Full Moon question for the Folklorists

[Susan]

No: HPFGUIDX 97535

Shaun wrote:

>The one I would personally favour is the idea that the moonlight is
'drowned out' by the 'sunlight'. If the sun is visible, it will
always be the dominant lightsource in the sky.

So, if I had to come up with an explanation, I'd start by looking
at the dominance of different light sources. During daylight, the
light of the sun simply washes out the light of the moon, to an
extent it can't have a lycanthropic effect.

Just for the record - while technically speaking full moon is an
instant, most astronomers generally consider it to be about 3 days
- one night either side of the actual night of totality - when they
need to use a looser definition. But this is constantly debated.

Okay, most of this is based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but the 
werewolf on that show needed to be restrained, etc., for three days. 

But beyond this, I thought the lunacy supposedly caused by a full 
moon was more directly related to the type of light the moon casts.  
It's reflected light and eeire looking, esp the way it can light up 
the night.

And this isn't even considering the whole pull of gravity/tides 
thing, which for astrologers is a big deal.  The moon, being as full 
as it can be, has more of an effect than it does when it's not full.

As for seeing the light of the full moon, I think that it's not so 
much if a lycanthropic person sees it, but more like if the light 
touches them, which is now complicated by Silverthorne:

>Although, then we're looking at another question--why don't 
werewolves just
go hide in some place where the moonlight cannot reach them for that 
night?
If it takes exposure to actual moonlight to trigger the change, then 
surely
the smart ones at least (and I include Remus in this statement), can 
find an
appropiate hidey hole.

Now that's a good question!