A41. The sun is eating its kids.

(.11.) .12. (.13.) .18. (.21.) .23.-.25.

Two characters have children (siblings, mothers). One suggests that these children (mothers) be killed, arguing in favor of such a decision. In fact, he hides his own people, and his interlocutor really kills his children. One of the characters and/or the surviving child is the sun.

(Nkomi, Congo pygmies), von, eve, diola, baule, wute, (malgashi), wonghibon (incomplete parallels in Yualaraya and other New South Wales groups), sora, bondo, birkhor, santals, turi, bhuya, baiga, cond, oraons, muria, binjwar, bhattra, (Romanian gypsies), semangi (Jehai, Kintak), senoi (sakai), temuan (mantra), bataki, mentawai, Java, toraja, tagals (?).

(Wed. Bantu-speaking Africa. Nkomi [The Sun and Moon are arguing which ones are older (although they are the same age); the moon says it has a lot of people, stars, and the Sun is lonely; the Sun replies that it would have no less humans if the Moon hadn't killed them with its witchcraft; for the Moon, humans are insects, it is associated with death and the passage of time (temps qui passe)]: Raponda-Walker 1967:431-432; North Congo pygmies {the author writes that Dinka and Zande are near, although they seem to be referring to Congo-Brazzaville; the author speaks Bantu but not Mangbetu} [The Sun and Moon argue which ones are older (although they are the same age); Luna says she has lots of child stars and the Sun is a single mother; the Sun replies that she would have no fewer children if the Moon hadn't killed them; but now her kids are human]: Trilles 1932:290; Kuta [The Sun has few children, dying of heat and hunger; Married to the Evening Star for a month and has many child stars with her]: Andersson 1974:35).

West Africa. Baule [The Sun invited the Month to kill and eat it first, the Sun, the mother, and in the evening the mother of the Month; they killed and ate the mother of the Sun; in the evening, the Month refused to kill its mother; now the Sun must work every day, and the Month is often not visible in the sky and visits her mother]: Himmelsheber 1951b: 18-19 (translated into Himmelheber 1960:41); background [The moon invites the Sun to throw its children from the sky on earth; hides its own, collects stones in a bag, dumps them into the river; the Sun really drowns its children; when the truth comes out, the Moon explains that the power of the Sun is excessive and it is better if its children become fish that people will catch; from now on, the stars are at odds]: Olderogge 1959:150-151; eve [Moon {no sex of stars specified} invited the Sun to eat its children first and then hers; Sun agreed, his children were eaten; the Moon hid her own in a large water vessel; then she removed the stars from there; the Sun has no children; therefore God loves the Sun, does not love the evil moon]: Spieth 1906:557; wute [The Moon and Sun both had many children (or many accompanying persons); offended (victim d'un mauvais tour), the Moon persuaded the Sun to kill its children (ses enfents; ou les gens de sa suite)]: Lembezat 196:236; diola [the sun has as many children as the moon; the moon's children are stars, and the sun's children are hot, the earth is unbearably hot; the moon invites the sun to get rid of children to to moderate the heat; throws a bag of white stones into the water, and the sun really drowned his children; when night fell, the sun saw that the stars were in place; decided to pull its children out of the river, but they immediately But they died; they turned into fish; since then, the sun hates the moon and sometimes attacks it]: Reuss-Nliba, Reuss-Nliba 2018:66-67.

(Wed. Sudan - East Africa. Malgashi [the little brothers of the Sun were chickens and the Moons were stars; the Sun walked with the stars and the Moon with the chickens; there was not enough room for everyone to sit down at the festival, the Moon opened the door, the rooster and the chicken fell down, fell to the ground in the middle of the village; when they found out, the Sun Brother told the Moon that they would no longer live together, and his brothers on earth (i.e. chickens) would also hide when the moon appeared and stars; Luna replied that her star sisters would also hide when the Sun arrives; but roosters crow in the morning waiting for the Sun]: Rodman 1965:26-27).

