Sun, Moon, and Stars: Sky Gods Around the World

Long ago in ancient Egypt, a falcon-headed god named Ra sailed across the sky every day in a golden boat, pulling the sun from one horizon to the other. Thousands of miles away in Japan, children learned that the sun itself was the goddess Amaterasu — and that she once hid in a cave, plunging the whole world into darkness until the other gods lured her back out. People everywhere looked up at the same sky and imagined powerful, wonderful beings living in it.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to: • Name sun gods and moon goddesses from at least three different cultures • Explain why ancient people created stories about the sky • Describe how star patterns called constellations come from ancient myths • Match sky gods to the cultures that created them

The sun rises every single morning without fail. Ancient people who did not know what stars were or how the Earth moved found this absolutely amazing — and a little mysterious. So they told stories about who was making it happen. In Egypt, Ra (say it like 'RAH') was the king of the gods and the god of the sun. He had the head of a falcon and a glowing red sun disk sitting on top. Every night, Ra sailed through the dark underworld in his boat, fighting monsters, so he could rise again the next morning. In ancient Greece, a god named Helios drove a blazing chariot pulled by four fire-breathing horses across the sky each day. Later, Apollo became the main sun god, connected to light, music, and healing. In Japan, the sun is the goddess Amaterasu (ah-mah-teh-RAH-soo), ruler of the heavens. The Japanese emperor was considered her great-great-grandchild — that is how important she was!

The moon changes shape every night — disappearing and then slowly coming back. Ancient people told beautiful stories about this mystery. In China, the moon is home to the goddess Chang'e (say 'CHONG-ay'). The story says she drank a magic potion and floated up to the moon, where she lives with a jade rabbit who grinds medicine with a mortar and pestle. Chinese children still wave to Chang'e on Moon Festival night every autumn. The ancient Greeks had Selene — a goddess in silver robes who drove a white horse chariot across the night sky. The phases of the moon were explained by her chariot moving through different positions. In ancient Egypt, the moon was linked to Thoth, the god of wisdom and writing. Because the moon helped people count days and months, it was connected to learning and knowledge.

When you look at the night sky, ancient people saw pictures in the stars. They connected the dots to make shapes called constellations, and each one had a story. Orion was a mighty hunter in Greek mythology. Three bright stars in a row make his belt. On a clear winter night you can see them yourself! His dog follows him — that is the constellation Canis Major, which contains Sirius, the brightest star in the entire night sky. The Big Dipper is part of Ursa Major — the Great Bear. Many Native American peoples told stories about a bear walking across the night sky. The ancient Romans saw the same stars and also told bear stories. In ancient Babylon (now Iraq), priests spent their nights mapping the stars carefully and decided which gods controlled each group. They created the 12 zodiac constellations that many people still know today: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, and so on.