The most beautiful sight to look at in the night sky is the full moon. Moon reaches its full moon state approximately every 14 days. Now we are quite aware that in the ancient times, when science was not quite developed, common population had resolved to various ways of understanding natural phenomena coupled with various naming methods. The full moons we see around the year are no exception. People tend to name things on the basis of phenomena to which they are linked with, so as for the common people to have a better, easier way of understanding. Like Lymphatic Filariasis, which is a disease, they would say elephants feet because of how the limb swells up. Today we will be talking about how people gave the same moon names just because the time when the full moon occurred coincided with some phenomenon.
Now, naming of the moons varies from tribe to tribe, depending on what calendar system they followed. Here I am going to discuss the names that were commonly used by native Americans, including one of the most famous ones out there.
The early Native Americans did not record time by using the months of the Julian or Gregorian calendar. Many tribes kept track of time by observing the seasons and lunar months. For some tribes, the year contained four seasons and started at a certain season, such as spring or fall. Others counted five seasons to a year. Some tribes defined a year as 12 moons, while others assigned it 13.
The full moon names we use in the calendar come from the Algonquin tribes, who lived in regions spreading from New England to Lake Superior. These are the most adapted names by the Colonial Americans.
THE NAMING
The Algonquian people resided on the North American continent, as shown in the map. The part of year that lies in January is marked by cold, snowy winters and, on top of that, the breeding season of wolves. Now around the breeding season, wolves are particularly loud and hungry, so the month is marked by constant howling to breed, feed, and fight with other packs. Due to this, the full moon of January was named the Wolf moon by the tribes.
Fig.1 Algonquian Tribe
Now as the winter progresses into the days around February, hunting and food gathering have become progressively harder. As a result food supplies become scarce thus naming the full moon of February to be the Hunger moon.
Around March, it is the onset of spring season which marks regrowth of leaves, soft and moist soils etc. Since the soil softens up, earthworms casts begin to reappear. Worms hold a significance for the part of tribes that were into cultivation. Thus, the moon is named after this earthly appearance as the Worm moon.
Fig.2 Earth worm cast
As spring proceeds, flowers begin to bloom. One of the first flowers to bloom is the Moss Pink, popularly known as Creeping phlox, native to the sandy soil and rocky ledges of Northern America. It's not just any flower, these flowers grow like mats and form a gorgeous sight to look at. Thus, the full moon around this period, i.e. April, came to be known as the Pink Moon.
Fig.3 Beds of Moss Pink
With spring in full effect around May, an abundance of flowers is seen all around the tribes. Thus, it would be only fair if the full moon around this time was named the Flower Moon. Also, this was the time around which corn was planted.
One important part of this lunar story is the fruit strawberry. Many tribes believed that strawberry was used by the creator to unite man and woman. Well, that's a story for another day. Apart from this, it also has various medicinal benefits and symbolizes the heart. June is the peak season for picking of ripened strawberries, and thanks to all the significance it carries, the full moon of June is called the Strawberry Moon.
Well, a heartbreak for those who thought moon grew strawberries, but moving on, tribal people also like to adore themselves with bone jewelry, and what better than a crown made up of the skull of a buck? Something that the tribal chiefs liked to wear and hence of significance. Around July, as the days lengthen, the growth of the horns also fastens, as it is governed by photoperiod hormones (depending on the length of day). Thus, this appearance leads to the full moon being named the Buck Moon.
Fig.4 Skull of a Buck
With the onset of summer, hunting is back in action, and fishing plays a great role in providing food. The days around August are marked by the growth of Sturgeons. The fish could be found in abundance and played an important role as they were harvested for their meat and oil. Thus, in this regard, the full moon of August was named Sturgeon Moon.
Fig.5 Sturgeon Fish
Remember the corn planted in May? Well, in September, the corn is ripe and ready for harvest. So what better than calling the full moon for this month the Corn Moon.
Wow, it's autumn now, and most of the year has passed, hasn't it? Leaves are falling and winter is close; it's good to be ants and start collecting food, unlike the grasshopper who just sang his throat out. Hunting is at its peak to get provisions for winter supplies, hence the well-deserved name, the Hunter's Moon for the full moon of October.
Here's an interesting fact: the harvest moon, i.e., the corn moon, is the one closest to the autumnal equinox (the sun crosses the equator moving from the southern to the northern hemisphere), so it can be used interchangeably for September and October.
Along with food, the second basic necessity is clothing, and you can't just get it from a store. Fur was the main component for making winter clothes, and one way of obtaining it was by trapping beavers who roamed around in the month of November. Thus, traps were set around this time to trap beavers, whose fur could then be used for trade and to make clothes. So, for you to know, the full moon was hence named the Beaver Moon.
Fig.6 Beaver Fur
The year's ending now, winter is peaking, and everything is cold. So I think you guessed it: the full moon of December is termed the Cold moon.
Congratulations! Now you know the native names of all the full moons. It is so beautiful how they summarize the lifestyle of Native Americans and how nature varies with time and cycles again and again.
IMAGE CREDITS :
1. Wikipedia : https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Algonquian_langs.png
2. Laid Back Gardener : https://i0.wp.com/laidbackgardener.blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/20170705c-pixabay.jpg?resize=950%2C713&ssl=1
3. Amazon : https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71kDjbV21ZL.jpg
4. Bay Nature : https://baynature.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/article-feature-captionimage(590).jpg
5. American Leather : https://americanleatherworks.com/cdn/shop/files/IMG_1692.png?v=1695846837
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