Ballad of the Sun and Moon is a poetic retelling of a Japanese Mythology, particularly the story of Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi and how night and day becomes separate.
The poem can be read in Archive of Our Own here
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The poem contains examples of:
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade: In the original myth, Tsukuyomi expresses no remorse over his murder of Uke-mochi. Nothing is said about his emotional reaction to his subsequent banishment, nor does he express any longing to return to Amaterasu. In the poem, the Moon is permanently scarred by guilt after killing the Sky Fox, his light is diminished, and he goes into self-exile. Despite this, he still yearns for the Sun, and his longing for their reunion is described as "silver gleams [falling] like tears".
- Adaptational Sympathy: In the original myth, Tsukuyomi kills Uke-mochi because he's disgusted by the way she prepared the food—the murder is prompted by pride, as he believes that a lesser deity has disrespected him. In the poem, the Moon kills the Sky Fox because the latter had deceived and humiliated him, making his violence against her somewhat more justified.
- Adaptational Villainy: In the poem, Uke-mochi's role is taken by the Sky Fox, who is depicted as a malevolent being deliberately who lures the Moon with an illusory feast to "trap him in her thrall". In the original myth, Uke-mochi was simply Innocently Insensitive, preparing food in a manner that Tsukuyomi found disgusting and offensive.
- Asian Fox Spirit: The story features a Sky Fox (i.e. a fox spirit that has gained its ninth tail, and ascended to the heavens). She seems to embody the more negative aspects of the creature—being an evil seductress who is capable of using witchcraft, illusions or charms to confuse, deceive, and make others go insane.
- Allegory: The poetry makes several changes to the original myth, transforming the "Just So" Story about the separation of day and night into an allegory of temptation, irreparable action, shame, guilt, and the yearning for redemption.
- Ballad of X: The poem is titled Ballad of the Sun and Moon and is written in a poetic ballad formnote .
- Eastward Endeavor: Inverted. The Sky Fox is stated to have come from the East, and lures the Moon to her domain with the promise of a feast of meat and wine (representing worldly pleasures). Instead of finding spiritual discovery or awakening, the Moon falls into darkness after the Sky Fox's deception drives him to violence.
- Fire/Water Juxtaposition: The poem describes the Moon's guilt over killing the Sky Fox as being simultaneously burning and freezing.The white-hot shame burned scar-like rilles
That turned to ice his core - Foul Fox: The Sky Fox is a temptress who lures the Moon to an illusory feast, then mocks him when he falls for her deception.
- "Just So" Story: Like the original myth, the poem explains why day and night don't share the sky. The additional references to the blood-red marks and scar-like rilles also provide an "origin story" for lunar craters and dark spots.
- My God, What Have I Done?: After the Moon kills the Sky Fox, he is immediately struck by guilt, which "marked on him blood-red".
- Named by the Adaptation: Inverted. Even though the poem is explicitly based on the story of Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, the characters are never called by their personal names, instead referred to as simply the Sun, the Moon, and the Sky Fox.