The end of November will bring a blood moon; November 29-30. There are many different myths about the blood moon. Some people say that the blood moon can affect people’s emotions, but others say that the blood moon is a bad omen. Either way, these myths are all fascinating. 

The first blood moon ever recorded was 746 BC February 2 in Babylon, according to Eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov. Blood moons can also be referred to as a lunar eclipse. According to Spaceplace.nasa.gov,  the blood moon gets its red pigment when air molecules scatter. The air molecules have a bluish pigment. When the air molecules are scattered, the remaining light reflects onto the moon’s surface (the light has a reddish glow), making the moon appear red. Back then, people did not have the knowledge that we have now. 

According to The-sun.com, “Some preacher types, most notably in the United States, view the blood moon as a sign of the coming apocalypse.” This is just one of many theories of what the bad omen may be. 

According to QT.com.au, for ancient Babylon religion, sometimes the kings were sacrificed during blood moons to “purify” the land. Priests of that time – nearly 4,000 years ago – believed that the timing of the blood moon could foretell if the king was to live or die. This was judged by the position of the stars, the position of other planets (usually Jupiter), and how dark the moon was. If the king was killed, another member of the royal family was appointed to take his place.

Babylon was not the only place with myths on the blood moon. “The Vikings believed that blood moons were caused by the wolf-gods Skill and Hati ‘eating’ the moon,” according to  Qt.com.au. The Chinese believed that it was a dragon that caused the blood moon. For the Vikings, they believed that it was sky wolves. For the Hindu, “It was the decapitated Rahu who chased down the Sun and Moon because they betrayed his bid for immortality. Occasionally, he catches and devours them – only for them to reappear from his severed throat.”

It is a Christian belief that one of the signs of the rapture is that there will be a blood moon before the day that the lord defeats the devil. According to the Bible, Joel 2:30 states that, “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness. And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.”

 This blood moon make a tasty dish, and curl up in your blankets. It is a myth that if you cook from 11:30 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., your food will have a “Critical look.” With the unpredictable year of 2020, who knows what will happen after this blood moon?