Moon rabbit | |||||||||||
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Chinese name | |||||||||||
Chinese | 月兔 | ||||||||||
Literal meaning | Moon rabbit/hare | ||||||||||
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Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||
Chinese | 玉兔 | ||||||||||
Literal meaning | Jade rabbit/hare | ||||||||||
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Korean name | |||||||||||
Hangul | 달토끼 | ||||||||||
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Japanese name | |||||||||||
Kanji | 月の兎 | ||||||||||
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The Moon rabbit or Moon hare is a mythical figure in East Asian and indigenous American folklore,based on interpretations that identify the dark markings on the near side of the Moon as a rabbit or hare. In the realm of East Asian mythology,the rabbit is seen as pounding with a mortar and pestle,but the contents of the mortar differ among Chinese,Japanese,and Korean folklore. In Chinese folklore,the rabbit is often portrayed as a companion of the Moon goddess Chang'e,constantly pounding the elixir of life [1] for her and some show the making of cakes or rice cakes;but in Japanese and Korean versions,the rabbit is pounding the ingredients for mochi or some other type of rice cakes. In some Chinese versions of the mythological tradition,the rabbit pounds medicine for the mortals and some include making of mooncakes. Moon folklore from certain Amerindian cultures of North America also has rabbit themes and characters.
An early Chinese source called the Chu Ci ,a Western Han anthology of Chinese poems from the Warring States period,notes that along with a toad,there is a hare on the Moon who constantly pounds herbs for the immortals. This notion is supported by later texts,including the Song-era Taiping Imperial Reader . As rabbits were not yet introduced to China during Western Han,the original image was not a rabbit but a hare. [2]
Han dynasty poets call the hare on the Moon the "Jade Hare" (玉兔) or the "Gold Hare" (金兔),and these phrases were used often,in place of the word for the Moon. The famed Tang poet Li Bai,relates how "The rabbit in the moon pounds the medicine in vain" in his poem,"The Old Dust". [3]
In the Buddhist Jataka tales, [4] Tale 316 relates that a monkey,an otter,a jackal,and a rabbit resolved to practice charity on the day of the full moon (Uposatha),believing a demonstration of great virtue would earn a great reward. When an old man begged for food from them,the monkey gathered fruits from the trees and the otter collected fish,while the jackal found a lizard and a pot of milk-curd. Knowing only how to gather grass,the rabbit instead offered its own body by throwing itself into a fire the man had prepared. However,the rabbit was not burnt and the old man revealed that he was Śakra. Touched by the rabbit's virtue,he drew the likeness of the rabbit on the Moon for all to see. It is said the lunar image is still draped in the smoke that rose when the rabbit cast itself into the fire. The rabbit is believed to be a Bodhisattva.
A version of this story may be found in the Japanese anthology, Konjaku Monogatarishū ,where the rabbit's companions are instead a fox and a monkey.
The Moon rabbit legend is popular and part of local folklore throughout Asia. It may be found in diverse cultures in China,Japan,India,Korea,Sri Lanka,Cambodia,Thailand,Vietnam,and Myanmar. [5] [6] [7]
This legend also gave rise to the Mid-Autumn Festivals of China,Tsukimi of Japan,and Chuseok of Korea across the East Asian mythological landscape. The Sampeah Preah Khae in Cambodia and Tết Trung Thu of Vietnam,all of which celebrate the legend of the Moon rabbit across Southeast Asia. In Vietnamese mythology,the Jade Rabbit on the Moon is often accompanied by the Moon Lady and Cuội,who sits under a magical banyan. The trio has become the personifications of the holiday,when they descend to the mortal world and give out cellophane lanterns,mooncakes and gifts to children. [8]
In Journey to the West ,when Tang Sanzang passes through India on his journey,a demoness wants to marry him so that she can absorb his yang essence and increase her powers. Sun Wukong sees through her disguise and fights with her. Just as Sun Wukong is about to defeat the demoness,accompanied by the fairy Chang'e,Taiyin Xingjun descends on a colored cloud. The Monkey King hastily puts away his iron rod,saying,"Old Taiyin,where are you going? I,Sun Wukong,have been avoiding you." Taiyin replies,"The demon you are facing is the Jade Rabbit,who guards the mystical frost elixir in my Guanghan Palace. She secretly unlocked the jade gate and escaped from the palace,and it has been a year since then. I foresee she is currently in grave danger,so I have come to save her. I hope the Great Sage will spare her for my sake." Sun Wukong reluctantly agrees,and Taiyin Xingjun takes the Jade Rabbit to the Moon and assigns her duties. [9] [10]
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Presumed to be arising likewise, through lunar pareidolia, legends of Moon rabbits also exist among some indigenous cultures of North and Central America.
