EDUCATION | MOON MYTHS

Cerridwen is Keeper of the Cauldron of the Underworld, in which inspiration and divine knowledge are brewed along with the souls that will be reborn. Cerridwen married the giant Tegid and had two children - the girl child named Creirwy was beautiful, but the boy named Avagdu (some call him Morfan, because he was black as a raven) was born ugly and dark. Cerridwen worried that Avagdu's life would be very hard because of his appearance, so she decided to give him a birth gift of the magical powers that she possessed. In her magical cauldron (named Awen, the Cauldron of the Deep), Cerridwen made a potion called greal (from which the word 'Grail' probably came). The potion was made from six plants for inspiration and knowledge. She arranged for a blind old man to keep the fire burning, and for a young lad named Gwion to stir the contents of her cauldron. Unfortunately, three drops from the cauldron fell out of the cauldron and onto Gwion's finger, and he absorbed the potency of the brew. Cerridwen then pursued Gwion through a cycle of changing shapes, which correspond to the turning of the seasons. The ending came when Cerridwen, in the guise of a hen, swallowed Gwion, in the guise of an ear of corn. Nine months later Cerridwen gave birth to a radiant child, known as Taliesin, a title attached to the greatest of Welsh poet bard.

Because of Cerridwen's ability to induce change and the light and dark dichotomy of her children, she is closely associated with the moon and its phases.

Arianrhod was the Goddess of the Moon and Mistress of Caer Sidi, the Otherworld Tower of Initiation. When people died, they were taken to Caer Sidi where they would spend the time that they had between their incarnations. It has been said that it was at Caer Sidi that poets learned the wisdom of the stars. When warriors died in battle, it was Arianrhod's role to gather up their souls, put them aboard her ship, known as Oar Wheel, and then transport them to Emania, which was also known as Moonland. It was then, when they finally arrived at Moonland, that Arianrhod initiated the Otherworld souls into their new lives at Caer Sidi.

The Moon descended from his place in the heavens to walk among the creatures of the Earth in the form of a man. His visit was prompted by the beating of his lonely heart. From his place in the sky, the Moon had seen a certain maiden. She was a young girl whose duty was to tend her father's herd of reindeer at night. She traveled away from her village to faithfully watch over the herd, alone but for the reindeer. She amused herself through the lonely nights by playing music on her flute. The Moon had heard these sweet melodies many times as he sailed across the darkened sky. In fact, it was this sweet music that convinced the Moon that he must have the maid for his own. He wanted to take her back to the sky with him to live forever. But as the innocent girl watched carefully over the herd, a wise old stag watched over her. The old stag saw the Moon man coming and hid the young girl by turning her into a lamp. Though the Moon left no part of the girl's tent unsearched, he could not find her. Distressed, the Moon left the tent without his prize. As he left, however, the girl changed back to her youthful form and called out to the Moon, taunting him. He turned back to the tent and found it as he had before, empty but for a bed, blanket, and lamp. As the Moon, continued his search he grew tired. He became pale and thin in his weakness until he was so thin that the girl was able to bind him up with a rope. He continued to grow week and begged the girl for release. At first, the maid refused to free her captive Moon. She was angry over his search for her. She was angry that he had wanted to carry her off to his home in the heavens without so much as asking her desires. Finally, the maid released the Moon and made him promise to attend his duties in the sky and never return to bother her again. This the Moon has faithfully done. He remains in the sky, casting his bright light on the Earth below. But perhaps his loneliness sometimes reminds him of his visit to the Earth. As he remembers, the pain of his heart weakens his glow.

In the beginning of time, before the origin of man, the Sun and Moon were husband and wife. The two lived together along with their daughter, the Earth. They knew nothing but happiness and lived each day fulfilled by their love, each for the other. As time went by, however, the love that sustained them faded. Sun was displeased with Moon because she was too cold. Moon said that Sun was too hot. Their lives together grew tedious and they drew no satisfaction from each other. The two disenchanted giants agreed to part ways. There was, however, one area in which the estranged lovers shared a common heart. Both Sun and Moon deeply loved their daughter. They argued over who should stay with her when they parted. Each parent so intensely adored the Earth that they could not come to an agreement as to who should care for the child. In this time there was a greater god than Sun and Moon, the great god Thunder. Unable to reach a just compromise on their own, they sought Thunder's wisdom. Thunder decided that Sun should care for Earth throughout the day. At nightfall, Moon would watch over their child. The parting of Sun and Moon was final. There is not likely to be a reconciliation. However, the judgement of the wise Thunder has endured throughout the ages. Sun and Moon are still bound by his decree.
[Gwydion O'Hara, Moon Lore-Myths and Folklore from Around the World]

