The mythology surrounding earthquakes

I t is a maxim that knowledge is the only instrument of production that is not subject to diminishing returns. Enlightening individuals about catastrophes is a necessity of the times. This is not the first time we have been hit by a natural disaster, yet the apathy of the humpty-dumpty policy implementers continues. No mechanism had been set up till now to enable our country to endure monstrous calamities, like the October 26 earthquake.

The earthquake struck the northern parts of Pakistan with a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale, leaving at least 272 dead due to the collapse of buildings, stampedes and other incidents. Men left their workplaces hurriedly while women rushed out of their homes barefoot, reciting verses from the Holy Quran. Geologists and scientists have explained that the earthquake, like any other, was caused by fault lines deep inside the earth’s crust. When two blocks of rock or two plates rub against each other, they cause friction.

There are various mythical assumptions about earthquakes. In Greek mythology, Poseidon the great Olympian god of the sea, was also the god of earthquakes. In Japanese mythology, Namazu is a giant catfish which causes earthquakes. In Mongolian mythology, the world sits on the back of a frog. The frog stumbles, thus causing earthquakes.

In West Africa, it was popularly thought that a giant carried the earth on his head. The earth shook whenever he turned his head. In East African mythology, a fish carries a stone on its back. A cow stands on the stone, holding the earth on one horn. When the cow’s neck starts hurting, she tosses the earth to her other horn, starting the quake. In Hindu mythology, four elephants hold the earth. A turtle holds the elephants. A cobra holds the turtle. If any of these creatures moves, there’s an earthquake. Many Muslims hold that earthquakes are a threat to those who commit evil deeds and persistently violate the divine message.

A study of science, however, reveals that earthquakes are caused by tectonic plates rubbing together. Although these plates are always moving, when the stress on the rock overcomes the friction, energy travels in waves along the earth’s surface. The lines where the plates meet are called fault lines, and most earthquakes occur along these. The only verifiable explanation comes from science. We need to educate and promote awareness on how earthquakes occur as well as to undertake awareness campaigns on various safety measures that could be undertaken in earthquake-prone areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2015.