Excerpt: Comparative Mythology of the Kingdoms of Avin and the Sugdenian Empire, by Cai Zander Eriksson

(1) Sugdenian Creation Myths: Creation of the World

The creation of the world in Sugdenian mythology is, like so much else in Sugdenian culture, a story of violence and subjugation. The materials of the world itself, the rocks and minerals, the water, the warmth of the sun, the seasons, the earth and mud, everything except life itself, already existed. And these things were sentient, existing separately from each other and constantly at war for ultimate control. There were as many gods as there are things in the world, but they had no abstract powers, nothing to make one any stronger than the others, so they forever remained struggling , trying to gain an impossible upper hand.

Then Or, who was steel, had an idea. He went to two of the others, bronze Zal and ever-changing Magus (who was later called son of Zal; see part II), and suggested that they join together. “If we war as one, my brothers,” he said, “we will be forever struggling for a pinnacle we can never reach. Let us work together, creating pillars to strengthen the pinnacle above.”

Zal seemed interested immediately, but Magus was more clever, and he asked, “Who will be the pinnacle, and who will hold him up?”

“It was my idea,” Or said. “I will be the pinnacle. But I will offer you each a great reward when I am in control of everything else.”

“I agree to this,” Zal said, already dreaming of all that could be his.

But Magus said, “What will this great reward be?”

Or did not particularly like Magus’ questions, but he had realized what none of the others had: Magus had as his strength potential. Without potential, even iron and bronze could not have the upper hand. But potential alone was not enough either; it needed the strength that iron and bronze could give. Or realized this, and knew Magus did as well, though Zal did not.

“Whatever you want,” Or said, knowing he could rescind on or change the offer when he had enough power, so much power that none might oppose him.

And only then, with a solemn nod of a vow, did Magus say, “Agreed. I will help you.”

When Zal and Magus were gone, Or brooded on his decision, because it was clear that Magus suspected that Or was not to be trusted. While he was thinking, his sister Kree, of soft stones, approached and laid a gentle hand on his arm, leaning close to whisper, “One of them will betray you.”

“I know,” Or said.

“Let me join with you,” Kree said. “I will support you no matter what.” And Or knew it was true, because Kree on her own was too soft and weak to survive.

So he agreed. “You may join me,” he said. “But you must do as I say, no matter what.”

“I will do so,” she said, and, like Magus, nodded a vow.

So the four of them, Or, Zal, Magus, and Kree; iron, bronze, chance, and soft stones, plotted in secret against the others, sure of their ability not to overcome. It was no long before they believed they were ready.

They attacked viciously, Magus offering Or and Zal the potential for a swift and solid victory. (Kree, of course, did not fight.) The earth and water and weaker metals tried to band together, seeing the other side doing so, but they were still not strong enough. The wind tried to flee, and light and warmth did the same, then decided instead to hide behind the others. The seasons attempted to band together, but wound up fighting amongst themselves. None of them had a hope against the combined potential or iron and bronze.

Or dealt swiftly with all of them: those who had tried to join up against him, earth and water and minerals and metals, he bound together forever, fusing them into one, though with their separate elements still intact. This became the world itself. The wind he tied to the rest, but did not fuse it, so that it could forever try to run, but never escape. The light and warmth he also fused, and threw into orbit, so that half the time it might be hidden and believe itself safe, but half the time it would be exposed, struggling across the sky, back towards safety; this was, of course, the sun. The seasons he tied in a line, one to the next, knowing this would mean they would forever fight for supremacy, as once all the gods had done, but none would ever defeat the others permanently.

And Or declared himself the first god of of warfare, because he had found the secret of subjugation: building an army. He declared himself greatest of all the gods, and ruler over all of them.

But Zal said, “Brother, I fought alongside you. Even with Magus, you could not have won without me. We should rule together, as equals.”

Or was surprised to hear this, expecting it to be the betrayal Kree had warned him of; he had expected it would be clever Magus, not Zal, who would try to defeat him. But he knew Zal could be manipulated. “The idea was mine,” Or said, “and that places me above you. But you are important, of course – the pinnacle will fall without the pillars that hold it up.”

Zal seemed satisfied by this. But Magus had overheard the conversation, and he went to Zal and said, “Or is using you, though you fought so valiantly by his side. Certainly you and he should be equal in all things.”