Moon in Myth

Luna Incognita

The Moon is the most examined object in the sky, yet it still, even though much has been discovered about it remains a mystery, a luna incognita.

Fertility

The Egyptians had several lunar myths related to fertility. In Greek mythology the moon is associated with the goddess Selene and also with Artemis and Hecate. Selene is Greek for the moon and also the root of the word selenology which means the study of the moon. Luna on the other hand was the Roman Goddess for the Moon.

According to these myths the moon was a goddess responsible for fecundity in the human, vegetable and animal worlds. It seems that a common element in many of the mythologies throughout the world is that the Moon was a Goddess responsible for conception, birth and fertility.

Myths About the Origin of the Moon

There are various myths about the origin of the Moon that unfortunately don’t agree with each other, however they do shed some light onto the role that the Moon has in relation to the Earth and humanity. The Greek myth of Selene (the Moon) is an example.

Greek Myth of Selene

The Greek myth of Selene doesn’t suggest that the moon is the daughter of the earth as the Mayan do, but it suggests something very interesting about the nature of the Moon’s influence over the earth and humanity.

The Greek myth states that there was a Greek youth named Endymion, that as most accounts say was a shepherd. He was very handsome and he happened to catch the eye of Selene or Luna. She fell in love with him and because she didn’t want to share him with anyone else she kissed him, slept with him and placed him into a deep sleep that has no end. Every night since then she visits him and lavishes him with her kisses. Endymion in many other Greek myths represents humanity and some other Greek myths also say that Selene was beloved by Pan the God of nature. This is very suggestive and interesting and in later blogs we will examine this myth in greater detail.

End.