Our Moon In the Humanities (This is NOT a science page).

PREFACE:

Everything you wanted to know about the moon in the humanities, and probably more.  NOTE: This is not a science page.  It is about the moon in our culture and in cultures around the world.  NEW:  images of the gods/goddesses of the moon from cultures around the world.

Foreword:
This is a HUGE undertaking, and I'm not going to get it all done in one moon (moon = month).
I usually update on Mondays.  Monday literally means Moon Day.  Please be patient...
I started this page on August 16, 2022.  Updated:  01/27/2025

...Or, just scroll down.

 

The Moon in Mythology Most of these are personifications of the moon.
God/Goddess	Culture	Pictures (A.I.-generated images, prompted by me, Leon) Permission to copy my images is granted so long as you: (a)  give me credit, and (b) link back to my website.
Coyolxauhqui (female) She tried to kill her mother when pregnant with her brother (a solar deity); but her mother gave birth to a fully-formed solar deity which intervened and chopped off coyolxauhqui's head and threw it into the sky becoming the moon.	Aztec
There is no specific goddess of the moon, but these Irish goddesses have connections to the moon: (1) Aine (2) Brigid (3) Boinne (4)  The Calileach Source: Tara Brading. These Welsh goddesses allegedly have been connected to the moon: (1) Rhiannon (2) Arianrhod (3) Ceridwen	Celtic Irish Welsh	In Celtic mythology, the goddesses do not seem to be connected to one specific thing, but rather a variety of things.  For instance: (1) IRISH GODDESSES: -  Aine (Radiant One) is connected to both the full moon and the sun.  She is both a healer (via the moon) and ensurer of the fertility of crops in the summer (via the sun).  Her feast/rites happen on midsummer's eve and/or midsummer's night (depending on the source).  Perhaps the ancients knew that the moon's light actually comes from the sun.  (We don't give them enough credit, in my opinion). - Brigid (Highest One) is not typically associated with the moon, but her sacred number is 19 and nineteen is connected to both the moon and Venus (the planet).  The moon has a 19-year cycle and Venus has a 19-month cycle.  So, Tara Brading thinks that Brigid may be connected to both the Crescent moon and Venus.  Since Venus is the highest, I'm going with Venus. - Boinne (Illuminated Cow) is connected to the moon and cattle.  The crescent moon looks like cattle horns.  She is associated with the Winter Solstice, when the sun is weakened, but the moon remains bright. - Conclusion:  My research has concluded that while many websites claim that this goddess or that goddess is a lunar deity, there really is no Irish goddess dedicated solely to the moon. (2) WELSH GODDESSES:  Various websites claim that Rhiannon, Arianrhod, and/or Cridwen are lunar goddesses; However, after a deep dive into the mythology and I can see no such connection.  I am left bereft of a single goddess dedicated to the moon.  And, honestly, I am shocked by this revelation.
Chang'e (f) Chang-e lives on the moon with her pet rabbit, named "Jade"; and both of them work on creating the elixir of eternal life, which she holds in her hand. There are different versions of the story on how she became a goddess and how she came to be on the moon.  All versions agree that she was a beautiful human woman, but ate/drank the elixir to eternal life and chose to live on the moon where she could keep an eye on her mortal husband still on Earth.  She took her pet rabbit with her.	Chinese Mythology
Dalnim Dal (moon) + Nim (Honorific suffix) is beloved by all Koreans.  There is no story as to how she got there, just that she is there, with her rabbit. And unbeknownst to me, apparently her pet rabbit was pregnant, but my A.I. knew it and put in her little baby. Dalnim is good, and watches over us here on Earth.  She is especially beloved by sailors, because her presence means she is watching over them while they are out at sea.	Korean Mythology
Khonsu (m)   &  Thoth (m) _____________ Khonsu (not depicted) is a falcon-headed god, and he is a ravenous bird of prey that eats the hearts of the deceased to increase his magical powers.  (Not a good guy, in my book). Thoth (depicted to the right) is an Ibis-headed god who personifies the moon, wisdom, writing, education, science, law, magic, art, and justice	Egyptian Mythology
Selene (f) & Artemis (f) ____________ Selene (which literally means moon) was sister to Helios (male solar deity) and Eos (female goddess of the dawn). Selene is depicted to the right.  She rides her golden chariot across the night sky. Artemis was the sister of Apollo (a male solar deity). Artemis was also a lunar deity, but she was connected with night hunting.	Greek Mythology
Nanna (m)  AKA: Sin (m)	Mesopotamian Mythology	He is usually depicted as a crescent. Nanna is the older Sumerian name.  Sin is the later Babylonian name.
Xbalanque (male) Xbalanque (the moon) is twin to Hunaphu (the sun). Together they are the hero twins who rescue their father from the darkness of Xibalban Underworld pantheon, which is ruled over by Red Jaguar. To learn more about Red Jaguar and what he represents see my Red Sun Page.	Mayan Mythology
Ay (m)	Mongolian Mythology	Originally from Turkic culture. Ay-father (male)
Yolkai Estsan (f)	Navajo	-
Sif (f) Thor (a solar deity) has a wife named Sif, who personified the moon.  Her hair represented moonbeams.  When Loki cuts off her hair (while she sleeps), it is a new moon. ____________ Balder (also a solar deity) had a love-interest named Nanna, who may have, like Sif, represented the moon.  While this Nanna has no relation to the Nanna of Sumeria, one has to wonder if the word Nanna may have come from Sumeria. Learn more.	Norse Mythology
Diana (f) Luna (f)	Roman Mythology	-
Mah (m)	Zoroastrian Mythology	-

