The idea of full moon refers to the full Moon.
The full moon is the full Moon : the phase in which the Earth 's satellite can be seen fully illuminated from our planet. The term comes from the Latin word plenilunĭum, which is the result of the sum of two components of that language: plenus , which can be translated as "full" , and luna , which refers to the natural satellite of our planet.
The full moon occurs when the Earth is right between the Sun and the Moon . This takes place every twenty-eight days, when the Moon's cycle is complete. This usually occurs about fourteen days after the new moon (the new Moon ), the moment in which the satellite is located between our planet and the Sun and the illumination of its visible side is zero.
Legends and myths linked to the full moon
The full moon usually gives rise to various myths . It is believed, for example, that werewolves acquire their animal condition on the nights of the full moon. This can be associated with the belief that wolves howl at the full moon , something that is wrong. These animals, in fact, always howl to communicate: what happens on full moon nights is that, as there is greater luminosity, they are more active and, therefore, howl more.
In ancient times it was also thought that the full moon could be linked to madness . That is why terms such as lunatic were developed, which are used to describe someone who is deranged. The full moon was even pointed out as a cause of insomnia .
The truth is that science has never been able to demonstrate any effect of the full moon on human behavior. Everything is based on folklore and traditions that were shared from generation to generation and that survived to this day.
It is often believed that wolves howl at the full moon.
A book by Antonio Muñoz Molina
It is important to note that one of the most important novels in Spanish of the late 20th century is “Plenilunio” . The Spanish writer Antonio Muñoz Molina was the one who, in 1997 , published this intriguing work that tells how a police inspector finds himself having to deal with one of the most complicated cases of his life. And he has to discover who the criminal is who is dedicated to murdering girls and adolescents in the city. To advance, he will only have one big clue: he commits his misdeeds only on full moon nights.
His old teacher and a new coroner will be the characters who will help the police officer in this case, which will shake up society and will make the protagonist experience one of the most dramatic moments of his entire career.
Such was the success of the book that three years after its publication, in 2000 , film director Imanol Uribe decided to adapt it for the big screen. The cast of actors was made up of figures such as Miguel Ángel Solá , Juan Diego Botto and Adriana Ozores , among others.