Calling Down the Moon: ?

Fri. Jan. 24 04:00 PM - Fri. Jan. 24 05:00 PM

January 24, 2025 | 2L13 | 4:00-5:00pm
Dr. Pauline Ripat, University of Winnipeg

Ancient Greek and Roman literature often refers to women “calling down the moon,” something which was considered to be a particular talent of mythological women such as Medea and of women from Thessaly. There is reason to believe that some folk healers also claimed to be able to entice the moon from the sky. But what does it mean to “call down the moon”?  What did it entail, how was it imagined to work, how would anyone know when it had happened, and why would anyone want to do it anyway?