The Moon in Figures of Speech (These are real idiomatic expressions using the moon in the English language). Note:  This is by no means intended to be a comprehensive list.  If you would like one added, please contact me.
Idiomatic Expression	Type of figure of speech	Meaning / Explanation
...as lovely as the full moon.	Simile	A simile is a comparison of two similar things.
Blue moons are white.	Oxymoron	Blue moons are not literally blue.  They are just as white as any other moon.  Oxymorons are statements that seem false, but are true.
"It'll take me two moons to get this page done."	Metonymy	Moon  metonymously refers to the period of one month.
Man in the moon	Metaphor	When one looks at the moon when it is full, one can see two eyes and a mouth.  We call that the "man in the moon".
Moonshine	Metaphor	This word came from the "Prohibition Days" in the U.S.A.  So-called "Prohibition" was when alcohol production for the purpose of selling AND the sale of alcohol was prohibited by law.  And, so people started making their own, using their own distilleries, on their own property, by the light of the moon.  Some of that was sold "under the table" (which means secretly and illegally).
"Oh, dear Moon, teach me all about love."	Apostrophe	Apostrophe is talking to inanimate objects (or sometimes to animals, which don't talk back).  Or sometimes it's just talking to no one or no thing in particular.
Once in a blue moon	Metonymy	Happening infrequently
To shoot the moon	Hidden Metaphor	To try and do the impossible
To moon somebody	Hidden Metaphor
The moon looked down upon me.	Personification (which is a type of metaphor)	The moon was visible in the sky (and we were "visible" to it).

Symbolism of the Moon Both stylized symbols and metaphorical symbols
This...	Means...	More...
	Although adopted by many muslim-dominated countries as their symbol, this is NOT a symbol of Islam.  It actually  predates Islam.  While noone seems to definitely identify its origin, I believe that I have.  My source is the Bible... [8] And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. [9] And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. [10] And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?  (Genesis 37:8-10) In the Bible... Sun = Abraham (Ibrahim) Moon = Sarai (Sarah) Stars = Joseph's brothers	From the Muslim (Islamic) perspective, the Moon would metaphorically equate to Hagar and the star would equate to Ishmael--Ishmael being the father of the Arabic nation. Sources: Bible Learn Religions
	Emoji Symbols of the Moon	Stylized symbols
	Wicca Triple Moon In almost all cultures (except the Mayan and Egyptian), the moon is a feminine symbol, often associated with female goddesses. In this case, this symbol does not represent a goddess.  It represents a single woman in three phases of her life: (1) waxing part of her life (called the "maiden"), midlife (called the "mother"), and waning (called the "crone").	Source: Woot & Hammy
	Egyptian symbol of the moon	Sources: various
	Mayan symbol of the moon	Apparently, and I just learned this when I was making this page, that to the indigenous people of Mexico have ancient lore that a rabbit lives on the moon. ...Which is interesting, because the people of the Far East have the same lore. Source: Myths Symbols Sandplay
ancient   ------------->   modern	Chinese symbols of the moon	Source: Dig Mandarin
	Mongolian symbol of the moon From the top... Fire Sun Moon Etc.	The moon is very much revered by the Mongolian people.  Learn more about why on my page about Festivals of the Far East. Note:  These symbols are in order of how important they are to the Mongolians.  Fire is the most revered thing in Mongolia.  Second is the sun.  Third is the moon. Learn more about Mongolian culture here.

