Moon Gods and Goddesses in Mythology across Cultures - Essay Example

Your 10th January 2006 Moon Gods and Goddesses in Mythology across Cultures Consideration of moon as God has itsage-old presence of acceptance. In many mythologies, moon has been paired with the solar deity. Many societies have thus worshipped the moon just like the sun, though the stories and concepts accepted for this have varied from culture to culture. The cycle that the moon follows throughout the month has been connected implicitly with the menstrual cycle of the women by several cultures. Most of the mythologies have figured moon as a female lunar deity and this includes the Greek mythology and Roman mythology which have been discussed below in further detail. The different mythologies that have focused their worship feelings on the moon include Aboriginal mythology (Daramulum), Ainu mythology (Chup-Kamui), Akkadian mythology (Enzu, Sin), Arabian mythology (Illat, Hilal, Hubal, Sin, Ta'lab, Wadd), Aztec mythology (Coyolxauhqui, Metztli, Tecciztecatl), Babylonian mythology (Sin), Basque mythology (Ilazki), Cahuilla mythology (Menily), Canaanite mythology (Jarih, Nikkal), Celtic mythology (Gntia, Lair bln), Chibcha mythology (Chia, Chie), Chinese mythology (Chang'e or Heng O. - unlike in other cultures, in Chinese mythology moon represent the place where fairies and immortals live), Dahomean mythology (Gleti), Elamite mythology (Napir), Egyptian mythology (Chons, Thoth), Etruscan mythology (Losna), Greek mythology (Artemis, Hecate, Phoebe, Selene ), Hattic mythology (Kaskuh), Hindu mythology (Anumati, Chandra, Nandi, Prajapati, Ramachandra, Shiva, Soma, a famous Indian devotee Mira use to cry a lot seeing the moon since it reminded her about Krishna/God), Hurrian mythology (Kusuh), Incan mythology (Coniraya, Ka-Ata-Killa, Mama Quilla), Indonesian mythology (Dewi Shri, Silewe Nazarate), Inuit mythology (Alignak, Igaluk, Tarquiup Inua), Japanese mythology (Marishi-Ten, Tsuku-yomi), Kachin mythology (Shitta), Latvian mythology (Meness), Mandjindja mythology (Kidili), Maya mythology (Ahau-Kin, Ixbalanque, Ixchel, Itzamna), Mochican mythology (Si), Navaho mythology (Yolkai Estasan), Norse mythology (Brunhild, Mani), Orokolo mythology (Papare), Pagan rituals in Medieval Italy (Madonna Oriente), Palmarene mythology (Aglibol), Pawnee mythology (Pah), Persian mythology (Mah, Mao), Philippine mythology (Mayari), Phoenician mythology (Nikkal), Phrygian mythology (Men), Polynesian mythology (Avatea, Fati, Ina, Hina-Kega, Hina-Uri, Lona, Mahina, Marama, Sina, Ul), Pygmy mythology (Arebati), Roman mythology (Diana, Luna), Semitic mythology (Terah), Seran mythology (Dapie), Slavic mythology (Myesyats), Sumerian mythology (Nanna, Ningal), Sumu mythology (Ud), Thracian mythology (Bendis), Tupinamba mythology (Ari), Ugaritic mythology (Nikkal), Urartian mythology (Selardi), Vodun (Kalfu). Greek mythology is a valuable collection of narratives of Greek God, Goddesses, heroes, and heroines (Kerenyi, 1951). In the Greek mythology, Selene or Lunar was an ancient lunar deity, and was sometimes described as Artemis. Titans Hyperion and Theia are the parents of Selene. Helios, the sun is the brother of Selene. Eos, the Goddess of dawn is the sister of Selene. The journey of Selene begins when the earth turns dark at night. The story tells that Eos carried off a human lover Cephalus (Burkert, 1985). The story also narrates that Selene loved a shepherd, or otherwise named Endymion. The man was so handsome that Selene asked Zeus to make him immortal so that they won't ever depart. Endymion made a decision to live forever in sleep. Thus, Selene and Endymion had fifty daughters. The story adds that Selene and Zeus had a daughter called Pandia (full moon). Hecate, originally a Goddess of the wilderness and childbirth is today seen as a Goddess of witchcraft. She had her connotations as a Goddess of sorcery and played the role of Queen of Ghosts. The title, Queen of Ghosts with Hecate has its in-depth association with the then prevalent belief that she can prevent the occurrence of harm by leaving, but is also efficient to cause harm from the spirit world. Thus, Hecate holds a special power and significant role in graveyards. This brief discussion of Hecate as a Queen of Goddess also plays a reason for her consideration as a lunar Goddess. In traditional pictures of Hecate, she has been sketched as a woman holding a torch. Here the presence of torch can be an indicative of the brightness that Hecate is considered to serve. Hecate thus also plays a role of showering wisdom. She is also projected as being holding a knife in one hand which can be an indicative of her role as midwife in cutting the umbilical cord, as well as working at the connection point between the body and spirit at