Aurora's Dance

The Northern Lights. Aurora Borealis.

Praised and worshipped for centuries.

There have been stories, myths, oracles and divinations because of them. All over the Northern Hemisphere, we find proof of early civilisations marvelling at these Lights. They were turned into stories and often seen as the souls of people’s ancestors. Most regions built their own belief onto the meanings these Lights carried for them.

The Inuit in Alaska’s most northern town of Point Barrow took the Northern Lights to be dangerous and even believed them to be evil. They were afraid of these lights, coming down to earth and snatching them away. Whenever the sky displayed dancing green lights, people did not celebrate. Instead, they carried knives in these nights to protect themselves and their families.

In Icelandic tradition, the Northern Lights mirrored the souls of people who had died but could not find a resting place. Whenever the Northern Lights were dancing in the sky, it was said to be them looking for a place to find their final peace.

The first settlers of Greenland believed the Northern Lights mirrored the souls of children who had died at birth. If the Lights were very bright and dancing all over the sky, it comforted the people and those who had suffered loss. It showed them that their kids were together and playing games, lighting up the night sky.

In Finland, however, people call the Northern Lights “revontulet”, literally meaning “fox fires”. In their believe, a mystical fox is dashing through the snow during the long winter nights. His bushy tail is swirling up the snow, splashing colourful sparks up into the sky.

Nowadays, we have explanations for its appearance. We know how the solar storm and earth’s magnetic field create the Northern Lights and we can even predict them. The stories of our ancestors, however, live on in the face of these mystical lights. And we can all understand how they can make you believe into something supernatural, something connecting our earthly life with a life beyond.

They still keep people in awe and they’re the reason for thousands of people to brace the cold and travel northwards every year. Each night the northern light hunters are waiting outside in the cold with their neck bend, face towards the sky, hoping for something in particular:

A green light. A slight and small green line that appears somewhere in the North. Which leaves everyone wondering whether this is it or just a cloud. But then the green line becomes brighter and bigger. Suddenly it starts. The line transforms into a band of silk slithering in the sky. Everywhere it’s green now. The entire sky explodes in colours, it starts to shine and the dance commences.

This dance no one will ever forget again. This dance that touches people at the base of their soul. This dance which makes them acknowledge what they’ve all forgotten. That we all have a hidden instinctive part in us which can only show itself in a true connection with nature.

The green silk bands start to dance faster and faster, moving with strong and fluent motions. People turn in unison, trying hard not to miss a single thing. In the flash of light, these bands suddenly change shape and transform into long stripes, stretching all the way down as if they were going to touch the ground. With every stretch and every move, the tips of the stripes turn into a bright pink colour.

Tears of joy are starting to freeze on the crowd’s cheeks, no one is talking, everyone is left speechless by this incredible spectacle of nature. And as quickly as it began, it ends.

And our goddess Aurora goes to sleep.