Greg Stafford
How Our World Was Made
The Golden Embryo was first. I could show you the egg that both Samburan and Nature came out of if you wish. No spirits or powers can be gotten there. If you have not prepared yourself fully, you will have your mind burned and your toes and fingers and nose fall off.In the Golden Embryo the world incubated until it was ready. The egg shell cracked around its center and split open. It hatched. I could show you that hatching. No spirit or powers can be gotten there. If you have not prepared yourself fully, then your eyes will break, your thighs shatter, and your liver exit through your anus.
Inside of the two parts of the shell was first Nature, simple and complete.
Then came movement of a spot to another spot. The spot was the snake's head
and the movement was its body, and it continued to move. The serpent moved
first inside the shell, around the upward curve to the peak, where the sun
stands at noon, and then the lower. He kept going to the lowest point, then
returned to his starting place. This movement separated the Skyworld and
the Underworld, with the natural world between. Then the serpent went
outside the shell, and again went over it and under it. Finally, it
horizontally took its tail in its teeth, itself feeding upon itself, and
encircled the crack in the shell where it still lives.
In the center of those lies Nature, the natural world with its powers and divisions. This was the First World, and within it were the First Beings.
Samburan is in the center. Samburan is that part of Nature that wishes to be united with its other parts. Samburan was born with a great desire, and it departed from the center and began its movements through the rest of the world. Samburan went upon the Great Journey. Wherever Samburan expressed his desire then there arose out of that area a spirit. He visited the Six Inner Worlds wherein he met the First Beings.
Vethen the Infant was the first, who was the Starting Place. Then Yom Sunspot was the second, who was the moving power and the sun, and Tara the Noon World was third, the Overhead Keeper of the Sky Spirits. Inidros was the Den of Dens and the next First Being, where our ancestors were later born, and then Inikos, the Pit of Pits, was the First Being of the Underworld. Somabaton was the First Being who kept sounds, including all music and singing, and taught how to fast. Dreselos was the First Being of dancing, both in a circle and in lines.
After Samburan had completed his journey he knew everything, and in that way he was able to learn even more and to see, then visit the Spirit Plane. It was a beautiful and empty place. After this, he was no longer Samburan, but was Bukaran.
Bukaran naturally told of this place to the other Beings. At first everyone was happy and excited, but then the First Beings learned that they could never see this most miraculous place, because they could not move about like Samburan had. This made them unhappy. Bat and Sakkar spread dissent among the First Beings, and the waters were sad and the rocks lamented their loss.
Bukaran wished to give them their wish, and so he went upon the Great Mountain to sit and speak to the other spirits until he had an answer. After the Great Period, he knew the answer.
Bukaran went once again upon the Great Journey. At each place that he stopped he taught the being there a part of the Cross Dance. Then Bukaran cut off a piece of himself and left it there. Sometimes he burned it, sometimes he buried it, sometimes he left it out to become desiccated or rotten, and sometimes it was devoured in holy communion. After a while, Bukaran had cut himself entirely to pieces and nothing was left. He was absent from the world.
The First Folk were thus made, each in their own region. The Folk were parts of the First Beings who could find the Spirit World. The First Folk and the First Beings regularly danced and played together. This allowed the First Beings to learn of the Spirit World, too, so that they were happy.
The First Folk
First among the First Folk was Inisunings, Rathor, born in the west. His father was Rathor's Liver [intelligence], his uncle was Inidros, and his mother was Frona, covered with mixed forests and hills.