Owl Knight
Don't let it ruffle your feathers, my liege.
Hello everyone!
I've been a huge fan of fantasy mythology and religions for a long time. I cut my teeth on the Greek myths and I always love it when author's write creation myths for their own fantasy worlds.
I've been experimenting with writing my own and I thought it would be fun to share what I have so far.
Note: This is a rough pass. I based a lot of this on the Greek myth of Uranus and Gaia as well as heavy borrowing from the beginning of The Silmarillion and from Paradise Lost and Christian creation tradition. I hope you enjoy it!
____________________________________________________________________________________________
There was Ae.
He and his domain were all and one. For he was and walked in the vastness of space and time.
There was Ae, alone.
And it came to Ae that he need not be alone, for in him was the source and stuff of all things that are and that will be. So for countless lifetimes of the stars which are the ornaments of his great pleasure, he pondered and conceived.
And of the stuff and substance of himself he began a great work and he formed another. Ea, of himself and yet apart.
For long she slept as a child sleeps in the womb, and as she slept, Ae set about his second great work.
And of his own stuff and substance he shaped great lanterns of white flame and ornaments of earth and smoke and quicksilver and in the vastness of himself he cast them like mobiles of light to spin in a long dance until the end of mortal days, when all is drawn back into himself.
And he looked and beheld the glory which he had wrought for Ea, whom he loved, for she was of himself and yet apart. And in his heart he longed for her.
And so he began the third and greatest work, and of himself he shaped and formed a secret light greater than the light of the white flame lanterns. A light conceived in the deepest places of his will and full with the vastness of his creative power. And he took and placed this light at the very heart of Ea. And as the light entered into her she awoke and knew him, for she was of him and yet apart. And knowing him, she loved him. And the two, Ae and Ea were together among the stars.
There was Ea, bride of Ae who was first of all.
And Ae was with Ea in the vastness of himself, for he and his domain were all and one.
And for a measureless stretch of time they were together among the lanterns of white flame and the ornaments of earth and smoke and quicksilver. And they were happy together.
But there was a shadow of sadness in the heart of Ea. For, although she was with her great love, she bore in her heart the light of his will and through that light came the desire to create of herself and for the light which dwelt within her to grow. All this was in the most secret designs of Ae himself, for he had shaped and crafted the first light that it might ever expand and flourish in the depths of time until all was accomplished as he had designed in the timeless era of his solitude.
And Ea travailed, and she brought forth of her own substance seven great children, beings of might and splendor crafted in the image of Ae, her great love. And though it was not given unto her to kindle light of her own in the hearts of these, her first born, she did brake off for each a great portion of that light of Ae which was her own and the source and font of her life and grace.
And the children of Ea awoke and marvelled at their being under the eye of Ae and their love was stirred towards Ea. For in part, that very light of Ae was within them. And as he loved Ea, so too did these, who bore also within themselves a part of his light.
But Ea was diminished in that she gave of the light of Ae to her children and in her weakness her beauty was made dull. And the children of Ea saw the diminishment of their mother and were dismayed, for it seemed that what remained of the light was insufficient to sustain her and that she, in time, must diminish.
And so it was that the first children of Ea set themselves as keepers and caretakers of their mother and each with the portion of the first light they had received wrought mighty works to ornament and honor Ea, who had given them being of herself.
Thus is was that in the length of time they were given the name, Uru, which is to say, the keepers.
There were the Uru, firstborn of Ea, conceived by the light of Ae who was first of all.
In the heart of each burned a portion of that light of Ae which gave life to Ea, who is mother of all and to each was granted gifts and aspects the purpose of which lies only in the mind of Ae; which none may known until all things are complete and all light returns to him.
There was Ido, passionate and mighty, who danced about Ea, ever swirling and leaping, stamping his great feet to the rhythms of the universe. Where his mighty feet landed, mountains rose and where he slept, valleys ran deep. The brush of his finger laid islands in the waters, and the roar of his voice delved canyons deep.
There was Omi, serene and close in his councils, whose love was towards the deep and unknown places. He cast his light into the most secret hollows and from within sprang streams and lakes and oceans of water. Long after the age of the Uru, Omi walked the depths of the oceans and would sometimes stride along the shores in a shape like unto mortal man.
There was Ana, fruitful and merry, who cast her light over Ea and wreathed her in tapestries of greenery and sweet fruits, meadows sprang up in her steps and great forests bloomed and flourished where she rested in the breast of Ea. Her glory was in the bright flowers, the jewels of Ea and her breath lent sweetness to the fruit of the vine and the grain of the field.
