It is said that the goddess Istare, weary of her husband’s philandering ways, summoned a great spirit from the Outer Void to be her champion. The spirit descended to the earth in the form of starlight, and entered the womb of a king’s daughter as she slept. Eventually, when her condition became known, the king questioned his daughter who knew nothing of men. In shame the king locked the girl in the strongest tower of his palace, and there she eventually gave birth to a son. But it was as if all of her strength went into the child, for she died upon seeing his face, but not before naming him Asterion, the ‘Star’.
When the king saw the beauty of the child he repented his ill treatment of his daughter and grieved for her, but he grew to love the boy, who was raised as a royal prince, though no one knew who the father had been. And the goddess looked down from the firmament, and saw that the boy was beautiful and strong, and she smiled and gave him her blessings. And the boy grew strong-limbed and quick-witted, and was taught all of the ways of the world: of diplomacy, war, and governance. And yet he was restless and had wanderlust.
In his twentieth summer, the boy asked his father to grant him leave to go out into the wide world. Though much grieved to see him go, the king granted his request, and gave him also a horse and fine clothes. And the goddess Istare gave to him a hauberk of fine mail and a heavy belt with a sheathed sword that had been forged by Mahar out of starlight. And all those who saw him thus clad said that he looked like a young god. And so Asterion set out to see the world, and he traveled to many strange and distant lands, and had many adventures. In exotic places he knew many pleasures, and faced terrifying evil. And throughout his adventures the goddess Istare smiled upon him, and protected him.
Then one day, on the road back to his father’s kingdom, he was thrown from his horse into a fast running stream and, striking his head upon a rock, was carried downstream in a swoon. He would have drowned had the goddess not saved him and set him down amongst the reeds on a gentle bank. In time three maidens coming to the stream to wash linens found him. At first they were startled to see a man clad as a warrior lying in the rushes, but the eldest of them mastered her fear and approached. Seeing that he was hurt, she ordered her sisters to help her draw him away from the edge of the stream, and building a crude hut over him, she stayed by his side and nursed his wounds.
When he was hale, Asterion awoke and looking upon the beautiful face of the maiden that had saved him, knew that he loved her. At first she was frightened, but looking into his face she saw that he was handsome, and his clear eyes shone like starlight. Thus, she stood unafraid, but struck still as if under a spell. There he learned that her name was Aduana, the daughter of shepherds. And there, in the glade under the roof of their grass hut, Asterion and Aduana professed their love for one another, and were happy for a time, but not for long.
The goddess Istare looked down from the night sky, and she grew jealous. For it had been her design all along to make him her consort, and in all his adventures he had never professed his love to any woman, though he had known many. In her wrath the goddess set upon the lovers every manner of monster and wild beast, and Asterion slew each of them with the star sword that the goddess had given him.
Finally, in her ultimate wrath, Istare came down from heaven and, taking on the form of a dragon with many heads, reared up to deliver her vengeance upon them. But Asterion battled her furiously, and in the end severed all of the dragon’s heads save one. And the goddess knew that she had been defeated, and must soon abandon the dying flesh. But overcome by the venomous blood and fumes of the dragon, Asterion fell in a death-like swoon. Then seeing that he would soon die, Istare’s wrath left her, and she repented her actions. She cast off her dragon cloak, and was revealed for a moment in her radiance, and taking him up before life left him, cast him into the firmament. And seeing Aduana weeping for her vanished lover, she was moved to pity and transformed her into the weeping willow tree, whose hair hangs down upon the edge of the stream where she once found her true love. Thus, Asterion lives on as the swordsman of heaven, forever roaming the night sky, and the aduana, which is the weeping willow, forever grows on the banks of streams and rivers.
When the king saw the beauty of the child he repented his ill treatment of his daughter and grieved for her, but he grew to love the boy, who was raised as a royal prince, though no one knew who the father had been. And the goddess looked down from the firmament, and saw that the boy was beautiful and strong, and she smiled and gave him her blessings. And the boy grew strong-limbed and quick-witted, and was taught all of the ways of the world: of diplomacy, war, and governance. And yet he was restless and had wanderlust.
In his twentieth summer, the boy asked his father to grant him leave to go out into the wide world. Though much grieved to see him go, the king granted his request, and gave him also a horse and fine clothes. And the goddess Istare gave to him a hauberk of fine mail and a heavy belt with a sheathed sword that had been forged by Mahar out of starlight. And all those who saw him thus clad said that he looked like a young god. And so Asterion set out to see the world, and he traveled to many strange and distant lands, and had many adventures. In exotic places he knew many pleasures, and faced terrifying evil. And throughout his adventures the goddess Istare smiled upon him, and protected him.
Then one day, on the road back to his father’s kingdom, he was thrown from his horse into a fast running stream and, striking his head upon a rock, was carried downstream in a swoon. He would have drowned had the goddess not saved him and set him down amongst the reeds on a gentle bank. In time three maidens coming to the stream to wash linens found him. At first they were startled to see a man clad as a warrior lying in the rushes, but the eldest of them mastered her fear and approached. Seeing that he was hurt, she ordered her sisters to help her draw him away from the edge of the stream, and building a crude hut over him, she stayed by his side and nursed his wounds.
When he was hale, Asterion awoke and looking upon the beautiful face of the maiden that had saved him, knew that he loved her. At first she was frightened, but looking into his face she saw that he was handsome, and his clear eyes shone like starlight. Thus, she stood unafraid, but struck still as if under a spell. There he learned that her name was Aduana, the daughter of shepherds. And there, in the glade under the roof of their grass hut, Asterion and Aduana professed their love for one another, and were happy for a time, but not for long.
The goddess Istare looked down from the night sky, and she grew jealous. For it had been her design all along to make him her consort, and in all his adventures he had never professed his love to any woman, though he had known many. In her wrath the goddess set upon the lovers every manner of monster and wild beast, and Asterion slew each of them with the star sword that the goddess had given him.
Finally, in her ultimate wrath, Istare came down from heaven and, taking on the form of a dragon with many heads, reared up to deliver her vengeance upon them. But Asterion battled her furiously, and in the end severed all of the dragon’s heads save one. And the goddess knew that she had been defeated, and must soon abandon the dying flesh. But overcome by the venomous blood and fumes of the dragon, Asterion fell in a death-like swoon. Then seeing that he would soon die, Istare’s wrath left her, and she repented her actions. She cast off her dragon cloak, and was revealed for a moment in her radiance, and taking him up before life left him, cast him into the firmament. And seeing Aduana weeping for her vanished lover, she was moved to pity and transformed her into the weeping willow tree, whose hair hangs down upon the edge of the stream where she once found her true love. Thus, Asterion lives on as the swordsman of heaven, forever roaming the night sky, and the aduana, which is the weeping willow, forever grows on the banks of streams and rivers.
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