Mēness
Latvian · deity · Latvian traditional religion; continuing · Recorded classification
Mēness, the Moon, is a masculine deity of the Latvian sky-family and the counterpart of the Sun. As the measurer of the months he governs the night and the passage of time, and he is remembered as a patron of soldiers and night-travellers, who watch the phases of his light. His chief role in myth belongs to the celestial wedding: the Moon is the husband of the Sun from whom he becomes estranged, or the interloper who woos and carries off the bride of the Morning Star, one of the Daughters of the Sun. For this betrayal the thunder-god Pērkons is said to strike and cleave him with a sword, an explanation the songs give for the waning and scarred face of the moon.
Domains
- moon night
- time reckoning
- patron of warriors
Powers
- measures out the months and the night
- courts the Daughter of the Sun and betrays his bride
Epithets
- Mēnestiņš — dear little MoonBarons & Wissendorff, Latvju dainas. (primary)
Relations
- spouse: SauleThe Moon and Sun are a married pair who quarrel and separate.Biezais, Die himmlische Götterfamilie der alten Letten, 1972; Gimbutas, The Balts, 1963. (secondary)
- enemy: PērkonsPērkons cleaves the Moon with his sword to punish his infidelity in the sky-wedding.Biezais, Die himmlische Götterfamilie der alten Letten, 1972; Gimbutas, The Balts, 1963, pp. 200-202. (secondary)
- rival: AuseklisThe Moon and the Morning Star are rivals for the Daughter of the Sun.Biezais, Die himmlische Götterfamilie der alten Letten, 1972. (secondary)
Sources
- Mēness is the masculine Latvian moon-god, reckoner of time and patron of soldiers, whose infidelity in the celestial wedding is punished by Pērkons.: Biezais, Haralds. Die himmlische Götterfamilie der alten Letten. Uppsala, 1972. (secondary); Gimbutas, Marija. The Balts. London, 1963, pp. 200-202. (secondary)