Memories Of An Ancient Goddess At Sintra’s Mountain Of The Moon
Nothing about magical and mysterious Sintra is straightforward, including its name. Sintra can refer to a small town in western Portugal, a short distance north and west of Lisbon, or the large and populous municipality that surrounds it, or finally the Serra de Sintra, also known as The Mountain of the Moon, on whose northern slope the town is built. The Sintra-Cascais Natural Park includes the mountain and the nearby coast.
Sunset view from the distance of the eastern part of the Sintra Mountain. The Palace of Pena is visible on the hilltop; the town of Sintra is built on the slope below. (Image: © Courtesy and permission Sara Daniel)
Perhaps the name “Sintra” comes from the Indo-European Suntria, meaning “bright star” or “sun.” Or, more likely, it is named after the Greek goddess Cynthia, goddess of the Moon, whose name morphed locally into Sintra. Cynthia was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, who was equivalent to the Roman goddess Diana, the goddess associated with the hunt, childbirth, and the Moon.
