A Mythic Hegemony
by Kim Falconer
Once upon a time, in a land far above the world there ruled a queen beyond
all beauty and wonder. She was wiser
than the greatest sage and more radiant than the sun. Serpents
adorned her throne and red lions paced at her side. Those who
saw her were so filled with awe they wept. Her names number
in the thousands, too many to count in a month—Isis, Asherah,
Ishtar, Innana, Sedna, Hera, Sophia, Lilith, Coatlicue, Eingana . . .
All the peoples of all the tribes of the world honored her, and
she
Blessed them with life, creating all the creatures and living things
that be. The people worshipped her and called her Earth Goddess.
Then the warriors came, and the land was changed by the march of their heavy boots. Slowly the people forgot the Earth Goddess and she drew back. In her retreat, the memory of her beauty and power diminished. The people’s love of the earth faded also. Disturbed by this, Great Isis, Ishtar, Asherah, Eingana . . . left a parting gift so that we would always remember our source. She gave half of the people the power to create and nurture life. Lily was one of those halves . . .
In the Dreaming, everything was still. All the spirits of the earth were asleep - or almost all. The great Father of All Spirits was the only one awake. Gently he awoke the Sun Mother. As she opened her eyes a warm ray of light spread out towards the sleeping earth. The Father of All Spirits asked Sun Mother to go down to earth and awaken the sleeping spirits.
The Sun Mother glided down to Earth, which was bare at the time and began to walk in all directions and everywhere she walked plants grew. After returning to the field where she had begun her work the Mother rested, well pleased with herself. She awoke the spirits of insects and fish and small snakes, lizards and frogs. Next she awoke the spirits of the birds and animals and they burst into the sunshine in a glorious array of colors. Seeing this the Father of All Spirits was pleased with the Sun Mother's work.
She called all her creatures to her and instructed them to enjoy the wealth of the earth and to live peacefully with one another. Then she rose into the sky and became the sun.
After a time the Sun Mother looked down upon the Earth and thought to herself that she must create new creatures. She gave birth to two children. The god was the Morning Star and the goddess was the moon. Two children were born to them and these she sent to Earth. From them, after many generations past, Edgar was born.
Long ago, near the beginning of the world, Gray Eagle was the guardian of the Sun, Moon and Stars, of fresh water, and of fire. Gray Eagle kept these things hidden. People lived in darkness, without fire and without fresh water.
Gray Eagle also had a beautiful daughter, and Raven fell in love with her. At that time Raven was a handsome young man. He changed himself into a snow-white bird, and as a snow-white bird he pleased Gray Eagle's daughter. She invited him to her father's longhouse.
When Raven saw the Sun, Moon and stars, and fresh water hanging on the sides of Eagle's lodge, he knew what he should do. He watched for his chance to seize them when no one was looking. He stole all of them, and a brand of fire also, and flew out of the longhouse through the smoke hole. As soon as Raven got outside he hung the Sun up in the sky. It made so much light that he was able to fly far out to an island in the middle of the ocean. When the Sun set, he fastened the Moon up in the sky and hung the stars around in different places. By this new light he kept on flying, carrying with him the fresh water and the brand of fire he had stolen.
He flew back over the land. When he had reached the right place, he dropped all the water he had stolen. It fell to the ground and there became the source of all the fresh-water streams and lakes in the world. Then Raven flew on, holding the brand of fire in his bill. The smoke from the fire blew back over his white feathers and made them black. When his bill began to burn, he had to drop the firebrand. It struck rocks and hid itself within them. That is why, if you strike two stones together, sparks of fire will drop out.
Raven's feathers never became white again after they were blackened by the smoke from the firebrand.
In the beginning, at the dawn of the world, there was Bast, daughter of Ra, the sun god. Through him, she acquired her feline attributes with the body of a woman and the face of a cat. Bast was also linked to the moon, to fire and fertility. She watched over home, family, bounty, enlightenment, art, music dance and dreams. When she turned into a lioness she was sunlight itself—the Lady of the East. Her sister, Lady of the West, was Sekhmet.
In time many humans populated the world and they all loved and worshipped her. Bast, being a great mother, loved them back. But there were so many people, she could not spend time with them all, so the next dawn, she stood in front of the rising sun and turned round and round until sparks flew from her dazzling green eyes.
As each spark hit the earth, it flared up and became a bright eyed cat that bounded off to find a family of its own. Before long, all those who worshipped Bast had residing with them at least one feline. In this way, Bast keeps watch over those who love her.
Lilly ran up the temple stairs , taking them two at a time. “Edgar,” she called out as she reached the door. "I'm ready.” Morning light streamed into the hallway from an open window above. It filtered through pine branches, making shadow and light play over a black cat on the window seat at the end of the hall. She called the cat's name and smiled as it opened one eye and stretched out a paw, sinking claws into a crimson pillow. Lily was ready this time. She would pass the test, and so would Edgar. She drummed her fingers on the door. "Are you there?"
He cleared his throat on the other side of the door. “Ready ," he said. She took a deep breath, pushing stray hair back from her face. This was the final step in their initiation. Only a select few were given the questions. They came from the mouth of the Sphinx and the right answers would open the the door, reuniting Lily and Edgar on their spiritual journey. He spoke the first question and it took her by surprise. It was that easy.
"Born of a Titan, not his own kind, instills audacity, his bane in the wine."
She smiled. "Chiron!"
Lily's voice rang through the temple and was answered by a single black Raven that landed on the window ledge. "Rak-caw!"
One down. It was her turn how. She recited the riddle told to her in last night's dream-walk. "Cloven hooves and twisted horn, temperament as sweet as milk. The god of Thunder given to her, forestalling his mother’s grief." There was so long a pause without reply Lily thought they might fail. "Amaltheia?" he said, though she could tell he wasn't certain. "Yes!" she shouted, waiting for the confirmation above.
Another raven lighted on the window sill. One more to go. Edgar's voice gained strength as he instructed, "Name he who plumbs all hearts, the infallible, whom neither mortals nor immortals can deceive either by action or in their most secrete thoughts.
She knew it would be difficult. They didn't give advancements away like honey drops. She stilled her mind, the names of the gods rolling past, Zeus, Apollo, Saturn, Mars? She shook her head as if to loosen the answer from her mind. And then she had it. "Eros!"
She spun around to the window, unable to breath and there the third raven appeared.
"Caw Caw Caw." The birds called in unison.
There was a click, and the door opened. Edgar stepped through, and they stood face to face, eye to eye. The cat got up from her cushion and padded down the hall, black tail high in the air. As one they turned to follow, reaching out to take each other's hand. The next door led out of the temple and into another world.