The Moon In Folklore
THE MOON IN FOLKLORE -
Importance of the Full Moon in Cultures
The moon has played a predominant role in many societies throughout history. Some of the oldest references come from ancient Sumer. Here, the moon god Nanna or Nammar ruled as the supreme deity of measurement and calendar calculations. The artificial mountain known as the Ziggurat was the "House of Nammar", or the "House of Heaven". Nanna was often depicted as a white bull who flew through the heavens, an ancient idea which may have been the origin of the European fairy tale of the "cow who jumped over the moon".
Both the Muslims and Hebrews are descendents of the Babylonians, so it comes as no surprise that even to this day, both religions still feature a lunar calendar and count "new days" and holidays as beginning at nightfall. Like Nanna, in the Old Testament the Hebrew god is often described as a bull, and the Islamic holy month Ramadan had its origin in an ancient lunar holiday. In a psalm in the Talmud, the Hebrews made clear that they felt the moon could have ill effects. It was thought that sleeping under a full moon could cause madness.
“By day the sun shall not smite thee, and the moon in the night." (cxxi6)
The traditional Chinese calendar is based on the phases of the moon. The full moon is always the middle of a month. The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the full moon of the eighth month. The Lantern Festival falls on the first full moon of the year. Many religious Chinese people prepare their ritualistic offerings to their ancestors and deities on every full moon and new moon.
In ancient Egypt, there are many references to the moon as being the god Thoth. Sometimes the god of rebirth, the green faced Osiris was also represented as the moon, and played a role not unlike that of Sumer, whose moon god Nanna was also depicted as ruling over vegetation.
In India, Chandra was the moon god, who was often shown carrying a bow (crescent moon) and accompanied by a dog. Shiva, the god of the underworld was also associated with the moon, and wore a type of silver horned ornament on his head which was calling being "moon-crested". The Hindu's also believed that it was possible for both sun and moon beams to become solidified, and could be used in elixirs and as amulets. The idea remains with us today, in sunstones, and the more familiar moonstones.
The Greeks associated the moon with the goddess Selene. A moon goddess named Cynthia was said to have been born on the sacred mountain Mt. Cynthius in Delos. Cynthia was said to have a sacred cup which contained a magical brew which could cause the unwary to transform into animals. It was once believed that the moon could have ill that could lead to lunatics and werewolves. It is possible this belief could stem from the story of Cynthius, so long ago.
In Rome, Diana the goddess of the moon was considered especially magic, as the sun god was confined merely to the day, but Diana as the moon, could travel by night or day. Because the cult of Diana was extremely strong in many areas of Rome, when the Catholic Church performed mass conversions they often assumed the pagan temples and renamed the existing statues. The modern Mary can sometimes still be seen depicted as standing on a crescent moon, the symbol of Diana.
To the Norse, the sun and moon were the divine twins Sol and Mani, which remain with us today in our modern words Sun and Moon.
In Ireland, the Isle of Mona, last stronghold of the Druids after the Roman invasion was named after the moon, and shrines at Ulster were called Emain Macha, "land of the moon". Some folk tales speak of a magical white cow said to appear sometimes on Beltaine. In Scotland and Ireland, as well as other areas of Europe, archaeologists have long noted standing stone circles which were aligned so that an optical illusion occurred. At many such sites, it could be seen that at the time of the moon's most northern or southern declination in the sky, the moon would appear to set into the middle of the circle. This may be the true meaning of the Wiccan phrase "to draw down the moon". In Cornwall it was common to gather all medicinal plants when the moon was full. In some places it was the belief that the growth of mushrooms was influenced by the changes of the moon, hence the saying,
'When the moon is at the full,
Mushrooms you may freely pull
But when the moon is on the wane,
Wait ere you think to pluck again.'
The Moon in Rural Life
Farmers often observed 'the signs of the moon 'in sowing grain, setting out trees, cutting timber, and other chores. Signs and omens for happenings are seen in a ring around the moon, trouble coming, and “blood on the moon” another bad omen. In Scotland it was said among the farmers that a misty moon, or halo around the moon foretold rain--
“If the moon shows like a silver shield,
You need not be afraid to reap your field
But if she rises haloed round,
Soon we'll tread on deluged ground."
