Patrick Oconnell
The idea that the moon is made of cheese has been a longstanding myth, with the earliest record of this notion stemming from a medieval Slavic fable. In the fable, a fox tricks a wolf into believing that the moon's reflection on a pond is a block of cheese, leading to the wolf drinking all the water in pursuit of the cheese and ultimately bursting. While it is clear that the moon is not actually made of cheese, this myth has persisted for centuries and has been referenced in various forms of media, even by NASA in an April Fool's Day joke.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Origin of the myth | A medieval Slavic fable about a ravenous wolf chasing a fox |
| Earliest record | 1546, in "The Proverbs of John Heywood" |
| Common usage | The phrase came into common use in the following century |
| Mention in literature | English natural philosopher John Wilkins' 1638 writing |
| Scientific support | None |
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What You'll Learn
The moon is not made of cheese
The moon is definitely not made of cheese. While the idea that the moon is made of cheese has been a long-standing one, it is highly unlikely that anyone ever believed this to be true. The earliest record of this notion is found in a medieval Slavic fable, where a fox tricks a wolf into believing that the moon's reflection on a pond is a block of cheese. The fox tells the wolf that he must drink the water to get the cheese, and the wolf ends up drinking too much and bursting. The idea is also found in The Proverbs of John Heywood, which dates back to 1546.
In 1638, English natural philosopher John Wilkins mentioned the phrase while speaking of human gullibility, indicating that it had become a common expression. Despite this, the scientific community has never supported the claim that the moon is made of cheese. This, however, has not stopped the reference from appearing in popular culture, from children's programs to NASA's April Fool's Day joke in 2002, where they claimed to have "proven" the moon was made of cheese with a Photoshopped image of an expiration date on one of the moon's craters.
While the moon may bear a passing resemblance to a giant chunk of cheese, it is composed of a variety of elements and compounds, including oxygen, silicon, and iron, among others. The moon's surface is covered in a layer of dust and rocky debris, known as regolith, which is the result of countless meteorite impacts over billions of years. This is clearly quite different from the composition and texture of cheese, which is made from dairy products and has a soft, crumbly, or creamy texture.
Additionally, the moon's gravity is much weaker than that of Earth, which would make it difficult for the moon to hold together if it were made of cheese. Cheese also requires specific conditions, such as refrigeration, to stay fresh, which the moon's extreme temperatures and lack of atmosphere do not provide. In conclusion, while the idea of a cheese moon is a fun and imaginative one, it is safe to say that the moon is most definitely not made of cheese.
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The myth's origin: a medieval Slavic fable
The idea that the moon is made of cheese has been around for a long time, but it is unlikely that anyone truly believed it. The earliest known record of this notion can be found in a medieval Slavic fable, where a hungry wolf chases a fox. The fox tricks the wolf, telling him that the moon's reflection on the pond is a block of cheese floating on the water, and that he must drink the water to get the cheese. The wolf drinks too much water and bursts, leaving the fox to escape.
This medieval Slavic fable is the origin of the myth that the moon is made of cheese. The story is a clever and humorous tale, showcasing the cunning and quick thinking of the fox, who manages to outwit his powerful pursuer. It is a classic example of animal fable, where animals are used to represent human traits and behaviours, in this case, the wolf's greed and the fox's trickery.
The fable has likely been passed down through oral tradition and has evolved over the centuries. It is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the human imagination. While the original fable may have been a simple tale of animal trickery, it has had a lasting impact on culture and folklore, with the moon being associated with cheese in various forms of media, from children's programmes to NASA jokes.
The Slavic fable is not the only ancient reference to the moon being made of cheese. In 1546, John Heywood wrote in his book of proverbs, "The moon is made of greene cheese" ("greene" referring to the age of the cheese rather than its colour). This phrase became commonly used, and by 1638, the English natural philosopher John Wilkins commented on it, saying that it was an example of human gullibility. Despite the scientific community never supporting the claim, the idea has persisted and continues to capture the imagination of people of all ages.
