Main content

The Sun, Our Star: Ancient sun

The Compass The Sun, Our Star
Episode 3 of 5

Dava Sobel explores how the Sun鈥檚 life-giving light and heat inspired rituals and relics dating back to the earliest humans.

Inspired by the Chariot of the Sun, a beautiful artefact of sun worship, Dava Sobel island hops in Denmark to explore the cult of the Sun, before science, during the Nordic Bronze Age. Ancient people would not have needed an eclipse to make them see the Sun as an all-powerful force. The Sun鈥檚 life-giving light and heat inspired rituals and relics dating back to the earliest humans.

Music composed by Chris O'Shaughnessy.
Producer: Kate Bland and Kate Rea

Audio for this programme was updated on 9 September 2020.

(Photo: Chariot of the Sun. Credit: National Museum of Denmark)

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Sun 20 Sep 2020 10:32GMT
麻豆社 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa

More episodes

Previous

The Sun, Our Star: EnergyThe Sun, Our Star

Next

The Sun, Our Star: Space weatherThe Sun, Our Star

See all episodes from The Compass

Broadcasts

  • Wed 19 Dec 2018 03:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service Online, UK DAB/Freeview, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa only
  • Wed 19 Dec 2018 05:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean, South Asia & East Asia only
  • Wed 19 Dec 2018 13:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service except News Internet
  • Wed 19 Dec 2018 18:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service Australasia
  • Wed 19 Dec 2018 21:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Wed 19 Dec 2018 23:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
  • Sat 22 Dec 2018 17:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service News Internet
  • Sun 23 Dec 2018 10:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service
  • Wed 16 Sep 2020 01:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service
  • Wed 16 Sep 2020 08:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service
  • Wed 16 Sep 2020 14:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
  • Wed 16 Sep 2020 15:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Wed 16 Sep 2020 19:06GMT
    麻豆社 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
  • Sat 19 Sep 2020 16:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service News Internet
  • Sun 20 Sep 2020 10:32GMT
    麻豆社 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa

Realtime imagery of the sun

Track the Sun with realtime image data (NASA-SOHO)

The Sun, Our Star

Explore blogs and features from the Science Museum, London

The Documentary Podcast

The Documentary Podcast

Hear more documentaries from the 麻豆社 World Service

Podcast

  • The Compass

    With ideas too big for a single episode, The Compass presents mini-series about society