In gardening lore, the first quarter of the waxing Moon is the ideal time to plant seeds, repot plants, sow lawns, etc., but if the weather is particularly dry the gardener is advised to plant his seeds at the full Moon, when conditions are likely to be more moist. Full Moons are also favored for harvesting plants that need to be rich in moisture content, such as grapes, tomatoes, and strawberries, while plants that produce 'below the ground', such as potatoes and carrots, are best planted during the 'dark of the Moon'. The waning Moon is the time for killing weeds, cutting back dead growth, harvesting root vegetables and drying herbs, flowers and fruit.
Names of the Monthly Moons
In folklore, we find "names" associated to the full moon each month. These often refer to a specific thing, for example in September we find the "Harvest Moon", and due to a natural fluke in the position of moon and earth, there really is more moonlight in September than any other month, allowing field workers to work into the night to bring in the harvest. Most of the names refer to seasons, weather, or farm activities. The mead moon refers to a drink made from honey. It later gave rise to the term honeymoon.
The names of the moon are:
January- Wolf Moon
February- Ice Moon
March- Storm Moon
April- Growing Moon
May- Hare Moon
June- Mead Moon
July- Hay Moon
August- Corn Moon
September- Harvest Moon
October- Blood Moon
November- Snow Moon
December- Cold Moon
(These are not the only names the monthly moons are or were known by)
A blue moon is the second of two full moons to occur in the same calendar month. Blue moons occur infrequently (thus the saying once in a blue moon to denote a rare event), because the length of the calendar month in this system is close to the length of the period of the moon's phases. They are not impossible, because every month except February is longer than this period by 1 or 2 days. The original meaning of blue moon was the third full moon in a season when there were four full moons in that season this had to do with church holy days related to the last or first full moon of a season (like Easter). This usage had been almost entirely forgotten, and the original meaning was uncovered only when researchers for Sky & Telescope magazine noticed that the Maine Farmer's Almanac from 1829 to 1937 reported blue moons that did not fit the first meaning of the term above. Visibly blue moons are rare events. They can be caused by smoke or dust particles in the atmosphere, such as happened after forest fires in Sweden in 1950 and Canada in 1951 and, notably, after the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, which caused blue moons for nearly two years.
Article by Michele Sinclair
(Source: http://www.pagansunited.com/mooninfolklore.htm)
Importance of the Full Moon in Cultures
The moon has played a predominant role in many societies throughout history. Some of the oldest references come from ancient Sumer. Here, the moon god Nanna or Nammar ruled as the supreme deity of measurement and calendar calculations. The artificial mountain known as the Ziggurat was the "House of Nammar", or the "House of Heaven". Nanna was often depicted as a white bull who flew through the heavens, an ancient idea which may have been the origin of the European fairy tale of the "cow who jumped over the moon".
Both the Muslims and Hebrews are descendents of the Babylonians, so it comes as no surprise that even to this day, both religions still feature a lunar calendar and count "new days" and holidays as beginning at nightfall. Like Nanna, in the Old Testament the Hebrew god is often described as a bull, and the Islamic holy month Ramadan had its origin in an ancient lunar holiday. In a psalm in the Talmud, the Hebrews made clear that they felt the moon could have ill effects. It was thought that sleeping under a full moon could cause madness.
“By day the sun shall not smite thee, and the moon in the night." (cxxi6)
The traditional Chinese calendar is based on the phases of the moon. The full moon is always the middle of a month. The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the full moon of the eighth month. The Lantern Festival falls on the first full moon of the year. Many religious Chinese people prepare their ritualistic offerings to their ancestors and deities on every full moon and new moon.
In ancient Egypt, there are many references to the moon as being the god Thoth. Sometimes the god of rebirth, the green faced Osiris was also represented as the moon, and played a role not unlike that of Sumer, whose moon god Nanna was also depicted as ruling over vegetation.
In India, Chandra was the moon god, who was often shown carrying a bow (crescent moon) and accompanied by a dog. Shiva, the god of the underworld was also associated with the moon, and wore a type of silver horned ornament on his head which was calling being "moon-crested". The Hindu's also believed that it was possible for both sun and moon beams to become solidified, and could be used in elixirs and as amulets. The idea remains with us today, in sunstones, and the more familiar moonstones.
The Greeks associated the moon with the goddess Selene. A moon goddess named Cynthia was said to have been born on the sacred mountain Mt. Cynthius in Delos. Cynthia was said to have a sacred cup which contained a magical brew which could cause the unwary to transform into animals. It was once believed that the moon could have ill that could lead to lunatics and werewolves. It is possible this belief could stem from the story of Cynthius, so long ago.
