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Concluding last month’s newsletter about the Moon, this issue will give a brief detail of some myths and legends about our planet’s closest celestial body. Since time immemorial the Moon has played a central role in folklore from all over the world. Its influence is immense, and deservedly so. The Moon rules the night sky the way the sun rules the day, and controls our planet’s tides, and – some believe – our emotions.
Lunar deities in many cultures are represented in the female form, a contradiction to the masculine solar deity. Pre-Olympian mythology tells the story of Helios, god of the sun, a handsome man who drove the Chariot of the Sun across the sky every day. In the evening his sister Selene would take his place. Freshly bathed in the oceans in preparation for her nightly journey, she ascended the skies as her brother left, illuminating the earth with the radiance of her immortal head and crown. Her sister Eos was the dawn goddess, and she would open the gates of Heaven every morning so Helios could begin his daily voyage across the skies.
Over time Artemis and her brother Apollo replaced Selene and Helios. Artemis, whose Roman counterpart is Diana, was goddess of the forests and hills and of the hunt, and is sometimes depicted with a crescent moon above her head.
The African country Benin calls the Moon goddess Mawu. The goddess of night, joy and motherhood, she she brings cool climates to the tropical African land. Mawu is believed to be an old and wise mother who lives in the West. Her partner is Liza, the god of day, heat and strength.and their son Gu is the smith god, also known as the divine tool. Liza and Mawu used him to shape the universe, together with the serpent Da.
Norse mythology names Máni as the god of the Moon. He is tasked with pulling the moon through the sky every single night, with the wolf Hati in hot pursuit. Nótt is the goddess of night. She was dark and swarthy in appearance, as befitting the night she represented. Nótt married three times, producing a child from each marriage. Her firstborn was a son called Auð, followed by a daughter named Earth. Her final marriage was to a god named Delling, and their son was called Day. He was fair and beautiful, taking after his father’s family. Night and her son, Day received two horses and chariots from Odin, the Norse king of the gods. He placed both mother and son in the sky, so they could ride round the world every twenty-four hours. Nótt rides on a horse called HrÃmfaxi, and every morning he bedews the earth with the foam from his bit. Day's horse is named Skinfaxi, and his mane is so bright it lights the whole earth and sky.
The god Thoth is an important lunar deity in Egyptian mythology. Initially the Egyptians believed the Moon and the Sun to be the eyes of the god Horus. The Moon was Horus’ semi-blinded eye, the result of a fight with the god Set. Over time the Egyptians began to view the Moon as separate from the Sun. Not only is it a source of light, but its phases made it an important part of both astrology and astronomy. Egyptians used the Moon to organise their society, arranging civil and religious events and rituals according to its phases. Thoth gradually evolved into a god of wisdom and magic, as well as being responsible for measurement and regulation of events and time. Ancient Egyptians also credited Thoth with the invention of writing.
Aztec mythology also features a masculine lunar deity. His name is Tecciztecatl, which means “old moon god”. He was offered the position of sun god, but was afraid of the heat and fire in the Sun. Tecciztecatl was thrown into the Moon while in the shape of a large white rabbit. He is sometimes pictured wearing butterfly wings or carrying a large white seashell on his back, supposed to symbolise the Moon. He is sometime seen as “the man in the moon”.
Anningan is the Moon god of the Inuit people of Greenland. Anningan continually chases his sister, the sun goddess Malina, but forgets to eat, and gets much thinner. Eventually, when he is famished, he disappears for three days each month before returning to resume the eternal chase. This symbolises the waxing and waning of the moon and its different phases. Malina wants to stay away from her brother, because they had a terrible fight which resulted in her blackening his face . This is why the Sun and Moon rise and set at different times.
The Japanese god of the Moon is Tsukuyoni. His name combines the Japanese words for “moon” (tsuki) and “reading” (yomu). One myth tells how Tsukuyoni was born when his father was bathing to wash away his sins after escaping from the underworld and the clutches of his angry dead wife. Tsukuyoni was born when his father washed out his right eye. In another version of his birth Tsukuyoni came to life from a mirror made from white copper held in his father’s right hand.
Tsukunyoni lived happily in the heavens with his sister Amaterasu, the sun goddess. One day Amaterasu asked her brother to represent her at a feast presented by the goddess of food, Uke Mochi. The goddess made food by first turning to the ocean and spitting out a fish. She then turned to the forest, and game rushed into the forests from her mouth. Finally she coughed up a bowl of rice in front of a paddy field. The sight of this beautiful woman producing food in such a revolting manner disgusted Tsukunyoni so much he killed Uke Mochi. When news of the murder reached Amaterasu she was so upset and enraged she refused to ever look at her brother again, and moved to another part of the sky, forever separating day and night.
