Past Exhibit
Legends of the Eclipse
Legends of the Eclipse
Through May 4, 2024
When we learned a Total Solar Eclipse was going to put Lampasas in the Path of Totality we wanted to acknowledge the big event. The average frequency for a total solar eclipse at any given point on the Earth’s surface is once in 375 years. The last total solar eclipse visible in Lampasas was on May 26, 1397—627 years ago! Of course, Lampasas wasn’t actually here yet.
Because the history (and future) of eclipses has been mathematically calculated we know that the Path of Totality in 1397 entered the continent in what is now Klamath, Oregon and stretched through northern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Lampasas was inside the path and experienced 24 seconds of totality.
The only residents were the indigenous people who populated the West. Without a knowledge of astronomy and science, they made up tales of how natural phenomena, such as eclipses, occurred. And because they did not have a written language, every tribe recounted their tales to future generations through storytelling. The myths were so different—from a giant beast eating the sun, to the sun dropping its torch, to the sun chasing the moon around until it was caught. We learned the legends of several tribes and published them in a coloring book and in a small booklet.
The items in the exhibit were actually in the shadow of that historic 1397 eclipse. The Anasazi pottery sherds on the wall date from the 1300s and were found near Mayhill, New Mexico, which was on the centerline of the Path of Totality. The pottery in the case also dates from the Anasazi period in Arizona. The stone tools were all found in Lampasas County and were certainly touched by the shadow of the moon during the 1397 eclipse.
We also acknowledge that the animals were also here in 1397 and responded to solar eclipses. Solar eclipses cause change in animal behavior. Puzzled animals that are active during the day head back to their night-time abodes while nocturnal animals think they’ve overslept. Animals that are most active during dusk and dawn, including deer, bison, porcupines, rabbits, coyotes, and more, react to a darkening sky. Their instincts are telling them that it’s time to begin their routine for the evening — searching for food, grooming, and preparing for sleep.
The effects of a solar eclipse on insects and birds is notable. The moments before an eclipse are much louder than usual. There’s more buzzing, chirping, and chattering than at any other hour of the day. Then, once the eclipse hits its totality, everything falls silent. Some birds also change their song patterns, while others may fly in odd formations.
Because the history (and future) of eclipses has been mathematically calculated we know that the Path of Totality in 1397 entered the continent in what is now Klamath, Oregon and stretched through northern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Lampasas was inside the path and experienced 24 seconds of totality.
The only residents were the indigenous people who populated the West. Without a knowledge of astronomy and science, they made up tales of how natural phenomena, such as eclipses, occurred. And because they did not have a written language, every tribe recounted their tales to future generations through storytelling. The myths were so different—from a giant beast eating the sun, to the sun dropping its torch, to the sun chasing the moon around until it was caught. We learned the legends of several tribes and published them in a coloring book and in a small booklet.
The items in the exhibit were actually in the shadow of that historic 1397 eclipse. The Anasazi pottery sherds on the wall date from the 1300s and were found near Mayhill, New Mexico, which was on the centerline of the Path of Totality. The pottery in the case also dates from the Anasazi period in Arizona. The stone tools were all found in Lampasas County and were certainly touched by the shadow of the moon during the 1397 eclipse.
We also acknowledge that the animals were also here in 1397 and responded to solar eclipses. Solar eclipses cause change in animal behavior. Puzzled animals that are active during the day head back to their night-time abodes while nocturnal animals think they’ve overslept. Animals that are most active during dusk and dawn, including deer, bison, porcupines, rabbits, coyotes, and more, react to a darkening sky. Their instincts are telling them that it’s time to begin their routine for the evening — searching for food, grooming, and preparing for sleep.
The effects of a solar eclipse on insects and birds is notable. The moments before an eclipse are much louder than usual. There’s more buzzing, chirping, and chattering than at any other hour of the day. Then, once the eclipse hits its totality, everything falls silent. Some birds also change their song patterns, while others may fly in odd formations.