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The moon is made of greene cheese
The idea that the moon is made of cheese has been around for a long time, but it's unlikely that anyone truly believed it. The earliest mention of this notion can be traced back to a medieval Slavic fable, in which a fox outwits a hungry wolf by tricking him into believing that the moon's reflection on a pond is a floating block of cheese. The wolf drinks all the water, hoping to get the cheese, but instead drinks too much and bursts, sparing the fox. The well-known citation dates back to 1546 and can be found in "The Proverbs of John Heywood," where he jokingly states, "the moon is made of greene cheese." In this context, "greene" refers to the age of the cheese rather than its color.
Over the following century, the phrase "the moon is made of greene cheese" became commonly used. In 1638, the English natural philosopher John Wilkins commented on human gullibility, stating that one could easily persuade some country peasants that the moon is made of cheese. Despite never being supported by the scientific community, the idea has persisted and has been referenced in various children's programs, such as Tom and Jerry and Wallace and Gromit.
NASA even joined in on the joke on April Fool's Day in 2002. They claimed to have "proven" that the moon was made of cheese by releasing a Photoshopped image of the moon with an expiration date printed on one of its craters. This playful prank added to the long-standing cultural association of the moon with cheese.
While it is clear that the moon is not actually made of cheese, the enduring popularity of this myth shows the power of folklore and humor in shaping our perception of the world around us. Even in modern times, the idea of the moon being made of cheese continues to capture our imagination and provides a lighthearted reminder not to take everything at face value.
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Common use of the phrase
The phrase "the moon is made of green cheese" ("green" here refers to the cheese's age, not its colour) became common in the century following its earliest known citation in 1546, in The Proverbs of John Heywood. In 1638, the English natural philosopher John Wilkins wrote, "You may … soon persuade some country peasants that the moon is made of greene cheese, (as we say)", referring to the commonness of the phrase and its implication of human gullibility.
The idea that the moon is made of cheese has been referenced in many children's programmes, such as Tom and Jerry and Wallace and Gromit. Even NASA made a joke about it: on April Fool's Day 2002, they claimed to have "proven" that the moon was made of cheese by releasing a Photoshopped image of the moon with an expiration date printed on one of its craters.
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NASA's April Fool's joke
On April Fool's Day 2002, NASA played a prank on the public by claiming to have "proven" that the moon was made of cheese. The space agency released a Photoshopped image of the moon with an expiration date printed on one of its craters. This prank is particularly amusing because the idea that the moon is made of cheese has been a long-standing myth, with the earliest record of this notion coming from a medieval Slavic fable about a fox and a wolf. In the story, a fox tricks a wolf into believing that the moon's reflection on a pond is a block of cheese, leading to the wolf drinking all the water in an attempt to get the "cheese."
While it is unclear exactly when the medieval fable originated, the idea that the moon could be made of cheese has been referenced throughout history. For example, in 1546, John Heywood jokingly stated, "the moon is made of greene cheese" ("greene" referring to the age of the cheese rather than its color). This phrase became commonly used, and in 1638, English natural philosopher John Wilkins commented on how easily some people could be persuaded to believe something, using the moon being made of "greene cheese" as an example.
NASA's April Fools' joke played on the long-standing cultural reference to the moon being made of cheese. By using a Photoshopped image to "prove" that the moon was indeed made of cheese, NASA likely intended to amuse and surprise people, perhaps even reminding them of the medieval fable or other references to the moon-cheese connection.
The joke also highlights the power of visual media in shaping public perception. By presenting a seemingly authentic image of the moon with an expiration date, NASA played with the idea of "proving" a long-standing myth, blurring the lines between fact and fiction for comedic effect. This prank demonstrates how even a serious scientific organization like NASA can use creative and humorous approaches to engage and entertain the public, creating a lighthearted moment that likely brought a smile to many people's faces.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the moon is not made of cheese. The earliest record of this bizarre notion comes from a medieval Slavic fable in which a ravenous wolf chases a seemingly hapless fox. The fox tricks the wolf into thinking that the moon’s reflection on a nearby pond is a block of cheese floating on the water.
The idea that the moon is made of cheese has been around for millennia. The best-known early citation dates to 1546 and can be found in The Proverbs of John Heywood. Over the following century, the phrase "the moon is made of greene cheese" came into common use.
It is doubtful that anyone ever actually believed the moon was made of cheese. The phrase was likely used to refer to human gullibility. Even NASA got in on the joke, claiming on April Fool’s Day 2002 that they had “proven” the moon was made of cheese.
