Griffins also mate for life. Strictly loyal to their partners, they will not take a new mate even if their significant other dies. So they have come to represent monogamous unions and unwavering devotion. Their mixture of sky and ground animals means they are able to traverse both the air and the land, representing the connection between heaven and the earth, the divine and the human.
Griffins have traveled far and wide. They have been found in paintings and sculpture since ancient times in Iranian art and even ancient Egyptian works. Griffins have also been documented in Syria, Anatolia, and Greece. They are in the frescoes of the throne room at the palace of Knossos on Crete. They have been recorded as far east as Central Asia and India. They also appear frequently in the heraldry of Western Europe.
Griffins are also sometimes depicted as the creatures that pull Apollo’s chariot. Apollo is the Greek god of healing, medicine, archery, poetry, and music. One of the twelve Olympians and the most powerful of the pantheon of gods, he originally only watched after the sun god Helios’s cattle. But eventually he became the god that pulled the sun across the sky each day, with flying griffins, stronger than oxen, pulling his chariot.
Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka
RUSSIA, RUSSIAN FAIRY TALE
There once was an orphaned girl named Alyonushka, who lived with her young brother, Ivanushka. Ivanushka was still too young to work, so he would follow his sister to her job on the other side of the forest. The journey was long and hot for the young boy, so when he saw a cow hoofprint filled with water, he asked his sister if he could drink from it. She told him to wait until they could drink from the well. He asked again when he saw another hoofprint—this time a horse’s—filled with water, and again she told him to wait for the well. By this time he was so hot and thirsty that when he saw a goat hoofprint filled with water, he didn’t ask. He just drank. Immediately he was transformed into a little white goat, for the water had been a witch’s trick.
Alyonushka, realizing what had happened to her brother, began to cry. She vowed to take care of him forever. Just then a merchant came riding by and saw the lovely Alyonushka on the side of the road with a baby goat by her side. He asked her why she was crying, and when she told him her story, he instantly fell in love with her purity and proposed to her right then and there. Alyonushka agreed and they were soon wed, and the three lived happily for some time.
However, one day a witch kidnapped the goat-brother and used him to lure Alyonushka to the river. The witch seized the girl, tied her up, and weighted her with stones before throwing her into the water. Ivanushka managed to escape the witch. He ran home and found that the witch had transformed herself to look like Alyonushka. Alyonushka’s husband, who had been away during this adventure, did not notice any difference in his wife. The disguised witch tried to convince the merchant to eat the goat. But Ivanushka instead led him to the river to discover and save the real Alyonushka. Knowing they had been deceived by the witch, Alyonushka and her husband killed her, breaking the curse on Ivanushka. To their delight, he became a human boy once again.
Janus
ITALY, ROMAN MYTHOLOGY
Janus is the Roman god of beginnings, gates, time, passages, journeys, and endings. He is a god of transitions, always having one face looking forward to the future and one looking back to the past. He is particularly important to travel, trade, and shipping, especially when associated with Portunus, the god of harbors.
Janus is an unusual god because he was a mortal man first. The story begins with Saturn, a god of agriculture and great power. He ruled from Capitoline Hill until he was overthrown by his son, Jupiter, who then became the king of all the gods. Fleeing from his son’s wrath, Saturn sought refuge in Latium and with the king of Latium, who was Janus. Janus welcomed Saturn with open arms, so Saturn made Latium successful in its agriculture, especially viticulture, the production of grapes. In return, Janus gave Saturn half his kingdom, and they ruled together peacefully. Latium saw great prosperity under their rule, a true golden age, eventually becoming the city of Rome in the center of the Roman Empire. As a reward, Janus became the god of gates and the god to connect people with all the other deities of the Roman pantheon.
Janus also became the protector over the beginning of all activities. He inaugurated the seasons, and the first day of each month was sacred to him. He was the gatekeeper, the protector of passages and endings, and the deity of duality. He became so important to the Romans that they built him five separate shrines in the city of Rome alone. All the shrines were built near crossings of rivers or watercourses. The most impressive shrine was the one near the Argiletum. The temple had a statue of Janus in the middle, where offerings of wine were given, and large bronze doors on either end, which were open during times of war and closed during times of peace.
Halibu the Hunter
MONGOLIA, MONGOLIAN LEGEND
On the Mongolian steppes, there once was a hunter named Halibu. He was highly skilled and caught much game, but he was also very kindhearted, readily sharing his meat with everyone. Therefore, he was widely respected.
