Greetings!
Wherever possible, the words 'beaver' and 'moon' should not be used in the same sentence... hehe. Growing up I had a little brown dog named Beaver... you can believe me when I tell you that I've heard them all! However, tonight's full moon is indeed known as the Full Beaver Moon.
Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.
In recent history, this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Full Beaver Moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now actively preparing for winter. This moon is sometimes also referred to as the Frosty Moon.
Interestingly there is a controversy currently swirling in Canada. Conservative member, Nicole Eaton, recently suggested we replace our busy, buck-toothed national symbol with the polar bear. I don't know about you, but I'm proud of our "dentally defective rat" (her words, not mine) and suggest she find more important issues to sink her teeth into!
I do like the overall concept of a Polar Bear but definately NOT as a Government priority at this time.
ReplyDeleteI hope we get to see this moon here in Edmonton--it's pretty cloudy out there right now!
ReplyDeleteI do not favor replacing the beaver with the polar bear. First of all the beaver played a central part in this country's history and secondly beaver abound throughout most of the country while the polar bear is only in the Artic regions. What she mean by 'dentally defective"? Because they keep growing all the time and the beaver needs to 'chop' trees to keep them in trim? Politicans!! Useless at best!!
Being that I am not normal... I am going to pass over the informative article and ask... how do you decide to name a dog "Beaver"? Has to be a story in there somewhere.
ReplyDeleteDan, I agree that it's certainly not a priority at this time.
ReplyDeleteDianne, Well said - I think the history behind our national symbol is worth preserving.
WebDebris, My younger brother named her 'Beaver' because she was the color of a beaver and being part corgi had very short legs. Than again, years earlier he'd named his teddy bear 'Creedee' - so he likely shouldn't have been assigned the task in the first place, lol!! If you follow the link above, there's a picture of her.
laughingwolf, Can't argue with that :)
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