all animated things, variously
conceived of as the moon, the earth, the watery element, primeval
night, the eldest of the destinies." [244] It is worthy of note that Van
Helmont, in the seventeenth century, holds similar language. His
words are, "The moon is chief over the night darkness, rest, death,
and the waters." [245] It is also remarkable that in the language of
the Algonquins of North America the ideas of night, death, cold,
sleep, water, and moon are expressed by one and the same word.
[246] In the oriental mythology "the connection between the moon
and water suggests the idea that the moon produces fertility and
freshness in the soil." [247] "Al Zamakhshari, the commentator on
the Koran, derives _Manah_ (one of the three idols worshipped by
the Arabs before the time of Mohammad) from the root 'to flow,'
because of the blood which flowed at the sacrifices to this idol, or,
as Millius explains it, because the ancient idea of the moon was that
it was a star full of moisture, with which it filled the sublunary
regions." [248] The Persians held that the moon was the cause of an
abundant supply of water and of rain, and therefore the names of the
most fruitful places in Persia are compounded with the word _mah_,
"moon"; "for in the opinion of the Iranians the growth of plants
depends on the influence of the moon." [249] In India "the moon is
generally a male, for its most popular names, _Candras_, _Indus_,
and _Somas_, are masculine; but as Somas signifies ambrosia, the
moon, as giver of ambrosia, soon came to be considered a
milk-giving cow; in fact, moon is one among the various meanings given
in Sanskrit to the word Gaus (cow). The moon, Somas, who
illumines the nocturnal sky, and the pluvial sun, Indras, who during
the night, or the winter, prepares the light of morn, or spring, are
represented as companions; a young girl, the evening, or autumnal
twilight, who goes to draw water towards night, or winter, finds in
the well, and takes to Indras, the ambrosial moon, that is, the Somas
whom he loves. Here are the very words of the Vedic hymn: 'The
young girl, descending towards the water, found the moon in the
fountain, and said: I will take you to Indras, I will take you to
Cakras; flow, O moon, and envelop Indras.'" [250] Here in India we
again find our old friend "the frog in the moon." "It is especially
Indus who satisfies the frog's desire for rain. Indus, as the moon,
brings or announces the Somas, or the ra