Attempt at a myth

[DrGoth]

I wanted to try my hand at a myth that could be used as a basis for an Ernaldan Heroquest.  This is what I came up with. It's my first go, so I doubt I've got it right. Feedback welcome.

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This is the story of Ernalda and the spindle. You need to learn this story, as all other stories of the great Goddess.

In those days Ernalda lived on the slopes of the great Mountain, with her mother Asrelia and her sisters and the rest of her family. It was a time of peace and plenty, when everyone had enough to eat. But Ernalda, even though she was then only one of many earth Goddesses, was always thinking of how to make things better for her family.

One day she looked at her family. They were dressed in the skins of animals.  Ernalda and her sisters Esrola and Maran sat at the feet of their mother, Asrelia, sewing the skins together to make more clothes, for in those days the Earth clan was always growing larger.

Ernalda looked at the skins in her hands. They were supple enough, but she did not think they were as good as she could manage for her kin. There were always gaps where the pieces were sewn together, the colours were not as beautiful as she thought her sisters and nieces deserved and they did not last as long as they should.

“There is always a better way,” the Goddess thought. She knew that it was up to her to find it. (1)

So she gathered her favoured companions from her clan about her and set off to find something better.

Soon after she started her journey Ernalda encountered the mother of Sheep on the slope of a green hill under the bright sun. This Goddess was not of the Earth tribe, but she was the child of Hykim, one of Ernalda’s lovers.  So Ernalda greeted her as kin.

“You have a fine coat,” Ernalda commented, for the wool did indeed look fine and Ernalda was of a mind that it could be dyed.

“You are not trying to skin me and take it from me are you?” the mother of Sheep replied warily.

“No,” the Goddess replied, for that was not her way. “But do you need it all? Perhaps I could trade you a service for some of it?”

The mother of sheep agreed and allowed the Goddess to cut some of her coat and take it. (note 2)

Ernalda was pleased with her reward, for it was light and fine and felt very warm. But she did not know how to make it into a garment. For now she simply wrapped the wool around herself.

After further journeying Ernalda came upon a dark cave.  In that cave was a being she had not met before. It had the shape of a great spider. (note 3)

“Should I eat you, little Goddess?” the spider enquired. “You look like you would make a fine meal.”

“I would rather you did not,” Ernalda replied politely.  For even though death had not yet been discovered, being eaten was hardly pleasant.

“As you wish,” the spider shrugged. “What are you doing with that wool wrapped around you? Are you trying to be a sheep?”

Ernalda had a suspicion that the creature was laughing at her. “I am looking for a way to make better clothes for my kin.”

The spider was quiet for a while.  “It reminds me of my threads,” the creature said at last. “But before you can make anything of it you need to sort it into a single thread. As I do before I make my web. Would you like me to show you?”

“Yes please,” Ernalda replied eagerly. “But what can I offer you in return?”

The spider said nothing. Ernalda could feel all the eyes of the creature peering at her. It was not a pleasant feeling. She could feel the spider plucking at the strings of her heart that connected her to her family, like a spider testing its web. But great Ernalda did not quail away, as she was doing this for her family.

“Good enough,” the spider declared at last, and then showed Ernalda how it drew its threads between two of its great limbs, spinning the thread to use in its webs.

“I do not have limbs like that,” Enralda observed sorrowfully.

“Perhaps you should have been a spider,” the spider replied.

Ernalda did not want to change her form, but she did want to help her family. “Perhaps I can find something that will work just as well.”

“Perhaps you can,” the spider replied, shifting back into the darkness. “I will see you again, little Goddess.”

After more journeying Ernalda and her companions found themselves in a great forest. They were much happier to be here than in the cave, for these were the lands of Ernalda’s daughter, Aldrya.

On the grounds, amongst the trees, were fallen branches. Ernalda peered at them, for some reminded her of the limbs of the spider, thin and long. Perhaps, she thought, she could use these to spin the wool into thread.  She picked one up and started testing it. She was so engrossed in her task that she did not notice her daughter approaching.

“You may be my mother but why should I let you take the bones of my children?” Aldrya demanded.

“Is that anyway to greet your mother?” Great Ernalda demanded sternly. For even though she was still a young goddess, the Queen dwelt within her. “Your children have no more use of these and all things return to the Earth in time.

“Still, they are my children’s,” Aldrya replied petulantly.

Despite her daughter’s tone Ernalda knew that Aldrya was correct. “I ask no more than I need, and I will take that only with proper reverence. But you owe me the duty of a daughter.”

Aldrya agreed to that and the two parted on pleasant terms.

What waited outside the forest for Ernalda was not so pleasant.  A foreign God demanded her favours. “You have lain with many, sweet Ernalda. It is my turn now,” he bellowed, thumping his chest. (note 4)

Ernalda was not at all enamoured of what this loutish God proposed. Who she did and did not lay with was her choice and hers alone. But she was well aware of the God’s strength. “Not today,” she offered diplomatically. “I am on an errand for my mother.”

“That can wait,” the brute insisted, reaching for her. “We shall take our pleasure now.” (note 5)

Quick-footed Ernalda evaded his grasp. But she knew his passion would not be so easily cooled. She took to her heels and fled with her companions, who had made sure a passage was available to her.

The God and his comrades followed hotly but wily Ernalda managed to fool his pursuit and put some distance between them. She knew, however, that he would not give up that easily.

Fortunately she soon came across mighty Orlanth, one of her favourites amongst her many lovers, taking his ease at the bank of a river. (note 6)

“Ernalda,” the great God smiled, obviously pleased to see her. “Come, lie down here beside me and let us take our ease,” he smiled, patting the next to him.

Ernalda had to admit her lover’s charms, but she was tired of the demands of men that day. Despite his entreaties, she resisted.  “I think not,” she replied, skipping out of Orlanth’s reach. “I am pursued by a brute and am in need of your help.”

“I see no foes,” Orlanth observed, after scanning the horizon. “And I am far of sight. Come, lie with me, for the day is glorious.” With that, the god lay back down and closed his eyes, a smile on his face.

Ernalda knew her pursuit was close behind and that Orlanth was blinded by his desire for her.  She reasoned and entreated with the God to ready himself but he did not rouse.  Then she pleaded and still he lay on his back.

In the end she had had enough. “Get up you lazy lout and do your duty,” she cried. For even though she was already very fond of Orlanth, sometimes that is how you must deal with men.  “Or is lying in the grass and taking your pleasure all you are good for?”

Ashamed, mighty Orlanth roused himself and called his companions to him, ready to fight.

“I think you should depart, sweet Ernalda,” Orlanth declared. “I would hate to see you wounded.”

Ernalda was happy to agree, although she did promise to meet him again.

A safe distance on, Ernalda sat down on a rock. It is called Ernalda’s rest, and you can still see it today. She was tired from her journey and did not want to return home until she had tested her new tool.

To her frustration, no matter how much she tried, it would not spin the wool into a thread as the spider’s limbs had done for the web.

She was growing very frustrated with it all when another God happened upon her. This was shining Yelm, who was not yet Emperor of the Gods. (note 7)

After greeting Ernalda politely the God asked her what she was doing. And that she could not get it to work.

“Ah,” the great god replied, stroking his beard in thought. “You have not the strength of the spider to hold the stick still. Perhaps you need a weight.” With that he gave her a round metal disk, with a hole in the middle.

Ernalda slipped the disk on the end of one stick. It held the stick steady. The Goddess was very pleased, for now the wool spun into a single thread.

“I must give you something in return,” she declared.

“There is no need,” Yelm smiled. “Consider it a favour.”

Ernalda did not like this idea. She did not wish to be endebted to anyone. And something told her that being in this shining God’s debt might be a bad idea. Eventually she managed to persuade Yelm to take some of the food she had left, as her journey was almost at an end.

With that she returned home to her mother, sisters and other family, who were much pleased to see her again. They were now able to spin wool and other things into thread. After that Ernalda learnt how to make her great loom so that she could weave the thread into clothes and blankets and other useful items.

But that is another story.

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Notes, from a Lhankhor Mhy commentary on the myth.

This myth is one often chosen by Enrnaldan heroquesters when they seek a boon for their clan or other community, especially one they have not had before.

(1)    Some texts have this as “There is always another way”

(2)    While this variant does not describe the service performed, sometimes Ernalda cleans the remaining coat, in others one or more of her companions deals with a foe that has been troubling the Mother of Sheep. Sometimes Ernalda simply provides food from the supplies she brought for the journey.

(3)    The identity of the spider is not specified in the story. Some scholars posit it is a darkness spirit, one friendly with the Earth Goddesses. Others claim it could not be, as it is clear from earlier in the story that these events do not occur in the Darkness ages and Darkness spirits were not roaming the world in the Green or Golden Ages. But this is the Gods Age and such things were possible. There are even a few who argue that the great spider is Glorantha herself, showing favour to Great Ernalda. They rely on the supposed link between Arachnae Solara and Glorantha, proposing that the linkage between the Goddess Glorantha and a spider form predates the events in the Underworld at the culmination of the Lightbringers quest. Most scholars do not accept this interpretation.

(4)    Unlike this version, an identity is often given, being a deity worshipped by enemies of the local populace of wherever the story is being told. No version has been recorded though, where the God is Yelm, although other fire deities have been noted. Also, in some versions the encounter with this God and the husband/protector occur earlier in the story, such as just before or just after the encounter with the spider.

(5)    Some versions have the God being much more explicit about exactly what he wants to do to Ernalda.

(6)    Other versions of this story replace Orlanth with the favoured husband/protector of Ernalda in whatever locale the story is told.

