Motions of The Sun - Development
The way in which the piece was subsequently designed and developed was explained by Rebecca as follows in the proposal:
The subject of this design proposal, the Sun, arose out of the reading of a book by Janet McCrickard, 'Eclipse of the Sun - An Investigation into Sun and Moon Myths' (Gothic Image Publications, 1990), which sets out to explore myths and legends around the world associated with these two celestial bodies, and by that exploration exposes the rejection by our culture after the 16th century, of the almost universal belief that the sun was a feminine entity, and the moon male; the complete opposite of our contemporary mythology. The following quotations, from various cultural sources, elucidate this point."
'On midsummer Eve the people would go up to a high place, sometimes a mountain-top in the High Pyrennes, a "Mountain of Noon", where the Sun was believed to touch the high peak as she passed over the sky.'
'Once the Sun was up, everyone hastened to the nearest holy spring, fountain or stream to bathe, for immediately these waters had been touched by the Midsummer Sun and infused with her fire, "their usual virtues of fecundity and healing were infinitely multiplied" '
'Among the Lapps the Sun is feminine, the Geat Mother who lesses the land with plants and the reindeer with fertility. She is called Baiwe (Beive, Paiva). Uniquely among the Lapp deities she is never represented in human form, but as certain geometric shapes.'
'The tribe we know as Cherokee are really called the Ani Yuwiya in their own tongue, that is "real people" or "original people". Their religion blends Christianity with native beliefs and rites in a relaxed way, without theological tensions. The chief of the Etawah Cherokee, Hugh Gibbs, says, " Mankind itself was created by the female sun. She along with the male moon (her brother) are God's greatest angels before mankind"
'Several Carib tribes and others in Paraguay and Brazil have a Sun-goddess who is the universal mother type of deity, somewhat similar to the female creatress and ancestresses of Australian religion, in that she makes or births animals, plants, ritual objects, songs, dances and so forth.'