Ancient tales of sun, darkness, and triumph

Do you remember when you were merely 4 or 5, while you were curled up against your grandmother on a chilling winter night, she told you about the day when the night was the longest and the day, the shortest and how that’s the sign that the Sun god has started his journey and longer days would soon prevail? Yes, now that you have been burdened by physics, chemistry, maths and biology, you probably know everything scientific about the longest night and shortest day- 21 December (Yes, that’s exactly what today is)- the Winter Solstice! For Earth’s Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice is the exact moment when half of Earth is tilted at such an angle that it is the farthest from the sun. However, for the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice happens during the month of June because the seasons are reversed below the equator.

While we now know what the winter solstice actually is, people around the world for thousands of years have believed the legends that surround the tales of gods, nature and heroes and above all believed that light would always triumph over darkness.

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As we mark this cosmic event today, here are a few legends for you to delve into.

In the Celtic lands, it was believed that there were once two enchanted rulers, the Holly King (who ruled the shorter days) and the Oak King (who watched over the growing sun), and on the day of the winter solstice, the Oak King won, marking the beginning of longer and warmer days. This often led people to light fires on this day, particularly a large Yule log to banish the evil spirits, the conquerors of darkness and let light triumph.

In ancient Egyptian mythology, it was believed that on this day, Isis gave birth to Horus, the Sun God, marking the triumph of light and the return of fertility. His birth became a symbol of resilience against darkness.

Hindu mythology connects the winter solstice to the sun’s journey from Dakshinayana (the sun’s southward journey) to Uttarayana (the sun’s northward journey). People consider this as Surya, the sun god, waking up from a long rest.

In the Slavic lands, the winter solstice centres around the festival of Kolyada, the time of death and rebirth symbolising the birth of the new sun god Kolyada. The legends here also mention the story of Morozko, who was the winter king protector believed to be kind who preached the idea of sharing warmth, food and care until the sun grew stronger.

Up in the Arctic lands, Sámi, the Indigenous people of the Scandinavian and Kola peninsulas in Northern Europe, celebrate the sun on the winter solstice. They believe that Beaivi, the Sun spirit, would return. During the celebration, they widely practice a custom called joik, which is a traditional Sámi song through which legends, tales and traditions are passed on to the younger generation. They also honour the spirit by offering butter to help regain its strength.

In Norse mythology, the winter solstice was celebrated as Yule, the return of light and divine elements and also marked the return of beloved Balder, the bright god, symbolising the triumph of hope over darkness.

In Shinto mythology, the Sun goddess, Amaterasu, after being angered by her brother, had retreated inside a cave, plunging the world into never-ending darkness. To bring back light and to lure her out, the other gods threw a festival filled with laughter and music, forcing Amaterasu to peek out, symbolising how light returned to earth again. It is a sacred time for the farmers as they welcome the return of the sun that will nurture their crops.

According to myths, Apollo, the Greek God, was believed to travel north in a chariot drawn by swans during the winter months to spend three months in the mysterious island of Helixoia with the Hyperboreans, playing music, and then would return in his swan-drawn chariot as light began to return, symbolising the end of darkness.

In ancient Persia, people celebrated the longest night as Shab-e Yalda, meaning the ‘night of birth’. This day celebrates the triumph of Mithra, the Sun God, over darkness. Families celebrate by feasting on nuts and other festive foods and making wishes.

In Chinese culture, the winter solstice is celebrated as the Dongzhi Festival. This day symbolises the return of positive energy for the coming year, as this celebration occurs only six weeks prior to the Chinese New Year; families often unite on this day and share good wishes and traditional food.

Did you know?

In many Western Christian traditions, Blue Christmas is a service or gathering held around the longest night of the year, on the winter solstice, that acknowledges that not everyone feels joyful and hopeful during the holidays. Blue Christmas is a service gathering that offers them an opportunity to express their grief and find support. Coinciding with this particular day, it is believed that just like darkness ends, holding onto hope is essential as ‘light returns’.