In Mayan art, glyphs, hieroglyphics, and inscriptions, a rabbit frequently is shown with the Moon Goddess and another deity related to the Moon.[ citation needed ]
According to an Aztec legend, the god Quetzalcoatl, then living on Earth as a human, started on a journey and, after walking for a long time, became hungry and tired. With no food or water around, he thought he would die. Then a rabbit grazing nearby offered herself as food to save his life. Quetzalcoatl, moved by the rabbit's noble offering, elevated her to the Moon, then lowered her back to Earth and told her, "You may be just a rabbit, but everyone will remember you; there is your image in light, for all people and for all times."
Another Mesoamerican legend tells of the brave and noble sacrifice of Nanahuatzin during the creation of the fifth sun. Humble Nanahuatzin sacrificed himself in fire to become the new sun, but the wealthy god Tecciztecatl hesitated four times before he finally set himself alight to become the Moon. Due to Tecciztecatl's cowardice, the deities felt that the Moon should not be so bright as the Sun, so one of the deities threw a rabbit at his face to diminish his light. [11] Another version of the legend says that Tecciztecatl was in the form of a rabbit when he sacrificed himself to become the Moon, casting his shadow there.
In Canada and the United States, a Cree cultural legend tells a different story, about a young rabbit who wished to ride the Moon. Only the crane was willing to take him there. The trip stretched the crane's legs as the heavy rabbit held them tightly, leaving them elongated as the legs of all cranes are now. When they reached the Moon, the rabbit touched the crane's head with a bleeding paw, leaving the red mark cranes wear to this day. According to the legend, on clear nights, Rabbit still may be seen riding the Moon.[ citation needed ]
Mare Imbrium is a vast lava plain within the Imbrium Basin on the Moon and is one of the larger craters in the Solar System. The Imbrium Basin formed from the collision of a proto-planet during the Late Heavy Bombardment. Basaltic lava later flooded the giant crater to form the flat volcanic plain seen today. The basin's age has been estimated using uranium–lead dating methods to approximately 3.9 billion years ago, and the diameter of the impactor has been estimated to be 250 ± 25 km. The Moon's maria have fewer features than other areas of the Moon because molten lava pooled in the craters and formed a relatively smooth surface. Mare Imbrium is not as flat as it would have originally been when it first formed as a result of later events that have altered its surface.
A lander is a spacecraft that descends towards, then comes to rest on the surface of an astronomical body other than Earth. In contrast to an impact probe, which makes a hard landing that damages or destroys the probe upon reaching the surface, a lander makes a soft landing after which the probe remains functional.
In many cultures, several pareidolic images of a human face, head or body are recognized in the disc of the full moon; they are generally known as the Man in the Moon. The images are based on the appearance of the dark areas and the lighter-colored highlands of the lunar surface.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid-September to early October of the Gregorian calendar. On this day, the Chinese believe that the moon is at its brightest and fullest size, coinciding with harvest time in the middle of autumn.
Chang'e, originally known as Heng'e (姮娥), is the goddess of the Moon and wife of Hou Yi, the great archer. Renowned by her beauty, Chang'e is also known for her ascending to the Moon with her pet Yu Tu, the Moon Rabbit and living in the Moon Palace (廣寒宮). She is one of the major goddesses in Chinese mythology, Chinese folk religion, Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. In modern times, Chang'e is the namesake of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program.
