When I was a kid, back in the fifties, we had a superstition that if there ever appeared a star within the horns of the crescent of the new moon, the Mohammedans of the world would rise up in holy war against the West. We knew what the word jihad meant (despite modern lies to the contrary).The more learned of us knew that that was not possible, because what appeared to be empty space was actually the unlit surface of the moon, and the stars were farther away than that. However, after Sputnik, there seemed to be a reason to worry.
Well, I've never seen that phenomenon, but I have seen jihad, even though I never thought, fifty-some years ago, that I would live long enough to see it.
Do you know of any history behind the superstition? Sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteSorry, no, I don't. As far as I know, it was just one of those kids' "urban legends" that floated around. It might have been inspired by the flag of Turkey or one like it.
ReplyDeleteSputnik or another satellite - it moves, so I wonder if it would remain/appear stationary within the horns of the crescent, unless some sort of retrograde motion was involved. But, of course, the moon moves too.
ReplyDeleteI have read somewhere (can't recall) that, in the future, there may be advertisements up in orbit, big lighted signs from spaceborne platforms, that would be seen from large sectors of the Earth at the same time. I guess that such an astro-sign could be positioned to appear between the two horns of the crescent when the moon is in phase.
That would be scarier than the jihad we already have.
ReplyDeleteRemember the other thing that is also frequently pictured between the horns of the crescent moon: the feet of the Mother of God. I don't think it's accidental.
ReplyDeleteMy head is foggier than usual tonight, Anita, and I don't quite follow you. It's certainly better to have the feet of the Mother of God there than a star, especially since the Moslems can't possibly call her the Mother of God, because they won't admit Jesus is God. Anyway, I had forgotten the image of Guadalupe - shame on me - my grade school did a Christmas play about her; it would have been 1955, I think. But all that is the only connection I can think of.
ReplyDeleteMary is often depicted standing on the crescent moon, as in the passage in the Apocalypse that describes the woman clothed with the sun, and the moon beneath her feet, and her head surmounted by a crown of twelve stars.
ReplyDeleteAh! I had forgotten that too! Duh! And wasn't it one of the readings for the feast of Christ the King? (When I say foggy, I mean foggy.)
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