The Saurian Cosmology: Difference between revisions
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== The Saurian Cosmology == | == The Saurian Cosmology == | ||
<poem>"Like everything, the world hatched from an egg. | <poem>"Like everything, the world hatched from an egg. | ||
The Mother split it open, and the shell's | The Mother split it open, and the shell's | ||
two pieces formed the vast bowl of [[the earth]] | two pieces formed the vast bowl of [[the earth]] | ||
and the dome of the sky, and mountains were | and the dome of the sky, and mountains were | ||
the jagged edges. From within, the fell | the jagged edges. From within, the fell | ||
and fey and noble spirits all were birthed, | and fey and noble spirits all were birthed, | ||
and they became the trees, the beasts, the birds, | and they became the trees, the beasts, the birds, | ||
the fish, the stones. The greatest of her brood | the fish, the stones. The greatest of her brood | ||
became [[the gods]], the numberless, who berth | became [[the gods]], the numberless, who berth | ||
among the stars. The Mother, to ensure | among the stars. The Mother, to ensure | ||
that all should be maintained, formed from the crude | that all should be maintained, formed from the crude | ||
clay of the earth the [[lizard folk]] to rule | clay of the earth the [[lizard folk]] to rule | ||
over creation. Then the Mother turned | over creation. Then the Mother turned | ||
to gaze upon the boundless plenitude | to gaze upon the boundless plenitude | ||
and beauty of her issue, sharp and cruel; | and beauty of her issue, sharp and cruel; | ||
it pleased her. Satisfied, she left to sleep | it pleased her. Satisfied, she left to sleep | ||
belowground, where the pillars of earth stood. | belowground, where the pillars of earth stood. | ||
The gods, desiring to possess the jewel | The gods, desiring to possess the jewel | ||
of her creation, came down from the deep | of her creation, came down from the deep | ||
night sky and warred together, raising hordes | night sky and warred together, raising hordes | ||
of monstrous [[men]] and [[elves]], their blood like pools | of monstrous [[men]] and [[elves]], their blood like pools | ||
of wine staining the stone of their tall keeps. | of wine staining the stone of their tall keeps. | ||
But when they turned their savage spearpoints toward | But when they turned their savage spearpoints toward | ||
the lizard folk, the Mother stirred below. | the lizard folk, the Mother stirred below. | ||
In rage, she raised the mighty waves to sweep | In rage, she raised the mighty waves to sweep | ||
the mammal armies from the earth, and for | the mammal armies from the earth, and for | ||
her lizard children, made the waters flow | her lizard children, made the waters flow | ||
and placed her egg, the [[moon]], into the skies | and placed her egg, the [[moon]], into the skies | ||
to rule the tides. When [[the gods' final war]] | to rule the tides. When [[the gods' final war]] | ||
destroys the earth, she will emerge anew | destroys the earth, she will emerge anew | ||
to crack the moon, and a new world will rise. | to crack the moon, and a new world will rise. | ||
Like everything, it will hatch from an egg."</poem> | Like everything, it will hatch from an egg."</poem> | ||
Latest revision as of 20:27, 4 March 2021
The Saurian Cosmology is a poem recorded from the Lizardfolk oral tradition by, as the historian and divinity student K———— wrote, "an unlucky series of flavorful graduate students." The name is a scholarly invention; the true Draconic name of the work is unknown. In his epigraph on the subject, K———— writes:
Like those of many tribal peoples, Lizardfolk beliefs are diverse, informal, syncretic, and variously expressed. Common to almost all tribes is a belief in an entity known as The Mother, the progenitor of the universe and creator of the Lizardfolk, who after creation left the surface for the warm, dank caverns at the heart of the Earth. In the Mother’s absence, a vast roster of minor gods – generally euhemerized ancestors, culture heroes, borrowed foreign gods, and saurifications of natural phenomena – governs the sacred. Some illustration of this can be found in the so-called “Saurian Cosmology.”
The standard translation into the Common tongue comes from Elven High Prefect Elandar Ancientblooded's Crusader’s Guide to the Blasphemies of the Barbarous Races, and is provided below.
The Saurian Cosmology
"Like everything, the world hatched from an egg.
The Mother split it open, and the shell's
two pieces formed the vast bowl of the earth
and the dome of the sky, and mountains were
the jagged edges. From within, the fell
and fey and noble spirits all were birthed,
and they became the trees, the beasts, the birds,
the fish, the stones. The greatest of her brood
became the gods, the numberless, who berth
among the stars. The Mother, to ensure
that all should be maintained, formed from the crude
clay of the earth the lizard folk to rule
over creation. Then the Mother turned
to gaze upon the boundless plenitude
and beauty of her issue, sharp and cruel;
it pleased her. Satisfied, she left to sleep
belowground, where the pillars of earth stood.
The gods, desiring to possess the jewel
of her creation, came down from the deep
night sky and warred together, raising hordes
of monstrous men and elves, their blood like pools
of wine staining the stone of their tall keeps.
But when they turned their savage spearpoints toward
the lizard folk, the Mother stirred below.
In rage, she raised the mighty waves to sweep
the mammal armies from the earth, and for
her lizard children, made the waters flow
and placed her egg, the moon, into the skies
to rule the tides. When the gods' final war
destroys the earth, she will emerge anew
to crack the moon, and a new world will rise.
Like everything, it will hatch from an egg."