Creation Myths

Human Creation Myth
Before the Gods, there was Nothing. No light. No dark. No life. No death. Nothing.

First, Nothing created time, so that she could count the years of her solitude.

Second, Nothing created the heavens; the darkness and the light, so she distract her sorrowful mind with the counting of stars.

Then, Nothing created Winter, so that its icy chill could remind her that another year of loneliness had passed and she would not forget.

Following Winter, Nothing created Summer, so that the cold could be thawed by the heat of the Sun.

But the hot Summer days were too much for Nothing, and so Nothing invited some of Winter to play in the days of Summer. This became Spring.

Summer became jealous of Winter, and Nothing allowed for Summer to play in some of Winter’s days. This became Autumn.

Before she could stop it, Nothing realized that she had created emotion. Heat, anger, passion, jealousy. Cold, obedience, calm, contentment. Before she could stop it, Spring and Autumn took on their own intensities. Happiness, sadness, anxiousness, pride.

As Nothing watched her creations, they grew out of her control.

Winter created ice, which Summer melted into the seas and lakes. Spring used Summer’s water to grow plants. Autumn painted Spring’s plants and caused them to wither. Their constant feuding -freezing, melting, growing, withering- grew and grew until the world came into existence.

The Seasons stepped back from their war, and gazed upon that which they had created together. And Nothing saw what they had done, fighting and rolling over the heavens in jealousy of each other. And it was ugly. Nothing loathed what she saw.

So Nothing reached out, and took hold of the seasons, and made them into nothingness.

Then there was Nothing.

But Nothing hadn’t been alone for years. She grew tired of the stars and of counting the hours of her loneliness.

So Nothing created beings to watch these things for her. And so Tinfana and Astraios were born of Nothing. Tinfana was to count the hours. Astraios to count the stars. And Nothing wasn’t lonely anymore.

But, as children so often do, Tinfana and Astraios began to question Nothing. They became bored. They wanted to see more. “Why do we have to count? To what event is Tinfana counting? To what end is Astraios watching the heavens?”

Nothing did not like her authority over Tinfana and Astraios being questioned. And so Sarratum was born. Sarratum obeyed Nothing. She ensured that Tinfana and Astraios would listen to their Mother.

But, as children so often do, Sarratum began to question Nothing. “Why do you have rule over us? What makes you better? What makes us worse?”

Nothing knew the answers to these questions, but Sarratum would not listen to Nothing. So, furious, Nothing created knowledge. She named her Metis, and told her that her purpose was to explain to others the truth. And this is what Metis did.

Metis told her siblings that their mother had the right to rule. She told them why. She used logic and facts to make Nothing’s right to be obeyed substantial. “Nothing was the first, and therefore Nothing should rule. Nothing can destroy us with a touch, and therefore Nothing should rule.”

But, as children so often do, Metis began to question Nothing. She learned more than Nothing thought possible. “I know more than you now, mother. Why? Why are there things I know that you do not? Are you not the first? How can I know things outside of your knowledge?”

And Nothing knew that Metis was right. But she did not want to give up her right to rule over her children. And so Nothing created justice, and she named him Amon. Nothing told Amon that he was to fight for her. He was to argue with the others, using all aspects of himself, so that Nothing would not have to give up her authority over her children.

Amon did just this. He argued with his siblings day and night, and finally, they gave up. They quieted their voices and returned to the tasks Nothing had assigned them. Tinfana counted the time. Astraios watched the heavens. Sarratum protected her mother’s rule. Metis gained knowledge. Amon stood beside Nothing, ensuring that justice would prevail.

But, as children so often do, Amon began to question Nothing. After weighing all of the options, Amon found Nothing’s rule unjust. He grew angry with her. “You treat us as tools! You do not let us grow! Why? This is vengeance, mother! This is anger! This is not justice!”

And Nothing was lost. She had no more tricks. She birthed more and more children, hoping to find the key to her everlasting rule… but the more children she birthed, the more they stood against her. Soon, Nothing was no more.

Nothing’s children, the Gods, looked down on the land that the Seasons had created so long ago, and sculpted it. Great mountains. Seas. Rivers. They lived upon the land, happy with their freedom.

But, as children so often do, they took after their mother.

They grew restless and lonely. And so they created mortals.