Monday, May 7, 2018
Still Going!
Although it has been nine years since Flood Legends was first published (!!!!), the book is still resonating with audiences. It is currently #247 in sales rank for Amazon's "Histriography" category. While that's obviously not a bestseller, for a no-name author in an obscure niche, I'm pretty happy. :-) Thank you all for supporting this project, and I hope to have a new project out to you very soon!
Saturday, May 5, 2018
Japanese Creation Myth
All was utter darkness. There was no light. There was no sound. There were no gods. But then, slowly, the particles of the universe moved, and they made a sound. As the sound grew, so did the particles grow. Some of the particles were heavy, and sank to the bottom; they were the Earth. The lighter particles, made of air and light, rose to the top and became the Heavens.
In the Heavens now there were the Three Creators: The Master, the August Producer, and the Wondrous Ancestor. They looked upon the land, surveying its moving, fluid motions as it floated upon the water. They made the reeds spring up, and from the reeds came two new gods: Izanagi and his wife, Izanami. Other gods and goddesses were born, but it was these two who were given dominion over the Earth.
When Izanami died in childbirth shortly thereafter, Izanagi grew distraught. He descended into Yomi - the land of the dead - to find her. It took him many days to do so, and by the time he had arrived, her body had already begun to decay. Izanagi wept for many weeks. Finally, he dried his eyes, stood up, and left his wife in Yomi.
Because he had been defiled by his time there, Izanagi washed and purified himself, using the rituals of the ancestors. In this washing, three spirits were formed: Susano-o, Amaterasu, and Tsukuyomi, who were the wind, the sun, and the moon, respectively.
-Japanese Myth
In the Heavens now there were the Three Creators: The Master, the August Producer, and the Wondrous Ancestor. They looked upon the land, surveying its moving, fluid motions as it floated upon the water. They made the reeds spring up, and from the reeds came two new gods: Izanagi and his wife, Izanami. Other gods and goddesses were born, but it was these two who were given dominion over the Earth.
When Izanami died in childbirth shortly thereafter, Izanagi grew distraught. He descended into Yomi - the land of the dead - to find her. It took him many days to do so, and by the time he had arrived, her body had already begun to decay. Izanagi wept for many weeks. Finally, he dried his eyes, stood up, and left his wife in Yomi.
Because he had been defiled by his time there, Izanagi washed and purified himself, using the rituals of the ancestors. In this washing, three spirits were formed: Susano-o, Amaterasu, and Tsukuyomi, who were the wind, the sun, and the moon, respectively.
-Japanese Myth
Monday, April 16, 2018
Website
Hey, folks! I'm looking to start up an official website (you know, one with an actual domain name!), and I need some help! Those of you who have your own websites: what platform do you use? What are the positive attributes of it? What are the negative qualities?
Let me know! Thanks!
Let me know! Thanks!
Thursday, March 15, 2018
The Realm of the Sea God (Re-post)
I originally posted this several years ago, but it's so interesting to me, especially in light of what appears to be ruins of a great city, located on the ocean floor off the coast of Japan.
The Great Fire-Glow was a prince who was adept at fishing in the ocean, and caught all manner of sea life. His younger brother, Fire-Fade, was a mountain man, skilled at hunting the wildlife of the earth. The two brothers one day decided to try their hands at the other brother's occupation. Fire-Fade took to the sea, but was unable to catch any fish. In fact, at one point, he even lost his brother's fishing hook beneath the waves! When his brother, Fire-Glow, requested his hook back, Fire-Fade responded, "I was unable to to catch anything, and, alas! lost your hook in the sea."
Fire-Glow was angry, because he had taken great care to return his brother's bow and arrows. He demanded that his brother retrieve the hook from the bottom of the ocean. Unable to comply, Fire-Fade fashioned another hook for his brother, but Fire-Glow demanded the original hook once more.
So Fire-Fade melted down his sword and, with it, fashioned five-hundred hooks for his brother, but Fire-Glow would not take them. Fire-Fade then made a thousand hooks for his elder brother, but this was not good enough. "I want my hook back," Fire-Glow demanded.
