Why the Moon Has a Dark Side

Long ago, back when the Gods of Olympus were still worshipped on their golden thrones, there lived a fair, mortal maiden named Daxinae. She lived in a small, unremarkable village outside of Athens. During the daytime, she spent her times tending her garden, or selling her fruits to the village folk at the local bazaar. However, her nighttime activities were unknown, and therefore a topic of much interest. Some of her neighbors claimed that they had seen dark shapes in grove behind her cottage, whereas others swore they saw the pale, raven-haired girl, shrouded in black, at the crossroads just outside of town at midnight, on nights of the full moon.

"She's a strange girl that one…" some would whisper.

"She's always gone on the night of the full moon. That's a sign of a worshipper of the dark goddess, Hecate." Another would add. The simple peasant folk all nodded in agreement at this. So flew the rumors about Daxinae throughout the village.

The next month, things changed for the worst for Daxinae. The day of the full moon, she closed up her shop earlier then usual. And as if that wasn't proof enough of her 'witchcraft', some of her neighbors' cows had been dieing. Of course the real kicker was that these cows had belonged to the neighbors who had claimed to see the girl at the crossroads, or the dark figures in the night.

"It wasn't me! I swear to the gods!" Daxinae yelled, trying to defend herself from the flying accusations that the crowd was throwing at her. Slapping her wooden basket to the dirt, and then slapping the maiden herself, an angry farmer started yelling to her:

"A witch! That's what we have in our midst! A no good, dirty, rotten witch! Just like that Medea woman!" This particular statement caused an angry roar from the crowd. Frightened, Daxinae ran to her house, hoping to escape the crowd, but to no avail. They hounded her like dogs after a rabbit.

Grabbing her velvety black cape, she ran through her grove with Ligurian-like swiftness, towards the infamous crossroads as the villagers chased after her. As she ran to the middle of the crossed section, she fell to her knees, praying with all her might to her goddess, Hecate.

"Most ancient Goddess, beautiful Hecate, powerful, swift, unseen, I invoke with me, Come to my aid.

Ever watchful, nothing escapes your understanding. Your domain is unbounded;the secrets of the heavens, the earth, and the underworld are yours. You hear the laments of the oppressed.

Companion of all who travel in darkness, come to me bearing light in your hands. Be my guide through the dark places. Protect me from unseen dangers."

Her voice rang clear and true throughout the night sky, reaching even to the moon, just as she showed her face. The white light from the moon basked the crying girl in bright moonlight, illuminating her. However, the prayer to Hecate came too late, for at that moment, the villagers had caught up to her, then they all fell upon her, ruthlessly murdering her. As her last breath left her pale, limp body, and the ground was spattered with her virginal blood, the wrath of Hecate, Goddess of Crossroads came forth.

"Fools! Mortals with black hearts! That which this child had done unto to, was done for my favor! And yet you slaughter her like a worthless pig on my sacred altar!"

Summoned from her lunar palace, the glowing goddess appeared before the villagers, her dark eyes glowing with crimson rage and her black cloak billowed around her body, its hood pulled down so that all three of her faces could glare at the mortals before her. As she spoke, her face grew darker, her immortal voice grew louder and deeper until it punctuated into the hearts of all the mortals present and it seemed that all of Greece could hear her tirade.

"Those who defile a goddess' altar shan't live for long. Consider your actions while you roam the earth for eternity, unable to cross into Hades." As she said this, her eyes were almost as bright as Athena's as she pointed to the shivering crowd.

"You die now." And with that, her black hounds sprung from the folds of her billowing shawl, lunging at the throats of the multitude.

During the mindless slaughter and endless feasting of her hounds, she picked up the cold, lifeless body of her favored servant and headed to her palace. Once at her home, she prepared a funeral for Daxinae. As the requiems and dirges echoed throughout the halls, Hecate busied herself with shutting the curtains of half of the palace, blocking half of the moon's once full face for eternity.

And so, throughout the ages past, Hecate continued her mourning, forever leaving the curtains closed, reminding the earth what can happen when you cross the dark goddess.

A/N: This story was something I had to do in English class last year. The project was to create a myth explaining something; I chose Why the Moon has a dark side. I hope you liked it (I got an A) XD.\