"The Mercy and Compassion of the Moon God Sien"

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—Adapted from fables passed down in rural farming communities

The Mercy and Compassion of the Moon God Sien Illus. Chris_Dandelion

Worship of the Sun God, Tidan, and his wife, the Moon God Sien, are not only common in large cities, but also in rural communities as well, especially those invested in agriculture. Theologians believe this is due to the influence of the gods' portfolios on the villages, and how the lives of the people in such villages are at the whims of the sun and weather. There are many stories and anecdotes about these two gods that have been passed down among the rural villagers for generations. The following tale is but one of them.

"Heeeyyy gramma! The neighbor boy Hugo's acting up again! He just put a frog down the back of my dress!" A young girl stands in front of her grandmother, with an indignant look on her face. Seeing this, the old woman stops spinning her thread, and smiles kindly. "He's such a brat, I don't think even Lady Sien could forgive him. I'm sure Lord Tidan'll punish him, right?"

The old woman chuckled a bit, then replied. "Such a terrible child. However, even Tidan was quite a ruffian at times-"

"What? Lord Tidan?"

"Yes, Yes, Lord Tidan. Right after he became a god, he found that he controlled the power of the sun, and could make it do what he wanted. However, he was also a bit moody then, and would either make it as hot as midsummer, or prevent the sun from setting for days at a time, without realizing what that would do to the people."

"That sounds like a good thing, right? Oh, but then it might get too hot..." A puzzled look crossed the girl's face, and her grandmother nodded knowingly.

"Yes, exactly. Every time Tidan got angry, there was a drought. Every time he was happy, there was no night. People at the time were worried, afraid to upset him or get him in a good mood."

"So then what happened to...?"

"Since Tidan was a god, no one dared to oppose him. People were afraid to make him angry and cause a drought, so no one spoke up. No one, anyway, until Sien said something."

"Oh, Lady Sien! That's the Moon God!"

"That's right, but at the time she wasn't a god. Not yet, anyway."

"Eeh? Wasn't she scared?"

"I'm sure she was. But she went up to Tidan and told him off anyway."

"Oh, that's very brave."

"Indeed it was. Some people think she was his wife, before he became a god. Others say that she slapped him in the face, and got his attention that way."

The young girl put her hands over her mouth, shocked by what her grandmother was saying. "Slapped in the face?"

"Well, that's what some people say." The old woman shrugged, then continued. "The thing about myths and legends is, no one knows what is truth, and what are tall tales. Whatever happened, Sien hugged Tidan, and told him all of the good that comes from the sun, one by one. Good things, like the sun rising, bringing the new day. The sun being overhead, which allows trees and crops to grow big and strong. The sun setting, allowing people to relax and dream of tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Really. And so, Tidan gave Sien part of his divinity, having fallen in love with her, and asked her to rule over the night like he did the day. This way, he wouldn't get carried away and let his emotions cause trouble. That's why, at dusk, Sien comes to carry the sun away and put the moon in the sky. Half of the day is Tidan's time, and the other half belongs to Sien."

"Oh wow... Lady Sien, you're amazing..." The young girl has a look of admiration on her face, and the old woman smiled again.

"So now, if Hugo acts up again, stop him, but don't give him a hard time about it."

"I will, gramma. Maybe we can even be friends."

"Maybe... he's already trying to be friends."

"No, no, no, no he's not." Seeing her granddaughter frown in denial, the old woman laughs.

""Like a peaceful night, everyone will be safe." Just like Sien taught, if you give a hand to even the rambunctious ones and become friends with them, everyone will manage to find peace."

"Really, gramma?"

"Yes, really."

Though the young girl is skeptical, her grandmother pats her on the head reassuringly. There is peace in the girl's heart, even if she doesn't know it yet.