Ages ago there went one Sunday morning an old man into the woods to hew sticks. He cut a bunch and slung it on a stout staff, cast it over his shoulder, and began to trudge home with his burden. On his way, he met a handsome man in Sunday suit, walking towards the church.
" Don't you know that it is Sunday, when all good Christians should be resting from their labours?" said the stranger.
"Sunday on earth, or Monday in heaven, it's all the same to me!" laughed the old man. "Then bear your bundle forever, and as you value not Sunday on earth, yours shall be a perpetual moon day in heaven; and you shall stand for eternity in the moon, a warning to all sabbath-breakers" and the stranger banished him to the moon where he can still be seen today.

A Norse legend tells of a man who named his children Sun and Moon. This angered the Gods and they took the children up to the heavens where the girl became the Sun's Coachman and the boy was made to guide the moon's waxing and waning. In time, the boy carried off two more children, Bil (from the word bila, meaning "to decrease") and Hjuki (from the word jakka, meaning "to increase") who had been carrying water from a well. It is said that to this day the children can be seen on the Moon's face... hence the rhyme:
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.

There is significance in the 'pail of water'. Old legends tell of the ability of the reflection of the moon to steal the soul. There are also many references in legend suggesting that the 'stolen soul' is what we see in the face of the moon. The 'Man in the Moon' face and the 'watery' nature of the moon has found its way into most of the moon myths.

*This is an excerpt from a children's story based in Scandinavian mythology.*

In the center of a small village after the fall of a fresh snow, all the children gathered to enjoy sliding and playing on the newly fallen snow. The boldest children attached themselves to the carts of the people who passed; the carts would move along with the children sliding merrily behind. A boy named Kay noticed a large sled approaching the scene of the winter merriment. The driver was covered from crown to feet in white fur. After circling twice around the laughing children, the driver steered the big sled close enough so that Kay grabbed on and was carried through the snow. The sled went faster and faster, away from Kay's companions, and right out of the village. The snow began to fall anew. It fell so fast and thick that Kay could not see right in front of him. He tried to let loose of the big sled but somehow he was held fast. He tried to call out for help but no one heard. The snow kept falling and the sled kept moving faster and faster. Sometimes the big sled jumped and Kay found himself flying through the air over crevices and above the hedges that rose above the snow. Still the sled continued on, never slowing.

Finally, the big sled came to a stop. The driver arose and Kay could see the tall, thin figure of a woman. It was not until then that Kay saw that her adornments of white fur were made of the purest snow. This was the Snow Queen that Kay remembered from the tales his grandfather told him. Kay looked all around the strange and magical place the Snow Queen had carried him. Beneath him, he heard the songs of the wind. The wolves howled and the snow sparkled. Above him in the winter sky, the heavens were filled with screaming black crows. Higher still, above the darkness, Kay could see bright Moon watching over him.

Each day, Kay slept at the feet of the Snow Queen in the land of winter snow. By night, he gazed at the bright Moon above him. So it continued through time. His days were spent in frozen slumber. His nights were filled with the light of hope. In time Gerda, Kay's closest friend, braved strange lands and unknown perils to rescue him. Until then, the Moon watched over Kay each night to ensure his survival and stay him from losing all hope amid his icy existence. Children still look to the Moon to watch over them through the night. As Kay was sustained through the endless winter of the Snow Queen, so are children still comforted by the Moon's light through the darkness.
[Hans Christian Anderson]

From the moon-car in heaven did Odin also drink of the song-mead which was in the pitcher that Hyuki and Bil had carried from the secret well on the mountain, and Mani, the moon-god, captured. But wroth was Vidfinner at his loss, and he mourned more for the mead than for his children. Vidfinner is also called Ivalde, the sworn watchman of Hvergelmer and the Rivers Elivagar, and another of his names is Svigdur, "the champion drinker". There came a day when he broke his oath of fealty to the gods and fled from his post. Then raging heavenwards he attacked the moon-god, whom he slew and burned. His son Hyuki fought against him without avail, and suffered a fierce wound--as a maker of poems has sung--"clean to the thigh bone". For this dread crime Ivalde-Svigdur was condemned, but he fled towards Surtur's deep dales and unto the dwelling of Suttung, son of Surtur, the giant sentinel of Muspelheim. For Surtur and his clan were at enmity with Mimer and the Vana-gods, and also with the gods of Asgard since the creation of Asgard and the dividing of the worlds. To Suttung Ivalde gave the previous skaldic mead, and for reward he was promised for wife Gunlad, the giant's daughter. Odin, seeing all that happened as he sat in his high throne, resolved to recapture the mead by cunning. So he set out to visit the hall of Suttung, "the mead wolf".