death. Hecate has been visualized and considered to play the role of the gatekeeper. It has been considered that she shall open the gate to the holy knowledge. Another additional object that Hecate has been said to hold is a pomegranate. Pomegranate has been valued as a gift of love between Greek men and women. However, it also essential to note that in ancient Greek pomegranate has been considered as a fruit of the underworld. Phoebe has its traditional association with moon and was the grandmother of Apollo and Artemis. Phoebe was the mother of Leto and Asteria by Coeus. In Greek mythology, Artemis is depicted as a virgin moon Goddess of the healing, wilderness, wild animals, hunt, chastity and childbirth. Artemis had assisted her mother in the delivery of children and has therefore been prayed as a childbirth Goddess. In ancient times, young girls were encouraged into the cult of Artemis at puberty. It should also be considered that the young girls were asked to lay all their toys, dolls and other elements of virginity on an altar of Artemis. Another important presence in mythology is of Diana, who was worshipped by the poor or enslaved people in a temple on the Aventine Hill. The name Diana has its origin from the word diviana meaning the shinning one and is being believed to serve asylum in temples. We may now consider in brief the place of moon in the Japanese mythology. It is essential to bring to knowledge that Japanese mythology has an extremely complex system of beliefs. The Japanese mythology believes that the first Gods summoned two divine beings to existence: Izanagi - the male Izanami - the female. It is being believed that Izanagi when went to cleanse himself removed all the adornments of his body and each item that he dropped on the ground formed a deity. And the most important of these deities that were formed are the Amaterasu (sun), Tsukiyomi (moon), and Susanoo (wind). Tsukiyomi was formed from the right eye while Amaterasu from the left one. It is believed that Tsukiyomi once went at a feast presented by Uke Mochi, the Goddess of food. Since Tsukiyomi did not like the meal at all he killed Uke Mochi. It is essential to consider here that Amaterasu had sent Tsukiyomi as his representative and therefore this act of killing was not bearable by him at all. Amaterasu therefore decided not to see even the face of Tsukiyomi for his whole life and this became the reason for the separation of day and night. Hindu mythology consists of a large body of Indian literature that holds the details of the lives of deities. It is also essential to consider here the Hindu mythology, since Indian culture is the oldest culture on earth. Soma, an important ritual drink is being frequently addressed in the Rig-Veda. The Rig-Veda praises Soma's efficiency as an energizer. Susruta, an ayurvedic scholar wrote that the best Soma can be found in the upper Indus and Kashmir region (Susruta Samhita, 1981). Soma is prepared presumably by pressing the stalks of cannabis, ephedra, or psychedelic mushroom (Rudgley, 1998). In the Vedas, Soma has been believed to be as holy as God himself. In Hinduism it has been considered that the moon is the cup from which Gods drink Soma. And therefore Soma gained its place as the moon God. It should be considered here that the prevalent believe in India states that the plant from which Soma is derived is God, Soma is God and the plant is Soma. Thus, Soma held its identification as the moon God called Chandra. The presence of a waxing moon as seen in the sky was therefore considered a representative of the recreation of Soma so that it can be drunk again. Conclusion: The different cultures and mythologies have together accepted moon as none but God or Goddesses and valued its glory in the sky as that of being God. We have noted that several mythologies have considered moon God in conjugation with the sun God. The stories connected and the beliefs linked to moon as God have varied to great extremes in some aspects in the different cultures. However, it is essential to note that in the ancient culture the addition of thought and belief to moon and sun has been essentially a common practice. Also, the stories about the moon in some or the other way are an elaborative description of the features of the moon. Thus, the mythologies help explain the origin, nature and work of moon as a living being. Works Cited Burkert, W. Greek Religion. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1985 Kerenyi, K. The Gods of the Greeks. 1951. Susruta Samhita. Transl. Kunjalal Bhishagratna, Varanasi: Chowkhama Sanksrit Series, 1981. Rudgley R. Soma from The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Substancesby Richard Rudgley, Little, Brown and Company, 1998 Available at : http://www.huxley.net/soma/ Read More