The Woman in the Moon
As they watch the bright moon gradually disappear, villagers shout, "The Celestial Dog is eating the moon!″and race home to fetch the nearest acoustic implement to hand. The entire village then takes to the streets and makes as big a commotion as possible – setting off firecrackers, beating drums and gongs, and banging pots and pans – until the moon completely reemerges. This authentic Chinese scenario at times of the moon’s eclipse was commonplace not that long ago. The legend in which this ritual originates is that of a savage dog escaped from hell and at large in the heavens. Its prey was the Jade Emperor but, unable to get at this well-protected sovereign, it ran instead after the sun and the moon. The hell-hound was intent upon eating whichever of the two it first caught, and plunging both Heaven and Earth into darkness. Fortunately the dog had a weakness – a fear of noise that forced it to regurgitate the orb. But it was tenacious in its evil intent. Despite being foiled by valiant mortal efforts, it renews its pursuit of the sun and the moon year after year. It is this imaginative explanation for solar and lunar eclipses that has rendered the moon mortal protection throughout millennia.