Australia. Wonghibon (NSW) [another bird persuaded Ema to cut off her wings and eat her chicks, leaving only one; in a fight, Emu threw the remaining egg at her, it flew to the sky and became the sun]: Cameron 1903:47 in Waterman 1987, No. 1460 (9) :56; "everywhere in Victoria" [Emu lived in the clouds, had long wings, came down to join the dancers; old Courtenay said you can't learn to sing and dance with such long wings; all the other participants hid their wings unnoticed; Emu let her wings be cut off; others showed theirs, laughed; laughing jackass before that he was dumb, laughed for the first time; Courtenay hid her chicks, leaving them alone; told Emu that she killed her own people, advised me to do the same to reduce the hassle; Emu killed, Courtenay showed her own; her neck turned crooked; the next time she broke Emu's eggs, launching the latter into the sky; it fell on a pile of brushwood collected by the celestial Ngoudenout, which caught fire, the world was lit up by the sun; after this bird stopped quarreling; N. started lighting a fire in the sky every morning; at night he collects firewood for the fire]: Thomas 1906:247-249; Yualarayi [emu Dinewan and Bralgah's bird quarreled and got into a fight; B. grabbed one of D.'s eggs, threw it into the sky, it crashed against a pile of firewood, it burned; this is how the sun appeared; the heavenly deity and his assistant began to set fire to firewood every day, sending The Morning Star warn people of the imminent dawn; to be heard, told the Gourgourgahgah bird to start laughing and waking up the whole world at this time]: Anonymous 1907:29 in Dixon 1916:274-275, in Parker 1965: 31-33 [similar myths across Southeast Australia]; (cf. Murray River, NSW [Emu wanted to join dancers (or fishermen); Wild Turkey persuaded her to cut off for herself wings to make it easier to dance (fish); others ridiculed Ema; she persuaded Turkey to eat her chickens so that the remaining two would grow larger (or Turkey persuaded Ema to eat his own so that they would not interfere with their movement); the turkey broke Emu's eggs; the rest of the Emu was thrown at the Turkey, it flew to the sky and became the sun (or it hit a pile of Gnawdenoorte firewood; he every day lights a new bonfire there)]: Massola 1968:99-102, Parker 1930:1-6 in Waterman 1987, No. 1460 (10): 56; New South Wales [Emu is the main bird; Bustard is jealous, says the main one It is not good to have long wings, that she does not have wings herself and is supposed to be the main one; Emu cut off her wings with an ax, Bustard dances with joy; in response, Emu hid her chicks, leaving only two; told Drofa that if she also wants to be large, she should not raise many children; Bustard kills her children leaving two, Emu shows her 12; since then, the emu has short wings, and the bustard lays only two eggs]: Thomas 1906:249).

(Wed. Tibet is the Northeast of India. Kachin [Sun Brother is the father of nine Sun Girls, Sister Moon has many star children; when people started stealing rice, the Sun released all daughters as punishment, gave dogs 9 tails each, and field dogs mice (favorite game) 9 holes each; people made a large bow to shoot live snakes at the Sun; then the whole Sun family hid; they sent the Battleship, the daughter of the Sun killed him; then the Rooster; he agreed for the Sun to revive the Battleship, give him sturdy clothes and a long tongue; scatter his daughters, breaking them apart (they also became stars); if the Rooster does not welcome the Sun, the Fox will deal with him; if the Sun does not come out, the Toad will swallow it, and if the Moon does not come out, the Dog will swallow it]: Gilhodes 1908, No. 24:691-693).

