Man in the Moon
deity sky Germanic folklore single tradition · 1
The Man in the Moon is a figure from Germanic folklore. He is depicted as a wood-stealer who, during church time on the holy sabbath, committed a trespass in the wood and was then transported to the moon as a punishment. He may be seen with the axe on his back and the bundle of brushwood in his hand.
When
- First attested
- 1800 CE
- Attested period
- 1800 – 1800
- Historical notes
- Documented in 19th-century folklore collections.
Relationships
Mentioned by
Sources
wikipedia (1)
Source passages
“What is most important for us, out of the heathen fancy of a kidnapping man of the moon, which, apart from Scandinavia, was doubtless in vogue all over Teutondom, if not farther, there has evolved itself since a Christian adaptation. They say the man in the moon is a wood-stealer, who during church time on the holy sabbath committed a trespass in the wood, and was then transported to the moon as a punishment”
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