Myth of the Moon Goddess - The Aradia Chronicles, Books One, Two and Three

by Rane, April

  “My heart is heavy,” Eurynome said, as she stood unflinchingly in the middle of a circle of saddened and disheartened women, few of whom bothered to look her way. The funeral rites had been extremely emotional. Many of the customs and rituals they would normally perform could not be undertaken, for it was not safe to have a fire. Looking around sadly at the group, she took a deep breath and decided with resignation she must continue.

  “What I am to say is not easy, but it must be said!” she declared.

  Grandmother looked on in astonishment as the child she had known became a warrior and leader, right before her eyes.

  “Eurynome,” Marta cried accusingly, “you knew this would happen! Look at you in your breastplate and fancy shield, wielding weapons we have never before seen! You are flaunting your prowess! I saw you, blood painted on your face and war-cry’s on your lips. You were eager to fight. You are no longer my friend. You are evil!”

  Continuing to stand firm, Eurynome faced her attacker. Her golden eyes did not hold animosity, yet they held no pity. Instead she searched for the strength that she knew was inside of her friend.

  “You…you,” Marta tried to continue, but in her weakness her voice failed her. She sobbed openly as she nursed her arm that had been broken in the attack. It’s your fault!” she went on. “All of it!”

  Theta looked at her daughter and stopped herself from weeping. She wanted to gather her in her arms the way she used to when Marta was just a tiny babe, but intuitively knew that this was not the time. Instead, slowly, she found her voice.

  “I for one value my life and yours, my daughter,” she looked pointedly at Marta. “I know you are in pain. But if not for Eurynome, you would be dead, or tethered to a lead following one of the renegades back to his village. Eurynome did not make us come on this pilgrimage; we were determined against all odds. Again… if not for her intervention, you’d be dead!”

  “I wish I was dead,” Marta sobbed, “I wish I was dead! It’s her fault, all those evil visions, the stories…”

  Her tirade stopped abruptly as her mother came up behind her and tenderly placed her hand on her head, lovingly beginning to stroke her hair, hoping against hope that she would have the courage to continue. But so many of the girls and women about her were standing stock still, and wearing expressions of distress and fear. She thought of all the mistreatment Eurynome had endured for being different, being independent and having an opinion. Her deep sable eyes sought and held those of Eurynome across the circle, and a thread of consciousness bridged between them. As she addressed the group her voice pulsed with truth and awareness.

  “How does it matter that Eurynome knew in advance of this event?” she demanded. “Would we have listened to her had she forewarned us? No my friends….Sadly, we would not have. Some of us have loved her, some feared her, but all of us believed her tales and vision madness. I say we listen to her words. Can you not feel the weight upon her? Let us listen not only with our ears but with our hearts to this goddess among us. Let us not be jealous or fearful for sometimes the only difference in greatness and madness… is the outcome.”

  Eurynome felt all eyes upon her. The weight of these women’s lives and the lives of the children that were yet to be born weighed upon her. They could return to the village and tell the men that the children had been stolen. The men would shrug and say, “We can always have more children.” The women would shrivel up in self-pity, and lead ineffectual, hopeless lives. She prayed, Goddess, give me strength to say the right words, to do the right thing.

  “Do you know why my heart is heavy?” she asked as she moved gracefully around the circle, affectionately touching each woman as she passed. With a strong firm hand she raised a chin here and there, as she moved and looked deeply into their eyes or stroked their hair and touched a shoulder until she had stood bravely in front of each and every one of them.

  “Thirty and one was how we started out. Now there is twenty and four.”

  Slowly, she continued to walk among them, hoping to imbibe them with the courage to follow her to the village of the renegade band that had killed or maimed their friends and stolen their children.

  “My heart is heavy, not only for what has happened yesterday as the sun rose, but what will happen on the morrow if we do not act. Let us go back in time. I want you to remember the actions and words of your sons and mates upon learning of your pilgrimage. How did they support you? They suggested Jontue be the guide, even knowing his sickness was worse than ever. They also made the grand offer of two youths, brothers, to accompany us, who have had no benefit of male influence to teach them anything about scouting!”

  A huge sigh passed Eurynome’s lips as she continued.

  “In the end it was at my prompting that we say nothing about Jontue’s death. The men would not have offered any other help, but they would have tried to stop you from coming. For some of you, traveling to the great city of Hattusas is the opportunity of a lifetime to see a world thought to be by some, a figment of women’s imagination. For others, your daughters, this journey opens doors that are only dreamed about. To train as a priestess at the beloved feet of Cybele in her sacred temple.”

  The sun, flashing over Eurynome’s left shoulder, burnished her copper hair with fire. Fearlessly, though she saw doubt in the eyes of some, she proceeded.

  “Those of you that have a mate found you could not speak of the pilgrimage or your man would become quarrelsome. All of the men were laughing about the Goddess. Joking about Queen Cybele losing her power because she had taken a lover and how he would now take over and rule in her stead”

  Anger coursed through her for a moment. “I think most men forget it is the female blood that carries the royal line. Or if they know it to be true, they wish to forget it! Many of you thought, over the years, that I talked to myself, muttered as you call it, in the woods. No, I talked to all those who have gone before me. I dream the dreams of forewarning because I esteem my ancestry. I hold that each one of you has intrinsic knowledge that you refuse to honor. Each one of you has abilities that lie hidden deep within, and it is because it frightens your man that you refuse to use your powers.”