One day while hunting, he heard strange sounds and looked up to see a small creature in the beak of a fierce bird. He shot the bird down with his arrow and was surprised to see a small snake-like creature freeing itself from the bird, but he was even more surprised when the creature thanked him for saving her. She said she was the daughter of the dragon king and that if he followed her, the king would offer Halibu many treasures. She suggested he ask for the stone in the king’s mouth, a magical stone that would allow Halibu to understand the languages of all animals.
The princess took Halibu to her father, and the dragon king was delighted to see his daughter safe and offered Halibu any treasure he desired. The hunter decided he didn’t need treasure, but he asked for the magical stone to understand the languages of animals. The king was surprised but agreed on the condition that Halibu never tell anyone what he heard the animals say, or he would be turned into a rock immediately.
With the stone in his mouth, Halibu brought home even more game. But one day he heard a flock of birds discussing an upcoming disaster. They predicted that the mountain would collapse and the plain would flood that night, drowning everyone, including Halibu’s home.
Halibu dashed home to warn his people, but none of them would believe him no matter how insistent he was. They said moving was difficult and demanded proof. He reluctantly told them about the dragon king, the magical stone, and the birds’ conversation he overheard. As he spoke, he began to turn to rock, and when he finished, he had become completely solid.
The stunned people believed him and hurriedly collected their things. They barely managed to escape before the mountain collapsed and the area flooded. To this day the descendants of Halibu’s people thank him and search for his rock.
Pan Hu
CHINA, YAO PEOPLE
A long time ago, the empress of China had an earache so terrible she sent for her physicians. From her ear they pulled a tiny gold worm, and her pain went away immediately. Instead of killing the creature, the empress set it on a plate under a jar and gave it a little food and water. When she next checked in on it, it had become a small dog. She named the dog Pan Hu, and he soon became a favorite of the emperor, following the ruler wherever he went. So Pan Hu was one of the first to hear about the enemy king who planned to go to war with the emperor.
The emperor put out a proclamation promising his daughter’s hand in marriage to whoever could bring him the head of the enemy king. But the king was a terrible warrior, and no one was able to kill him. Pan Hu took matters into his own paws: he snuck into the enemy’s castle, and when the king was drunk from a night of partying, Pan Hu cut off his head. The dog returned with the head of the king, and the emperor then threw a great feast in his honor. But Pan Hu only sulked, and the emperor realized he wanted the promised reward of marriage to the princess.
The emperor explai
ned that a human princess could not marry a dog. Pan Hu said that this problem could be fixed. He bade the emperor place him under a giant golden bell and not have anyone look at him for seven days. The emperor did this, and for six days the bell rested undisturbed. On the seventh day, the princess began to worry for Pan Hu, thinking he must be hungry and thirsty. She brought him food and drink and lifted the bell only the tiniest bit, but it was enough to break the spell.
Pan Hu emerged with the body of a man and the head of a dog. But the emperor still honored the union, and Pan Hu and the princess married and went on to have many, many children and even more descendants.
The Fairy Godmother
FRANCE, FRENCH FAIRY TALE
The Fairy Godmother is a helpful creature who has supported many heroes and heroines, none more famously than Cinderella.
Cinderella was a beautiful girl whose kind mother died when Cinderella was very young. After remarrying a cold woman with two bitter daughters, Cinderella’s father died also. This left Cinderella orphaned and in the care of her resentful stepmother. Angry that Cinderella was more beautiful than her own daughters, the stepmother put Cinderella to work mending the laundry, cleaning the house, and doing all the cooking. Each night, Cinderella slept in the ashes of the kitchen fireplace and became filthy.
Quiet Cinderella bore all this abuse patiently until she heard about the upcoming royal ball. It was to be a night of celebration, with all the young ladies of the country invited to meet the prince. Cinderella wished to go to the party, but when she asked her stepmother and stepsisters, they all laughed in her face. For who would want to dance with a dirty girl covered in ashes? Cinderella cried as her stepfamily put on their beautiful gowns and rode away to the ball. It was then that the Fairy Godmother, hearing Cinderella’s sobs, appeared to help her.
The Fairy Godmother told Cinderella that because her heart was sweet and pure, she would help her by turning a pumpkin into a carriage, mice into horses, rags into a ball gown, and dirt into glass slippers. But, she warned, the spell would break at midnight. And the rest was up to Cinderella.
