In Arania the people gathered four times a year for the folkfeasts. At such times it was customary for new laws to be proclaimed, judgements given and all contentious issues settled. So before the next folkfeast Herthew prepared a manmade stone from sand, clay and other things, and while it was still soft he set the hilt of his great sword, Dislana the Bitterbiter, into it and when the stone was hardened Dislana was fast. The sword-implanted stone was then set down near the place where the king gave judgement. Around it was drawn a wide circle bisected across.
On the day when the people were first assembled to hear his words, Ithilis told them of his perplexity over the problem concerning the twin sons of Herthew and his daughters, he said, “So the people are not divided and the kingdom rent by strife, it is well this matter be settled now. Therefore, I am setting a fair test involving no men other than these two whom I hold equally dear. Whichsoever of them shall remove their father’s great weapon from this stone, so he frees it and grasps the hilt, shall become my lawful heir, with the other being to him as a younger brother. They will each try in turn during the duration of the fall of a feather, the first trier being he who casts his bracelet over the blade. Then each of Herthew’s sons was placed in a spot where the bisecting line joined the circle, so they stood opposite each other, and each had three bracelets. They threw until one encircled the blade with his bracelet.
Then this one tried to withdraw the weapon with his hand but could not, because of the sharpness, The other tried by placing his two palms on each side of the blade, then pressing them together while lifting, but he could not move it either. The first one tried again, copying what had just been done more powerfully, so the stone almost lifted off the ground, but the sword did not leave the stone. Then the other approached the stone, but this time he put his hands under the edges of the stone, so he could lift it in his arms and he dashed it down over a rock which was nearby, so it broke asunder. He then picked Dislana up by the hilt and brandished it over his head. The people acclaimed him while his brother grasped his arms in congratulations. Thus, by wisdom was the problem overcome.
THE BOOK OF GLEANINGS
Being writings from Various Old Culdee books which were partially destroyed in Ancient Times.
Chapter 1 - MAYA AND LILA
Chapter 2 - ELOMA
Chapter 3 - THE FLOOD OF ATUMA
Chapter 4 - THE DELUGE
Chapter 5 - THE BIRTH OF HURMANETAR
Chapter 6 - THE COMPANIONSHIP OF YADOL
Chapter 7 - THE DEATH OF YADOL
Chapter 8 - HURMANETAR JOURNEYS TO THE NETHERWORLD Chapter 9 - ASARUA
Chapter 10 - THE DEATH OF HURMANETAR Chapter 11 - THE TEACHINGS OF YOSIRA Chapter 12 - THE RULE OF YOSIRA Chapter 13 - THE WAY OF YOSIRA Chapter 14 - THE TRIBULATIONS OF YOSIRA Chapter 15 - THE VOICE OF GOD Chapter 16 - THE SPIRIT OF GOD Chapter 17 - THE SONG OF THE SOUL
CHAPTER ONE MAYA AND LILA
This was formerly called The Book of Conception and said to be The First Book of the Bronzebook. It concerns man’s conception of The True God in olden days, during the struggle back towards the light. Once all men were dark and hairy and in those days woman was tempted by the strength and wildness of the beast which dwelt in the forest, and the race of man was defiled again.
Therefore, the Spirit of God was wrathful against woman, for hers was the responsibility to reject the beast within and without, that she might bring forth children of the light to walk in the light; for in man there is beast and god, and the god walks in light and the beast walks in darkness.
Now, because of the wickedness that was done, there are among men those who are the Children of the Beast, and they are a different people. The race of man alone was punished, for the beast acted according to its nature. In man the beast and god strive to decide whether he shall take his place among the gods that live or the beasts that die, and woman, in her weakness, betrayed him to the beast.
Men struggle daily with the beast and wrest their living from the soil, their day being encompassed with strife and toil. So women bring forth children with suffering, and because they are frail their husbands rule over them. Man is conceived in the womb of woman and she brings him forth to life. Therefore, when God raised man up from among the beasts, choosing him as His heir and endowing him with an immortal spirit, He placed a veil over the portals of life. This, that woman should not forget she is unlike all other living creatures and the trustee of a divine mission. For a woman not only gives life to a mortal being, she also bears a spark of divinity to Earth, and there can be no greater responsibility.
The eye that sees earthly things is deceitful, but the eye that sees spiritual things is true. Then, because of the things that happened, the Great Eye that saw Truth was closed and henceforth man walked in falsity. Unable to perceive Truth he saw only that which deceived him, and so it shall be until his awakening. Not knowing God, man worshipped Earth who mothered him and supplied his needs. God was not displeased, for such is the nature of children; but when no longer children they must put aside childish things. Nor, having blinded them, was He wrathful that they could not see, for God is, above all else understanding. The face of a good father is stern and his ways are hard, for fatherly duty is no light burden, but his heart is ruled by compassion. His children walk in Truth and uprightness, their feet do not wander, nor are they willful and wayward.
Man is born of mud, sun and Spirit. In the days of conception the Spirit of God impregnated the receptive Earth, and she brought forth her children. Then came man who walked like a little child, but God took him in hand and taught him to walk in the uprightness of God.
A race of men came out of the cold northlands. They were under a wise father and above them was The Grand Company which later withdrew in disgust. This race was The Children of God; they knew Truth and lived in the midst of peace and plenty. The Children of Men about them were wild and savage; clothed in the skins of beasts they lived like beasts. Even more wild were the Men of Zumat who lived beyond them. Among the Children of God woman had equality with man, for her counsels were known to be wise. She heard with understanding and her speech was considered; in those days her words were weighed, for then her tongue did not rattle in her head like seed in a dried pod.
Woman knew that though man could subdue her with his strength, he was weak in his desire for her. In his weakness lay her power and in those days it was used wisely, it was the foundation of people. The race was good, but because of its goodness it was destined to be smitten, for only the good vessel is worthy of the fire. It is burnt, that its shape may be set and its design endure. This path of peace is not the path of progress.
The people were not governed by princes or by statutes, but wise men sat in council. They had only a code of conduct and moral tradition binding each one to the others in symmetrical web of life. Those who transgressed the code and tradition were deemed to be unworthy of life among the people and were banished into exile. Among The Children of Men woman was a chattel. She was subject to man, an object for the satisfaction of his lust and the servant to supply his needs. He subdued her and kept her in servitude, for her betrayal of man was known even among them, and it was never forgotten, nor could it be forgiven.
The Children of God valued woman highly and protected her from crudeness and cruelty, and her standing was such that she was awarded only to the most worthy of men. They held her in respect, for to them she was the fountain of life within their race, the designer of its future. Yet even so they had to restrict her, for she was inclined to be wilful and unheeding of her responsibility.