Now the realm of Surtur is difficult to reach, and full of peril for the gods. It lies in the dark underworld which is lower than and beyond Hela. Suttung's hall is within a mountain to which, in a deep abyss, there is but one entry, and it is guarded by a fierce dwarf sentinel. But Odin secured the confidence of the dwarf, who promised to aid him so that his enterprise might be crowned with success. Heimdal, the sentinel of Bif-rost, also gave his service. His other name is Rati, "the traveller", and he bored through the mountain a narrow tunnel through which Odin might escape in eagle-guise. Thus, having completed his designs, Odin went towards the door of the dwelling of the great fire-giant Suttung, who is also called Fjalar. A great feast was held within, and the evil frost-giants were as guests there to welcome Svigdur, the wooer of the giant--maid Gunlad. Odin assumed the form of Svigdur, and like him he spoke also, lest he should by uttering words of wisdom and weight be suspected and put to death. Thus he prevailed against the sons of Surtur with their own methods, for they were given to creating illusions and travelling forth in disguise to work evil and destruction.

A high seat of gold awaited the expected wedding-guest, and when Odin entered in the form of Svigdur, "the champion drinker", he was welcomed with ardor. And well he played the part, for he was given to drink of the nectar of the giants, and partook to the full, so that he was made drunk. Yet he observed great caution, that he might not be discovered. As he sat at the feast, Gunlad came forward and gave him a draught of the stolen mead. Then was the marriage celebrated with solemnity and in state. The holy ring was placed upon the finger of the giant-maid, and she swore to be faithful to him who wooed her. Meantime Ivalde-Svigdur, the real lover, reached the door of Suttung's hall, and came to know that Odin was within. He was filled with wrath, and he sought to denounce the high god so that he might be slain by the giants. But the dwarf sentinel accomplished Ivalde-Svigdur's destruction. He created an illusion, and opened a door on the side of the mountain which showed a lighted hall within and the wedding guests as they sat round Suttung's board. Gunlad was at Odin's side. Ivalde-Svigdur leapt towards the vision of the high god of Asgard, and thus dashed himself against the rock. The door was shut behind, and the mountain swallowed him.

Ere the wedding feast was ended Odin had spoken words which caused the giants to suspect him. But he retired with Gunlad to the bridal chamber, and there he found the precious mead which Ivalde-Svigdur had robbed from the moon-god. Then Gunlad came to know that her lover was Odin, but she helped him to make his escape in eagle-guise. So Odin flew through the tunnel which Heimdal-Rati had made, and reached Asgard in safety with the precious mead.

In the morning the giants went towards the bridal chamber, remembering the words that their guest had spoken, and when they found he had escaped they called him Bolverkin, "the evildoer". But although Odin conferred great good upon gods and men by capturing the mead, the consequences of the evil he wrought towards that end were doomed to bring disaster in after-time, when Surtur, issuing forth to avenge the wrong done to Gunlad, set the world aflame. For good cannot follow evil, even although it is accomplished for the sake of good.

Odin's joy was great when he returned in triumph to Asgard, but he spoke words of pity for the giant-maid whom he had betrayed, and who wept because he left her. Ivalde-Svigdur, who perished in the mountain, was refused an abode among the blessed dead in Hela's glittering plains. Him the gods condemned to dwell forever in the moon. There he suffers eternal punishment for his evildoings, for he is ever drunk with the stolen mead, which is venom to him, and is ever beaten with the rod of thorns by the god he slew and to whom life was again given.

Sin, also known as Nanna, was the descendant of the sky god An. His parents were the air god Enlil and the grain goddess Ninlil. Sin was depicted as a fierce young bull, thick of horns, perfect of limbs, with a beautiful bird of blue. The Moon god had several different names that referred to different phases of the Moon. The name Sin indicated the crescent Moon, Nanna the full Moon, and Asimbabbar the beginning of each lunar cycle. Enlil was banished by the assembly of the gods to live in the underworld. When Ninlil realized she was pregnant, she decided to follow Enlil to the world of the dead to let him witness the birth of his child. They gave their next three children to the gods so that Sin could ascend to the heavens to light the night sky.

