Máni is attested in the Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda, and in Tacitus’s Germania. He is the god of the moon and brother of the goddess of the sun, Sól. It is from him we get our famous “Man-in-the-Moon” in English folklore.

Along with his sister and their father, Mundilfäri, Máni is one of the gods associated with the keeping of time. Like Sól, he is described as beautiful, but with dark hair and silver eyes. In Völuspá, he is said to serve the Æsir in order to help reckon the year.

Both Sól and Máni are pursued ceaselessly by a pair of wolves and are destined to be caught and devoured at Ragnarök. Lunar eclipses were thought to be moments when Hati, the wolf who chases Máni, gets dangerously close. Some scholars believe the finality of Ragnarök is a Christian invention or embellishment passed along by Snorri Sturluson. Earlier forms of the myth may have imagined the chase as cyclical rather than apocalyptic.

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Some tales cast Máni and his family as gods. Others call them Jötnar, suggesting they are ancient powers who appeared during the shaping of the cosmos. The idea of the sun and moon being pulled by horse-drawn chariots is ancient and appears widely across Indo-European religions.

Máni is said to be attended by two child-spirits: a girl named Bil, and a boy named Hjuki. They are depicted as carrying pails of water and are the origin of the nursery rhyme "Jack and Jill." Bil’s name means to decrease or pour out, while Hjuki means to increase or fill. Together, they represent the waxing and waning of the moon, and the moon’s influence on water and tides.

Máni is known by different poetic names across the Nine Realms. Among humans, he is called “Moon.” The gods call him “The Fiery One.” In Hel, he is “The Whirling Wheel.” Giants call him “The Hastener.” Dwarfs say “The Shiner.” And the Álfar call him “The Counter of Years.”

As god of the moon, one of Máni’s primary roles is to help humankind tell time, track seasons, and prepare for planting. He is not the moon itself, but its guide. He steers a chariot carrying the celestial body. The moon’s phases reflect his endless effort to dodge and outpace the wolf that hunts him. His chariot is pulled by a horse named Hrimfaxi, which means Frost Mane.

There is little evidence of a dedicated cult for Máni, though his sister Sól was likely widely worshipped. Ancient Germanic religion did not see the sun and moon as opposites, but as companions—siblings traveling the sky together.

In Baltic Europe, Sól was worshipped under the name Saule. It’s likely Máni received reverence alongside her. He was invoked in spells across Scandinavia, Germany, and England. He is one of the few gods associated with seiðr, or witchcraft. In Hávamál, he is linked to blessings and curses. Inscriptions at gravesites ask for his protection, for both the living and the dead. His name is invoked in charms for fortune-telling and prophecy.

The weekday Monday is named for him.

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Thoughts on Máni

Máni is sometimes invoked by modern Heathens as a guardian of children, especially those who have suffered abuse or neglect. His care for Bil and Hjuki offers a spiritual model of protection and compassion.

To the ancient Germanic peoples, the moon was masculine. This mirrors other traditions, such as the Egyptian moon god Khonsu. But Máni still bears a strong connection to the feminine. His influence on women’s menstrual cycles was well understood, and lunar rhythms were sacred to Northern European women.

Folk traditions connect the moon with fertility, love, and agriculture. Máni was called upon to bless romantic unions and ensure strong harvests. Jacob Grimm describes Máni as a bringer of wealth and abundance. Tacitus notes that moon phases were used to determine holy days and optimal planting times.

Many Anglo-Saxon lunaria survive today—texts that use lunar movements to predict everything from the weather to human fate. Ancient calendars were lunar, and the moon’s importance was woven into everyday life.

The lunula, a crescent-shaped piece of jewelry, was common across Norse and Slavic cultures and served as a symbol of the moon’s power.

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Signs and Symbols

The moon, silver, astrology, and crescent shapes. The lunula. Herbalism, timekeeping, clocks, calendars, magic, stone circles, Monday, tides, and the night sky.

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Associated Names

Manni, Moon (English), Meness (Baltic)