There was Ula, effervescent and fair, whose ear ever hummed with the music of the stars and who cast her light towards heaven, weaving around Ea a veil of sweet air. Although Omi moved in secrecy and silence, his heart was close to that of Ula and he lent to her waters which she shaped and worked into ever changing wreaths of white cloud which would, in time, pour Omi’s waters back into the streams and lakes and oceans.
There was Eda, sly and wild, the last of her kindred who was always closest to the heart of Ea and to whom Ea told secrets unknown to all but Ae himself. In ceaseless labor, he crafted and shaped beasts of every shape and design and into each he cast but a spark of the light which was his portion. All of the firstborn save for Umu delighted in his work and gave their realms as the homes of all. Ula took unto herself the birds of the air who filled her clouds with song to her delight. Ana took the beasts of the land who frolicked among her trees and rested in her meadows and fields and the insects who gave life to her bright flowers. Even Omi, who guarded his realm in quiet and secrecy, gave his waters to be the home of the silver fishes and eels and every creature of the deeps. His special favorites were the great whales who lived long and dove to the deep places where only he dared to venture. Eda’s creations were the joy of Ea and she held them all to her breast as her own children.
There was Ara, most like unto his father, whose will was unto order and rhythms and cycles of change. And, though he oversaw the workings of all the Uru, his full part was yet to be accomplished as it would be in the coming of the darkness. Ara was first of his siblings and each that followed after bound their creation to his will, ordering all things as he saw best, for he was wise and prudent in judgement.
There were the Uru, firstborn of Ea by the light of Ea who was first of all.
And they dwelt upon Ea and tended each to their realm and purpose under the watchful guidance of Ara who was chief counsel of all. And under their care Ea flourished, even in her diminished state. And Ae was pleased to see the work of his progeny who decked Ea in glory and life by the light he had given. And he withdrew from the sight of the Uru, though never from the sight of Ae. For the time had come that they must take stewardship each over the realm to which they had been purposed in his mind long before the first dawn of time.
And the Earth, the form and body of Ea, which the Uru ornamented and clothed in splendor and majesty was in that time, unchanging and evergreen, and her forest and valleys teemed with the creations of Eda and the deep oceans of Omi's realm seethed with silver fishes, whales, and those creatures of the dark deep known only to Eda and Omi.
But, though the Uru were content in their labors, all was not in harmony. For although the six Uru still hold a place in the songs and legends of men, there is a seventh name among them that is accursed in the annals of man.
There was Umu.
Umu, secretive and wise, who alone among the Uru took note of Ae’s withdrawal from the sight of the children of Ea. And, though the watchful eyes of Ae were ever upon the children brought forth by Ea, Umu conceived the fatal thought that he and is kin had been left to toil upon Ea alone. That their father had abandoned his children. This thought boiled secretly in his heart as he watched the work of the Uru flourish and grow. But Umu took no part in the care of Ae, for alone among the Uru, his thought was ever consumed with the greater good of himself.
To Umu had been granted great and terrible wisdom and knowledge above even that of Ara. And the knowledge that he bore seethed within him, ever seeking to grow. Umu’s thought ever turned inward to that portion of the great light which was his own. Why, he wondered, could one who possessed the light of Ae’s will not become like unto Ae himself and rule over all of the vastness of space and time. Long he pondered the form of the light and in his cunning he thought to make a light of his own but the work was beyond the skill of the Uru or Ea or any save Ae himself, for the light was a manifestation of Ae’s will alone. But Umu was most cunning among his brethren and he strove with the light within himself, fighting that it might bend to his will and in that fighting he twisted his light into a thing most foul. In his pride and desire to be like Ea he deformed the light, and in this act he bore forth the blasphemy of the first darkness.
Umu raged as he clutched the ember of darkness, for unlike the light of Ae, the darkness was without creative force of its own, but rather stirred with a force of restless corruption. So it was that Umu is called the corruptor in the annals of men, for ever after did he seek to corrupt and ruin the work of Ae’s light.
He rose like a black cloud over the earth, in form terrible and wild. Disarray and dismay moved before him and the works of the Uru twisted and deformed under the force which emanated from the darkness in his heart.
Lightning and flame cracked the black clouds, splitting the earth and sea with the force of their impact. Fires stirred in the bed of earth and burst forth in great gushers of flame and molten stone ran down the mountainsides. The air stirred in a hurricane and swept the seas into a maelstrom of anger. The trees were uprooted and consumed in the flame which belched ever higher from the earth and the sea cast up great boulders of ice.
(to be continued...)
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That's all I have for the time being. I want to add more to each of the Uru's biographies and write about their war with Umu and his retreat into the darkness. I als followed a lot of the plot structure of The Silmarillion (which is following the plot structure of Paradise Lost) and I'd like to work on some ways to differentiate my own work.