In the Zohar, a foundational text in Kabbalah, Lilith is thought to have been the first wife of Adam who left him for exile after refusing to act as his subordinate. Lilith's power is often associated with the Moon—the New Moon in particular because it provides her with the cover of darkness for her evil revenge.

"And that spirit which is called Asirta becomes stirred up...and goes to the female who is beneath all females. And she is Lilith the mother of demons. And a man may become stirred up by that evil spirit called Asirta, which attaches himself to that man and ties himself to him permanently. And on every New Moon that spirit of evil appearance becomes stirred up by Lilith, and at time that man suffers harm from the spirit, and falls to the ground and cannot get up, or even dies. (Patai 81:462)"

Yarikh, god of the moon, sends a message to the matchmaker Khirikhbi, requesting the hand of the goddess of the orchards Nikkal-Ib:
"Get me Nikkal! Yarikh would wed her,
Let Ib enter his home! I will make her field like a vineyard,
The field of her love like an orchard.
Now! Look here! My marriage must be with Nikkal!
"Oh, Nikkal-Ib, whom I sing.
May Yarikh shine bright,
May Yarikh shine on you."

Yarikh promises a great amount of gold, silver, and jewels of the finest lapis-lazuli to Nikkal's family as a dowry. He poetically describes how he will cultivate her love as one cultivates a fertile field. Khirikhbi responds by suggesting two other goddesses instead; Ba'al's daughter, Pidray and Ashtar's daughter, Yaparudmay. Yarikh will not hear of it. Matters are sorted out and Yarikh pays the enormous dowry to Nikkal's family. All of the family members assist in measuring out the bride-price and the marriage is official. In this way, the cycles of the Moon and the harvest became linked together.

Selene, the Titan goddess of the Moon, was the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, sister of Helios the Sun and Eos the Dawn. She bore three daughters to Zeus, and was seduced by Pan for a piece of fleece. According to legend, when Selene saw Endymion, a beautiful young shepherd, she fell deeply in love with him and seduced him. Each night she kissed him to sleep, a lovely metaphor for moonlight falling on the fertile land. Wanting to embrace him forever, she begged Zeus to grant Endymion eternal life. Zeus agreed and placed him in eternal sleep. Every night Selene visits Endymion on Mt. Selene and Endymion had 50 daughters together.

*Note: Hecate was a Greek goddess of the Moon in a more literal sense than Selene.*

And she conceived and bare Hecate whom Zeus the son of Cronos honoured above all. He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea. She received honour also in starry heaven, and is honoured exceedingly by the deathless gods. For to this day, whenever anyone of men on earth offers rich sacrifices and prays for favour according to custom, he calls upon Hecate. Great honour comes full easily to him whose prayers the goddess receives favourably, and she bestows wealth upon him; for the power surely is with her. For as many as were born of Earth and Ocean amongst all these she has her due portion. The son of Cronos did her no wrong nor took anything away of all that was her portion among the former Titan gods: but she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning, privilege both in earth, and in heaven, and in sea. Also, because she is an only child, the goddess receives not less honour, but much more still, for Zeus honours her. Whom she will she greatly aids and advances: she sits by worshipful kings in judgement, and in the assembly whom she will is distinguished among the people. And when men arm themselves for the battle that destroys men, then the goddess is at hand to give victory and grant glory readily to whom she will. Good is she also when men contend at the games, for there too the goddess is with them and profits them: and he who by might and strength gets the victory wins the rich prize easily with joy, and brings glory to his parents. And she is good to stand by horsemen, whom she will: and to those whose business is in the grey uncomfortable sea, and who pray to Hecate and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker, easily the glorious goddess gives great catch, and easily she takes it away as soon as seen, if so she will. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock. The droves of kine and wide herds of goats and flocks of fleecy sheep, if she will, she increases from a few, or makes many to be less. So, then albeit her mother's only child, she is honoured amongst all the deathless gods. And the son of Cronos made her a nurse of the young who after that day saw with their eyes the light of all-seeing Dawn. So from the beginning she is a nurse of the young, and these are her honours.
[Hesiod's Theogony]

Comparable with the Greek Artemis, Diana was the sister to the Sun god and a symbol of the Moon herself. She was the daughter of Jupiter and Latona. A huntress, her arrows are thought to be moonbeams as the arrows of her brother Apollo are sunbeams. She is classically considered a symbol of youth, virtue, and innocence.