Myths about Sun

Many cultures around the world have interesting myths about the Sun, reflecting its importance in all our lives. Visit the links below for interesting glimpses into the beliefs of early civilizations. Do you see any similarities between these myths?
For the Aztecs, who lived in central Mexico, <a href="/mythology/tonatiuh.html">Tonatiuh</a> was a <a href="/sun/sun.html">Sun</a> god. Aztecs believed that four suns had been created in four previous ages, and all of them had died at the end of each cosmic era. Tonatiuh was the fifth sun and the present era is still his. The carvings on this sunstone represent the four cycles of creation and destruction in the Aztec creation story. The skull at the center depicts the god Tonatiuh.<p><small><em> Image courtesy of Corel Corporation.</em></small></p>

Explore Myths about Sun

Egyptian: Re

Re was known as the sun-god and the creator in ancient Egypt. He took on many forms, each depending ...Read more

Celts: Lugh

For the Celts, who lived in central Europe, Lugh was a Sun god. The underworld god Balor was ...Read more

Aztec: Tonatiuh

For the Aztecs, who lived in central Mexico, Tonatiuh was a Sun god. Aztecs believed that four ...Read more

Aztec: Huitzilopochtli

Huitzilopochtli, whose name means "Blue Hummingbird on the Left," was the Aztec god of the ...Read more

Greek and Roman: Apollo

In Greek mythology, Apollo was the son of Zeus (Jupiter) and Leto (Letona). He was the twin ...Read more

African: Liza

Liza was the Sun god to the Fon people of West Africa. His sister was the Moon god Mawu. The ...Read more

Chinese: Ten Suns

Chinese people believed that there existed ten suns that appeared in turn in the sky during ...Read more

Polynesian: Maui

Maui was a hero of Polynesian mythology. For Maui and his mother the days were too short. For ...Read more

Japanese: Amaterasu

Amaterasu was the Sun goddess of the oldest Japanese religion called Shinto. When her brother ...Read more

Sumerian: Shamash

Shamash was a Sun god according to the Sumerian mythology. Sumerians were living more than ...Read more

More about Myths about Sun

Historical Events

Full Earth and Space Science    History Calendar (Members only)

Teacher Opportunities

Full Teacher Events Calendar (Educator Members only)

Did you know?

Did you know that the ancient Greeks revered Gaea as the Earth goddess, and that she was the mother of the Titans and the first humans?

Did you know that, according to ancient Chinese myth, humans were generated from the fleas which lived on the body of the giant Pan-Ku?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Rayleigh wave
xRayleigh wave : A Rayleigh wave is a seismic surface wave causing the ground to shake in an elliptical motion, with no transverse, or perpendicular, motion.

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

“Missing” Heat May Affect Future Climate Change

As greenhouse gases build up in the atmosphere, more of the energy that gets to Earth from the Sun sticks around the planet. This means that the amount of energy coming to Earth is greater than the amount...Read more


Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA