Beneath the Moon

by Yoshi Yoshitani

  Greta journeyed to the Snow Queen’s castle, which was made of ice and surrounded by snowflakes. Inside she found Kai alone on a frozen lake next to the Snow Queen’s throne. Greta hugged Kai’s cold body and began to cry. Her tears melted the mirror shard in Kai’s heart, and as emotion filled him again, he began to cry as well. His tears melted the mirror shard in his eye, and he could see things as they were once again. He remembered Greta, and the two danced and rejoiced. Then hand in hand they began the long journey home with the aid of the reindeer, the Sami woman, and the robber girl.

  Turandot

  CHINA, ARABIC FOLKTALE

  There once was a princess named Turandot who was so beautiful that men constantly fell in love with her and proposed. But Turandot hated all men. She remembered her past life as a princess who was abused at the hands of an invading prince, and so Turandot swore to never marry. Still, men pursued her in droves, so she devised a challenge. Men who wished to propose to her had to answer three riddles. If they failed, they would be beheaded.

  Into this kingdom came the young prince of Tartary; his father, the deposed king of Tartary; and their lone servant, the young girl Liu. They arrived just in time to see the prince of Persia fail the three riddles and die before the cold Princess Turandot. The prince of Tartary instantly fell in love with Princess Turandot and proposed to her right then and there. Liu, who was secretly in love with the prince, begged him to not attempt the riddles.

  Turandot’s father, the emperor, was tired of his daughter’s trials and urged the prince to give up on the riddles. Turandot herself warned the prince, telling him to avoid the riddles. The prince paid them all no heed and proceeded to correctly answer all three riddles.

  Surprised at his success, Turandot was trapped. She cried and begged her father to help her break her oath to marry the prince. The emperor told her she was bound to keep her word. The prince, moved by Turandot’s tears, offered his own challenge. If she could find out his name by dawn, she could kill him.

  So Turandot sent out her ministers to discover the prince’s name, but no one knew it. Finally, they brought forward the servant Liu and demanded that she tell them the prince’s name. When she refused, they began to torture her. Still she refused to speak, only calling the prince “Love.” Finally, she fell on her own knife and died in the prince’s arms. The prince, moved by Liu’s compassion, rebuked Turandot for her cruelty.

  Princess Turandot, in a riot of confused emotions of love and hate, asked the prince to leave. Instead he told her his name, Prince Calaf, son of Timur. As dawn rose, the emperor asked Princess Turandot for the prince’s name. She called him Love, and they were soon wed.

  Waramurungundju

  NORTHERN AUSTRALIA, GUNWINGGU DEITY

  In the beginning, the world was very empty and dry. Then Rainbow Serpent came and brought the wet season of rain and floods. The giant snake used its powerful body to slither across the earth and form rivers and gullies. It created thunderstorms and lightning, and it lived in waterholes that never dried up. Then Rainbow Serpent led the goddess Waramurungundju from across the sea.

  Upon arriving on land, Waramurungundju, which was only one of her many names, gave birth to the first people. She had many children, and to each of them she assigned a place to live and a language to speak. This is why there are so many different peoples who speak so many different languages on the earth, all with the same mother. Waramurungundju began to travel across the land, giving birth to more children. Sometimes she was accompanied by Rainbow Serpent, who became associated with menstruation, coming-of-age ceremonies, and fertility. But the serpent left her side, for some places needed the rains to end. Sometimes she was accompanied by the man Wuragg, who traveled by her side. But Wuragg eventually left her for his own journeys and wives before turning into a mountain.

  Waramurungundju continued on alone, and she gave birth to animals and plants and put everything in its place. In one spot she created bees that produced sweet wild honey; in another spot she created the banyan tree. She even carved and created many natural features of the landscape. In this way she was responsible for much of the countryside, and her many children prospered.

  Eventually she reached the end of the land and disappeared. Some people think she returned to the sea, while others think she’s still somewhere on the earth, but no one knows for sure.