In his frustration, Fire-Fade stood at the edge of the ocean and cried out to the sea spirits. At last, Shihi-tsutsu no Oji stood by him and asked, "What is wrong, that you grieve so?" Fire-Fade told him the story, and the old man responded, "Do not worry, for I will help you." So he fashioned a water-tight basket for the hapless brother, and lowered it into the ocean with Fire-Fade inside (for the basket was lowered upside-down, so as to be filled with air).
In time he found himself situated on the bottom of the ocean near a pathway, where, leaving the basket, he soon found himself at the Palace of the Sea God. The palace was adorned with towers, battlements, and fierce means of defense. Fire-Fade, afraid to enter uninvited, stood next to the gate until the princess invited him in. She took him before the Sea God, who asked Fire-Fade his purpose there. Fire-Fade told the story of the fishing hook, and the Sea God questioned all of the fishes, to see whether they had seen Fire-Fade's missing hook.
They had not, they responded, but one of their kind had suffered with a wound in her mouth for quite some time. The Sea God called her forward, and, upon examination, it was discovered that the hook was caught in her mouth. It was removed, and returned to Fire-Fade.
However, having seen the beautiful daughter of the Sea God, Fire-Fade desired to remain in the kingdom. So he married her, and they lived in the palace for three years. Eventually, Fire-Fade began to miss his home, and his wife, the princess, saw his distress. She told her father of Fire-Fade's deep sighs, and the Sea God granted her husband permission to return to his home. Upon his departure, Fire-Fade received two magical stones, which would allow him to control the waves, causing them to ebb and flow at his desire. The Sea God suggested that he use the stones to drown his older brother, who was most unreasonable about the ordeal with the fishing hook.
Before he could leave, however, Fire-Fade's wife informed him that she was with child, and would soon join him on land to give birth to their child. "When the waves and sea are stormy," she told him, "I will come and wait for you on the seashore."
Fire-Fade returned to his home, and, with the stones, convinced his brother to repent. Soon afterward, Fire-Fade's wife emerged from the depths to give birth to their child. As she was about to deliver, she told her husband that she would have to take her natural form, and begged him not to look at her in that condition.
However, as he stood in the hallway awaiting the birth, Fire-Fade looked in upon his wife, and lo! she was a dragon! She was saddened and ashamed at this, and told him, "If you had listened, I would have made the sea and land peaceful with each other. As it is, the two kingdoms shall never be at peace again." And so she abandoned her child and descended into the depths, barring the way to the castle.
-Found in the Kojiki and Nihongi, Japan
The most interesting part of this story is the existence of what appears to be an actual city on the ocean floor off of the coast of Japan (don't worry, it's uninhabited!). Could an adventurous person have made a rather primitive sort of submarine, as depicted in the story, and actually seen these ruins?
The Great Fire-Glow was a prince who was adept at fishing in the ocean, and caught all manner of sea life. His younger brother, Fire-Fade, was a mountain man, skilled at hunting the wildlife of the earth. The two brothers one day decided to try their hands at the other brother's occupation. Fire-Fade took to the sea, but was unable to catch any fish. In fact, at one point, he even lost his brother's fishing hook beneath the waves! When his brother, Fire-Glow, requested his hook back, Fire-Fade responded, "I was unable to to catch anything, and, alas! lost your hook in the sea."
Fire-Glow was angry, because he had taken great care to return his brother's bow and arrows. He demanded that his brother retrieve the hook from the bottom of the ocean. Unable to comply, Fire-Fade fashioned another hook for his brother, but Fire-Glow demanded the original hook once more.
So Fire-Fade melted down his sword and, with it, fashioned five-hundred hooks for his brother, but Fire-Glow would not take them. Fire-Fade then made a thousand hooks for his elder brother, but this was not good enough. "I want my hook back," Fire-Glow demanded.
In his frustration, Fire-Fade stood at the edge of the ocean and cried out to the sea spirits. At last, Shihi-tsutsu no Oji stood by him and asked, "What is wrong, that you grieve so?" Fire-Fade told him the story, and the old man responded, "Do not worry, for I will help you." So he fashioned a water-tight basket for the hapless brother, and lowered it into the ocean with Fire-Fade inside (for the basket was lowered upside-down, so as to be filled with air).
In time he found himself situated on the bottom of the ocean near a pathway, where, leaving the basket, he soon found himself at the Palace of the Sea God. The palace was adorned with towers, battlements, and fierce means of defense. Fire-Fade, afraid to enter uninvited, stood next to the gate until the princess invited him in. She took him before the Sea God, who asked Fire-Fade his purpose there. Fire-Fade told the story of the fishing hook, and the Sea God questioned all of the fishes, to see whether they had seen Fire-Fade's missing hook.
They had not, they responded, but one of their kind had suffered with a wound in her mouth for quite some time. The Sea God called her forward, and, upon examination, it was discovered that the hook was caught in her mouth. It was removed, and returned to Fire-Fade.
However, having seen the beautiful daughter of the Sea God, Fire-Fade desired to remain in the kingdom. So he married her, and they lived in the palace for three years. Eventually, Fire-Fade began to miss his home, and his wife, the princess, saw his distress. She told her father of Fire-Fade's deep sighs, and the Sea God granted her husband permission to return to his home. Upon his departure, Fire-Fade received two magical stones, which would allow him to control the waves, causing them to ebb and flow at his desire. The Sea God suggested that he use the stones to drown his older brother, who was most unreasonable about the ordeal with the fishing hook.
Before he could leave, however, Fire-Fade's wife informed him that she was with child, and would soon join him on land to give birth to their child. "When the waves and sea are stormy," she told him, "I will come and wait for you on the seashore."
Fire-Fade returned to his home, and, with the stones, convinced his brother to repent. Soon afterward, Fire-Fade's wife emerged from the depths to give birth to their child. As she was about to deliver, she told her husband that she would have to take her natural form, and begged him not to look at her in that condition.
However, as he stood in the hallway awaiting the birth, Fire-Fade looked in upon his wife, and lo! she was a dragon! She was saddened and ashamed at this, and told him, "If you had listened, I would have made the sea and land peaceful with each other. As it is, the two kingdoms shall never be at peace again." And so she abandoned her child and descended into the depths, barring the way to the castle.
-Found in the Kojiki and Nihongi, Japan
The most interesting part of this story is the existence of what appears to be an actual city on the ocean floor off of the coast of Japan (don't worry, it's uninhabited!). Could an adventurous person have made a rather primitive sort of submarine, as depicted in the story, and actually seen these ruins?
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Thor and Jormungand
"Hymir!" a youthful voice called from outside the giant's cave. Hymir poked his head out, and saw, indeed, the youthful owner of the voice. "Hymir, O Mighty Giant! I am in need of shelter, and your hospitality is known far and wide!"
Hymir consented, unafraid of humans, and the young man stayed the night. After a dinner of roasted mutton and fried potatoes, the young man spent the night, wrapped in sheepskins near the entrance of the cave. In the morning, Hymir rose early, and the youth rose, too. "Where are you going?" he asked his host.
"I am going fishing in the deep sea," the giant growled.
The youth grinned broadly. "Take me with you! I shall catch and cook for you the biggest fish you have ever seen, as thanks for your hospitality!"
The giant doubtfully eyed the frail youth. "You will catch cold," he grumbled. "I sit far out in the ocean, for many hours. You will not survive." But the young man was persistent, and assured the giant that he could row further than the giant could, and would last longer than his host. He was so insistent and boastful that Hymir allowed him to come, if only to prove him wrong.
"What do I take as bait?" the youth asked.
"Find your own," the giant replied, curtly. "I am not your mother!"
The youth, seeing Hymir's herd of oxen grazing outside of the cave, struck off the head of the largest and heaved it onto the boat (for the youth had a plan to catch something larger than a fish). Once settled into the boat, the youth began to row. And row. And row. He rowed so far out into the ocean, that Hymir was afraid that they would fall prey to Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, who lived at the bottom of the sea and circled the entire earth.
