The following is extrapolated from various websites
as representing the Algonquin tribes who lived in regions from New England to
Lake Superior. They are the names that the Colonial Americans adopted most.
(ref: https://www.almanac.com/content/full-moon-names)
Each full moon was given a name that was relevant for the season and
corresponded with some natural phenomena…the name applied to the whole lunar
month. These names have been embraced and are still widely used, which speaks
to the power and usefulness of the lunar tradition, both as a cultural vehicle
and timekeeping device. Each tribe has their own set of full moon names which reflect
their customs and regional climate and ecology. Nevertheless, some common
themes are easy to spot: winter weather, crop availability, and fishing and
hunting cues find expression in the month’s names. In native cultures, those
names were accompanied by legends and oral traditions that transmitted knowledge
and cultural customs.
The following list includes the most commonly used
names for each full Moon of the year. In parentheses, to give an idea of the
variety of names used among different tribes, are the names used by the Ojibwe,
one of the largest Algonquin tribes in the Great Lakes area.
Working forward from the first full moon after the
winter solstice, which was always named ‘the wolf moon’, and backwards from the
Corn Moon always being the one nearest the autumnal equinox and April’s full
moon heralding the first spring flowers, this leaves an extra full moon on the
2nd March, which would have made up the 13 moons that tribes are
sometimes said to follow. For this calendar I have taken the liberty to name it
with another name for February’s moon that seemed appropriate for the season –
the Hunger Moon.
1st
Wolf Moon (Great Spirit Moon,
The Old Moon): This was the first full moon after the winter solstice, when wolves
howled in hunger outside the villages.
2nd Snow
Moon (Sucker Fish Moon): The second full Moon of the year when the heaviest
snows usually fall. The Ojibwe named this Moon after the sucker fish, an
important resource for their winter survival.
3rd Hunger
Moon: Hunting becomes increasingly difficult towards the end of winter, and
hence to some Native American tribes this was the Hunger Moon.
4th Worm
Moon (Sap Moon): At the time of this
spring Moon, the temperature beings to rise, the snow melts, the ground softens
and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. This is also known
as the Sap Moon, as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the
annual tapping of maple trees begins.
5th Pink
Moon (Maple Sap Boiling Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, Fish Moon):
Attributed to the growth and blossom of the moss pink, wild ground phlox. Other
names for this season make reference to flowers, eggs, fish, and the return of
spring.
6th
Flower Moon (Budding Moon,
Corn Planting Moon, Milk Moon): Flowers
spring forth in abundance this month. Spring is typically in full force, and
various Moon names recognize the budding and blooming of flowers. Other names
for this Moon make reference to the period when corn should be planted.
7th Strawberry
Moon (Rose Moon, Hot Moon): Strawberries
are ripening and ready to be picked, a feast on easy food provided by Mother
Nature.
8th Buck
Moon (Mid-summer Moon, Thunder Moon): Buck’s antlers are growing at full force
during this Moon. Also called Thunder Moon because thunderstorms are common
during this time of the year.
9th Sturgeon
Moon (Ricing Moon, Green Corn Moon): The Ojibwe knew that the sturgeon fish
of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were peaking and most readily caught
during this full Moon. It also marked the season to harvest wild rice, an
activity with cultural and ritual importance.
10th Corn
Moon (Barley Moon, Harvest Moon, Leaves Changing Colour Moon): This full
Moon corresponds with the time to harvest corn, and to thresh the ripened
barley. It is the full moon nearest to the autumnal equinox, when it is still
bright enough to allow finishing all the harvest chores.
11th Hunter’s
Moon (Falling Leaves Moon, Travel Moon, Drying Moon): This is the month
when the leaves are falling and the and the
fields are free of the crops that might have served as a hideout for prey. It
is the best month for hunting when the game is fat after a summer of eating and
fattening-up for the winter. Now is the time for laying in a store of food and
furs for the long winter ahead.
12th Beaver
Moon (Freeing Moon, Frost Moon): For
both the colonists and the Algonquin tribes, this was the time to set beaver
traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs.
13th
Cold Moon (Little Spirits Moon, Long Nights Moon): In December, the cold returns and the closes
the cycle. The long nights bring back the snow and it’s time to gather by the
fire.
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