The Moon in mythology 898676 198180798 2008-03-14T12:49:50Z Mitrius 657719 ru: {{Unreferenced|date=March 2007}} The '''[[Moon]]''' has figured in many mythologies, often paired or contrasted with the [[Sun]] (see also [[Solar deity]]). The monthly cycle of the moon, in contrast to the annual cycle of the sun's path, has been implicitly linked to women's [[menstrual cycle]]s by many cultures, although rarely explicitly stated. Many of the most well-known mythologies feature female [[lunar deities]], such as the Greek goddesses [[Selene]] and [[Phoebe (mythology)|Phoebe]] and their Olympian successor [[Artemis]], their Roman equivalents [[Luna (goddess)|Luna]] and [[Diana (goddess)|Diana]], or the [[Thracian]] [[Bendis]]. These cultures almost invariably featured a male sun god. It is worth mentioning the [[cult]] that appeared in medieval [[Milan]], northern Italy, at the end of the 14th century.{{Fact|date=March 2007}} Two women of higher society, Sibillia Zanni and Pietrina de' Bugatis, were brought before the [[Inquisition]] in 1384 and again in 1390 for having claimed that, together with others - both living and dead, they worshipped the goddess [[Madonna Oriente]]. Madonna Oriente is the [[Italian language|Italian]] translation of the [[Latin]] words "Domina Oriens." It has been demonstrated that this name was used to denote the Moon ([[Lewis & Short]]). Those who worshipped her were the first female Inquisition victims to be burned as witches, although they were most certainly neither the first victims of persecution as alleged witches nor the first victims of the Inquisition. Male [[lunar god]]s are also frequent, such as [[Nanna]] or [[Sin (mythology)|Sin]] of the Mesopotamians, [[Mani (god)|Mani]] of the [[Germanic tribes]], [[Thoth]] of the Egyptians, the Japanese god [[Tsukuyomi]], [[Finnish mythology|Rahko]] of Finns and [[Tecciztecatl]] of the Aztecs. These cultures usually featured female Sun goddesses. While many [[Neopagan]] authors and feminist scholars claim{{Fact|date=March 2007}} that there was an original [[Great Goddess]] in prehistoric cultures that was linked to the moon and formed the basis of later religions, the Great Goddess figure is highly speculative and not a proven concept. It is more likely that, if existent, the Great Goddess is based upon [[earth goddess]]es, such as [[Gaea]] of the Greeks. It may be noted that most of the oldest civilizations mentioned above had male lunar deities, and it was only later cultures — the classical ones most people are familiar with — that featured strong female moon goddesses. The bull was lunar in Mesopotamia (its horns representing the crescent). See [[Bull (mythology)]] and compare [[Hubal]]. In the Hellenistic-Roman rites of [[Mithras]], the bull is prominent, with astral significance, but with no explicit connection to the moon. The words 'lunacy", "lunatic", and "loony" are derived from Luna because of the folk belief in the moon as a cause of periodic insanity. It is a feature of modern belief that [[Shapeshifting|shapeshifters]] such as [[werewolf|werewolves]] drew their power from the moon and would change into their bestial form during the full moon, but this feature is largely absent from older folklore. The purported influence of the moon in human affairs remains a feature of [[astrology]]. [[John Heywood]]'s ''Proverbes'' (1546) commented that "The moon is made of a greene cheese", "greene" meaning "not aged", but was probably being sarcastic. [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990723a.html] [[Moon (Middle-earth)|Isil]] and the guidesman [[Tilion]] in [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s fictional [[Middle-earth]] cosmology are based in Tolkien's familiarity with Norse and Gaelic myths. [[es:Mitología lunar]] [[ru:Луна в мифологии]] [[sk:Mesiac (mytológia)]] ==See also== *[[Lunar deities]]