| . | Lithuanian Ethnoastronomy 5. The Influence of the Moon on Human A number of facts show that it was believed that the Moon has a strong influence upon the humans. Still among the local inhabitants almost always it is believed that the Moonlight getting through the window (often it is very important to indicate that it shines through a slot or a hole in the window) may harm the sleeper and especially a child or a pregnant woman. Then a person becomes a lunatic and feels weightless or even without the physical body and walk along the strangest places: on the roofs, the surface of the water and may walk through the fire without catching fire (Dundulienë 1975, 259). It was said that when the Moon and the Sun are both in the sky it is forbidden to make a child laugh because later the child will have a stomachache. A man cannot urinate in front of the Moon because his potency will go or else the child started right after the act may be born abnormal. Sometimes it is believed that in these instances a devil is born (LKAR 2/447/). This may also happen if a woman is attending to the nature call in the Moonshine. It is believed that every month when the new Moon is born sick people may be attacked by the diseases and the angle of inclination of the new Moon towards horizon determines not only the weather of the new month but also health situation in the coming month. If the crescent is inclined in the manner resembling a boat it is believed that he month will bring a lot of deaths, especially in autumn. It is considered that the health and the character of a person are determined by the phase of the Moon in which he/she was born. A child born in the bad period does not live long, dies soon. When the person is born in the new Moon he/she stays beautiful, young but shy, scary, weak and not serious. These people are afraid of ‘‘wicked eyes’‘ (bad spell). Those who are born in the waning Moon appear old, frowning, moody, angry and not attractive, age quickly. But these people are healthy, strong, last well and are not afraid of the ‘‘evil eye’‘ (Balys 1951,13) It is believed that the phase of the Moon determines the reliability of the dreams, and that the Moon light spoils certain produce.
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