66

"the chaser," or pursuer,"" the Unicorn who, as we shall see,2 chases the Lion-sun. Another Kamic-lunar personage is Teti (Thoth), the weighing and measuring god, lord of knowledge and writing. The crescent is found followed by the figure of Thoth in several hieroglyphic legends, with the phonetic name Aah.’4 "The Arabs to this day, consider the moon masculine, and not feminine.' 5

In Sanskrit the most current names for the moon, such as Kandra, Soma, Indu, Vidhu, are masculine. The names of the moon are frequently used in the sense of month, and these and other names for month retain the same gender.'"

In Asia Minor was widely established the cult of the Moon-god Mên,' the Lunus of the Romans, who, to a great extent suppressed his ritual.

The Babylonian and Assyrian Moon-god is Sin, whose name probably appears in Sinai. The expression, 'From the origin of the god Sin,' was used by the Assyrians to mark remote antiquity; because as chaos preceded order, so night preceded day, and the enthronement of the moon as the Night-king marks the commencement of the annals of kosmic order.

The Akkadian Moon-god, who corresponds with

1 Dr. Birch in Wilkinson's Anct. Egyptians, iii. 174-5.

2 Sec. XII. subsec. 2. 3 Vide G. D. M. ii. 121 et seq. In voc. Teti. 5 Ibid. 39.

4 Wilkinson, Anct. Egyptians, iii. 165.

• Prof. Max Müller, L. S. L. i. 7.

7 Vide Strabo, XII. iii. 31; viii. 14.

Sin is used for the Moon in Mendaean and Syriac at the present day; and it was the term used for Monday by the Sabæans as late as the ninth century' (Prof. Rawlinson, A. M. i. 124, note 5).

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the Semitic Sin, is Aku, 'the Seated-father,' as chief supporter of kosmic order, styled the-Maker-ofbrightness,' En-zuna, 'the-Lord-of-growth,' and Idu, "the-Measuring-lord,'1 the Aïdês of Hesychios.2 Idu is the equivalent of the Assyrian Arkhu, month,' Heb. Yerakh; and is expressed in archaic Babylonian by the ideograph the circle, (solar or) lunar + <<< (10+10+10), i.e., the thirty days of the month. <<< also stands for the Moon-god as the god-thirty. Amongst the Finns Kuu is 'the male god of the moon,' and exactly corresponds with A-ku. It is singular to find also Kua as a moon-name in Central Africa. 'Among the Mbocobis of South America, the moon is a man and the sun his wife.'5

3

Amongst the Mexicans, Metztli, the Moon, was a

hero."

According to an Australian legend, Mityan, the Moon, was a native cat [male], who fell in love with some one else's wife, and was driven away to wander ever since.'7

"The Khasias of the Himalaya say that the moon [male] falls monthly in love with his mother-in-law, who throws ashes in his face, whence his spots.' 8

Ra Vula, the Figian Moon, is male.9

The Ahts of Vancouver's Island regard the Moon as husband and the Sun as wife.' 10

1 Id, a measure, + U, lord.

2 'Αϊδὼ 'Αϊδὴς ἡ σελήνη παρὰ Χαλδαίοις (Hesychios, in voc.).

3 Lenormant, Chaldean Magic, 249.

4 Vide Tylor, P. C. ii. 272.

7 Ibid. 320.

10 Ibid. ii. 272.

8 Ibid.

In Japan the Moon-god was worshipped under the form of a fox.'1

The Unicorn is represented as male, being 'maiden' with respect to chastity.2

1 Vide Tylor, P. C. ii. 273.

2 Of. Shakspere:—

'Thou maiden youth, be vanquished by a maid.'

(1 Hen. VI., A. iv. S. 7.)

SECTION V.

THE LUNAR PHASES.

THE succession of apparent alterations in the form of the moon presents a phenomenon so remarkable as necessarily to have attracted the attention and careful observation of man from the earliest period. With the Greeks the phases were named ;

I. The New Moon. Noumênia, which because in the same line or path with the Sun, is called Synodos.

II. The Young Moon. Nea Selênê. Time in the month,-Protê Phasis, the First Appearance;' a slender crescent seen a short time after sunset.

III. The Increasing Crescent. Hexagônos, 'Sixangled,' as having run 4th of its course.

IV. The Half Moon. Hemitomos, 'Cut-in-twain.'1 Also called Tetragonos, as having four equal angles in its circuit, 4th of which it has now passed.

V. The Increasing Moon. Amphikurtos, 'Curvedon-each-side.' Also called Trigônos, Triangular,' for were an equilateral triangle drawn from its startingpoint, the present position would be the apex, frd 01 its course being now passed.

1 Some tribes consider this to be the act of the angry Sun, an illustra tion of the hostility of Lion and Unicorn.

VI. The Full Moon. Panselênos. Also called Dichomênia, the Month-divider.'

VII. The Decreasing Moon. Amphikurtos, Trigônos.

VIII. The Second Half-Moon. Hemitomos, etc. IX. The Decreasing Crescent. Menoeidês, 'Crescent-shaped,' Lat. Lunatus.

X. The Old Moon. Enê Selênê. Time in the month,-Eschatê Phasis, the Last Appearance.' A slender crescent.

The corresponding Latin names are ;

I. The New Moon. Novilunium, which being invisible is called Luna Silens, and the time styled Congressus cum Sole,

II. The Young Moon. Nova Luna. Period,— Prima Phasis.

III. The Increasing Crescent, Primus sextilis aspectus.

IV. The Half Moon. Luna dividua, semiplena, bisecta. Prima quadratura.

6

V. The Increasing Moon. Luna gibba, the Humpbacked Moon,' Luna in triquetro.

VI. The Full Moon. Plenilunium. Also Oppositio, the Moon being now opposite the Sun; Luna totilunis, Medius mensis.

VII. The Decreasing Moon, Luna gibba.

VIII. The Second Half Moon. Luna dividua, etc.

Secunda quadratura.

IX, The Decreasing Crescent, Corniculata, falcata, curvata in cornua.