status, age, and wealth disrupt social norms, causing social disorder. Another phenomenon supporting Lévi-Strauss's theory is that people often associate solar and lunar eclipses with incest as the cause of epidemics. In some parts of South America, solar and lunar eclipses are believed to predict diseases. They believe that a solar eclipse will definitely lead to smallpox outbreaks. In 1918, the Spanish flu killed many indigenous people in South America. People said it was caused by a solar eclipse, that "the fatal saliva of the sun flowed to the earth." Incest is also often seen as a cause of diseases. Sometimes, incest legends are linked to solar and lunar eclipses. The Inuit legend about the origin of the sun and moon is an interesting example: the sun girl ran away because her moon brother fell in love with her and chased her relentlessly. He chased her until he was exhausted and produced the eclipse. Symbolically, solar and lunar eclipses may have similarities with incest. The core of all mythological traditions can be found in the taboo against incest. Incest, as a special form of "inappropriate marriage," symbolizes social chaos. Solar and lunar eclipses are special manifestations of the abnormal disappearance of the moon or sun, symbolizing cosmic chaos. Most people know that all water is not pure. In the legend of Dagon, the seventh ancestor of the Canaanites, he both spat out jewels and water to wash away filth. The dirty water flowed to the ground, turning into ponds and rivers. Then, the sky sheep urinated, turning into rain to purify the dirty water. Like springs, rain also has healing properties. "Rain has healing properties and can drive away and cure all diseases," as stated in the ancient Indian classic Atharva Veda. In the French department of Finistère, whenever it rains heavily, rheumatism patients take off their clothes, lie flat on the ground, and let the rain pour over their bare backs until it stops. The rain that falls on Saint-Laurent is believed to be a remedy for burns. People believe that rain, like groundwater, can make women pregnant. In a legend from Melanesia, a girl who got wet in the rain lost her virginity. Another similar legend says that a girl who was dripped on by water droplets from a stalactite became a woman. In the French town of Dinan, if it rains on the wedding day, the bride will be happy because the tears she was supposed to shed have already fallen from the sky on that day. However, in the Poitou region of western France, if it rains on the wedding day, it means the bride will be beaten, and her tears will be as plentiful as the rain that day. In Marseille, rain on the wedding day ensures the couple will be wealthy; in Vivarais, it means they will lack money. More interestingly, in the Poitou region, if it rains on the wedding day, the bride will die first; if the sun shines, the husband will die first. The water of life can heal, make people young again, and even make them immortal; the water of death is the opposite, showing the dark side of water. The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, "When the soul dies, it becomes water." In Greece, people believed that the dead would feel thirsty before the spring rain. In certain rituals, water that leaks from cracks was poured over the dead. Additionally, the custom of using water at funerals is almost everywhere. The phenomena of the sky The number of scientific discussions about the sky is as numerous as the literary works related to it. Sometimes, astronomers are even poets. For example, the Italian astronomer Boscovich (1711-1787) wrote countless poems in Latin, praising solar and lunar eclipses. Sometimes, even judicial authorities are concerned about the sky, at least about things falling from the sky. The unforgettable comet On October 11, 1527, a terrible comet appeared for a long time in Vuestrie, now part of German-speaking Upper Alsace. The appearance of the comet was a sign of a series of disasters: wars, plague, famine, earthquakes, death, fires, floods, or severe destruction. Some believed that the comet appeared because certain constellations exerted bad influences on celestial bodies under the moon, making the earth barren, causing famine, and leading to death. Others believed that some soot-colored, self-igniting black smoke drifted and gathered in the middle atmosphere, no longer descending, but rising to the moon. These substances became denser, causing combustion and forming the comet. After burning, the comet turned into foul-smelling matter, spreading everywhere and causing various harmful effects. Undoubtedly, like the weapon of the gods—lightning—the comet could also deliver a fatal blow. The Bible says, "Signs will appear in the sky," and also that "if a person sees" the comet, they will be punished. Let's look at the terrifying appearance of a comet: From the burning clouds, a dark, curved thing like an arm extended, holding a drawn sword. The tip of the sword was downward, as if ready to strike at any moment. On its head was a very bright star, and next to it were two more stars, one on each side, with one slightly higher. In addition, on both sides of the sword were many human heads, each with long black beards and flowing hair, looking as if they had been cut off. Even more terrifying was that, in addition to this large number of human heads, there were many blood-red axes, spears, darts, spears, and swords, exuding a fierce aura that sent shivers down one's spine. Indeed, after the appearance of this comet, disasters followed one after another, and almost the entire European continent was plunged into bloodshed. The Turks launched large-scale invasions of Poland, Greece, Hungary, Persia, the Arabian Peninsula, and the islands of the Aegean Sea. Italy was also spared from the devastation of war. Many places in Africa, Asia, and the Americas also faced disasters. Southern Europe was first engulfed in flames, and then massive revolutions broke out in various kingdoms and provinces, causing deaths, famine, and epidemics. These disasters were all caused by war. May God forever protect us, so that disasters never come again, and so that Christian rulers live in peace and form eternal alliances. All nations hope that the kingdoms and provinces will enjoy eternal peace. The Almanac of 1678 Thunder The Treasury of Fairy Tales (Le Trésor des Contes) has an interesting explanation of the cause of lightning: Once, a demon tempted Eve, making Eve trick Adam into falling for her. One day, he played this trick on Adam, something everyone knows. The demon did this out of jealousy. However, Adam and Eve, though expelled from Eden, could still atone and become brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. The demon, seeing this, grew even more jealous. God knows, yes, God knows this, knows that the demon made thorns grow in the wheat fields and roses grow thorns. The demon was quite satisfied with what he had done, but he wanted to play some more impressive tricks. He thought to himself, "Humans are even more fragile than window glass. Window glass is afraid of being hit, not just because the sound is loud. But humans are afraid even of loud noises." "I need to create something that can make a loud noise, shatter cliffs, and break oak trees. I can't burn everything to ashes, at least I can make people terrified. This thing will make a huge noise, and when people hear it, they will tremble with fear!" The demon went to God and said, "I will cause thunder, making the people you created afraid." God immediately thought of a brilliant flash that could warn people before they felt afraid: "I will emit lightning, so that people can see it first and then ask for my protection." Henri Pourrat, The Treasury of Fairy Tales