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Quote:The ritual use of the sickle is common in Greek and other myths, probably because of its lunar-crescent shape.
Do you think this an independant reverence of the cresent moon, or something derived from the near east?
Paul M. Bardunias
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Very difficult to say, but it may be a survival from the pre-Dorian inhabitants of the Greek peninsula. To the north and west, the Druids and probably others used a silver sickle to harvest mistletoe and to the east the priests of Cybele are supposed to have used a sickle to castrate themselves (and if that isn't going the extra mile for your faith, I don't know what is!) Even with the solar deities in the ascendancy, the lunar goddesses were still greatly revered.
Pecunia non olet
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To be honest after looking into it there were no clearly defined "solar" or "lunar" deities.
Simply one view was more stressed on a diety than others.
"Melaina Afrodite" (Black Venus) was a "lunar" goddess associated with child-birth and revered in Thespiae.
Athena "Ogga" was associated with first dark night without moon. Her cult center was in Oropos and
extended both into Beotia and attica. Both daities are perceived as "solar" entities though.
In Aegio and Thrace lunar goddesses were revered as war daities.
UIn the roman period Auxilia from these places carried cresents on their shields
Where ever you see a cresent in the coat of arms of a European city
usually an Auxilia unit from Thrace or Asia Minor was stationed there.
Kind regards
