The moon comes out of the Lord’s heart.
So say our ancient texts. The moon has always fascinated mankind with its beauty. Wile the sun is majestic and even frightening the moon is cool and appealing. There is something friendly about the moon, something that makes all children call it Chandamama.
It is not in India that people have fascination for the moon. Different cultures have different myths connected with the moon.
According to a myth believed by the people of Greenland, Anningan is the name of the moon and Malina, of the sun. Anningan continually chases his sister Malina across the sky. During this chase he forgets to eat and grows thinner. This is symbolic of the phases of the moon. To satisfy his hunger, he disappears for three days and then returns, to chase his sister al over again.
The Chinese believed there were twelve moons, one for each month of the year. Their mother bathed them in a lake and as she finished, they would travel across the sky on a month long journey.
According to the Maoris (the original inhabitants of New Zealand), Rona the daughter of the sea-god was carrying a bucket of water home to her children when the moon slipped behind a loud. Rona stumbled and made some unkind remarks about the moon. The moon became so angry that it captured Rona and her bucket. The Maoris claim to see an image of a woman with a bucket on the moon. When Rona upsets the bucket, it is believed to rain.
The most popular and widely believed is the legend of the hare that lives on the moon. The hare offered himself as food for the poor, since he could not find anything else. It is that God was so touched by this sacrifice that the painted the image of the hare on the moon in remembrance of his good deed.
The moon’s presence close to the earth has so influenced the human mind, that people believe it has many powers. Many believe that the moon influences the mental state. The English word Lunatic (Mad) is derived from the Latin Luna, which means the moon! Many phrases and idioms have been coined which are related to the moon. The expression crying for the moon is used when we try to get something that is impossible to get. Once in a blue moon, is an idiom that means something that happens rarely?
People still attribute to the moon all that is romantic, mysterious and magical.
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