Chinese people believed there were twelve different moons, and their mother was Heng-O. At the beginning of every month, Heng-O would bath her lunar offspring in a lake in the western part of the world. Then each moon – one after another – would travel in a chariot on a month long journey to reach the opposite eastern side of the world. It was believed that each moon was made of water, with a hare or toad living in the interior.
Mesopotamia’s lunar god was Sin, or Nanna. His symbol is the crescent, and he is represented by the number 30. It is thought his number refers to the length of a lunar month, which is around 29.53 days. He is often depicted as an old man with a flowing beard made of lapus lazuli. He used a winged bull for transport – the horns of a bull are crescent-shaped, making it another symbol of the Moon. His wife was Ningal, and their children were named Utu and Inanna. Utu became the god of the sun, while Inanna was the goddess of warfare and love. She is associated with the planet Venus.
The Maori people have a wonderful legend about the Moon. Rona, the daughter of the sea god, was responsible for controlling the oceans’ tides. One night, while carrying a pitcher of stream water back to her family the Moon disappeared behind a cloud. On the dark path Rona slipped after catching her foot on a root. She hurt herself, and was so upset she made some unkind remarks about the Moon.
The Moon was furious, and immediately put a curse upon the Maori people. The Moon then seized Rona and her water bucket, which is the reason many people claim they can see a woman with a bucket in the Moon. When Rona upsets her bucket it causes rain to fall. This story symbolises the effect of the Moon upon the rain and all waters on Earth, particularly the tides.
Modern mythology and urban legends are filled with superstition about the full moon. It is claimed that cases of mental illness and suicides increase during full moon. Hospital emergency rooms are also said to be busier during the full moon than at any other time of the month. Women are supposed to be at their most fertile during the full moon, and then of course there’s the association with werewolves...
While you may not believe the Moon has the power to cause these variations to man’s lifestyle there’s no denying the influence our satellite has had upon culture. I personally find the mythology and stories associated with the Moon far more interesting than statistics, and I am sure the Moon’s influence will be with us for many future generations.
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Joshiahis
Very, very cool newsletter. I love learning new things that gives instant inspiration from the unlikeliest of muses- the moon.
I’m glad you enjoyed it. The other evening I watched the full moon rise over the hills opposite my house. It was an amazing sight, and I’m not surprised the moon was (and still is) held in such reverence.
spidey 
Awesome newsletter on the Moon! Since I was young, I've felt a deep connection to our Moon. Thanks for this very interesting info on it! 
Oh, me too! When I was young I used to lie on the ground in the evenings, and watch the moon and the stars in a velvet African sky. I miss those evenings... 
JEK
Thank you very much for a wonderful newsletter. It’s always fun to see how different cultures treat the same symbol.
Additionally, there are two things I want to mention: first, as a random bit of cultural information, the "blue moon" is particularly important in the Hebrew calendar because that particular calendar incorporates both sun and moon, so whenever a "blue" moon occurs the year becomes 13 months long rather than 12. This also has an impact (for the purposes of calculation) on the length of other months in the year.
Second, for use in fantasy stories, multiple moons can be a useful tool. In the Dragonlance series, for example, there are 3 moons, supplying power to a different group of wizards (white – good; red – neutral; black - evil). In the videogame Skies of Arcadia, there are 6 moons, each of which gives its own kind of magical energy. In the Dragon Prince trilogy, by contrast, there are 2 moons, which do nothing at all except give a unique feel to the setting.
I really enjoy reading additional information from members, especially useful information for writers. Before reading your note I’d not considered the concept of multiple moons in writing. And the information about the Blue Moon is very interesting, especially as it impacts upon the length of the months.
Lauriemariepea
dang, sarah--you find the most fascinating subjects to illuminate for us each newsletter! i'm a moon child, a cancer, especially susceptible to the moon's pull, and i've not delved as deeply into the subject as you have here. i'm keeping this one, too, for research purposes.  thanks for another wonderful read! *thumbsups*
I didn’t realise you were a little Cancer Crab, Laurie! Some years ago I developed a huge interest in astrology, and I could draw up individual charts! I remember reading about the effects the moon has upon Cancer, and how important it is when casting a thorough horoscope. My sun AND moon are in two different AIR signs... thankfully my rising sign Leo gives me some grounding!
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Fantasy: August 13, 2008 Issue [#2512]
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