The poem "October" in the Minor Odes of the Book of Songs records "At the turn of the tenth month, on the first day, the new moon, the sun was eclipsed, a very ugly thing." It is considered one of China's earliest definite eclipse records. The poet treated the eclipse as a divine warning to the ruler for moral failing. Together with contemporary records such as "of the remnant people of Zhou, none survived," it is valuable material for early Chinese astronomy, meteorology, and political theology.
Account
The poem "October" in the Book of Songs records: "At the turn of the tenth month, on the first day, the new moon, the sun was eclipsed, a very ugly thing." It is considered one of China's earliest definite eclipse records. The poet treated the eclipse as a divine warning to the ruler for moral failing. Together with contemporary records such as "of the remnant people of Zhou, none survived," it is valuable material for early Chinese astronomy, meteorology, and political theology.
Contested
The dating is debated between 776 BC and 735 BC by different scholars. Modern ΔT studies have been used to narrow the range, but no complete consensus exists.
Sources
- Book of Songs, Minor Odes, "October"
- modern astronomical back-calculation studies