Molly's Big Book Of Myths Legends And Stories

Man In The Moon

In Alaska, it is believed that the man in the moon is the keeper of the souls of men and animals. Shamans claim to have the power to ascend to the moon and converse with him.
The Haida people of the Pacific west coast of Canada and Alaska have a legend that a boy gathering firewood by moonlight was banished to the moon for insulting the moon.

The man in the moon is usually seen as an old man carrying a bundle of sticks upon his back, sometimes carrying a forked stick and lantern and accompanied by a little dog.
In "A Midsummer Night's dream", during the rustics performance of "Pyramus and Thisbe", the actor representing moonshine is dressed in just this way. The man in the moon is also mentioned in "The Tempest:

CALIBAN: Hast though not dropped from heaven?
STEPHANO: Out of the moon I do assure thee: I was the man i' the moon when time was
CALIBAN: I have seen thee in her, and I do adore thee: My mistress showed me thee and thy dog and thy bush"

(Caliban is repeatedly called a Moon calf
in this scene).
There are many European legends explaining how the man in the moon got there, the most popular says that he was banished there by Moses, for gathering firewood upon the sabbath.