Why the sun is red: mythology, omens

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

Daylight has fascinated man since ancient times. The sun was deified, and not without reason, because its light and heat are necessary conditions for the existence of life. The slightest change in the color of the solar disk became the basis for many legends and folk signs. In particular, the red color of the star disturbed the person. And yet, why is the sun red?

Myths about the sun

Probably, every nation of the world has at least one old legend or belief associated with the solar disk. In ancient Egypt, the cult of the sun god Ra (or Amon-Ra) was widespread. The Egyptians believed that Ra every day sails across the sky in a golden boat, and at night in the underworld afterlife he fights with the creature of darkness, the serpent Apep, and, having defeated him, returns to heaven again and brings the day with him. In ancient Greece, the Sun was considered the son of the main god Zeus - Helios, who rides across the sky in a chariot drawn by fiery horses. The Indians of the Inca tribe worshiped a solar deity, which they called Inti. The sun, like other gods of Inca mythology, was sacrificed in blood.

The ancient Slavs also revered the sun. The ancient Slavic god of the sun had four hypostases, or incarnations, each of which was responsible for a certain period of the year. The time from the winter solstice to the spring equinox belonged to Horse, who was represented as a middle-aged man. Yarilo, the god of youth and bodily pleasures, purity and sincerity, answered for spring and early summer (until the summer solstice). He was portrayed as a young handsome youth with golden brown hair and sky blue eyes. In the period from the summer solstice to the autumn equinox, Dazhdbog entered into force - the warrior god responsible for prosperity and success, the god who gives life. Well, winter was considered the time of the old sun - Svarog, the father of all gods.

Signs related to the color of the sun

Watching the sun, people have noticed for a long time that at sunset and sunrise, the solar disk sometimes acquires a reddish tint. For a very long time, the reason for such changes remained unknown, which did not prevent humanity from inventing beautiful legends in an attempt to explain the inexplicable. In addition, various events were associated with the color of the sun. So there were many signs. In general, it all came down to one thing - the rising of the red sun in the morning or its sunset in the evening does not bode well. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the red color on a subconscious level is associated in humans with blood and danger.

Scientific explanation

It's actually not that scary. When asked why the sun is red, there is a simple scientific explanation. This is due to the dispersion of sunlight. The solar spectrum consists of seven primary colors, which are scattered in the Earth's atmosphere in different ways. And at sunrise and sunset, only red remains visible, since it has the longest wavelength.