(7)    In some versions another Fire deity acts as a messenger from Yelm. A version from Peloria has been recorded where the messenger is Verithurusa, the white moon.

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Stations

(1)    Preparation – the quester prepares for the journey and gathers her companions

(2)    Encountering friendly but distant kin and a trade is made

(3)    Encountering a stranger, usually darkness aligned, and undergoing a test of worth (normally by rolling against an appropriate attribute such as the Earth Rune or connection to kin/clan)

(4)    Encountering the Aldryami or something standing in for them. The first important point here is that the quester must fail to notice their approach.  The second is that the quester must prove the sovereignty of the Earth, by succeeding on a roll on an appropriate attribute.

(5)    A hostile and foreign God. Note that the ability to move this encounter around provides some variation to the story and can keep the players on their toes.  The quester needs to escape and then draw away.

(6)    A husband/protector. The quester must resist the god’s temptation and then rouse him to action. Meeting the husband/protector also allows very adventurous players to leave this heroquest and branch off into a story of the husband/protector, where they fight an enemy to gain Ernalda’s favour.

(7)    A Light deity, or representative thereof. The quester must make sure to not leave the encounter endebted, or the object of the quest will soon be lost to Sun worshippers.

 

[Runeblogger]

I like it, well done.

Perhaps she could have learnt to held the stick still by herself in some other way? Perhaps trading some Stasis directly from Acos or Mostal?

Edited June 8, 2020 by Runeblogger

[John Biles]

Yelm, who isn't a maker, giving a metal disk to Ernalda seems weird to me.  Also, paying him off with food seems off.  He's Yelm, the ruler of the universe, so you can't just give him a hoagie.  (Also, if you do keep Yelm, I'd advise to say he spied her as he was passing through the Sky, so he came down to her.  Yelm is not the sort to just show up.)

Gustbran, who is connected to the Fire Tribe and to Ernalda/Orlanth strikes me as more the sort of person to solve this problem.

Other than that, this is pretty great.  

 

[soltakss]

I'd remove the point about Yelm not being Emperor of the Gods, because that is out of synch with Orlanth being Ernalda's lover, that definitely happened after Yelm became Emperor. I know that God Time events are often out of synch wanyway, but it doesn't add anything to the myth so would be better taken out.

[DrGoth]

Thanks for the replies.  I can see the points about Yelm, replacing that with another solar god. That will probably make the food exchange make more sense.  I'll make some changes to that bit. I'll post a revised version, but I'll give it a little longer to see if there are any other suggestions.

I do want to write another one (at least) about Ernalda.  One would be where Yelm actually has to exert himself to win her.  It might suit the Yelmic point of view that the universe just gifted her to him.  A just reward for his divine righteousness.  But I doubt the Ernaldans would see it that way. Their Goddess isn't simply a prize to be won.  I would think their mythology would give her some say in it.

[Sir_Godspeed]

2 hours ago, DrGoth said:

Thanks for the replies.  I can see the points about Yelm, replacing that with another solar god. That will probably make the food exchange make more sense.  I'll make some changes to that bit. I'll post a revised version, but I'll give it a little longer to see if there are any other suggestions.

I do want to write another one (at least) about Ernalda.  One would be where Yelm actually has to exert himself to win her.  It might suit the Yelmic point of view that the universe just gifted her to him.  A just reward for his divine righteousness.  But I doubt the Ernaldans would see it that way. Their Goddess isn't simply a prize to be won.  I would think their mythology would give her some say in it.

You should look up the story about Ernalda (or was it Esrola?) and the sky king Harono in Esrolia:10k Goddesses. That's basically what you get there. 

The same book also lists Elmal as one of the husband-protectors, for what it's worth (and explicitly mentions Yelmalio as a later, foreign cult that is rejected at least once, if that matters.).

[DrGoth]

Thanks for the rec

On 6/9/2020 at 11:19 PM, Sir_Godspeed said:

You should look up the story about Ernalda (or was it Esrola?) and the sky king Harono in Esrolia:10k Goddesses. That's basically what you get there. 

The same book also lists Elmal as one of the husband-protectors, for what it's worth (and explicitly mentions Yelmalio as a later, foreign cult that is rejected at least once, if that matters.).

Thanks for the reference, but I don't know if the the Harono story is exactly what I'm after.  If I have the story you mean it's called "The First War" and it describes Harono and Lady Drero. He just admires her virtue and declares himself her protector. She does nothing.

Better is the passage just after that, under "The Second War" where Ernalda confronts Orlanth.  Still not quite what I'm looking for, as it doesn't involve much of a journey, but Ernalda is certainly active in that one.

On Elmal/Yelmalio he'd happily do for the fire tribe emissary, but I wanted to leave it open so that others could be used as well.

Edited June 13, 2020 by DrGoth
typo