Gleefully, Cinderella rode to the ball and met the prince. He was instantly dazzled by her and she by him, and they danced the night away. At midnight, Cinderella remembered the Fairy Godmother’s warning and fled the ball, leaving behind a broken pumpkin and a single glass slipper.
The prince began a search for the mysterious girl, insisting every young lady in the realm try on the glass slipper. But it didn’t fit anyone, until it was finally slipped on the ash-covered foot of Cinderella. Rejoicing, the prince and Cinderella were soon married, and the Fairy Godmother blessed their union.
About the Author
Yoshi Yoshitani is an illustrator based in California who has done work for The Walt Disney Company, Image Comics, Valiant Comics, IDW Publishing, DreamWorks Animation, and Rebellion Publishing. Illustrator of the graphic novel Zatanna and the House of Secrets, Yoshi is currently working on a young adult graphic novel for DC Comics. Yoshi regularly appears on panels at comic book conventions such as Emerald City Comic Con, New York Comic Con, C2E2, HeroesCon, LightBox Expo, WonderCon, DesignerCon, Thought Bubble, and Dragon Con. Yoshi’s favorite stories include “The Bear King, Valemon,” “Tam Lin,” and any story with a trickster character.
Index
A
Acrisius, King
Aladdin
Alexander the Great
Alyonushka
Amhaeng-eosa
Anansi
Apollo, 3.1, 8.1
Apsaras
Aravan
Arjuna, 1.1, 2.1
Arthur, King
Avalokiteshvara
B
Baba Yaga
Bakunawa
Banjhakri and Banjhakrini
Beaivi and Beaivi-nieida
Beauty and the Beast
Bodhamall
Boitatá
Buddha, 2.1, 2.2, 5.1
Buffalo Bull
C
Chunhyang
Cinderella, intro.1, 8.1
Condor, wife of
Coyote, 2.1, 7.1
Crane Wife
D
Danae
Delphi, Oracle at
Dhritarashtra
donkeyskin
dragon pearl
Druids
Dunyà, Princess
Duryodhana
E
Enkidu
F
The Fairy Godmother
Fenrir
G
Ga-gorib
Gandharvas
Gilgamesh
The Gordian Knot
griffins
Guadalupe, Our Lady of
H
Hah-nu-nah
Halibu
Halvor
Hang Tuah
Heitsi-Eibib
Hinemoa
Horus, 2.1, 7.1
Hummingbird
I
Indra
Insects, Woman Who Was Kind to
Isis, 2.1, 7.1
Ivanushka
J
Jack and the Beanstalk, intro.1, 4.1
Janus
Jocasta, Queen
John Henry
Juan Diego
Julnar
K
Kaguya, Princess, intro.1, 2.1
Kambu Swayambhuva
The Kauravas, 1.1, 2.1
Krishna
L
Laius, King
Lehua
Llorona, La
M
Mahabharata, 1.1, 2.1
Mai An Tiem
Ma Liang
Mary, Virgin
Match Girl, The Little
Matsuo
Medusa
Mera
Mermaid, The Little
Midas, King
Mohini
The Monkey King
Moses
Mwindo
N
Na-maka-o-ka-hai
Nanahuatzin
Nephthys, 2.1, 7.1
The Nightingale
Nyame
O
Odin
Oedipus
Ohia
Osiris, 2.1, 7.1
Ouedraogo
P
paintbrush, magic
The Pandavas, 1.1, 2.1
Pandu, King
Pan Hu
Parizade, Princess
Pele
Perseus
phoenix
Pig, The Enchanted
R
Ra, 2.1, 7.1
Rainbow Crow
Rainbow Serpent
Rama
Ramayana
Rapunzel
Ravana
Rhpisunt
S
Saguaa
sake
Scheherazade
Sedna
Set, 2.1, 7.1
Shahrimán, King
Shahryar
Shah Zaman
Shemwindo
Sita
Sky Woman
Sleeping Beauty
The Snow Queen
Sun Wukong
Swans, Six
T
Tàj al-Mulúk
Tam Lin
Tatterhood
Tecciztecatl
timbó tree
Tun Teja
Turandot
Tutanekai
V
Valemon, King
Vasilisa the Beautiful
W
Waramurungundju
watermelon
W
hite Buffalo Woman
Whiteland, Princesses of
The White Stag
Y
Yemoja
Yennenga
Yi Mongryong
Yudhisthira
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Beneath the Moon Page 9