Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-01-27
The Man In The Moon--A
Myth known to be Of great
Antiquity.

Sabbath, and was caught up in the
moon. fsgots and al, aud there stands
to this day Another tale told in
Swabia relates about manikin who
stole wood, and is still to be seen in
the moon. A Dutch household myth
accused the maa 10 the moon of steal
ing cabbage on Christmas eve; the
neighbors caught him just as he was
walking off with good supply, and
they wished" him up in the moon
He stands there to this day, bearing
his load of cabbages 1t is said that
be turns round once every Christmas
eve, but astronomy does not support
the ides 10 Sylt, the man in the
moon was sheep stealer, and it was
his castom to sntice the sheep with a
bundle of cabbages. He was placed
in the moon as al everlasting warn.
ing to others. In Shaumburg Llppe
it is said that man and woman were
sent to the moon; the man because he
prevented people from going to church
on Sunday by strewing brambles and
thorn bushes in the way, and the wo-
man because she made butter on O
Sunday.
Northern mythology tells about a
giant who inhahits the moon, and is
supposed to cause the ebo and flow of
the tide. When he stoops the water
flows, and when be stands erect the
water subsidies again. This some
what resembles the Scandinavian
myth about Bill and Hjuki. who were
taken up to heaven by Mani. They
were on their way to the well Byrgir
bearing on their shoulders the bucket
Soeg and the pole Smul. They were
placed in the moon, aud are supposed
to regulate her waxing and waning
Evidently Jack and jill" of our nur-
sery rhymes repredu.e this legend.
Grimm says that the water pole of
the heathen story has been trans
formed into the axis shaft and the
pole Into the thorn bush.
THE HINDoo's STORY
In Hindoo mythology the moon
Chandra or Some-is a male deity.
represented in one myth as the son OF
the patriarch Atri, and in another as
arising from the milk sea, when it
was churned by the gods SO as to OBJ
tain the water of life. The moon is
generally represented as wearing a
white garment, holding a mace in one
hand, and riding a chariot drawn by
ten horses and antelopes. The hare
is sacred to him. and the Hindoos
fancy that thev see the outline of o
hare ON the face of the moon.
In Africa the man in the moon is
supposed 10 have incurred the wrath
of the sun, and is in punishment car
we'd by the knife. this is, by the rays
OF the latter. This continues until
the whole of the moon is cut away
and only little piece left. The moon
implores the sun to have pity on him
and leave this morsel for his children
The Fun grants bis request, and the
moon grows from this little piece un
til at last it is full moon. Then the
sun begins carving again.
In China the old man of the moon
is known as Yua-lao, and holds then
reins of marriages of mortals in his
hands The future husband and wife
are tied together by an invisible silk.
en- cord which is only severed at
death Harley remarks 10 his funny
way that this must be the man of the
honeymoon A Slsvo lic legend says
that the moon. king of night and hus.
band of the sur falls 10 love with ths
morning star, wherefore be was cloven
through in punishment, as we see
him in the sky
| A Russian story is told about a
man who sought for the isle 10 which
there was no death. He took up his
abode in the moon, but after hun
dred years or 30 had elapsed death
came after him A 'urious struggle
ensued with the moon. and the latter
proving victorious, the man was
caught up in the sky, and now shines
"as star near the moon" 1t was
not on unusual belief that the moon
was inhabited; some thought her the
place where human spirits either
came or went. Others fancied it was
a prison cage. 10 which, behind bars
OF light, miserable sinners were to be
exposed to al eternity as warning
to others.
VARIOUS sUPERsTITTONs.
Some say the man in the moon is
Isaac. bearing burden Of wood for
the sacrifice OF himself on Mount
Moriah. Others that be is Cain,
carrying bundle of thorns on his
shoulders in punishment for Offering
to God the cheapest gift from his
field. Dante refers to this in the an
ierno," canto Xxx. line 1913, where he
speaks of "Cain with fork of thorns,"
and again In canto ii Of the Para
disc" he mentions 1.-The gloomy spots
upon this body" (the moon's) (which
below on earth give rise to talk of
Cain" The Jews have story that
Jacobs face is visible in the moon.
| According to French superstition it
is Judas Iscariot. who was transport
ed there TOR his treason. Grimm
tciiS 10 thhI iC'bVuo ouptioIei'h
is handed down by Berthold, l45,
that the moon is Mary Magdalene,
aud the spots are her tears ofrepen-
tance,
In Greenland the gun and the moon
were said to be brother and sister.
Malina was teased by her brother
Anninga, and she ran away from
him He followed her, but she flew
up in the air aad became the sun, and
her brother, who could not fly 80
high, became the moon. He Is still
pursuing his sister. hoping some day
to surprise and capture her. when
he is tired and hungry in bis last
quarter be leaves his house, on a
sIedge harnessed to four dogs, aud
hunts for several days. On his re-
turn he eats 80 much that he again
grows into full moon"
The Australians believe the moon
to be q mischievons being. who went
about the world doing evil. One day
he swallowed the eagle god. The
wives of the eagle came up. and the
J moon asked them W here he could 6nd
well. They showed him one, aud
as he STONED over TO drink they hit