South Asia. Sora [The Sun and the Moon are brothers, both had many children; because of the many small Suns, the earth was hot and impossible to live; the Month hid its children (stars) in a chest, smeared his mouth red with tree sap, said he ate children; if the Sun eats its own, there would be no one left on earth; the Sun ate, the Month released stars; the Sun sent a serpent (Month-Eat-Spirit) for the Month to swallow it once a year; this is not always visible, but if you can see, people beat drums and shoot guns; at this time when the snake burps Month, pregnant women may have a miscarriage]: Vitebsky 1980:56; ho (Chota-Nagpur ) [(source?) ; the children of the Moon are stars, the Sun has the same number of children; so that it is not too hot, the Moon and the Sun agree to eat their children; they hide their own, the Sun really eats their own; the Sun splits the Moon in two; she has since split and grown together again, her star daughters accompany her]: Taylor 1989:171 (Tylor's retelling in Lang 1899:114); Birkhor [Sun and Moon are brother and sister; everyone has many children; because of the children of the Sun, the earth is terribly hot; the Moon decides to help people, hides her children, tells the Sun that she has eaten them, advises them to do the same; the Sun eats its children, then the Moon again releases its own stars; the children of the Sun are the brightest stars, including the surviving Morning Star]: Roy 1925:486-487 in Hatt 1949:75; Santals: Bodding 1942 [The Sun is the Moon's husband, their children are stars; daughters stayed with their mother, sons with their father; they made the earth unbearably hot; Luna offered to eat the children to make it cooler; the Sun suggested that the Moon eat her daughters first if it won't help - he will eat his sons; Luna hid her daughters under the basket, said she ate; The sun ate its own and saw the stars at night; wanted to kill the Moon, but softened when she gave him two daughters - The Morning and Evening Stars; The Sun is still chasing the Moon, cutting off pieces from it for half a month]: 132-133; Bompas 1909 [The Sun and Moon are husband and wife; stars are their children, they shared them; first There were as many stars during the day as at night; to prevent people from dying from the heat, the Moon arranged the Sun to eat its children; only two of the daytime stars remained - Morning and Evening]: 402-404 ( retelling in Hatt 1949:75); bondo: Elwin 1950 [at first, the Sun was constantly copulating with the Moon, only coming out to be relieved; it was only at this time that light appeared in the world; a child was born every day; Sun He loved only his sons, and the Moon loved his daughters; to make the Sun shine, Mahabrabhu sent hunger, let the moon chew bethel; the sun went out to look for food, did not find it, came back, the Moon showed red lips, said that she ate her daughters, hid them in her hair herself; when the Sun ate her sons, she released her daughters; the Sun broke her head; M. told both never to meet, to illuminate the earth]: 138- 139; 1954, No. 2 [sisters Sun and Moon lived together, they have children, the Sun has more; Luna feels sorry to share food with her sister's children; hid hers in her hair, said that her face was swollen from a burn that she ate her own children; The sun ate its own; the moon ran away with her children; the sun became hot in anger]: 57-58; turi [The sun and moon were sisters, both had children; the moon was afraid that the heat of the Sun would destroy her children, hid them in a clay pot, told the Sun that she ate them; then the Sun also ate its children; at night, the Moon released its children into the sky, they became stars; the Sun decided not to look at the Moon's face anymore; c Since then, the moon is not visible during the day, and there are no stars with the Sun]: Russell, Hirali 1916:591 in Elwin 1949:74; bhuya [The moon ate baked bel fruit, told the Sun that she was eating her children; the Sun ate its own, only one ran away like lightning; the Sun cursed the Moon, telling it to die and come to life; the Moon told one eye of the Sun to burst; for 8 months the Sun does not wash its eyes; when it washes, the remaining months get very hot ]: Elwin 1949, No. 1:56-57; baiga [The Sun had 11 brothers, the Moon had 11 sisters; the brothers could not marry them, then the Sun offered to eat them; the Moon ate the sisters, and the Sun hid the brothers behind cheeks; the Moon could not regurgitate her sisters, only spat, drops of her saliva turned into stars; now the Moon works constantly, only one day every month she has her period; each of the Sun Brothers works one month a year; if they went out together, the world would burn; they are all married to the same moon]: Elwin 1939:332; cond: Elwin 1949, No. 20 [boy guards the field, sees a pregnant deer, wants shoot; the deer is pregnant with the sun, the sun from its womb warns of a flood, you must sit with your sister and food in a banyan deck; the boy's mother does not believe; when the earth overturns into the water, dies along with other people; the deck stuck to a fig tree growing out of the water; there were 7 suns, the water dried up quickly, but the heat was terrible; the moon pretended to eat her children, smeared her mouth red; then the Sun ate its brothers; at night, the Moon brought its child stars]: 41; 1954, No. 21 (Kuttia) [Kapantali threw a mirror into the sky, turning it into 7 suns and 7 moons; the world caught fire; Nirantali caught 6 moons, she hid it in her hair; told the Suns that she ate 6 Moons, they allowed them to eat 6 of them; she buried 6 moons; there was only one Sun and one Moon left], 33 (Kuttia) [the heat of the Sun and its children made life impossible; The moon hid her own in her hair, said she ate; the Sun really ate its own; sometimes the Sun catches up with the moon and puts her in jail for a while, an eclipse occurs; sometimes with the Moon, her children, they imprison Sun Prison]: 47-48, 54-55; Oraons [seven Sun Brothers melted the earth with their heat; his sister Luna began to eat bel fruit, answered the Sun that she was eating their Star Children, convinced the Sun to cook its own brothers and eat; realizing that they had been deceived, the Sun rushed to the moon with a sword; she hid in the banyan hollow, but he managed to cut off a piece of it; therefore, twice a year there is a lunar eclipse, and the moon can be seen spot is a banyan hollow]: Elwin 1949:53; Muria [Mahapurub mirrored himself and his wife; turned his own into a male Sun, her into a woman Moon; their children were like themselves, on the earth was unbearable heat; M. hid the moon in a hole; the Sun came to look for his wife, M. invited her to eat the children in his voice; the Sun ate, and the Moon hid her own by the cheek; so that they would no longer have children, M. told them walk separately; half a month The sun meets the moon, but that moon is on her period at this time]: Elwin 1949, No. 9:64-65; binjwar [when the Sun had children, the gods were afraid that the world would burn; asked him Sister Luna invite him to visit him, feed him sweet potato, saying that it is the flesh of her children; sprinkle their bones with water, they will come to life; the Sun has done so; his children have become spirits, from time to time attacking the moon, causing eclipses]: Elwin 1954, No. 6:39-40; bhattra [The sun is brother, the Moon is sister, both have children; the Moon gave her daughter for the son of the Sun, and he did not give his daughter for the son of the Moon; the Moon hid her children, said she killed them; the Sun killed her own; the children of the Moon have returned; only appear with their mother so that the Sun does not kill them]: Elwin 1954, No. 1:57; (cf. Romanian gypsies [King Sun and King Month - sons of the Earth, fathers of stars with many children, of whom there are so many that there is no place to place newborns. They agreed to eat some, but Month broke the deal. That's why there are so many stars that he has to throw them to the ground (shooting stars)]: Kabakova 2019:75).