  Nanahuatzin

  MEXICO, AZTEC MYTHOLOGY

  In the beginning it was very dark, so the gods decided that someone needed to become the sun to light up the world. The first sun was Tezcatlipoca, but his light was weak. So the other gods knocked him down. Then Quetzalcoatl became the sun, but he became upset and destroyed the world in a hurricane. The third sun was Tlaloc, but his wife was seduced by another god, and he became so angry that he destroyed the world in fire. The fourth sun was Chalchiuhtlicue, but she was mistreated and so she cried blood and destroyed the world in a flood.

  When it came time to choose the fifth sun, the gods decided the only way to make a sun strong enough was for someone to sacrifice their own life in fire. They chose the beautiful, wealthy, and strong Tecciztecatl to become the sun. They chose the ill, poor, and weak Nanahuatzin to become the moon. The proud Tecciztecatl saw the sacrifice as a way to boost his own notoriety, and he made offerings of coral and other expensive gifts. The humble Nanahuatzin saw the sacrifice as his duty, so he made offerings of his own blood and performed acts of penance.

  The gods created a large bonfire and a high platform for the two deities to jump from into the flames. They summoned Tecciztecatl and Nanahuatzin to the top and then bid Tecciztecatl to immolate himself. But at the last moment, Tecciztecatl grew frightened. He tried and tried to make the leap, but his courage deserted him and he cowered away. So Nanahuatzin calmly stepped up and threw himself into the fire. Embarrassed to be upstaged by the ugly Nanahuatzin, Tecciztecatl jumped in behind him. Shortly after, two suns were seen flying into the sky.

  Disgusted with Tecciztecatl’s show of fear, one of the gods took a rabbit and threw it in Tecciztecatl’s face. Tecciztecatl’s face dimmed and so he became the moon. Nanahuatzin, for his part, flew up high and glowed with such strength and brilliance that the world began to parch and burn. So the gods created the winds to move the sun through the sky and create night and day.

  The Phoenix

  EAST ASIA, EAST ASIAN MYTHOLOGY

  The phoenix is a magical fire bird associated with ideas of strength, power, destruction, and rebirth. The story of the phoenix exists across many different cultures and with many different names, but it is always a bird of fire and good fortune.

  One of the most well-known stories of the phoenix comes from Greece. There the bird is nearly invincible, flying between the earth and heaven, the mortal and the divine. Every thousand years it begins to age and die. That is when it builds a nest made of myrrh and cinnamon and immolates itself. From the ashes an egg is formed that hatches a newly reborn phoenix.

  There are many Slavic stories of the fire bird and its beautiful glowing plumage. Its long tail feathers are coveted by many kings and heroes, including Ivan Tsarevich and the evil sorcerer Kaschei the Immortal. The feathers glow with power even after they are dropped by the bird and can bring great fortune—as well as great destruction—to whomever possesses them. As the bird flies across the world, pearls drop from its beak for the poor and less fortunate.

  In Japan, the phoenix is called Ho-ho. It is a sun bird that descends from its home in the heavens to bless the births of virtuous rulers and mark the beginning of a new era. It flies through the skies, a symbol of goodwill from the heavens. It can be found perching on top of torii, the gateways to sacred religious Shinto shrines or the passageways between the mortal and the divine worlds. The mythical bird heralds a time of peace and balance, and its disappearance back to heaven harkens a time of disharmony and destruction.

  Zhu Que, the Vermillion Bird, is the name of the phoenix in China
. It is one of the four constellations making up the four cardinal directions. It is the fire bird of the south and is associated with the summer season.

  Yennenga

  BURKINA FASO, MOSSI LEGEND

  There once was a strong and beautiful princess named Yennenga. She was the daughter of Nedega, the king of Dagomba, and her battle prowess was known far and wide. She was skilled with the javelin, spear, and bow and was an unparalleled horsewoman. She commanded her own battalion, and at only fourteen fought for her father in a battle against the neighboring Malinke. Her skill was so great that she became very precious to her people, and her father feared losing her. When she was of marriageable age, he refused to let her wed even though she desired a husband.

  Irritated with her father, Yennenga planted a field of wheat and helped it grow tall and lush. When it came time to harvest the wheat, she left the grain to rot in the field untouched. In this way, Yennenga expressed to the king her displeasure at not being allowed to choose a husband for herself. But the king was unmoved by her gesture. Instead he locked her up, in a further attempt to keep her from marrying.

  Aided by a friend, Yennenga, dressed as a man, escaped from her father and rode away atop her stallion to the north. She narrowly escaped capture by the Malinke, finally finding refuge in a forest. There she met elephant-hunter Riale, who saw through her disguise. Soon the two fell in love and had a son they named Ouedraogo, which means “stallion,” after Yennenga’s horse.

  King Nedega did not give up the search for his daughter. After many years, he finally learned where she was and that she was still alive. He sent a delegation to her requesting that she come back home, and he even threw a giant feast in her honor. Yennenga agreed and, along with Riale and Ouedraogo, was warmly welcomed back to her kingdom. King Nedega oversaw his grandson’s training and gave him cavalry, cattle, and goods, which Ouedraogo took north to form his own kingdom, Tenkodogo, which eventually became the heart of the Mossi kingdoms.

  In this way, Ouedraogo founded the Mossi kingdoms, and Yennenga is the mother of the Mossi people of Burkina Faso.

  Banjhakri and Banjhakrini

  NEPAL, TAMANG MYTHOLOGY

  In the mountains of Nepal, there are stories of the Banjhakri and his terrifying wife, the Banjhakrini. The Banjhakri was similar to the apelike yeti but was smaller and much more intelligent. He was born from the sun to protect the forest, and his flesh and bones could cure many ailments and heal many wounds. First and foremost, he was a shaman, and many stories tell of how he trained new shamans.

  The Banjhakri was always on the lookout for new initiates to become great shamans, but he was very particular in his choices. They had to be children, and they couldn’t have any scars or imperfections on their bodies. If he approved of them, he kidnapped them, took them to his cave, and put them through rigorous training and tests. Some children reported being forced to eat worms with the backs of their hands, or having their hands dipped in hot oil, or being forced to perform difficult physical tasks. Children unable to keep up were left to the mercy of the bloodthirsty Banjhakrini and her golden sickle. Some of those children returned home beaten and bruised, and some never returned at all. But children who were able to remain steadfast and strong through the testing were rewarded. Years later they returned to their homes as fully trained jhakri, or shamans. They could now play the sacred dhyangro drum, commune with the spirit world, and cure diseases. Jhakri performed rituals at harvests, weddings, and funerals, singing and dancing and beating on their dhyangro drums. They also performed voluntary spirit possession, where the spirits of dead family members could possess the jhakri to communicate with their living family members for a short time.

  Though these children-turned-jhakri could pass on their knowledge to their disciples, no one trained by a human could be as powerful as one trained by the Banjhakri himself.

  Jack and the Beanstalk

  ENGLAND, ENGLISH FAIRY TALE

  There once was a poor young boy named Jack who lived with his mother and their one and only milking cow. There came a day when the cow became too old, and she stopped giving milk. Because she was the impoverished family’s only source of income, there was nothing for them to do but sell her. So Jack reluctantly took the cow to the market. On the way into town, Jack met a bean seller, who offered to buy the cow for a single magic bean.

  Convinced that a magic bean was worth a lot and being too lazy to go all the way into town, Jack agreed to the deal and returned home. His mother, however, was furious. In a rage, she threw the bean out the window and spent the night sobbing. In the morning, the small family realized the bean had grown into a giant beanstalk, reaching up into the sky and piercing through the clouds. A curious Jack decided to climb up the stalk. At the top, Jack found a huge castle belonging to a giant. He slipped in and, with the help of a friendly giantess, managed to avoid being detected by a rather bloodthirsty giant.

  When the giant fell asleep, Jack stole a bag of gold coins, a goose that laid golden eggs, and a harp that talked and played itself. Unfortunately, the harp did not want to be stolen, and it shouted out to the giant, waking him up. The giant roared when he realized what was happening and chased Jack down his beanstalk. Jack quickly scrambled down the stalk, just managing to reach the bottom as the giant started his own descent. The young boy grabbed an ax and quickly chopped through the beanstalk. The beanstalk toppled, and the giant fell to his death.

  From that day on, Jack and his mother lived comfortably off the gold coins and golden eggs and were serenaded by the beautiful sounds of the magical harp.

  Princess Parizade

  ANATOLIA, ARABIC FOLKTALE

  Sultan Kosrouschah was once traveling through his city in disguise when he overheard three poor sisters talking about their dream husbands. The oldest said she wished to marry the royal baker and eat bread all day. The next said she wished to marry the royal cook and eat rich food all day. The youngest, who was the most beautiful, said she wished to marry the sultan and give him children. The hidden sultan was amused, and the next day he granted all three sisters their wishes. The older two became jealous of their younger sister. So when she gave birth to a baby boy, another boy, and a daughter, they stole each child and set him or her adrift in the river. They told the sultan that she had given birth to a dog, a cat, and a stick. The sultan became livid and imprisoned his wife in a tall tower.

  The three children were all found and adopted by the royal gardener, and he named them Bahman, Perviz, and Parizade. They lived happily together until the old gardener died, never telling the siblings about their true parentage. The siblings grieved till one day Parizade was kind to an old woman who told her about three magical objects: the talking bird, the singing tree, and the golden waters. Parizade was determined to set out and find them. But her brothers wouldn’t permit her to leave and instead set out themselves to retrieve the items for her. Bahman and Perviz found a dervish who told them to climb a particular mountain and never look back no matter what they heard. But they were unable to ignore the taunts they heard on their climb. They looked back and were turned to stone. Parizade eventually followed after. But at the mountain she stuffed her ears with wax and laughed at the voices who tried to taunt her. At the top she found the magical objects. With the golden water, she cured her brothers; with the singing tree, she brought magic to her garden; and with the advice of the talking bird, she convinced the sultan that she and her brothers were his legitimate children. Their mother was freed, and they became part of the royal family.

  The Legend of Hinemoa and Tutanekai

  NEW ZEALAND, MAORI LEGEND

  A long time ago, there was a great chief who lived at Owhata on the shore of Lake Rotorua in New Zealand. He had a beautiful daughter named Hinemoa, whom many young men wished to marry but she had eyes only for the handsome Tutanekai. Tutanekai was also enamored of Hinemoa, but he knew that though he was of good birth, his rank was too low for Hinemoa’s father to ever a
ccept him as a suitor. He was not even a tohunga, or skilled practitioner, of magic, someone able to make the Kōwhai flowers spontaneously bloom to win himself the admiration of his lover. So he watched her from afar, and because he lived far out in the middle of the lake on Mokoia Island, he saw her very infrequently. Finally, Tutanekai confessed his feelings to Hinemoa, and she to him, and they agreed to be married despite the chief’s disfavor. They agreed the best thing to do would be for Hinemoa to steal a canoe in the dead of night and row to Tutanekai. Tutanekai, for his part, would play his flute to guide her and let her know the coast was clear.

  For several nights Tutanekai played his flute, but Hinemoa never came. The chief had suspected Hinemoa’s intentions and ordered the canoes to be pulled up far out of the water each night. Growing desperate, Hinemoa finally came up with an idea: she would tie hollow gourds to her clothing to keep her afloat and swim across the lake.

  Hinemoa swam through the night, resting on the floating gourds when she grew tired, following the sound of Tutanekai’s flute when she lost her way. Exhausted, she finally made it to shore and revived herself in a warm pool of water. She teased and lured Tutanekai to her side, and they were married right away.