News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-12-19
SOME MOON LORE.
CURIOUS BELIEFS CONCERNING
THE BIG PLANET.
Why 1.-THE Man in the Moon" is
There.

Hot COnHneO 10 astronomers ana Otnel
men of science, who tell us that it is 9
dead planet devoid of atmosphere and
water for many unscientitic people
| think it consists entirely of the latter,
not to mention others who are inclined
to the supposition that chalk OF green
cheese may enter largely into its compo-
sition. In fact, according to a Wilt
shire legend, there was once farmers
wife who, seeing the reflection of the
moon in the river, thought that it was
a cream cheese, and endeavored to fish
it out of the water with rake.
Perhaps it was as well for this
worthy dame that her efforts were not
crowned with success, for it is recorded
| that on one occasion an unfortunate
donkey, having been suspected of
swallowing the moon while drinking
from river, was tried in due legal
form, and on being found guilty, had
its body ripped open in order that the
useful planet might be liberated, once
again to shine upon the world below.
Witches are thought to have more or
less influence over the moon, and the
Heather Chinee considers it to be, like
the sun, favorite article of diet with
certain mischievous dragons, who are
supposed to swallow it, and thus pro-
duce eclipses. Whether the digestive
powers of one of these voracious mon
sters would be equal to the occasion,
however, has never yet been satisfac-
torily proved. Possibly the sun or
moon taken in raw state might pro-
duce dyspepsia; but the Celestials lose
no time in making such hideous noises
as may be calculated to impress the
dragon with sense of his iniquity,
and cause him to disgorge his strange
meal with as little delay as possible.
The Canadian Indians tell their child
rem that if they point at the moon
their fingers will be bitten off.
Some of the tribes of North America
believe that there is frog in it, and
the Hindoos can see on the moons face
something very like a hare; but
amongst ourselves, the popular legends
have fixed upon man and dog as it's
sole inhabitants.
The man in the moon is generally
supposed to have been consigned to
his present abode as a punishment for
gathering sticks on the Sabbath, the
idea, it is said, having probably
originated from the reference in the
Book of Numbers to man who was
stoned to death for a similar offence.
A story is told of gentleman with
astronomical proclivities who proudly
imagined that he had discovered an
elephant i'll the moon. Subsequently,
however, he was no doubt somewhat
disguised when the big animal was
found to be nothing more than a mouse
which had accidentally found its way
into his telescope.
1t is popular belief that the rays of
the moon, falling upon a sleeping per-
son, cause his face to become distorted,
and, as some aver, even deprive him
of his senses-in fact, lunatics were so
named from their supposed suscepti-
bility to lunar influence, and moon
struck is common term for state of
mental alteration bordering on imbe-
cility. 1t is still commonly supposed,
as it was in the days of the Romans,
that the violence of madness increases
with the moon and decreases as the
latter is waning, the worst paroxysms
occurring when the planet is at the
full. With the ancients the age of the
moon was taken into consideration
Wien on fs.ing tin6es' and a sersesp9nd
ton on this point is still firmly rooted
in the public mind in Trinidad. The
phases of the moon are supposed to
exert a marked influence over the
growth of mushrooms; and, formerly,
in order that their flesh might not
waste in the cooking, the best time for
killing pigs was considered to be when
the moon was OH the increase or near
the full.
One sometimes meets with the super
stition that when the moon comes in
and goes out on Sunday seed planted
during that month will not grow.
Hair, it is said, should be cut at the
new moon, otherwise it is likely to fall
off; corns, on the other hand,
should be cut during the wan
ing of the moon, in order
that they may gradually diminish and
ultimately disappear: There are also
many other similar superstitions, the
general idea in them being that any
thing which may be done before the
full moon is productive of increase or
growth, the contrary being the case if
the moon be waning. Some savages
imagine that a fresh moon is created
every month, and it may possibly have
been a somewhat similar idea that has
caused the new moon to become the
subject of the numerous customs and
superstitious fancies which one not pn=
frequently meets with. 1t is CUSTOM
airy with country people to bow or
curtesy to the new moon, and by some
it is also supposed that wish made at
such a time will be gratified, It is
held, too, that the money in ones
pocket should be turned for luck.
To see the new moon through glass,
however, is considered unlucky, When
the moon is on its back, that is to say
with the horns of the crescent pointing
upward, it is thought by some to indi-
cafe frost. Sharp horns of the new
moon are supposed to presage wind;
and when the outline of the entire
planet can be traced it was, in Scot
land, looked upon as sign of had
weather. With those who wished to
dream 9f their future husbands OF
wives, there was formerly q practice
which may now have fallen into dis
use-of sitting astride gate or stile
on the first night of the new moon, at
the same time repeating for certain
number of times the following lines:
All hail to the moon, all hail to thee!
prithee, good moon, reveal TO me
This night who my wife shall be''
The details of this ceremony, as we'll
as the words of the rhyme, were, how
ever, somewhat varied in different
parts of the country. On the night of
the first full moon i'll the year, those
anxious to know when they were to be
married looked into pail of water
and counted the moons which they saw
reflected there-that being the number
of years they would have to wait,
According to an old saying, GAS many
days old as the moon is ON Michaelmas
Day, so many floods after;" and cor
respondent of Notes and Queries states
that in Bedfordshire two full moons
occurring in one calendar month are
generally supposed to bring on flood.
In taking medicine, due regard was
formerly paid to the position of the
moon at the time-different parts of
the body, they supposed, being under
;+o ;nAuanca accOrdinU IN tho 1o1;acol