The head of Jib

On the first day of every month, a giant called Jib would wake up before sunrise, to enjoy a cool drink from the moon.

One night he had a dream that he had grown so tall he could reach the sun, and despite the heat, he did not burn. The next morning he shared the dream with his older brothers, boasting; “One day I will grow tall and drink from the sun too!”

Jib began to have the same dream every night, and every morning he would make the same boast, until his brothers had finally had enough, and decided to make a fool out of him.

So, one night, when the moon was low, the brothers built a fire beneath Jib’s bed, and tied his long golden hair to the bedposts. Jib was fast asleep, dreaming his usual dream, when for the first time, he began to feel the heat from the sun’s rays growing hotter and hotter, until they started to burn him. The pain became so intense, Jib, jumped so high out of his bed, he ripped out his golden hair and sliced off his head on the edge of the moon. his Body fell upon the shores of the Southern (Niad) continent, and his head fell upon the Luft peninsula, where he still sleeps, dreaming, no doubt, about the sun. Over time his head and body turned to stone, and have ever since been known as the Giga Mountains, and Jib’s head.

Riddles of Jib

Jib’s head sleeps upon the edge of the cosmic ocean,
His giant body on the yonder shore.
No one knows how long he has dreamed,
The dream of dreams (‘Riddle River’ 6.16).

Who can enter the labyrinthine mind of Jib,
to wake him up? (‘Visions and Verses’ 6.16)

Sources

1. The Niadia: Book 3.268
2. Riddle River: A Therazian book of ancient verses, supposedly written by Theraz himself.
3. Visions and Verses: Gavrok includes this riddle, mentioning that it was known to his people (Nehar-Shanar), and further mentions that the Mofians told this riddle to their young before their so-called Abandoning (an obscure rite of passage into adulthood).
4. Kly’s Journal: According to Kly, this myth was depicted on the ceiling of the Grand Chamber of Lumin (a prehistoric cave used for ritualistic purposes).

Origins

The Jealous brothers feature in the Japanese myth of Okuninushi, and is a motif that has many parallel’s. For this myth, I was thinking primarily of the Biblical story about Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 36).

Jib’s head was inspired primarily by Bran the Blessed (The Second Branch of the Mabinogi), and also the myth of Orpheus, who visited the labyrinthine realm of Hades, to recover Eurydice, and was eventually torn apart by Maenads, the female worshippers of Dionysos (because of his allegiance to the god Apollo), who tossed his head in the river Hebrus. The head sang all the way to the shores of Lesbos, and became an oracle.

There are various sleeping mythological characters, including Dagda, Polyphemus, Adam, Dionysos, Noah, Vishnu, etc.

The labyrinthine mind of Jib is based on the myth concerning the Minotaur who lived in the labyrinth, until it was killed by Theseus.

Sun and the three sisters

Long ago, Sun lived on the island of Mofia, and spent his time weaving rugs, as gifts for all the people.
Sun warned them, however, to never make rugs for themselves, but to always come to him, because no one could make them better than he could. Three sisters ignored the wishes of Sun, and decided to make their own rugs, and they became so good, everyone stopped visiting Sun, and instead bought rugs from them, saying, “Not even Sun can make rugs as wonderful as these!”

Because no one came to visit Sun anymore, he went to the people and asked them, “Have you been making rugs for yourselves?”

The people told Sun that they no longer needed his rugs, and he really shouldn’t bother making them anymore because the sister’s rugs were much better, and Perhaps he should go and buy one for himself!

Sun became so angry, he gathered up all his rugs, and went to live in the sky. The world became cold and dark, and everyone was close to freezing to death, except for one small boy, who refused to buy a rug, and so Sun allowed him to keep the rug he gave him, which kept the boy warm throughout the endless night.

All the people threw their rugs in a huge pile outside the sister’s hut, demanding that they come out. The sisters told the people that they would climb up on the mountain of rugs and visit Sun, and ask him if he would return his rugs back to the people. It took the sisters many days to reach the sky, and when they finally made it to the top of the mountain, they were unable to reach the door to sun’s hut, and so they called out, “Sun, throw down one more rug, so we can reach your door!” (although they planned to keep the rug for themselves, and let the people freeze to death). Suddenly Sun opened his door and tossed such a huge rug down upon the sisters, they cried out, and clinging together, they jumped off the mountain and were transformed into the moon. The giant rug fell down upon the earth, and became daylight for all the people.

