Horizon : The enchanting Northern Lights
【明報專訊】The Northern Lights (北極光), or auroras, are a natural phenomenon caused by the interaction between charged particles (帶電粒子) from the Sun and Earth's magnetic field (磁場). When these particles enter Earth's atmosphere (大氣層), they create glowing colours in the sky. The most common colour is green, but yellow, blue, red, pink and purple hues can also appear.
Finland - Fox fires
In Finnish folklore, the Northern Lights are called "fox fires". A legend says that a magical Arctic fox runs across the snowy hills, brushing its tail against the ground and sending glowing sparks into the sky, creating the auroras. Some believe this tale comes from the idea that the lights dance like flickering flames. Even today, the fox remains a popular symbol of the Northern Lights in Finland.
Norway - Warriors' lights
In Norway, some believed that the Northern Lights were reflections from the armour of fierce female warriors who guided heroic soldiers to the afterlife. The shimmering colours in the sky were seen as light bouncing off their shields as they rode across the heavens. For Vikings (維京人), the auroras symbolised bravery and honor. It was seen as a heavenly greeting for those who had fought courageously in battle.
Iceland - Easing childbirth
According to Icelandic folklore, the Northern Lights were thought to ease the pain of childbirth. However, pregnant women were warned not to look directly at the auroras, as it was believed that doing so could cause their child to be born cross-eyed. This superstition(迷信) reflects the deep connection between nature and daily life in old Icelandic traditions, where natural phenomena were often seen as both helpful and dangerous, depending on how people interacted with them.
■Gear up
(Answer on next text)
1. The Northern Lights can only be seen in Finland, Norway, and Iceland. (True/False)
■Glossary
glowing (adj) 發光的
flickering (adj) 閃耀的
shimmering (adj) 閃爍的
ease (v) 減輕
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[Smarties' Power English 第443期]