 

The Moon in Prophecy (These are prophecies involving our moon). Note:  This is by no means intended to be a comprehensive list.  If you would like one added, please contact me.
Prophecy	By whom? Source	Interpretation	Manifested?
"The moon shall turn to blood before the great and terrible day of the LORD come."	Joel 2:31 Holy Bible	RE:  Blood Moon This, of course, is not literal.  Turning to "blood" is interpreted by all to mean that the moon will appear red. RE:  the great and terrible day of the LORD First of all, if you look closely at Psalms 19 and Psalms 104, you will see that the LORD was equated with the SUN.  That's not to say that the Hebrews were sun worshippers.  That's not what I'm saying at all.  Rather, they thought that God (in His pure natural state) was LIGHT.  And, they thought that the SUN was His home.  (Mount Zion = The Sun).  After knowing that, one can easily come to the conclusion that the so-called "Great and terrible day of the LORD" is referring to a super powerful solar flare directed directly at Earth.	RE:  Blood Moon - We've had several "blood moons" in recent years.  I'd say that it has manifested. RE:  Great and terrible day of the LORD - That super powerful solar flare, which is the "great and terrible day of the LORD," has not happened yet.  But, the sun is ramping up.  It has been very active lately, sending many solar flares our direction, but so far they've done minimal damage.  For instance, in February of 2022, a solar storm knocked 40 of Starlink's satellites out of the sky.  (Source).  In July of 2022, a transformer blew out, causing an explosion and fire at the Hoover Dam.  (Source).  They say it was "faulty", but I know better.  It was a Coronal Mass Ejection from the sun that did it.  Wait!  When the BIG one hits, lot of electronics will be "knocked out".  Get your EMP shield now with a $50-off promo-code from Leonsplanet.
"And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood."	John the Revelator Revelation 6:12 Holy Bible	RE:  Great Earthquake This will be one that shakes the whole Earth.  That's how "great" it will be. RE:  Sun Turning Black This can be referring to a solar eclipse, but I don't think so.  Even when there is a total eclipse, there still is light.  My sources say that when the two stars of a binary star system reach perihelion (my word, for lack of a better one), the gravitational pull between the two stars is so powerful that not even light can escape it.  When that happens, it will look like the sun has gone out.  How long will the sun's blackout last?  I'm not sure.  Probably several days. RE:  Moon as Blood (see Joel's prophecy above)	This has not come to pass. This blood moon seems to coincide with the blackout of the sun, so that hasn't happened yet either.
"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars."	John the Revelator Revelation 12:1 Holy Bible	RE:  The Woman The woman is probably VIRGO. RE:  Clothed with the Sun When the Sun is in VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) RE:  Moon under her feet If the sun is in VIRGO and the moon is under her feet, that means we have a new moon.	John gives this as a sign or harbinger of things to come.  And, although the sun appears in VIRGO every year, what follows that sign has NOT happened yet. And what doth come thereafter?  The Great Red Dragon. Learn more about The Great Red Dragon here.
Man in the Moon Prophecy: Dimitru saw a man in his dream/vision which was standing with the moon in his hand.  He said that the waters of Earth will be dirty.  There will be no fish.  Then, clean waters will come, and with them fish.  But, it will only last a short while.  Fish while you can.	Dimitru Duduman (Source)	I kind of think this is literal, but it could be figurative. If it's figurative, then it is referring to the bringing people to the gospel.  The fish represent humans who were stifled by the "dirty" politics of "dirty" governments.  The fisher represents the preachers and the watchmen and watchwomen.	If literal, it is happening NOW! If figurative, it has not happened yet.  Many preachers are expecting a so-called "Great Revival" of the so-called "Church" in the last days.
Don't Bring Anything Back from the Moon! Prophecy	Hopi (Source)	Warning: The Hopi Elders warned not to bring anything back from the moon, or else... Prophecy: If stuff from the moon were to be brought back to Earth, it would disrupt the balance of nature, prophesied the Hopi Elders.  It would result in earthquakes, severe weather, and social unrest on Earth.	I'd say that it manifested. But was it because they brought moon rocks back from the moon?  You decide.
"The Moon in the full of night over the high mountain, The new sage with a lone brain sees it: By his disciples invited to be immortal, Eyes to the south. Hands in bosoms, bodies in the fire."	Michel de Nostradame (Nostradamus) "Les Propheties" 1555 Century 4: 31	The Moon: The moon is the moon; but this could signify that it is going to be done in the cover of night (i.e., in secret). The high mountain: This is most likely referring to a high-rise. The new sage: This is probably a very smart person in a position of great power at some powerful business.  (I can think of a few candidates, but I won't mention them here). Immortal: This refers to one of two possibilities: (a)  downloading your mind into a computer, and becoming A.I., or... (b)  transhumanism; becoming a cyborg with a chip in one's brain Bodies in the fire: Since the bodies are being disposed of, I'm going with option (a).	Transhumanism is a real thing, and it's happening now!  Google it.

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