A mooncake is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節). The festival is primarily about the harvest while a legend connects it to moon watching, and mooncakes are regarded as a delicacy. Mooncakes are offered between friends or on family gatherings while celebrating the festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival is widely regarded as one of the four most important Chinese festivals.
A Moon landing or lunar landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon, including both crewed and robotic missions. The first human-made object to touch the Moon was Luna 2 in 1959.
Hou Yi is a mythological Chinese archer. He was also known as Shen Yi and simply as Yi (羿). He is also typically given the title of "Lord Archer". He is sometimes portrayed as a god of archery or a xian descended from heaven to aid mankind. Other times, he is portrayed as either simply half-divine or fully mortal. His wife, Chang'e, is one of the lunar deity.
The physical exploration of the Moon began when Luna 2, a space probe launched by the Soviet Union, made a deliberate impact on the surface of the Moon on September 14, 1959. Prior to that the only available means of exploration had been observation from Earth. The invention of the optical telescope brought about the first leap in the quality of lunar observations. Galileo Galilei is generally credited as the first person to use a telescope for astronomical purposes; having made his own telescope in 1609, the mountains and craters on the lunar surface were among his first observations using it.
Chang'e 3 is a robotic lunar exploration mission operated by the China National Space Administration (CNSA), incorporating a robotic lander and China's first lunar rover. It was launched in December 2013 as part of the second phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. The mission's chief commander was Ma Xingrui.
Yutu may refer to:
A lunar rover or Moon rover is a space exploration vehicle designed to move across the surface of the Moon. The Apollo program's Lunar Roving Vehicle was driven on the Moon by members of three American crews, Apollo 15, 16, and 17. Other rovers have been partially or fully autonomous robots, such as the Soviet Union's Lunokhods, Chinese Yutus, Indian Pragyan, and Japan's LEVs. Five countries have had operating rovers on the Moon: the Soviet Union, the United States, China, India, and Japan.
Tu'er Ye, also known as the Rabbit God, is a deity of Chinese folk religion unique to Beijing, where his sculptures are traditionally crafted. He is related with moon worship, as he is considered the moon rabbit of the goddess Chang'e. A frequent misnomer is "Tuye Er". Based on the correct Beijing dialect, it should be "Tu'er Ye" (兔兒爺).
Lunar pareidolia refers to the pareidolic images seen by humans on the face of the Moon. The Moon's surface is a complex mixture of dark areas and lighter areas. Being a natural element seen constantly by humans throughout the ages, many cultures have seen shapes in these dark and light areas that have reminded them of people, animals, or objects, often related to their folklore and cultural symbols; the best-known are the Man in the Moon in Western folklore and the Moon Rabbit of Asia and the Americas. Other cultures perceive the silhouette of a woman, a crow, a frog, a moose, a buffalo, or a dragon in the full moon. To many cultures of Melanesia and Polynesia, the Moon is seen to be a cook over a three-stone fire. Alternatively, the vague shape of the overall dark and light regions of the Moon may resemble a Yin Yang symbol.
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Yutu-2 is the robotic lunar rover component of CNSA's Chang'e 4 mission to the Moon, launched on 7 December 2018 18:23 UTC, it entered lunar orbit on 12 December 2018 before making the first soft landing on the far side of the Moon on 3 January 2019. Yutu-2 is currently operational as the longest-lived lunar rover and the first lunar rover traversing the far side of the Moon.
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Taiyin Xingjun is the Chinese goddess of the moon. While often intertwined with the legend of Chang'e, Taiyin Xingjun is the original guardian of the moon. Chinese folk religion also uses Chang'e as the incarnation of Taiyin Xingjun. Taiyin Xingjun is believed to be the Taoist counterpart of the Buddhist bodhisattva Candraprabha, also known as the Moonlight Bodhisattva.
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