Myths about Moon

Many cultures around the world have interesting myths about the Moon, reflecting its prominence in the night sky and its impact on our lives. Visit the links below for interesting glimpses into the beliefs of early civilizations. Do you see any similarities between these myths?
The Full Moon in January is called the Wolf Moon. It is named after the hungry packs of wolves that howled at night. The Algonquian tribes of Native Americans had <a href="/earth/moon/full_moon_names.html&edu=high&dev=">many different names</a> for the Full Moon through the year, reflecting their connection with nature and the <a href="/the_universe/uts/seasons1.html&edu=high&dev=">seasons</a>, hunting, fishing, and farming.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Windows to the Universe</em></small></p>In ancient times, Chinese people believed that there were twelve Moons as there were twelve months in one year. It was believed that the Moons were made of water. The name "mother of moons" is associated with that of <a href="/mythology/moon_china.html&edu=high&dev=">Heng-o</a>. This image shows the detail of an eighteen-century embroidered emperor's robe including a white hare, which was believed to have lived in the moon.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.</em></small></p><a href="/mythology/anningan_moon.html&edu=high&dev=">Anningan</a> is the name of the <a href="/earth/moons_and_rings.html&edu=high&dev=">Moon</a> god of some of the Inuit people that live in Greenland. Anningan chases his sister, <a href="/mythology/malina_sun.html&edu=high&dev=">Malina</a>, the <a href="/sun/sun.html&edu=high&dev=">Sun</a> goddess, across the sky, but forgets to eat, so he gets much thinner. This is symbolic of the phases of the moon, particularly the crescent.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Planet Art</em></small></p><a href="/mythology/Ix_Chel_moon.html&edu=high&dev=">Ix Chel</a>, the "Lady Rainbow," was the old Moon goddess in Maya mythology. Ix Chel was depicted as an old woman wearing a skirt with crossed bones, and she had a serpent in her hand. She also had a kinder side and was worshiped as the protector of weavers and women in childbirth.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Windows to the Universe</em></small></p><a href="/mythology/coyolxauhqui_moon.html&edu=high&dev=">Coyolxauhqui</a> was the <a href="/earth/moons_and_rings.html&edu=high&dev=">Moon</a> goddess according the Aztec mythology. The image above reproduces "The Coyolxauhqui Stone," a giant monolith found at the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of the Museo del Templo Mayor, Mexico.</em></small></p>

Explore Myths about Moon

African: Mawu

Mawu is the supreme creator god according to the Fon people of Abomey (Republic of Benin). ...Read more

Algonquian (Native American): Full Moon Names

You may have heard people refer to a Full Moon in the autumn as the "Harvest Moon" or the "Hunter's ...Read more

Aztec: Coyolxauhqui

Coyolxauhqui represents the Moon in the Aztec mythology. Her name means "Golden Bells." She ...Read more

Hindu: Soma

According to Hinduism, every part of the cosmos is seen as being a manifestation of an underlying ...Read more

Roman: Diana

Diana was an ancient Italian goddess of woodland. In Capua and in Aricia, a locality near ...Read more

Greek: Artemis

In Greek mythology, Artemis was born with her twin brother Apollo in the island of Delos. ...Read more

Maori: Rona

Rona was the daughter of the sea god Tangaroa. She was the Tide Controller. One night she ...Read more

Inuit: Anningan

Anningan is the name of the Moon god of some Inuit tribes that live in Greenland. The Inuit ...Read more

Japanese: Tsuki-Yomi

Tsuki-Yomi was the Moon god according the oldest Japanese religion, Shinto, which means "the ...Read more

Maya: Ix_Chel

Ix Chel, the "Lady Rainbow," was the old Moon goddess in Maya mythology. Mayan people lived ...Read more

More about Myths about Moon

Historical Events

Full Earth and Space Science    History Calendar (Members only)

Teacher Opportunities

Full Teacher Events Calendar (Educator Members only)

Did you know?

Did you know that the Maya believed that the Earth was flat, and that there was a jaguar called a bacab in each corner that supported the sky?

Did you know that the Inuit sea spirit, Sedna, stubbornly refused to marry anyone?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Dip-slip fault
xDip-slip fault : Dip-slip faults are inclined fractures where the blocks have mostly shifted vertically. If the rock mass above an inclined fault moves down, the fault is termed normal, whereas if the rock above the fault moves up, the fault is termed reverse.

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

“Missing” Heat May Affect Future Climate Change

Current observational tools cannot account for roughly half of the heat that is believed to have built up on Earth in recent years, according to a "Perspectives" article in this week's issue of the journal...Read more


Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA