Beneath the Moon

by Yoshi Yoshitani

  Finally, Sedna’s father came to visit and instantly saw how miserable Sedna was. He also realized that the mysterious man had been a liar. He killed the bird, put Sedna in his kayak, and started for home. But the bird’s family, upon finding him slain, screeched in anger. They set out to avenge him, beating their wings so hard they started a storm. The tiny kayak was soon overwhelmed, and Sedna’s father, desperate to appease the birds and save himself, threw Sedna overboard. Sedna quickly grabbed on to the side of the boat and would not let go, so her father drew his knife and sliced off her fingers. Sedna raged as she sank to the bottom of the sea, and she became a wrathful sea goddess. Her fingers became seals and whales, and her hair grew to entangle all the sea creatures of the world.

  Now if people want to hunt in the ocean, they must appease Sedna and pray for her to release the sea creatures from her grasp.

  Vasilisa the Beautiful

  RUSSIA, RUSSIAN FAIRY TALE

  A merchant and his wife had a sweet and kind daughter known as Vasilisa the Beautiful. When Vasilisa was still young, her mother died. On her deathbed, she gave her daughter a small wooden doll and told her to give the doll a little to drink and a little to eat and the doll would comfort her. When her mother died, the girl did just that and felt soothed by the doll’s presence.

  Time passed, and the merchant married a woman with two daughters. The stepmother was jealous that Vasilisa was preferred by the young men over her own daughters, so the stepmother set out to be rid of her. When the merchant left on a long trip, Vasilisa’s stepmother moved the four of them to a gloomy hut in the forest. She then put out all the fires in the house and bade Vasilisa go fetch light from their neighbor, Baba Yaga.

  Gaining comfort from her doll, Vasilisa traveled the dark woods to Baba Yaga’s home, a house on chicken legs and surrounded by a fence topped with human skulls full of light. As a terrified Vasilisa waited outside the fence, a rider dressed all in white rode past on a white horse, then a red rider, then a black rider. Finally, the old crone Baba Yaga herself rode up in her mortar.

  Baba Yaga agreed to give Vasilisa fire, but only if she completed some impossible tasks. If Vasilisa couldn’t complete them, she would be killed. Vasilisa began to fret as she attempted the tasks, for she was unable to separate poppy seeds from a pile of dirt, or rotten corn from good corn in a single day. But when all hope seemed lost, her little doll told Vasilisa to sleep, for she would do all the work.

  When a surprised Baba Yaga asked how Vasilisa was able to complete the tasks, the girl explained that she was blessed by her mother. Horrified, Baba Yaga told Vasilisa she wanted nothing to do with blessed people. She kicked Vasilisa out of her house, sending her home with a skull-lantern full of burning coals. When Vasilisa arrived back at the hut, the skull magically burned her stepmother and stepsisters to ashes.

  Amhaeng-eosa

  KOREA, KOREAN LEGEND

  The Amhaeng-eosa, or Secret Royal Inspectors, were real historical figures, appointed by the king, with the power to punish the corrupt and promote the deserving. They would secretly enter provinces and use their undercover identities to investigate government officials. They would then reveal themselves with their mapae, the medallions that proved their dominion. While real, they were popularized in dramas and literature, even during the Joseon period, and became mythologized.

  One of the most famous tales is the story of Chunhyang. In this tale, the handsome Yi Mongryong fell in love with and married the beautiful Chunhyang. Unfortunately, he had to move to Seoul to train to become an Amhaeng-eosa just as a new government official, the vile Pyon, took control of the area. Chunhyang vowed to wait patiently for Yi Mongryong and gave him a ring to remember her by. But when he had gone, the greedy Pyon attempted to add the lovely Chunhyang to his courtesan party.

  Chunhyang tried to rebuff Pyon’s advances, which enraged the pompous man, and he imprisoned her. Meanwhile, Yi Mongryong passed the Amhaeng-eosa test and secretly returned to the village to find the mess Pyon had created. Yi Mongryong remained undercover as a beggar and learned about Pyon’s crimes, such as neglecting his duties, throwing lavish parties, and generally abusing his power to terrify the populace. Then, at Pyon’s birthday celebration, just as the government official was about to punish the loyal Chunhyang, Yi Mongryong revealed himself to be a secret Amhaeng-eosa and condemned Pyon for all his wrongdoing. Pyon was then deposed and a new and just official given the position.

  Meanwhile, Chunhyang, happy to be rescued, did not initially recognize Yi Mongryong and rejected his affections. It was only when he returned her ring to her that she realized who he was. Chunhyang was overjoyed, and the couple lived happily ever after.

  La Llorona

  MEXICO, MEXICAN FOLKLORE

  There once was a young girl named Maria who lived in a small village. Though her family was very poor, she was very beautiful, so she eventually caught the eye of an extremely wealthy man. He was riding through her village one day when he spotted her and, captivated by her charms, instantly proposed to her. She was dazzled by him. Encouraged by her family, she accepted him.

  His family was less supportive, so he built a house for her in the small village that he would visit. Maria bore him two handsome sons, and they were quite happy for some time. But her husband was constantly traveling, and he began spending less and less time with his small family. Then he began to ignore Maria and only pay attention to their sons. Eventually he stopped appearing altogether. When she finally saw him again, he was with another woman who was from a prosperous family.

  Furious to the point of losing her senses, she took her rage out on his sons. She brought the children to the river and drowned them.

  When she realized what she had done, she was filled with remorse and sorrow, for of course she had loved her sons. She searched and searched for them, but their bodies were gone. So she drowned herself in the river.

  When she arrived at the gates of the afterlife, Maria was denied entry without her children. Maria was forced to return to Earth and, stuck between the living and the dead, began to search for her children. To this day she still searches, kidnapping children who wander alone at night and drowning them to replace her own children. She can be heard crying, “¡Ay, mis hijos!” or “Oh, my children!” This is why she is now known as La Llorona, or the Weeping Woman.

  Six Swans

  GERMANY, GERMAN FAIRY TALE

  There once was a king whose wife died, leaving him to raise his six sons and a single daughter. Soon the king married a mysterious woman from the forest. Jealous of the sons, she snuck into the princes’ room and transformed them into swans, banishing them to the wild. The woman claimed the sons had died, but the princess didn’t believe her, and she ran away to the woods. There she met a fairy who told her that her brothers had been cursed, but the spell could be broken if she made each of them a shirt of stinging nettles and did not speak while making them.

  The swan brothers found their sister and, learning of her task, flew her across the sea to a new land, where they built her a small home. There she worked tirelessly for years, picking the nettles with her bare hands, crushing them with her bare feet, and weaving and sewing the shirts all by herself without uttering a single word.

  One day as she was working, the king of that country spied her and fell in love with her beauty. He coaxed her back to his castle, where she lived under his protection. Though he gave her gifts and kindness, she never spoke but only smiled and continued about her work. The king fell more deeply in love with her, but his mother only despised her. Searching for a way to ruin her, the dowager queen accused the princess of being a witch who wove evil shirts out of nettles. The princess, unable to speak in her defense, was sentenced to burn at the stake.

  The princess only stitched more furiously, and on the day of her execution, she had made all the shirts except the sleeves on the last one. As the pyre was about to be lit, the six swans appeared, and she gave eac
h one a shirt. They each transformed back into a man except the youngest, who still had the wings of a swan. Free to speak, the princess told her tale. The people were in awe of the miracle, and the princess married the king of that new land. They lived happily ever after.

  Pele

  HAWAI‘I, HAWAI‘IAN MYTHOLOGY

  There are many gods and goddesses of the islands of Hawai‘i, and one of the most famous is the volcano goddess, Pele. Pele was born to the earth and fertility goddess, Haumea, and to the ferocious god Ku-waha-ilo. In the beginning she lived in peace with her many siblings, but peace did not last. Pele used her pa‘oa, a long stick used to till land, to turn the earth and draw up lava. The lava brought rich nutrients for life, but it also brought fire and death. Her older sister, Na-maka-o-ka-hai, was a goddess of the sea who felt a bitter rivalry with Pele and a fear the goddess of fire would eventually burn their home.

  So Na-maka-o-ka-hai drove her sister from their home with floods of water. Pele then took some of her siblings in the canoe Honuaiakea and traveled in search of a new residence. Together they traveled far and eventually landed on the islands of Hawai‘i. At each island a few of her siblings, various deities of wind, rain, fire, ocean, and cloud, disembarked and made their new homes. But Na-maka-o-ka-hai kept flooding and driving Pele on until Pele arrived on the biggest island, where she resides to this day in the volcano Kilauea.

  But Pele has not been quiet during all that time. She is a powerful goddess, but she is also passionate, prone to jealousy and capriciousness. She has had many lovers and does not take rejection well. Once she fell for the handsome warrior Ohia, but he was already in love and pledged to the beautiful Lehua. Furious, Pele turned Ohia into a twisted tree. Lehua was heartbroken, so the gods took pity and turned her into a blossom that grew on the tree so they might be together forever. To this day, Ohia trees with Lehua blossoms are the first things to grow after lava has cleared the land.

  Hang Tuah

  MALAYSIA, MALAYSIAN LEGEND

  One of the most famous warriors of Malaysia is Hang Tuah, a powerful laksamana, or admiral, and a Silat martial arts master.

  Hang Tuah was raised as a woodcutter in his parents’ shop, but his strength and martial prowess led him to the teacher Adi Putera. Adi Putera trained Hang Tuah and his four friends, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekir, Hang Lekiu, and Hang Jebat, in the art of Silat and meditation. The five companions became highly skilled, and their ferocity soon became known far and wide.

  One day a gang of men began terrorizing an area near Kampung Bendahara. They were so brutal that even the region’s top guards were frightened off. But Hang Tuah saw this, and he and his companions attacked the gang with such power and skill that the gang ran away. The head of the guards was so impressed by Hang Tuah and his friends that he presented them all to Sultan Muzaffar Syah.

  Hang Tuah quickly became the sultan’s most loyal laksamana, and his skills and deeds became legendary. On a visit to Majapahit, Hang Tuah fought and won a brutal duel with Taming Sari, a famous pendekar, or Silat master. As a reward, the ruler of Majapahit, Singhavikramavardhana, bestowed on Hang Tuah the Keris Taming Sari, a magical dagger that imbued its wielder with invulnerability.

  Hang Tuah also helped the sultan marry the beautiful Tun Teja. Tun Teja was the daughter of Seri Amar Di Raja Inderaputra, royal chief minister of Pahang. Though the sultan had asked for her hand in marriage, he was denied for political reasons. So with gifts and a love potion, Hang Tuah stole Tun Teja away. When her father discovered what had happened, he sent ships after Hang Tuah, and a fierce battle broke out. Hang Tuah eventually won, and delivered Tun Teja to the sultan, whom she agreed to marry. Hang Tuah served the sultan and eventually served the sultan’s successor for many more years.

  Druids and the White Stag

  IRELAND, CELTIC LEGEND

  Druids and the White Stag were part of the ancient Celtic tradition. Druids were men and women who were religious leaders, legal authorities, lore-keepers, adjudicators, medical professionals, and political advisers. They passed down their teachings orally, and it took many years of study to be considered a full Druid. All Druids were considered wise and very studious. In mythology, they often wielded magic and had the ability to predict the future.

  The White Stag is a magical creature of Celtic legend sometimes considered a messenger from the underworld. It’s an elusive animal, notably impossible to catch and preternaturally good at evading capture. It features in a number of Arthurian myths heralding the beginning of a quest, symbolizing mankind’s perpetual spiritual journey.

  One famous Druid was the warrior Bodhamall, the woman who raised the famous Fionn mac Cumhaill, leader of the Fianna. The story began when Cumhaill was killed and replaced by his rival, Goll mac Morna. Cumhaill’s wife, Muirne, daughter of Druid Tadg mac Nuadat, feared for their unborn son. She fled to the safety of Cumhaill’s sister, the warrior Druidess Bodhmall, and her companion, the fierce warrior Liath Luachra. In their secluded home, Muirne gave birth to her son, Fionn, and left him to be raised by the two women. Bodhmall and Liath Luachra taught their foster son, Fionn, all they knew of the Druid arts and warrior ways, accompanying him on many adventures until he grew old enough to confront Goll mac Morna.