I've been a huge fan of fantasy mythology and religions for a long time. I cut my teeth on the Greek myths and I always love it when author's write creation myths for their own fantasy worlds.
I've been experimenting with writing my own and I thought it would be fun to share what I have so far.
Note: This is a rough pass. I based a lot of this on the Greek myth of Uranus and Gaia as well as heavy borrowing from the beginning of The Silmarillion and from Paradise Lost and Christian creation tradition. I hope you enjoy it!
____________________________________________________________________________________________
-Ae and Ea-
There was Ae.
He and his domain were all and one. For he was and walked in the vastness of space and time.
There was Ae, alone.
And it came to Ae that he need not be alone, for in him was the source and stuff of all things that are and that will be. So for countless lifetimes of the stars which are the ornaments of his great pleasure, he pondered and conceived.
And of the stuff and substance of himself he began a great work and he formed another. Ea, of himself and yet apart.
For long she slept as a child sleeps in the womb, and as she slept, Ae set about his second great work.
And of his own stuff and substance he shaped great lanterns of white flame and ornaments of earth and smoke and quicksilver and in the vastness of himself he cast them like mobiles of light to spin in a long dance until the end of mortal days, when all is drawn back into himself.
And he looked and beheld the glory which he had wrought for Ea, whom he loved, for she was of himself and yet apart. And in his heart he longed for her.
And so he began the third and greatest work, and of himself he shaped and formed a secret light greater than the light of the white flame lanterns. A light conceived in the deepest places of his will and full with the vastness of his creative power. And he took and placed this light at the very heart of Ea. And as the light entered into her she awoke and knew him, for she was of him and yet apart. And knowing him, she loved him. And the two, Ae and Ea were together among the stars.
-Firstborn of Ea-
There was Ea, bride of Ae who was first of all.
And Ae was with Ea in the vastness of himself, for he and his domain were all and one.
And for a measureless stretch of time they were together among the lanterns of white flame and the ornaments of earth and smoke and quicksilver. And they were happy together.
But there was a shadow of sadness in the heart of Ea. For, although she was with her great love, she bore in her heart the light of his will and through that light came the desire to create of herself and for the light which dwelt within her to grow. All this was in the most secret designs of Ae himself, for he had shaped and crafted the first light that it might ever expand and flourish in the depths of time until all was accomplished as he had designed in the timeless era of his solitude.
And Ea travailed, and she brought forth of her own substance seven great children, beings of might and splendor crafted in the image of Ae, her great love. And though it was not given unto her to kindle light of her own in the hearts of these, her first born, she did brake off for each a great portion of that light of Ae which was her own and the source and font of her life and grace.
And the children of Ea awoke and marvelled at their being under the eye of Ae and their love was stirred towards Ea. For in part, that very light of Ae was within them. And as he loved Ea, so too did these, who bore also within themselves a part of his light.
But Ea was diminished in that she gave of the light of Ae to her children and in her weakness her beauty was made dull. And the children of Ea saw the diminishment of their mother and were dismayed, for it seemed that what remained of the light was insufficient to sustain her and that she, in time, must diminish.
And so it was that the first children of Ea set themselves as keepers and caretakers of their mother and each with the portion of the first light they had received wrought mighty works to ornament and honor Ea, who had given them being of herself.
Thus is was that in the length of time they were given the name, Uru, which is to say, the keepers.
-The Light of the Uru-
There were the Uru, firstborn of Ea, conceived by the light of Ae who was first of all.
In the heart of each burned a portion of that light of Ae which gave life to Ea, who is mother of all and to each was granted gifts and aspects the purpose of which lies only in the mind of Ae; which none may known until all things are complete and all light returns to him.
There was Ido, passionate and mighty, who danced about Ea, ever swirling and leaping, stamping his great feet to the rhythms of the universe. Where his mighty feet landed, mountains rose and where he slept, valleys ran deep. The brush of his finger laid islands in the waters, and the roar of his voice delved canyons deep.
There was Omi, serene and close in his councils, whose love was towards the deep and unknown places. He cast his light into the most secret hollows and from within sprang streams and lakes and oceans of water. Long after the age of the Uru, Omi walked the depths of the oceans and would sometimes stride along the shores in a shape like unto mortal man.
There was Ana, fruitful and merry, who cast her light over Ea and wreathed her in tapestries of greenery and sweet fruits, meadows sprang up in her steps and great forests bloomed and flourished where she rested in the breast of Ea. Her glory was in the bright flowers, the jewels of Ea and her breath lent sweetness to the fruit of the vine and the grain of the field.
