Alkha

In Siberian mythology, the personification of the darkness of the sky, a dragonlike monster who causes eclipses of the sun and moon. In one Buriat myth Alkha swallowed the sun and moon, plunging the earth into utter darkness. The gods became angry and cut his body into two pieces, one part falling to the earth and the forepart remaining in heaven. As a result, although the monster continually tries to swallow the moon and sun, each time they fall out of his back. In some myths Alkha is called Arakho. In one of these, told by the Buriat, Arakho lived on the earth eating the hairs off people's bodies. This made God angry because hair was needed for man's protection. As a result God cut Arakho into two parts. Yet the monster still tried to swallow the sun and moon. The gashes made by Alkha's fangs are visible on the surface of the moon. In a variant myth Arakho drank from a cup prepared by the sun and moon that contained the Water of Life. By drinking from the cup Arakho dirtied it, and God cut him in two as a punishment. But Arakho's forepart became immortal. Arakho still chases the moon, leaving his monstrous marks, which are called moon spots.