Historical documents even show that lunar theories influenced legal thought. The renowned British jurist William Blackstone once suggested that individuals could lose or regain their ability to reason according to the moon’s changing phases. This belief was so ingrained that, at certain times, English law treated crimes committed under a full moon differently, assuming diminished responsibility for those allegedly affected by lunar madness. Such examples illustrate how the moon’s mystical reputation extended far beyond folklore and into the very structure of society.
