In the Beginning, it is said, the Great Universal Goddess had three sons: the God of Water, the eldest and most powerful; the God of Earth, the second, and most concerned with mortals when later they came; and the God of Air, the youngest, and most carefree.
Now we have spoken already of the Bride of the God of Water, and the mystery of her fate, and also of the Bride of the God of Earth, and of her destiny. One might think, after the uncertain outcomes of these tales, that young girls might be understandably loath to become a candidate for the Bride of the God of Air. So the maidens available for selection were by and large either silly, or naïve, or very brave.
In the end, the chosen girl had a bit of all of these traits, and was, of course, beautiful, intelligent, and soft-hearted like the two previous brides. Her dress was adorned with butterfly wings, and feathers hung from her shoulders and ears to honor the element of air. She held a sacred fan. (cont.) |
