Creation Myths
Long, long ago, the Elements came together and argued amongst themselves. They fought to determine who would be the foremost amongst them all, and they could not agree who was first and greatest.
Water came forward and said, “I should be the first. I am the primordial amnion from which all life comes. Without me, there is no bird, nor beast, nor man, nor even the tiniest strings of swimming life that curl in the darkness. Truly I am greatest.”
Earth stepped forward and countered, “This may be so, but under every sea lies my rock and soil. I am the core of worlds, the stony heart. Without my undying frame to cling to, all would drift in the darkness, uncollected. It is I who should be the first.”
Fire then surged to rebut, “Yes, and what beats your stony heart but my heat? Deep below your rocks I burn, and yea, beyond your brittle bounds as well. In the very stars themselves am I, those fires in the darkness which spun your stones into being. I am truly the foremost.”
The three argued tirelessly, none conceding their place, each one assured that they were the best and first. They debated so fiercely, that until each had paused just before the point of blows, none noticed that Air had slipped in amongst their quarrel unseen. Fire, Earth and Water glared at Air, for they knew what was coming. But Air merely bowed politely and said, “My ethereal hydrogen forms the fuel for the Fire of the stars, which burns and knits together the stones of Earth, which holds tight the wet embrace of Water, which incubates all the living. But know this, friends, it is rare that any creature living will ever give thought to me, save for my lack. My breath will go into them only after they are formed, depart from them before they are broken again, and all throughout, I will remain unseen. While I am the first, I am also the last. Thus, I propose that we do not choose any first amongst us, since there is no first in a circle.”
Water, Earth and Fire all looked at Air, and saw the wisdom in the words, and put aside their quarreling. Thus they took their places in the circle, and the cycle of the Elements began.
And off in the darkness, Entropy and Gravity glanced at one another, and laughed.
Water came forward and said, “I should be the first. I am the primordial amnion from which all life comes. Without me, there is no bird, nor beast, nor man, nor even the tiniest strings of swimming life that curl in the darkness. Truly I am greatest.”
Earth stepped forward and countered, “This may be so, but under every sea lies my rock and soil. I am the core of worlds, the stony heart. Without my undying frame to cling to, all would drift in the darkness, uncollected. It is I who should be the first.”
Fire then surged to rebut, “Yes, and what beats your stony heart but my heat? Deep below your rocks I burn, and yea, beyond your brittle bounds as well. In the very stars themselves am I, those fires in the darkness which spun your stones into being. I am truly the foremost.”
The three argued tirelessly, none conceding their place, each one assured that they were the best and first. They debated so fiercely, that until each had paused just before the point of blows, none noticed that Air had slipped in amongst their quarrel unseen. Fire, Earth and Water glared at Air, for they knew what was coming. But Air merely bowed politely and said, “My ethereal hydrogen forms the fuel for the Fire of the stars, which burns and knits together the stones of Earth, which holds tight the wet embrace of Water, which incubates all the living. But know this, friends, it is rare that any creature living will ever give thought to me, save for my lack. My breath will go into them only after they are formed, depart from them before they are broken again, and all throughout, I will remain unseen. While I am the first, I am also the last. Thus, I propose that we do not choose any first amongst us, since there is no first in a circle.”
Water, Earth and Fire all looked at Air, and saw the wisdom in the words, and put aside their quarreling. Thus they took their places in the circle, and the cycle of the Elements began.
And off in the darkness, Entropy and Gravity glanced at one another, and laughed.