[the_old_crowd] Re: Luna or Diana

[sean dwyer]

On Sat, Sep 11, 2004 at 11:14:29AM -0000, kneasy wrote:
> As usual, it all depends.
> 'Cos if you look at other mythologies you get a very different picture.
> Among the Teutonic nations, the Arabians, the Mexicans and the Hindus
> the moon is male and the sun female. (In modern German it's Mr Moon
> and Mrs Sun.)

True, but I think we're fairly safe with Graeco-Roman connotations based on
previous form. The Celtic/Norse view is different again.

> In classical mythology the moon was Hecate before rising and after setting,
> Astarte  when crescent and Diana (Cynthia) when riding the heavens.
> As such, the omens are not auspicious:
> 
> Hecate -belligerent; goddess of war and sexual love; human sacrifices
> were probably made to her among the Phoenicians.
> Astarte (Asteroth) - goddess of lower world, witchcraft and ghosts; triple
> bodied (horse/dog/boar); sacrifices to  her (made at places where roads
> meet) were usually black dogs, honey, black lambs.
> Diana (Artemis) - notorious for her anger; goddess of the hunt, of chastity
> and childbirth/fertility (some confusion there, I think).

Again, it depends who you talk to. Artemis/Apollo were both imports to Greek
mythology. The ambiguity of the moon phases is probably due to the Romans
changing the rules from the Greeks. Persephone, supposedly of the Underworld
is said by Plutarch to be also of the moon. Indeed, one source I found on the
web said explicitly: "Is it coincidence that both in classical and Arthurian
mythology the mistress of vegetation, heroine of an abduction story and the
object of a mystery cult, should be equated with the goddess of the moon?"
(that's for Steve to add to his Arthurian tome). Another source quotes Porphry
to say Hecate covers all moon phases. It's probably more true to say that all
these goddesses had their lunar aspects. Only Luna/Selene seem to have the
moon as their major property.

> All of  which presents an interesting insight into Luna - a chaste, sexually
> predatory, gender ambiguous witch who gets easily pissed off and demands
> black dogs be sacrificed to placate her. 
> (So that's why Sirius got the chop!. Dear, oh dear.)

If she reflects what others see, that could have plot implications.

> Of course you can turn to traditional associations with the moon, but they're
> not particularly encouraging  either - moon-kissed (stupid), moon-struck
> (mentally distracted) and of course lunatic. Interestingly JKR (in FBaWTFT)
> has changed Moon-calf from it's original meaning of 'a shapeless abortion'
> to some sort of shy, nocturnal, terpsichorean source of fertiliser and linking 
> it perhaps to moon-drops which were supposed be a foam produced by the
> moon that fell on certain herbs when the right incantation was used.

Moon-dew was a girl's first menstrual blood taken at a lunar eclipse, used by
witches. Pliny said it had great power for good and ill.

> Astrology I won't go into; as a Piscean and therefore gifted with mystical 
> insight, I  believe it's a load of old cobblers.

But that doesn't mean JKR isn't going to use it. Interesting that Robert
Graves, a Leo, was so fascinated by his triple goddess, and a considerable
scholar of Roman history. The symbolism fits, I don't think that accidental.

> As you've probably guessed, I'm not a fan of Luna Lovegood. I think there's
> a good chance that her vapid maunderings, though made with the best of
> intentions, will get Harry into a situation he'd rather not be in. She'll offer
> advice based on her alternative (i.e. detached from reality) view of the
> world and it'll be tears before bedtime.
> You mark my words.

Words duly marked, but that could also be a nasty Voldy trick to blind our
Hero to reality and bring him down. Is Luna a huntress, or does she just fancy
shepherds?

-- 
"Fascists divide in two categories: the fascists and the anti-fascists" -- Ennio Flaiano