Ancient societies would act wild in order to free the Sun from the animal.
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Solar Eclipses Were not Always Enjoyed
Solar eclipses are really great to watch! But in the past, people were very scared of them. They didn't understand what was going on. Some people thought that a monster or animal was eating the Sun! They would dance around and yell to try and scare the animal away.
Others thought that an eclipse brought diseases. Many people died from the flu, which they blamed on the eclipse. Some also thought that the Moon was an evil brother, chasing his sister across the sky.
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