Malaysia-Indonesia. Semangs (Jehai) [The Sun is a woman, the Month is a man, everyone has many children like their parents; because of the children of the Sun, the Earth is terribly hot; the Month decides to help people, hides its children under his arm, tells the Sun that it has eaten them, advises you to do the same; the Sun eats its children, then the Month releases its stars again]: Schebesta 1931:107; Semangs (Kintak) [Moon and Sun - older and younger sisters; Luna hides her children in a hair-knot on her head, tells the Sun that she has swallowed them; the Sun eats her children; if this did not happen, people would not be able to survive the heat of many suns; since then, the Sun has been chasing the Moon, hiding it under its arm; it lets go when it hears the noise people make during eclipses from the ground]: Evans 1937:167 (quoted in Ho 1967, No. 18:222); haybirds (sakai) [The moon told the Sun that people can't bear the heat of his children; let him eat his own and she eat her own; but Luna only hid her child stars (under her arm: Schebesta in Rahmann 1955: 204); since then, the Sun, when it meets, attacks the Moon, causing eclipses]: Evans 1918:191; temoan (mantra): Skeat, Blagden 1906:320 [Sun and Moon are women; Stars are children of the Moon; Moon has agreed with Eat your children with the sun, hid them, and the Sun really ate them; if the Sun were as many as stars, it would be unbearable heat; the Sun is still chasing the Moon; when it catches up, An eclipse occurs; during the day, the Moon continues to hide her children], 338 [there were three Suns, a wife, husband and child, some of them always in the sky; To' Entah asked the Moon to hide it in her husband's mouth The Evening Star and child stars, invite the Sun to swallow its husband and children; the Sun did so; when it learned the truth, it said it would swallow the moon if it was on its path; this is the cause of the eclipses]; bataks [the Sun has seven sons, they all began to shine together, the earth is burning; people sent a Swallow to the moon asking for help; the moon hid their sons; people gave her lime, betel, tobacco - this is necessary for siri gum; Luna told the Sun that she ate her sons, showed seven bowls of their blood (it's actually gum); when the Sun also ate her sons, the Moon released its own; the Sun let it go A moon of evil spirits (eclipses); other spirits, the Moon's associates, cause solar eclipses]: Warneck 1909:43-44 (retelling in Benedict 1916:47-48; in Erkes 1926:42-43; in Hatt 1949:75; Ho 1967, No. 17:221); mentawai [The Sun and Moon are women, both had many children, the Sun's children were extremely hot; to save people, the Moon hid her children, smeared her mouth with red juice, told the Sun that gladly ate them; the Sun ate its children; in the evening, the children of the Moon appeared - stars; the Sun hit the moon with a knife, now it is visible in parts; the Moon has hit the Sun, now the edge of the Sun is jagged, and the Sun has They don't meet the moon]: Schefold 1988:71-72; Western Toraja [1) The Sun and Month were men, each with their own children; one person killed the children of the Sun because they were too hot on earth; Out of envy, the Sun also tries to kill the children of the Month, but he tells them to go out only when the Sun is not visible; 2) The Sun and Moon have agreed to kill their children; the Moon hid their own and then released (these are stars), and The sun really roasted its own]: Kruyt 1938, No. 24:370-371; Java [text on the story of how the Moon provoked the Sun to destroy its children, A. Bastian recorded in Java (Bastian, Vö1ker des östl. Asien, Bd. V, S. 117)]: Kühn 1936:74; the Eastern Toraja [consider the sun and moon to be married; but there is an idea that both are women; the Sun came out with their children, people were dying from the heat; the Moon promised to help people; she hid her star children in a bamboo vessel, told the Sun that its light kills people, and children only interfere like an extra burden; the Sun also put its children in a vessel, they are there died from the heat; the Moon released its child stars back into heaven; since then, the Sun has been chasing the Moon; one child of the Sun has escaped, this is the Morning Star]: Adriani, Kruyt 1950, No. 7:377; (cf. Timor [Kruyt found no idea in Timor that the Moon hid her children and the Sun ate her own]: Maaβ 1933:276).