The people were not satisfied, however, and one night, they attempted to steal the last remaining rug of the sun, and chased the boy up the mountain to kill him. The boy placed his rug upon the mountain peak, and was able to make it safely through sun’s door. Sun was pleased that the boy had come to him for help, and looked down angrily upon the people, who became so terrified they jumped into the sky and became stars.

Sun taught the boy the art of weaving, and by the time he reached manhood, he truly made rugs like those of Sun himself. Sun called the boy Butu, and gave him his daughter, the sun maiden Otu, as his wife. Sun sat them upon Butu’s old rug, and returned them back down to the world below. Just as they were above the island of Mofia they jumped, and the last rug of the Sun sank into the ocean.

Sources

1. Adventures of Bobwite: Bobwite told this tale to a Niadic tavern keeper in return for a jug of dragonfly ale. Although he omits the part concerning Butu, which was considered by Bobwite’s tribe (Otu clan) too sacred to be shared with outsiders.
2. Visions and Verses: Gavrok, the first Nehar-Khan, lived with the Mofia for a number of years. It is from Gavroc’s rendering of the myth that we learn about Butu, who taught his children the art of weaving the sacred Butu blankets.
3. Sacred Geography of the World: This Therazian Text (author unknown) tells us that The mountain of rugs is meant to represent the Peak of Monfu, held sacred by all Mofians, and believed to be the center of the universe.

Origins

This myth is based largely on the African tale of an old woman who accidently wounded the high god with her pestle. The high god separated himself from Mankind, and retired to the heavens. In a futile attempt to reunite heaven and earth, the old woman gathered together all her children, and stacking large numbers of mortars, one on top of another, contsructed a tall tower, similar to the Biblical tower of Babel.
Only a single mortar was needed to bridge the gap between heaven and earth, but because there were none left, the old woman ordered that the bottommost mortar should be removed and placed at the top. Of course, the tower collapsed and many people lost their lives.

Also included (which is common to African myths of this kind), is the ‘One forbidden thing’ folklore motif, which closely parallel’s the Hebrew account of the Garden of Eden, where the Lord God warns Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of Knowledge of God and Evil, or they would die.

Buto and Otu, are the first man and first woman, who survive a cosmic upheaval.

Beyond the Islands

Beyond the Islands, there exists nothing but thunder and storm, and a gold and silver mountain in the middle of an endless turbulent ocean. A solitary figure sits cross-legged upon that mountain, as if half asleep, with endless tears pouring down his face. His skin shines like silver and his hair glistens like gold. He wears a cloak of blue, and at his feet lies a poppyhead staff, broken in two pieces.

Though sleepy, his thoughts are sharp and focused. He is ever attentive to the storm that threatens to engulf the mountain. He understands the language of the thunder’s roar, as it rolls across the dark archway of the sky. The path of the lightning bolt he determines, and every crashing wave he knows by name, because they are his: The lost and frightened children of the time before time.

Unmoved with perfect resolve he sits. In his heart he sees not the storm. He sees only the perfect lands. He cries not for his creation, but rather sings a song, swinging his poppyhead staff high, and sprinkling his children with seeds of blessing.

Teach us that song also.

Sources

1. Riddle River: A Therazian book of ancient verses, supposedly written by Theraz himself.
2. Visions and Verses: This strange tale is the opening verse to Gavroc’s book of prophecy, although it is believed to be much older, dating back before the destruction of the Luftic tribe of the Nehar-Shanar.

Origins

The storm is typical of the primordial state of all things before creation. The mountain is the Axis-Mundi, and the poppyhead staff is the tree of life. The creator figure sits upon the mountain in a pose much like ‘Cernonnos’, as depicted on the Gundestrup cauldron, and proto-Shiva on Harappan seals. He is much like The Nordic All-Father, who also wears a sky cloak.