  Other famous Druids included Cathbad, who predicted tragedy and fortune in equal turns. Another was Amergin Glúingel, a Druid who was able to summon a magical storm to prevent enemy ships from landing. There was also the Gallizenae, a group of female priestess Druids who lived on a secluded island and had the ability to rouse the sea and the wind by their incantations, to turn themselves into any animal form, to cure diseases, and to foretell the future to those who consulted them.

  Enkidu and Gilgamesh

  IRAQ, SUMERIAN MYTHOLOGY

  Gilgamesh was the great king of Uruk. Born two-thirds divine and one-third mortal, he had no equal in strength or vigor. His endless energy made him an oppressive ruler for he never tired. He demanded attention, celebration, and love at a rate that no normal human could keep pace with. The people of his kingdom eventually grew so exhausted that they begged the god Anu for help. Anu decided to create the wildman Enkidu to defeat Gilgamesh. Where Gilgamesh was an insatiable man full of culture and civilization, Enkidu was made the solid force of an untamed beast.

  The first time Gilgamesh met Enkidu, he found the wildman’s stubbornness infuriating and challenged him to a wrestling match. Used to his divine strength easily giving him the upper hand, Gilgamesh was surprised to find his match in Enkidu. The two were so equal in strength that they grappled for days with neither gaining the advantage. Finally, Gilgamesh managed to win by a sliver, but he was so impressed by the wildman that they instantly became friends, and they never wished for the company of another.

  The two became inseparable, going on many adventures and defeating many monsters together. This lasted until Gilgamesh made the mistake of insulting the goddess Ishtar, daughter of the god Anu. Ishtar demanded revenge and asked Anu to send the Bull of Heaven to kill Gilgamesh. However, in an unexpected twist, Gilgamesh managed to defeat the bull. Anu demanded retribution for his prized bull, and instead of killing Gilgamesh, he killed that which Gilgamesh loved most—Enkidu.

  A devastated Gilgamesh, driven by grief of the death of his beloved Enkidu and fear of his own mortality, decided to seek out immortality. On the journey, he faced many trials and tribulations and was given tasks that, without Enkidu, even he was unable to complete. He returned home to Uruk a mature man and learned to accept death.

  Hah-nu-nah, the World Turtle

  NORTH AMERICA, IROQUOIS MYTHOLOGY

  In the beginning, there was an island floating in the sky, with a large tree in the middle that provided light and nourishment. On this island, there was no birth or death or sickness or sadness; all the inhabitants lived peacefully and happily. That is until Sky Woman revealed she was pregnant and her husband, the chief, uprooted the great tree and pushed her into the hole. As she s
lipped down, Sky Woman grasped the branches of the tree and managed to pull some seeds down with her. She fell through the floating island and down through the clouds to the ocean below.

  Two water birds saw her plummet down. They rose up to catch Sky Woman on their backs, but she was too heavy to hold on to for long. When they brought her to the other animals, it was decided she needed a more solid place to stay. Beaver dove down to the ocean floor to retrieve some earth, but he drowned. Duck also tried, but he also drowned. Finally, muskrat dove down, and a long time later he brought up a paw-ful of dirt. The dirt was then given to the large turtle Hah-nu-nah—for he was the only one strong enough to support the world—and it was placed on his shell.

  The dirt grew and grew and became the earth, supported on the back of Hah-nu-nah in the ocean of the cosmos. The birds placed Sky Woman on this new earth, and she opened her hands and dropped the seeds of the great tree from the floating island. These seeds flourished and created the many different trees and grasses on Earth. Sky Woman then gave birth to twin sons. Sapling was good and sweet, and he created rivers and fish and delicious edible plants. Flint killed his mother by forcing his way out of her armpit, and he made the rivers flow in only one direction, gave the fish many tiny bones, and covered berry bushes in thorns. The brothers took their mother’s body and, from pieces of her, made the sun and moon.

  Sita of the Ramayana