The Moon
For as long as Man has walked the Earth, the Moon has been shining brightly in the night sky, filling our heads with light, dreams, and secrets. But who is the Moon, anyway?
Different pantheons have different deities associated with the Moon. For this instance, I will shed some light on the Greek Titaness of the Moon, Selene.
Selene
Born from the Titans Hyperion and Theia, Selene was granted control of the Moon and all its glory. In some myths, Selene was the Moon. In others, she merely drove the Moon Chariot across the night sky.
Selene had two siblings: The Titan Helios, who drove the Sun Chariot, and Eos, the Titaness of the Dawn.
Seen as a Goddess in her own right, Selene is often also associated with two other deities: Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon, and Hecate, Goddess of Magic and the Night. All three of these deities are seen as Lunar Goddesses, though only Selene was seen as the Moon itself.
Her Life and Her Love
According to most myth, Selene fell in love with a cattle herder named Endymion. She watched him every night as he slept with his cattle. She fell entranced by this mortal man's beauty, so, like any rational Goddess would, she went to Zeus to petition for this mortal to be granted eternal life.
As the old saying goes: "Be careful what you wish for." Selene learned that lesson harshly. For though Zeus did grant Endymion immortality, he also placed him into a state of Eternal Sleep. Selene had her lover, but he was forever asleep.
Some accounts say that Zeus granted Endymion immortality without being cruel about it. These retellings of the old legend say that Zeus gave Endymion a choice as to how he would live his eternal life. Endymion chose eternal sleep so he could retain his youth. Sadly, it was a youth that he could not enjoy.
As you can probably guess, a sleeping man isn't exactly the hardest thing to work around. Selene and Endymion, despite their... Unfortunate relationship circumstances, had 50 daughters together. Each as pale and fair as their mother, and sleepy as their father.
Contradicting Myth: Selene and Zeus
Some myths say that Selene did not choose Endymion as her lover, but instead, had an affair with Zeus. True to form with the King of the Gods, their union brought forth quite a few children. The names of these children, however, are unknown.
Moonset
As with everything, there must come an end. In the case of the Greek Selene, her end was signified when the Romans stole her and changed her into Luna.
The Moon Will Live Forever
In our hearts and minds, the Moon will forever hold a place of solace, comfort, and reverence.
And so, the Moon has set and Eos comes to herald the rising of their brother, Helios. I hope this has been informative.
Forever Yours,
Glitch Queen
Hello! I am glad you have found Steemit to share your mythology at. Good formatting as well. However I would suggest citing your sources at the bottom of your post, so that people know it is reputable and original information (very important on this platform) and so next time I can promote it a little more!
I hope to see you around!