Since Antiquity, eclipses have been interpreted as omens, as punishment or as romantic metaphors, and that fascination has left its mark on literature, cinema and music. In fact, the phenomenon has been depicted in numerous paintings, but how have eclipses influenced the most popular artistic creations?
Here is a look at 10 books, nine films and eight songs that, in one way or another, revolve around an eclipse.
10 books marked by an eclipse
1. 'The Odyssey' (Homer, 8th century BC) In Book 20 of the poem, the seer Theoclymenus interprets a sudden darkening of the sky as heralding the imminent death of Penelope's suitors, shortly before Odysseus confronts them.
A study published in 2008 linked that passage to a real eclipse observed in the Ionian Islands in 1178 BC. The work is currently on everyone's lips because of Christopher Nolan's film, although that episode is not mentioned in the movie.
