The Starry Night (1989)- Vincent van Gogh / The Sleeping Gypsy (1897)- Henri Rousseau

S ince the dawn of time, traditional wisdom has passed on from sage to disciple, master to apprentice, parent to child, and friend to friend through some form of oral tradition. These teachings have preserved down through the centuries by means of either a bard or song, or through the recollection and craft of a good story teller. The oral tradition of storytelling is the essence of legends and the sum and substance of song; the written word is, in the language of reflection, but a shadow. To songwriter and musician Cat Stevens, perhaps it is a Moonshadow. Songwriters have doted on the Moon's charms for centuries on end, from Gregorian chants and folk ballads to twentieth century jazz and pop tunes. Apart from romance, the celestial lamp is one of the most sung about themes.