That the Moon has not always existed in our skies is an interesting theory. It speaks to ancient pre-historic periods with the same allure as the Atlantis myths and of lost continents. Whilst the modern discovery of sites such as Göbekli Tepe, discussions over the age of the sphinx and the origins of the many pyramids worldwide are still seen as fringe science, the moon’s origin has been settled. Or has it?
“Before the Moon was they were. In that land / Herself was not as yet, nor did she there / Light her pale horns and yet their seasons ran / And all their years were led in such affairs / As these.
A time before the Moon! Just think. / That that first throng of men, men living when / This world was new, possessed no signs of heaven / To help them tell their hours, no moon to rise / And make for them the world’s first calendar.”
Ovid – Metamorphoses – Book 15
Who are you? Hoo-hoo.
The Arcadians found their place in the fabric of mythology and history through various mentions in Greek works by renowned authors such as Ovid, Lucian, and others, Arcadia emerges as a recurring theme, often depicted as a picturesque and pastoral region.
Ovid, a Roman poet, introduced the Arcadians in his epic poem “Metamorphoses.” He alluded to their presence as an ancient people, suggesting that they inhabited their land “before the birth of Jove,” referring to Jupiter, the chief Roman god. Lucian, a satirist and writer of the 2nd century AD, added his own humorous twist to the Arcadian mythos in his work “Astrology,” where he described their belief that they were “older than the Moon.”
Whilst there is no direct archaeological evidence that the Arcadians existed as a distinct ethnic group their presence is well documented. Authors like Homer, Herodotus, Pausanias, Ovid, and others make references to Arcadia and its inhabitants. Arcadia was a well-defined geographical region in the central part of the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece. It is characterized by its rugged terrain, lush forests, and pastoral landscapes.
In addition, whilst they were associated with myths, legends, and legendary figures like the god Pan and the hero Atalanta it appears that they held a presence in the broader Greek cultural context.
A Time Before The Moon?
The story of the Arcadians, as they emerge from the ancient Greek narratives, gives us perhaps another piece to an intriguing puzzle. Truly, how old is human civilisation on Earth? With each new discovery, this is continually pushed back through time. While modern science presents a credible account of the Moon’s formation, there exists an alternative perspective. That human civilisation on Earth is far older than we think, or perhaps that the Moon is a newcomer to our skies.
Across the ancient world, we find threads of shared cultural experiences; flood myths, creation myths, and oral histories of life beyond Earth. For instance, within Hindu cosmology, the notion of a time before the Moon finds a place. In this ancient tradition, the Moon god Chandra emerges from the cosmic churn of the ocean suggesting that the celestial body’s existence followed the creation of the world.
Native American folklore, too, adds to the tapestry of stories that resonate with the idea of a lunar absence in the distant past. Among the Navajo people, tales abound of a time when the Moon was not part of the night’s celestial ballet. In these narratives, the world was bathed only in starlight, fostering a sense of wonder about what life was like before the Moon’s radiant presence.
In the face of these cross-cultural stories, the concept of a time before the Moon takes on a compelling aura of credibility. It prompts us to consider the possibility of an ancient epoch when humans lived under different cosmic conditions, basking in the glow of the stars but untouched by the Moon’s serene light.
Spaceship Moon?
If we will suggest that the Moon was not always in place, that perhaps it arrived after humans existed as a civilisation then we have to ponder how it arrived and that perhaps the Moon could be an artificial structure.
One of the central arguments behind the Moon-as-a-spaceship theory is the Moon’s enigmatic properties. We can argue that its nearly perfect spherical shape and its unusual geological features, such as the flat lunar maria contrasting with the rugged lunar highlands, defy conventional explanation.
It is also highly unusual that the Moon and the Earth are locked in geostationary orbit. There has not been another scientific discovery of a natural orbiting body that displays this mechanism. The Moon’s synchronous rotation and geosynchronous orbit around Earth are entirely unique so far as we have been able to discover.
While the mainstream scientific community dismisses these ideas as pseudoscientific and unsubstantiated, some individuals remain captivated by the mysteries surrounding our celestial neighbour. However, we can argue that open-minded investigation is crucial for uncovering the truth, even if it means challenging established paradigms.
Conclusion
That our Moon is unusual is not conjecture. There are far more mysteries around its properties and origins than there is concrete evidence. That we have ancient stories that indicate there was a possibility of humans around in the time prior to the Moon’s existence in our skies is an intriguing one. Any concept that defies modern historical dogma is generally dismissed out of hand as fantasy or myth. However as we are finding out, a lot of these stories have a basis in ancient cataclysm. That we have indications of global shared experiences through ancient writing is perhaps an indication that we dismiss these tales out of hand, and far too quickly.
Perhaps it is just me who dreams of a pre-historic time with a Moonless sky and the people who lived underneath it.