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THE MOON, WEREWOLVES, AND MEDICINE* WALTON BROOKS McDANIEL] For most of us the moon is merely a planet of extraordinary beauty which can make certain evenings which we have spent on the water or under the whispering palms of a tropical landscape, silvered by its rays, experiences never to be forgotten, alight in the sky to guide lovers to their trysts, that inspires poets to compose their most sentimental songs, and a heavenly body which provides an oath for Romeos in which no wise Juliet will ever put her trust. But a little grubbing by a prosy scholar will reveal the inconstant moon in some much less commendable roles. As Lord Byron, speaking with all the authority ofhis amatory experience, onceput it: "The Devil's in the moon for mischief," and it is now to some ofthe mischieffor which she has been responsible that I am inviting my readers' attention as I delve once more into the far past in order to connect it with the Italy ofthe present. For the sake ofa good omen I begin my story with the immortal gods, as any old Roman might, and I take my first words from that immortal English bard who lived as intimately as perhaps any other in the favor ofPhoebus Apollo. "That orbed maiden, with white fire laden, whom mortals call the moon" was known to the Greeks as Artemis, to the Romans as Diana, sisterofthesun-godApollo. Thismuch anyelementarymanual ofmythology , simplifying the facts, would tell you, ifyou did not already know. But, through some of the weird developments ofHellenic fancy, chaste Dian is not always such a simple and exemplary maiden. She does not always figure in ancient literature as a friendly deity of light, a sort of female Apollo, whose companions were the lovely nymphs and her favor- * Reprinted from and with the permission of Transactions and Studies ofthe College ofPhysicians of Philadelphia, 4th ser., vol. 18, no. 3, December, 1930. (Editorial note: The article is republished here to reach a wider circle ofreaders who are not concerned with it as 2 technical contribution. Numerous notes ofthe original paper have been omitted with the consent ofthe author.) t Address: 4082 Malaga Avenue, Miami, Florida 33133. I55 ite occupation hunting. You are also told that while she was Greek Selene, Roman Luna, in the sky, and Artemis or Diana on the earth, she was that dreadful goddess Hecate in the world below. As mistress ofHell, she was the patroness ofsorcery. She it was who made the black art work. Witch and wizard worshipped her at the crossroads, so that in addition to bearing the epithetTriformis because ofher triple aspect and character, she is often addressed as Trivia, goddess ofthe place where three ways come together. It is there thather devoteeswould summon spiritsfrom the infernalregions and perform magic operations of a blood-curdling sort. Diana of the Crossways was Hecate, Queen ofthe Ghosts. Her appearance among men was heralded by the yelping ofher hell-hounds. These were proper companions for her, since, as everybody must know, dogs even now see the spirits ofthe departed when they may be quite invisible to the human eye, and a dog is truly dumb ifit is not sufficiently excited by the rays ofa full moon to bay at it loud enough to awaken the very dead. In wild parts of Greece where animals have not been so fully christianized as with us I have heard the dogs calling to Hecate and her pack at all hours of a moonlit night and have cursed them into Hecate's abode in vain. People in Roman times had no difficulty in believing that the moon, directly or indirectly, could greatly affect the health and material prosperity ofman. They were well aware that it influenced the rise and fall of the tides, even though the accounts that their pundits give of what the waters do and why they do it need amendment by a modern scientist. The mysterious relation between moon and tide would have been enough in itself to make an ancient thinker suspect that the planet must exercise occult powers over many other things. Already we come upon that seemingly imperishable beliefwhichhad the support ofno less...

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