The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-11-18
MODERN MOON WORSHIP,
LUNA RECOGNIZED AS a DEITY BY
MANY TRIBES.


DR.. Goldziher refers to the occasional
Iuniolatry Of the Jews. Queen or Prin-
cess Of Heaven, he writes, Is n very
frequent name for the moon. Even in
the --latest times the Hebrews called the
moon the Queen of Heaven, and paid
Tier divine honors in this character at the
time Of the captivity. What was the
antiquity Of this lunar worship among
the Hebrews is testified las has long been
known by the part played BY Mount
Sinai in the history Of the Hebrew re-
ligion The mountain must in ancient
times have been consecrated to the
moon.
The peculiar symbol of Ashtarotn and
the other lunar deities. says the London
STANDARD. appears to have been heifar,
or figure with a heifer's head and
horns resembling the crescent lnoon
The Saracens called the moon Cabar,
the Great, and the crescent still sur
mounts the Turkish mosques and Is enr9
blazoned on the green standard of the
prophet. Schlegal mentions story that
Afohammed Z wished to pass with his
disciples as a person transtigured in a
supernatural light and that the creduliiy
of his followers saw the moon, or the
moons light, descend upon him, pierce
his garments and replenish him. That
yeneration for the moon which still
forms national or rather religious
characteristic Of the Mo,lammedaIfs may,
perhaps, have its foundation in tlig elder
superstition of Pagan idolatry Of the
Arabs"
The Moslem still claps its hands at the
sight of the new moon, and mutters a
prayer. although the Koran appears to
forbid the practice in the words, e Bend
not in alteration to the sun or moon"
Herodotus. accuses the ancient Persians
of being moon worshippers, and, though
they denied the practice, the following
passage from the Zend Avesta would
seem to be conclusive We sacrifice
to the new moon the holy and master of
holiness; we sacrifice to the full moon
the holy and master Of holiness In
central India both sun and moon are
worshipped by many tribes, such as the
Korkus, Khond, Tungeses, and Buraetes.
The Khonds adore the powers of nature,
astthe gods of the bisons tiger, hill and
cholera; but all these deities occupy q
far inferior position to heavenly bodies
In the Deccan some OF the aboriginal
tribes also acknowledge the SUN and
moon by an act of reverence. In China
the practice of luniolatry exists at TIE
present day, and is Of early origin.
The chief festival, that Of YEe-ping,
or mooncakes. is held during the eighth
month of the Chinese yeaS. Persons
make cakes of various sizes in the shape
of the moon, and paint different figures
upon them. Friends and relatives pay
visits to one another, give entertain
ments, and present their cakes. after
making protestations and pouring out
oblations to the moon. 1t is very re-
markable that a verse of one of the jew
ish prophets should he explained by this
Chinese custom .,FThe children gather
wood, said the seer. and The f;atners
kindle the fire, and the women k,lead
their dough to make. cakes 70 the tSneen,
of Heaven. :
Some Buddhist ceremonies present a
striking analogy to certain Christian
rites DR.. Medhurst says The very
titles of their intercessions .srch as god
dess of mercy holy mother queen OF
heaven, with ~aif irnsegsee. of the Virgin,
have child in hey arms holding a
crescent, are all such stalking condolences
that the Catholic missionaries were
greatly stumbled at the resemblances
1 between Chinese worship and their own
! when they came over to convert the
\ natives to Christianity. Figures Of the
moon as religious emblems can be traced
| to a very high antiquity. The ancient
!, Egyptians had two mOon gods Khons or
Khonsu. and Tel or Thoth The latter
4 wore the moon on his head, either as a
1 full moon or crescent. The divine
honors paid to the cat ON the banks OF
the Nile We're probably due to its sup.
| posed connection with the moon, N
shown by the ehangeable pupil of the
feline eyes. In Greece, both Phubus
and Phoebe We're moon gods, and by Esis
the Greeks understood the same planet
The Romans had many gods. Will
them Luna was the moon--the daughte,
of Hyperoid and sister of the SUN Ac
, cording to Iivy, the temple Of .Lun'
stood ON the Avertine. The ancien
Cloths, Germans and Firms were al
moon worshippers, and in onr owl
country the moon occupied high posi-
i ton in the celestial hierarchy of til
i Druids, who were always represented a
bearing crescents in their hands, 1t
possible, too, that Andraste, the goodies
! to whom Boadicea appealed with out
i stretched hands, was the moon.
Lunar superstitions fingered until
late period in the British Islands, {.
: writer of the seventeenth century says
Y In Yorkshire. etc, northwards. SON
u country people do worship. the Ne
MI Moon on their bare knees, kneeling o
:, an earth fast stone. And the people
Athol, in the Highlands of Scotland,
g worship the New Moon. :" Speaking /
. the Irish he continues: Whether I
,r no they worship the moon, know no
but when they first see her after Il