Pliny the Elder believed that a full Moon causes the brain to become “unnaturally moist” which results in madness and attacks of epilepsy. Our word “lunatic”, derived from Luna (the Moon), was used to describe epileptics and psychotics. He wouldn’t stand for werewolf stories, though. The Roman author scoffed at gullible Greeks who retold tales of lycanthropy. Instead, Pliny advised epileptics to keep an eye on the Moon and treat themselves with an elephant’s liver or camel brains.
Two thousand years later, medical researchers are still investigating the link between the Moon and the behaviour of human beings (“The lunar effect”). I won’t bore anyone with references. Trust me on this: There is no relationship between the behaviour of the Moon and the behaviour of people. Even patients with clinical lycanthropy seem blissfully unaware of what the Moon is up to. Clinical lycanthropy is a rare psychiatric condition where patients believe themselves capable of transforming into wolves.
Head Over Heals 