But the youth paid no attention to Hymir's entreaties to turn back and, instead, baited his hook with the ox head. Casting it into the sea, the youth waited. At long last, the line began to thrash, the ocean began to roll, and the enormous head of the Midgard Serpent emerged from the waters, hissing angrily, poisonous vapors issuing forth from its mouth.
The youth stood, shouting triumphantly, and in that moment his disguise dissolved and he was revealed to be Thor, the god of thunder. Thor raised Mjolnir, his hammer, ready to deal a fatal blow to Jormungand (for it had been predicted that Thor and Jormungand would fight to the death at Ragnarok, the end of all things, and Thor wished to avoid this).
Hymir, seeing Thor and Jormungand, feared that Ragnarok was upon them. He grabbed his knife and cut the line, and the serpent sank back into the sea. Thor threw his hammer after it, but to no avail. Then, angry at the giant's meddling, Thor knocked Hymir in the ear so hard that the giant fell backwards into the water. Thor himself returned to the shore, sullen at his defeat.
-Norse Myth
Hymir consented, unafraid of humans, and the young man stayed the night. After a dinner of roasted mutton and fried potatoes, the young man spent the night, wrapped in sheepskins near the entrance of the cave. In the morning, Hymir rose early, and the youth rose, too. "Where are you going?" he asked his host.
"I am going fishing in the deep sea," the giant growled.
The youth grinned broadly. "Take me with you! I shall catch and cook for you the biggest fish you have ever seen, as thanks for your hospitality!"
The giant doubtfully eyed the frail youth. "You will catch cold," he grumbled. "I sit far out in the ocean, for many hours. You will not survive." But the young man was persistent, and assured the giant that he could row further than the giant could, and would last longer than his host. He was so insistent and boastful that Hymir allowed him to come, if only to prove him wrong.
"What do I take as bait?" the youth asked.
"Find your own," the giant replied, curtly. "I am not your mother!"
The youth, seeing Hymir's herd of oxen grazing outside of the cave, struck off the head of the largest and heaved it onto the boat (for the youth had a plan to catch something larger than a fish). Once settled into the boat, the youth began to row. And row. And row. He rowed so far out into the ocean, that Hymir was afraid that they would fall prey to Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, who lived at the bottom of the sea and circled the entire earth.
But the youth paid no attention to Hymir's entreaties to turn back and, instead, baited his hook with the ox head. Casting it into the sea, the youth waited. At long last, the line began to thrash, the ocean began to roll, and the enormous head of the Midgard Serpent emerged from the waters, hissing angrily, poisonous vapors issuing forth from its mouth.
The youth stood, shouting triumphantly, and in that moment his disguise dissolved and he was revealed to be Thor, the god of thunder. Thor raised Mjolnir, his hammer, ready to deal a fatal blow to Jormungand (for it had been predicted that Thor and Jormungand would fight to the death at Ragnarok, the end of all things, and Thor wished to avoid this).
Hymir, seeing Thor and Jormungand, feared that Ragnarok was upon them. He grabbed his knife and cut the line, and the serpent sank back into the sea. Thor threw his hammer after it, but to no avail. Then, angry at the giant's meddling, Thor knocked Hymir in the ear so hard that the giant fell backwards into the water. Thor himself returned to the shore, sullen at his defeat.
-Norse Myth
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Flood Legends
For those of you who still read paper books - you know, normal humans - Amazon has knocked $1.65 off of their selling price of Flood Legends. Giants is still full price, BUT . . . if you order them both together, you get free shipping. So there's that.
Monday, January 8, 2018
Rats!
Once, a great and mighty chief of ours had three grandsons. One day, their grandfather interrupted their play. "Please, go catch this rat that I saw!" he told them. So the three boys began to search for the rat.
But while they were searching, they were suddenly unable to understand each other. The youngest boy could not understand the other two, the middle boy could not understand the others, and the eldest could understand neither of his younger brothers, for each spoke a unique language. It is said that the boys grew up and started clans, each under his own tongue. Thus were born the Lamyang, the Thado, and the Manipur tribes.
-From the Kukis of Assam
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