  Eurynome knew there was no turning back now. A few of the women moved forward and Eurynome could tell they were listening with their hearts. And so she spoke clearly and resolutely to them, prying open their courage with her own.

  “You are strong and courageous but you have become weak and dependent on, or fearful of men. Look and see what is happening before your very eyes. Men are fearful of the Goddess and wish to destroy all that she stands for. It is why they rape, to belittle the inherent power of women. Have you not noticed when there is a child, especially a female child, the men found a reason to move on? How many of you wait? It hardens my heart to see you spend your youth talking of when your mate returns…. as if it were something real. It is ludicrous! I could not bear to be around it, so I retreated to the woods!”

  Eurynome concentrated her attention on each upturned face, and as she slowly moved in a clockwise motion, her mood lightened as she identified attentiveness and sad recognition in the eyes looking vigilantly in her direction.

  “I see you are now ready to hear truth,” Eurynome asserted, nodding her head.

  A loud wailing vibrated through the gathering as Marta called upon the Goddess to curse her father for deserting her. Next she cursed all of the men in their village for being too cowardly to take her as a mate.

  “How dare they look down upon me simply because my mother does not have a proper offering,” she wailed and stamped her foot. But her sorrow opened the door to understanding.

  Each of the women in turn began crying or shouting at the disrespect they had received at the hands of men. Between bursts of anger, there was a deep lament of longing and loss. They were slowly beginning to see that their deepest anger was at themselves for pretending to be weak when they were strong and fearful when there was courage to be had.

  When the wailing ceased, Eury
nome said, “Your tears are good. The Goddess tells us that tears are the well-spring of power. Their salty taste is to remind us that the same power that moves the tides resides within each of us.”

  Gathering momentum, Eurynome persisted. “Some of you have not seen the sea, but all have heard tell of it. If you choose to go on with this journey you will know the greatness of the land and the loving power and strength of the Goddess. Our journey leads us first to the Black Sea and then to Hattusas, the greatest fortress ever built.”

  When the women cheered in unison, Eurynome took courage from their trust in her and spoke with a level and clear voice.

  “If we are to gather power and feel the Goddess flow through us, we must locate the village where our sisters have been taken. We must find those responsible for taking three of your daughters and butchering four of your sisters. Let us rest and then we will talk some more.”

  Listening intently, the women gathered around the circle in a tight knot. Eurynome looked carefully at the mothers of the girls that had been taken.

  “The men that ran off with your daughters will head back to their village,” she told them. “I can follow in their footsteps, even when they believe they leave none. It will be a big surprise to them! They will not expect a group of women to be able to follow or find them, but find them we will! You will have your daughters back very soon, that I assure you. The men attacked by first sun, for the Sun represents all that is male, but we will attack on the night of the full moon. The Moon Goddess will light our way. She will help us find our sisters and bring them home.”

  Thiscara and Theta knew that Eurynome was trying to bring hope to what seemed to be a desperate situation. The sight of the two young mothers reminded all of them of how important hope was, and they embraced the two in motherly love, as they listened intently to what Eurynome had to say.

  Eurynome found a smooth oasis on a boulder that jutted out from the rocky mound near the cavern. Letting out a soft sigh, she sat, leaning her back against the cool granite, feeling the taut muscles in her shoulders begin to relax. Deep in thought, she wondered how best for them to follow through on the raid, and looked down, her features drawn in concentration on the clan below; she did not want to lose one more life. The group would be surprised to know how much she cared. But she did not care for the lack of independence they displayed, or the fact that some of them were starting to believe there was something wrong with female rule. Ignoring that fact, she decided she only cared for the greatness that was hiding deep within each one of them. Her long, lithe body slowly unwound itself from its comfortable position.

  “Jutia!” Eurynome exclaimed as a heavy booted figure approached her. And then, with a spark of merriment in her golden eyes, she asked, “Have you ever heard of an elephant?”

  Surprised, Jutia stopped abruptly.

  “I …ah… no! I came to tell you that a few more nights are too long to wait,” she complained, drawing her thick brows together in a frown. Her dark wavy hair was cropped boyishly short since, years ago, she had decided that long hair just got in the way of what was important to her, and that was being a mighty warrior.

  “Yes, and we will put that time to good use,” said Eurynome, “I will show you how to wield a knife, how to disable an opponent very quickly, and how to protect yourself when someone attacks you.”

  “I know very well how to protect myself from anyone!” Pride and anger rang in Jutia’s voice.

  “Then I will tell you about elephants, and show you how they walk,” said Eurynome, smiling now, “I will also tell you about their gentle yet protective ways, and the fact that they never forget kindness.”

  Leaving Jutia’s simmering anger behind, Eurynome reached toward the pack that she had prepared earlier. As she began her reconnaissance, she thought of Jutia and her discontent at not becoming their leader, because that was where her anger stemmed from.

