The Sun and the Moon
Armenian legends of the heavenly lights
The Sun and the Moon are the children of God: the Sun is a daughter, the Moon a son. By their father's command, they are bound to keep watch over the world in turn, day and night. Sister and brother draw lots to decide which of them shall keep watch at night. The lot falls to the sister — the Sun. Sister and brother begin to quarrel heatedly. The father comes at the noise. When he learns the reason, he rebukes the Moon and orders him to keep watch at night. The Moon agrees to do his father's bidding. God then turns to his daughter — the Sun — and offers her the daytime watch. The Sun objects, saying that as a young woman she is ashamed to show herself before people in broad daylight.
— In that case, says the father, hold a bundle of needles in each hand; whoever dares to look at you — prick out their eyes.
The Sun accepts this arrangement and from that day fulfils her father's will.
The Sun and the Moon are brother and sister: the Sun is the brother, the Moon the sister. In former times the sister went about together with her brother, but because she was so beautiful, the evil eye fell upon her and she fell ill with smallpox. After that, the Moon asks her brother to poke out the eyes of anyone who looks at her, so that the evil eye may never touch her again and so that her illness may be avenged.
The mother of the Sun and Moon lives in the sky, in the star-house. One night, while the mother is kneading dough, the Sun and Moon fall into a quarrel. The Sun-sister says:
— I will not go out at night.
And the Moon-brother says:
— Then I will go out during the day.
They argue at great length, until the mother gets up from her place, deals the Moon a hard slap across the face with her doughy hand, drives him out of the house, and tosses him outside into the night. From that day to this, the Moon goes out at night and the Sun by day.
One day the mother says to the Sun and Moon:
— Go fetch water from the spring; I am thirsty. Whoever brings it first, I will bless.
Sister and brother get up and go for water. The Moon races ahead of his sister and sets his jug under the spring's spout to fill. The Sun secretly bores a hole in the bottom of his jug. On the way back, the water flows out of the Moon's jug and spills — the jug arrives empty. The Sun brings her jug brimming full, gives it to their mother, and receives her blessing.
One day the Sun and Moon go to the river to bathe. The Moon-brother, after bathing a little, comes out of the water quickly and waits, intending to see his sister's nakedness when she emerges. The Sun, sensing her brother's intention, rises up to the sky in shame. The Moon immediately follows her, chasing after his sister — but to this day he pursues her and cannot catch up. That is why the Sun pricks out the eyes of the Moon and of all those who dare to look at her, with her sharp needles.
The Sun is a king, the Moon a queen. The Moon goes out on her rounds when all the world is asleep, so that no one can see her. She goes out walking, surrounded by the stars — her maiden companions and handmaidens. The Moon-queen scatters abundant blessings upon all the creatures of the world, and sometimes, out of modesty, covers her face with a veil of cloud.
The Sun and the Moon are young lovers: the Sun is a girl, the Moon a boy. When they meet, the Moon loses his mind with love and goes dark. From the Moon's neck hangs a blood-soaked skin; sometimes he flings it around the Sun's neck — and the Sun goes dark.