Or it might have been, that she simply wanted to become a goddess.Ĭhang’e’s heartrending separation from her husband saddened me for I believed she loved Houyi, and I often wondered if there might be more to the tale. In another, it was said that Houyi became a tyrannical king, and Chang’e consumed the elixir to help his people who would otherwise suffer forever under his reign. In one, she swallowed it to prevent it from falling into the hands of Houyi’s thieving apprentice.

There are indeed many variations of the myth, as to why Chang’e took the elixir. The first line in Daughter of the Moon Goddess is, “There are many legends about my mother”. It was said that Houyi missed his wife greatly and began laying out offerings of her favourite foods on the anniversary she left, with others soon following suit and praying to the moon goddess for good fortune, happiness, and safety-beginning a tradition of the Mid-Autumn festival. Some believe that she was exiled to the solitary moon for her theft by the Jade Emperor, while others think she chose it because it was the closest place to our world. Yet it was Chang’e who took it instead, becoming immortal and flying to the heavens. He was gifted an elixir which would grant him immortality, but did not drink it, as he was unwilling to leave his beloved wife. Houyi was tasked by the gods to end the suffering, and he shot down nine of the suns, leaving one to light the earth. One day, ten suns rose in the sky, causing great devastation to the world of mortals.

This festival is an important one in my culture, a celebration of family, reunion, and love, which are also key themes in my book.Īccording to the myth, Chang’e was married to Houyi, the famed archer. It is often retold during the annual Mid-Autumn festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, on the night of a full moon. We asked Sue Lynn to explain her inspiration for the book in her own words.ĭaughter of the Moon Goddess is a romantic fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess-a story I have loved since I was a child, staring at a picture of the goddess in her beautiful robes, among the clouds. Sue Lynn Tan is the author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess, a debut fantasy novel available now.

Daughter of the moon goddess sequel