In Rome, Diana the goddess of the moon was considered especially magic, as the sun god was confined merely to the day, but Diana as the moon, could travel by night or day. Because the cult of Diana was extremely strong in many areas of Rome, when the Catholic Church performed mass conversions they often assumed the pagan temples and renamed the existing statues. The modern Mary can sometimes still be seen depicted as standing on a crescent moon, the symbol of Diana.
To the Norse, the sun and moon were the divine twins Sol and Mani, which remain with us today in our modern words Sun and Moon.
In Ireland, the Isle of Mona, last stronghold of the Druids after the Roman invasion was named after the moon, and shrines at Ulster were called Emain Macha, "land of the moon". Some folk tales speak of a magical white cow said to appear sometimes on Beltaine. In Scotland and Ireland, as well as other areas of Europe, archaeologists have long noted standing stone circles which were aligned so that an optical illusion occurred. At many such sites, it could be seen that at the time of the moon's most northern or southern declination in the sky, the moon would appear to set into the middle of the circle. This may be the true meaning of the Wiccan phrase "to draw down the moon". In Cornwall it was common to gather all medicinal plants when the moon was full. In some places it was the belief that the growth of mushrooms was influenced by the changes of the moon, hence the saying,
'When the moon is at the full,
Mushrooms you may freely pull
But when the moon is on the wane,
Wait ere you think to pluck again.'
The Moon in Rural Life
Farmers often observed 'the signs of the moon 'in sowing grain, setting out trees, cutting timber, and other chores. Signs and omens for happenings are seen in a ring around the moon, trouble coming, and “blood on the moon” another bad omen. In Scotland it was said among the farmers that a misty moon, or halo around the moon foretold rain--
“If the moon shows like a silver shield,
You need not be afraid to reap your field
But if she rises haloed round,
Soon we'll tread on deluged ground."
In gardening lore, the first quarter of the waxing Moon is the ideal time to plant seeds, repot plants, sow lawns, etc., but if the weather is particularly dry the gardener is advised to plant his seeds at the full Moon, when conditions are likely to be more moist. Full Moons are also favored for harvesting plants that need to be rich in moisture content, such as grapes, tomatoes, and strawberries, while plants that produce 'below the ground', such as potatoes and carrots, are best planted during the 'dark of the Moon'. The waning Moon is the time for killing weeds, cutting back dead growth, harvesting root vegetables and drying herbs, flowers and fruit.
Names of the Monthly Moons
In folklore, we find "names" associated to the full moon each month. These often refer to a specific thing, for example in September we find the "Harvest Moon", and due to a natural fluke in the position of moon and earth, there really is more moonlight in September than any other month, allowing field workers to work into the night to bring in the harvest. Most of the names refer to seasons, weather, or farm activities. The mead moon refers to a drink made from honey. It later gave rise to the term honeymoon.
The names of the moon are:
January- Wolf Moon
February- Ice Moon
March- Storm Moon
April- Growing Moon
May- Hare Moon
June- Mead Moon
July- Hay Moon
August- Corn Moon
September- Harvest Moon
October- Blood Moon
November- Snow Moon
December- Cold Moon
(These are not the only names the monthly moons are or were known by)
A blue moon is the second of two full moons to occur in the same calendar month. Blue moons occur infrequently (thus the saying once in a blue moon to denote a rare event), because the length of the calendar month in this system is close to the length of the period of the moon's phases. They are not impossible, because every month except February is longer than this period by 1 or 2 days. The original meaning of blue moon was the third full moon in a season when there were four full moons in that season this had to do with church holy days related to the last or first full moon of a season (like Easter). This usage had been almost entirely forgotten, and the original meaning was uncovered only when researchers for Sky & Telescope magazine noticed that the Maine Farmer's Almanac from 1829 to 1937 reported blue moons that did not fit the first meaning of the term above. Visibly blue moons are rare events. They can be caused by smoke or dust particles in the atmosphere, such as happened after forest fires in Sweden in 1950 and Canada in 1951 and, notably, after the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, which caused blue moons for nearly two years.
Article by Michele Sinclair
(Source: http://www.pagansunited.com/mooninfolklore.htm)