The Ancient Days of Dwarves
The Age of Birth.
TOSH KHAMA
First there was nothing, and then there was the beginning. The beginning begat the world, and the world was rock. The rock begat fire, and the fire begat water. When fire and water did touch, life sprang forth, and did become Ana-thayor. Ana-thayor did not know sorrow for there was no happiness; did not know happiness for there was no pain; did not know pain for there was no joy; did not know joy for there was no hate; did not know hate for there was no love; did not know love for there was no despair; did not know despair for there was no serenity; did not know serenity for there was no anger; did not know anger for there was no forgiveness; did not know forgiveness for there was no envy; did not know envy for there was no contentment; did not know contentment for there was no aloneness; did not know aloneness for there was no kinship. For a dozen eternities did Ana-thayor sit and look upon the fire which did beget life and did watch the flames, as they did dance together. From the dancing flames Ana-thayor did learn kinship. And from kinship, Ana-thayor did know aloneness; and from aloneness, contentment; and from contentment, envy; and from envy, forgiveness; and from forgiveness, anger; and from anger, serenity; and from serenity, despair; and from despair, love; and from love, hate; and from hate, joy; and from joy, pain; and from pain, happiness, and from happiness, Ana-thayor did know sorrow. And Ana-thayor was sad, and did beg of the fire which did beget life: Give of thyself to me another that I may have togetherness and all that shall follow? Fire and water did touch again, and new life sprang forth, and became Ketemuhr, the Father-Son-Brother of Ana-thayor, and became Kepapahr, the Mother-Daughter-Sister of Ana-thayor. Ana-thayor and Ketemuhr and Kepapahr did know kinship and sorrow and all in between for seven eternities more, but they did not know loss. Ketemuhr and Kepapahr did unite to beget the Ma-tath, who were as Ketemuhr but not forever. The Ma-tath did have none who could mother and did perish shortly after their birth. Ketemuhr and Kepapahr did unite again to beget the Ahtu, who were as Kepapahr but not forever. The Ahtu did have none who could father and did perish like their elders. Ketemuhr and Kepapahr did beget a third people, the Teturihm, some who were as Ketemuhr and some who were as Kepapahr, all who were not forever. And from the Teturihm descended all the creatures of the world, big and small, gentle and fierce, grazers and hunters. When all the creatures were made, the Teturihm did pass through the sixteen-hundred stages of ascension. Some did become trees and plants and made the jungles and forests. Some did become wind and light and made the sky. Some did become rivers and lakes and made the seas. Some did become clouds and stars and made the night. Some did become things which defy understanding. The rest did become gods and take their place in the firmament, above the trees, the plants, the rivers, the seas, the wind, the sky, the clouds and the stars. The greatest of the Teturihm live forever above the world in which all creatures live. And all the creatures went to live among the world above, save the favourite children, our ancestors. And of all the children of the fire which did beget life, our ancestors did love Ana-thayor and Ketemuhr and Kepapahr more than any. And their love did make them strong. The first and holy three did know, even then, that our ancestors were fated to lead all the children of the Teturihm out of the dark age, out of chaos, and into the golden age. Thus did end the beginning.
[Introduction] [Tosh Khama] [Tosh Bhul] [Khenkatath]
[Tosh Firok] [Tosh Breohm] [Ankhoman-Nit] [Dueta-Claidmor]
[Penkhoman-Nit] [Khenmuht] [Dueta-Kultar] [Dueta-Khurtunk]
[Tosh Haraka (part 1)] [Tosh Haraka (part 2)]
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