Taiwan - Philippines. Tagaly [The moon is afraid that its star children will die from the heat of the Sun's children; suggests that everyone eat their own; the Sun has eaten, the Moon hid its own, now releases only at night; The Sun is chasing By the moon; when it bites, the new moon, the wounds heal, the moon grows fat]: Rybkin 1975, No. 109:261; Tagals (? ; ethnicity is not a decree.) [The sun man Arao has a lot of sun children, the moon woman Buan has child stars; B. is afraid that her children will burn from the heat of A.'s children, agreed with him that everyone will eat their own; hid her own in the clouds; c Since then, A. has been chasing B., when she catches up, eclipses occur; at dawn, A. attacks the stars; B.'s eldest daughter, Tala (Venus, both morning and evening); B. releases her children when T. speaks to her that A. is gone]: Hill 1934:65f in Rahmann 1955:202.

(Wed. Big Pool. Nordic (?) payute [zap. De Quille by Chief Payute Tooroop Eenah (Desert Father), published in a newspaper in San Francisco; the Moon is the wife of the Sun, the stars are their children; they fear him, run away when he appears; at night the Sun through a deep hole goes underground to sleep; the visible sun is the round belly of the Sun full of swallowed stars; it looks like a snake or lizard; the moon sleeps underground in the same hole, is afraid of her husband, leaves in front of him approaching; phases - The moon is in mourning for children swallowed by the Sun]: Lang 1899:113-114).