  Eurynome knew that Jutia had strength, courage and a good mind. She also knew that she lost patience easily. As she gave thought of how to handle Jutia and the situation that she knew was brewing, she found what she had been looking for. The men had traveled alongside of the river, occasionally moving into the shallow water just in case they were being followed. Once she was sure of their direction, she headed back to camp. She had so much she wanted to teach the women, because the night of the full moon was fast approaching.

  After a morning filled with practicing knife throwing, and learning how to fall without being hurt, a tired group of women moved stiffly, following the trail left for them by Eurynome. Even Marta, whose injury was still causing her a lot of pain, tried to emulate the quiet moves Eurynome had shown her. Marta’s arm was hurting less because, earlier in the day, Eurynome had located a mulberry tree, and caringly provided her with mistletoe to provide relief from her discomfort.

  Marta had given quite a bit of thought about their friendship when they were younger, before all the children made fun of Eurynome and she, too, had pulled away. After her friend’s gentle care, she couldn’t help but remember the time that Eurynome had given her a butterfly, its delicate wings still wet, fresh from its cocoon, telling her to safeguard it, till it could fly on its own. She said it would make a very long journey in its lifetime, flying many, many miles. She then told her something that Marta would never forget. “We are like this butterfly, Marta. Someday we will fly free, just as this one will. We will go on a long journey together, and that journey will change us forever.”

  Loving the experience of the woods as always, Eurynome was deep into her exploration of the area when she spotted a clump of linden flowers. While absorbed with gathering some to brew a tea to help with the monthly pain some of the women suffered, she heard the rustling of bushes, and noticed that the animals had gone suddenly silent. Eurynome froze as four men passed by her on the trail, nearly stepping on her as she blended soundlessly with the trees, the wild flowers and the tones of earth. And when the danger passed, she moved slowly into the deepest part of the woods, away from the rough honed trail.

  Appearing out of nowhere, Eurynome rushed into camp and motioned for the women to stop and be very still and quiet. All became motionless.

  “They are very close,” she whispered, holding up four fingers, and pointing to the North. Motioning the women to take cover, she pulled out her knife and indicated that they should do the same. Without a sound, she crept forward in the direction that the men had been coming from only to find that the danger was over. The men had moved to the east away from the river; the women’s camp site was safe for the time.

  There was no fire at their camp that night. Eurynome had cautioned everyone to keep their voices to a whisper because of the danger of sound traveling. There were mixed feelings about the raid. Some of the women were very frightened, and the two mothers were anxious for their daughters, because of what they might be going through.

  In these last few days, Eurynome could feel the power of their excitement. Teaching them to fight and wield their knives had been a powerful experience for them, although more time was necessary to make them proficient. Thinking of Jontue, and how many hours, days, months, and even years he had prepared her for this moment, she felt a weight of responsibility to these brave women, knowing that they placed their trust in her, and vowed not to let them down.

  The sound of raised voices and scuffling distracted Eurynome from her reverie. Silently, she leapt toward the offenders and gave quiet but stern orders to hold their tongues.

  “I am getting impatient! Why must we wait one more night?” argued Jutia.

  “It is for the full of the moon we wait,” answered Eurynome, indicating that Jutia should keep her voice down.

  Jutia was much older than Eurynome, and perhaps because her family openly boasted about royal lineage, seemed to be the only one having difficulty taking orders. Taller than most, and muscular, with large bones, she angered easily and had a fierceness which intimidated many of the young women, although she had never showed her temper in f
ront of Eurynome. Now, the inner core of Eurynome’s body tingled with awareness; it was time. The events of the last few days brought out the pure animal instinct of a natural leader. Eurynome wanted to shake Jutia, like a lion shakes her cub, telling her to behave. But she knew chastisement would not work. Jutia was too proud.

  “The Moon’s waxing! It’s nearly full. It matters not that we wait one more night!” Jutia nearly growled at Eurynome. “We are wasting time, don’t you agree?” Her voice was a loud gravelly whisper as she spoke to the others.

  There was a low mumbling sound as the group deliberated amongst themselves. Jutia decided to take this for accord and shouted, “Then it is agreed we go tonight.” At which the mumbling rose to a roar.

  Eurynome put out her hand to quiet the group. When she had their attention she declared, “I have had a vision. The raid takes place on the full of the Moon. If we go hither this night all will be lost.” With that she calmly turned her back on her angry sister, knowing full well that Jutia had her knife drawn and hidden behind her back.

  When Jutia lunged, Eurynome pivoted on her left leg and kicking the knife out of Jutia’s hand with her right continued the spin until she once again faced her. With raised elbows aimed for her opponent’s neck, Eurynome knocked Jutia over and pinned her to the ground. Many of the women barely had a chance to blink before it was over.

  “You have done well my sister” Eurynome said, raising her opponent up and clapping her on the back, “though we can all do with more practice. We have learned a great deal on this journey!”

  Jutia stood, dazed and astonished, as Eurynome spoke to her with approval in her voice.

  Eurynome turned to the group and said, “When you are a natural leader, as is Jutia, it is hard to follow. Your sister is anxious, as are all of you. But we will soon allow the Goddess to lead us to victory!”