How different Cultures viewed Auroras
Different cultures viewed the aurora and assigned different spiritual meanings to the Auroras. Some cultures viewed auroras with awe and amazement. Other cultures viewed auroras with uncommon dread. It is interesting to see who different cultures with different belief systems assigned meaning to the natural phenomena of auroras
Beliefs of Native Americans
Beginning here in Michigan with the Three Fires Tribes,. The refer to themselves as Anishinaabe, or first humans. The Anishinaabe had a cultural hero called Nanabozho who did many feats throughout their cultural stories. It is said that over time Nanabozho eventually moved far to the North. To show the people he had not forgotten them, he lit a huge fire that reflects in the sky. This way, they would always know he is thinking of them. In Ojibwa, auroras are called Waawaate. They are considered the doorway to the north. It is where your spirit passes through to find the ancestors.
The Cree live just north of us in Canada. They believe that when auroras are out, it is time to speak with ancestors. That the veil between the spirit world and ours is somehow capable of being pierced and we can converse with those passed
The Menominee of Wisconsin believe there are great numbers of giant fishermen fishing with torches at night. They think the aurora is light on the water reflected in the sky.
The Plains tribes, ironically dread the northern lights. They feared that auroras are tribes from the north lighting huge fires for their cooking pots. They believed that auroras would come attack the plains tribes and throw them into their cooking pots. This is rather an odd and highly different interpretation than most cultures.
The Fox tribe from Iowa, in the Untied State. Found auroras terrifying, believing that they were restless spirits of fallen enemies. They feared the ghosts of these fallen enemies would harm them. They often auroras to be bad omens of coming disasters and war.
Eskimo tribes, in contrast, found Auroras comforting. They believed that when the Auroras appeared, it was the best time to communicate with one’s ancestors. Dogs would often bark at the lights, recognizing companions who had passed on. Like the Eskimos I think most people today, view auroras as gateway to their Loved ones who have passed.
The Inuit tribes considered the Aurora to be the spirits of their ancestors. They believed their ancestors were 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 differently. For them, the Northern Lights were walrus spirits. They were playing ball with the skull of some unfortunate human.
European interpretations
Occasionally, auroras have been seen down into Europe. Because aurora in southern regions often are a red or pumpkin hue. Auroras have often been mistaken for cities being on fire. In 18th century just before the fall of the French monarchy in the French Revolution, Red auroras were observed. Frightened onlookers looked on the Auroras with fear. Thinking that Auroras were a harbinger of death and war.
The Norse men had a healthy bit of fear of auroras. They were quite superstitious. Auroras were the earthly manifestations of the Gods. The Norse people had a healthy respect for the danger they posed. This was true whether they brought good or bad omens. Stories were often told inside during these times. They spoke about Odin and the Valkyries who were believed to take the dead warriors to Valhalla. Auroras were thought to be the reflections off the armor of the Valkyries as they came to retrieve fallen warriors. The Norse developed rituals to protect themselves from the dangers of Auroras.
Sami tribes of Northern Finland, to placed great spiritual significance to aurora with equal measure of fear and respect. Often thought of as a bad omen. It was considered a bad thing to attract the attention of the aurora. To wave, speak too loudly, or sing beneath them for fear that it would alert them to your presence. If they noticed you, they would come carry you way to the sky or cut off your head. Sami tribes stayed inside while Auroras were out.
In other parts of Finland we have the legend of the Firefox. Stories tell of arctic foxes running energetically about in the long winter hours. Their tails would scrape the mountains, causing sparks. These sparks sent great swirls of snow into the sky. The snow reflected light in the moonlight, which is said to cause the aurora.
The Swedish looked ahead to auroras. They believed great schools of herring would be swimming nearby. They thought the aurora was the reflection of the light off fish. It was always a sign of good fortune and plenty.
The Danes believed that the auroras are reflections owing to the existence of the wintertime swans. The story tells us that swans had a competition to see who would fly the furthest north. Some of the swans flew so far north that they froze. Eventually freeing themselves the swans took flight, shaking the ice off their wings. The legend says that the Northern Lights are reflections. The ice falls off the wings of the swans.
Scots, though being of the glass half full sort, gave the Auroras the nickname the “Merry Dancers.” The auroras seem to show the dance of falling angels. They also are epic sky warriors engaged in the ultimate battle. In the Hebrides, there is a rock found in great numbers called a blood stone. Its rich green color is veined and dotted with blood red color. These flecks of red blood are said to be the drops of blood from the sky warriors. They battle endlessly. Ironically, this stone holds great power, and is good when you need to cleanse negative energy.
The Siberian people thought the Sun had a son named Peivalke. The Sun wished one day to wed Peivalke to Niekia, the daughter of the Moon. The Moon wished her daughter to marry Nainas, the Northern Lights and hid her daughter from the Sun. Eventually, Niekia and Nainas did wed. the couple spent each night in a cabin. But Nainas had to leave each day. Before the Sun rose he go to the dark side of the Earth, to avoid the Sun. Never wanting Nainas to leave, Niekia tricked Nainas into staying longer than he should have one day. Their relationship was discovered by the Sun who was very angry. In an attempt to protect her husband, Niekia put herself between the Sun and Nainas, allowing her husband to escape. The Sun was angry and flung Niekia into the sky. She went back to her mother, who caught her and held her close. Her mother did not let her go. Since then, Niekia looks out each night, pining for her husband who she can never hold close again.
Estonians believed that auroras were sleighs full of guest arriving for festive wedding celebrations and viewed them as positive omen. To the Greeks and Romans, the Aurora rode in chariot at night. She traveled between sister moon and brother sun. This journey was to tell them a new day was coming. It was viewed as a good event.
How Asia views the Auroras
The Chinese believe great dragons were battling the battle good against evil, breathing their fiery breath across the sky. https://theaurorazone.com/about-the-aurora/aurora-legends/
I think one of the most beautiful stories comes from the Japanese. They believe the aurora is the spirits of the children waiting to be born. Conceiving a child under the aurora is said to bring good fortune to the family. The child’s spirit joins the spirits of unborn children.
Now that you have taken a quick trip around the world. We had a little fun learning about how ancient people thought of auroras, before they had science. If you were to have to tell a story about what the auroras were, without help of Science. What would your story be? Leave it in comments below.
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