The noun ‘moon’ is thought to derive from the Proto-Indo-European mēnsis, meaning ‘month’. The moon’s waxing and waning have made it a symbol of time, change, and repetitive cycles around the world, such as the cycle of birth and death.
The moon has been personified in various myths and legends from across the world, such as Selene (ancient Greek) and Luna (Roman). The moon is often personified as a goddess paired with a sun god. In one story of the Incan mythology, the sun and the moon were brother and sister, ancestors of the royal Incas.
While the sun is often associated in literature and myth with fun and happiness, romantic types tend to wait for the moon to come out. A lover might promise the moon or ask for the moon. And once in a blue moon, you might dance by the light of the silvery moon before being followed by a moon-shadow.
To moonlight means to hold a second job, especially at night, from the notion of working by the light of the moon. It used to mean to commit crimes at night.
Moonshine may be clued in our crosswords as illicit spirits, either illegally distilled or smuggled. The name implies ‘appearance without substance’ such as moonlight on water.
In England, many moons ago, folks in Wiltshire were known as moonrakers. The story goes that when smugglers were caught red-handed raking kegs of smuggled brandy from a pond, they feigned foolishness, pretending to mistake the reflection of the moon in the pond for a cheese and tried to rake it out.
And of course, when something joyous happens, you’ll often hear people say they’re over the moon about it.
Happy puzzling!