There was Ula, effervescent and fair, whose ear ever hummed with the music of the stars and who cast her light towards heaven, weaving around Ea a veil of sweet air. Although Omi moved in secrecy and silence, his heart was close to that of Ula and he lent to her waters which she shaped and worked into ever changing wreaths of white cloud which would, in time, pour Omi’s waters back into the streams and lakes and oceans.
There was Eda, sly and wild, the last of her kindred who was always closest to the heart of Ea and to whom Ea told secrets unknown to all but Ae himself. In ceaseless labor, he crafted and shaped beasts of every shape and design and into each he cast but a spark of the light which was his portion. All of the firstborn save for Umu delighted in his work and gave their realms as the homes of all. Ula took unto herself the birds of the air who filled her clouds with song to her delight. Ana took the beasts of the land who frolicked among her trees and rested in her meadows and fields and the insects who gave life to her bright flowers. Even Omi, who guarded his realm in quiet and secrecy, gave his waters to be the home of the silver fishes and eels and every creature of the deeps. His special favorites were the great whales who lived long and dove to the deep places where only he dared to venture. Eda’s creations were the joy of Ea and she held them all to her breast as her own children.
There was Ara, most like unto his father, whose will was unto order and rhythms and cycles of change. And, though he oversaw the workings of all the Uru, his full part was yet to be accomplished as it would be in the coming of the darkness. Ara was first of his siblings and each that followed after bound their creation to his will, ordering all things as he saw best, for he was wise and prudent in judgement.
-The First Darkness-
There were the Uru, firstborn of Ea by the light of Ea who was first of all.
And they dwelt upon Ea and tended each to their realm and purpose under the watchful guidance of Ara who was chief counsel of all. And under their care Ea flourished, even in her diminished state. And Ae was pleased to see the work of his progeny who decked Ea in glory and life by the light he had given. And he withdrew from the sight of the Uru, though never from the sight of Ae. For the time had come that they must take stewardship each over the realm to which they had been purposed in his mind long before the first dawn of time.
And the Earth, the form and body of Ea, which the Uru ornamented and clothed in splendor and majesty was in that time, unchanging and evergreen, and her forest and valleys teemed with the creations of Eda and the deep oceans of Omi's realm seethed with silver fishes, whales, and those creatures of the dark deep known only to Eda and Omi.
But, though the Uru were content in their labors, all was not in harmony. For although the six Uru still hold a place in the songs and legends of men, there is a seventh name among them that is accursed in the annals of man.
There was Umu.
Umu, secretive and wise, who alone among the Uru took note of Ae’s withdrawal from the sight of the children of Ea. And, though the watchful eyes of Ae were ever upon the children brought forth by Ea, Umu conceived the fatal thought that he and is kin had been left to toil upon Ea alone. That their father had abandoned his children. This thought boiled secretly in his heart as he watched the work of the Uru flourish and grow. But Umu took no part in the care of Ae, for alone among the Uru, his thought was ever consumed with the greater good of himself.
To Umu had been granted great and terrible wisdom and knowledge above even that of Ara. And the knowledge that he bore seethed within him, ever seeking to grow. Umu’s thought ever turned inward to that portion of the great light which was his own. Why, he wondered, could one who possessed the light of Ae’s will not become like unto Ae himself and rule over all of the vastness of space and time. Long he pondered the form of the light and in his cunning he thought to make a light of his own but the work was beyond the skill of the Uru or Ea or any save Ae himself, for the light was a manifestation of Ae’s will alone. But Umu was most cunning among his brethren and he strove with the light within himself, fighting that it might bend to his will and in that fighting he twisted his light into a thing most foul. In his pride and desire to be like Ea he deformed the light, and in this act he bore forth the blasphemy of the first darkness.
Umu raged as he clutched the ember of darkness, for unlike the light of Ae, the darkness was without creative force of its own, but rather stirred with a force of restless corruption. So it was that Umu is called the corruptor in the annals of men, for ever after did he seek to corrupt and ruin the work of Ae’s light.
He rose like a black cloud over the earth, in form terrible and wild. Disarray and dismay moved before him and the works of the Uru twisted and deformed under the force which emanated from the darkness in his heart.
Lightning and flame cracked the black clouds, splitting the earth and sea with the force of their impact. Fires stirred in the bed of earth and burst forth in great gushers of flame and molten stone ran down the mountainsides. The air stirred in a hurricane and swept the seas into a maelstrom of anger. The trees were uprooted and consumed in the flame which belched ever higher from the earth and the sea cast up great boulders of ice.
(to be continued...)
_______________________________________________________________________________________[/FONT]
That's all I have for the time being. I want to add more to each of the Uru's biographies and write about their war with Umu and his retreat into the darkness. I als followed a lot of the plot structure of The Silmarillion (which is following the plot structure of Paradise Lost) and I'd like to work on some ways to differentiate my own work.
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