Description
The Sun and Moon
In Greco-Roman mythology, Sun and Moon are represented as male and female, respectively (Helios/Sol and Selene/Luna).
The Sun is a creative force, it enables life. It is thought to be one of the strongest forces in history and represents many things, such as courage or life. The moon is considered female, and signifies mystery or magic. The Moon also represents renovation, resurrection due to the lunar phases, in which the Moon evolves. Joining the two together creates a design of complementary opposites .
Sun and Moon allegory owes to no specific age or culture. An item displaying this iconography witnesses for a very ancient dating and uncertain place of origin. It matters very little that the indoeuropean origins of name sun was feminine, as is still in Lithuanian and German languages, and vice versa moon masculine, as evidenced by “Lunus” in Rome.
An iconographic tradition of representing Sun and Moon with faces developed in the late medieval period.
