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THE CÁRPA'DOSÍA, THE BOOKS OF THE BEGINNINGS |
(Elvish: "Books of the Beginnings"). The famous elven books about the myth of the creation of the world of Aér'aí'chán traded by the Axhái, the elder elves. The mythology introduced in the books is only accepted by the elves, all other races deny the existence of higher Gods than the twelve they worship.
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An exact date when the Cárpa'dosía were written down is unknown, in fact there isn't even the slightest hint regarding this matter. It seems as if the elves in all parts of the known world have knowledge of the myths described in the Cárpa'dosía and that it is hopeless to find out where the myth originated. Many scholars tried to track back the elven myths to its sources, but have failed so far.
Book I of the Cárpa'dosía consist of eight chapters:
I. Of the Dream of Dreams
Containing the introduction of the elven High Goddess Avá the Beautiful and how She began to dream the Dream of the world, a Beginning which was Origin and End all in one. Every elf knows these first pages of the myth by heart. The first chapter finishes with the perception of Avá in her Dream that She indeed became Another.
II. Of the Aér'aí'chanía
Chapter II covers the development of the four elements from the Thoughts (Aeolía) of Avá. The elements are introduced in great detail as well as the so-called connecting element, the Xeuá (the "In-Between", the Spirit), which connects the ever-fighting principles of Ahm and Soór (Wind vs Earth, Water vs Fire). These passages may not look as spectacular as the rest of the myth to human eyes, nevertheless it has to be stressed that this part has a major impact on all elven philosophy.
III. Of the Aviaría
Speaking about the becoming of the Gods from the Thoughts (Winds) of Avá to put the cosmological chaos to order.
IV. Of the Titans
This chapter refers to the birth of the Children of the Gods Armeros and Jeyriall which were not approved by the Mother of All, Avá the Beautiful, and finally banned to the borders of the world.
V. Of the Tree of Life
The representation of the love of Avá to her children and the free creatures emerging directly from the Thought of Avá.
VI. Of the Children
Recounts the myth on how the beasts and plants were formed by the Gods from the elements and how the Gods roamed the lands in order to teach the Children their knowledge.
VII. Of Esh-Avá
Speaking of Coór, the Shadow Himself, who emerges from the Thoughts of Avá without Her knowledge. As Avá realizes that the world She created is engulfed by the darkness of Coór She withdraws from Her children. The chapter ends with Avá's pondering if She isn't Herself part of another dream.
VIII. Of Naught (Of the Burning Children)
Supposed to be a fake chapter, the last part of Book I of the Cárpa'dosía speaks again about Armageddon, trying to explain the conclusion of the previous chapter. This chapter is also often titled the "Orcish Chapter", thought it has to be emphasized that the chapter mentions the "Burning Children", but not the "Children of the Flame" (Caoía'Eferís) as the orcs are usually refered to in the other chapters. The most notorious passage from this chapter contains a reference to the place of Eu'reóll, the Tree of Life, where the races originated. It is written that "inflamed hordes" from all over the world shall return to this place when their day has come, when the Melór'terquán, the Night of the Turning Shadow, is at its dawn and "the bright open eyes of the Dreamer finally face the darkness emanating from the two dark hollows of Her counterpart".
The last part of the chapter is a very philosophical piece where time is reduced to the moment of creation and in this very moment lies as well its own destruction, not only as a seed but as its consequence. Birth and Armageddon are one, because the Naught knows no time. The Naught is Life and Death and it is the essence on which being is based on, not being itself, it is the essence of Avá's slumber. The Naught is completely different from Avá and nothing can be said about it. But in the same way the Naught is Avá and nothing can be said about Her. With this paradoxon ends the weird last secret chapter of the famous Cárpa'dosía, where the creation seems to suddenly be undone in a few sentences - like if the reader would read the creation myth only in a dream and awakes again.
Book II of the Cárpa'dosía contains several myths which take place after Avá has already the left the world. The most important of these are:
Of the Great Empire
Contained in this chapter is the story of rise and fall of the great elven empire of Fá'âv'cál'ár.
Of the Chosen
Recounts the myth of the so-called War of the Chosen, where the Gods become jealous of the Children's freedom. Influenced by Coór the Gods choose their pawns and endow them with powerful magics in order to extinguish the Children.
In the following lines we try to give a short summary of the main Cárpa'dosían myth of world creation contained in Book I.
Avá, the Beautiful. According to the elven lore at the beginning there was Avá, the High Goddess, She who dreams the Dream of Dreams, the dream of Herself. She is called the One, the Only, the Eternal, the Great Mother, She Who Dreameth Forth All Things, finally Avá, the Compassionate, Avá, the Just and - most important for elven cosmology - Avá, the Beautiful. It was She who created the Elements (the Aér'aí'chanía), to make Her Dream real, the Gods (the Aviaría) to put order to the chaos and gave her spirit to the first elf, human, dwarf and orc through the Rain of Life upon the Tree of Life in order to let them dream their own dreams too.
Coór, the Shadow Himself. It is said that in Her Dream Avá got to know Herself only by viewing Her image in the universal mirror and the image of Herself was the Other of Herself, but this Other - as it became real - was Ésh-Avá, or also called Coór, the Shadow Himself. Every existing thing, every living creature, every idea is influenced and affected by the Great Darkness and cannot escape these bounds in the existing world.
The Perception of Avá. The destructive power of Coór nearly destroyed the Tree of Life, but Avá was frightened as She was unaware what had happend at this hour when She for the first time encountered Evil, which had emerged from Herself. Terrified from the view of the burned Tree Avá hid the Tree of Life from the eyes of the races. She wanted the Gods to give her answers, but the Gods had wandered the lands in human, dwarven, elven or orcish form during the Great Night and were unable to interfere in the catastrophe. The Gods answered that the upheaval could only have been initiated by Avá Herself. Puzzled, Avá looked out into the universe, sensing the unspeakable answer, but still not willing to accept it. Finally She shouted the ultimate question into the world: "Is it all me?" All She heard is Her echo, but in her echo She felt a deep, terrific voice, the voice of Evil. And as She looks at the world again She recognized in an apocalyptic vision that the face of the world was the face of a gigantic demon. Percepting that the world She's dreaming of indeed is the contrary picture of Herself and not Herself She realizes that Her goodness can only be perceived through the evil and Her beauty only through the ugly. Her only comfort lies in Her Thoughts of freedom She gave to the races to decide between the main principles, good and evil. It is an important aspect of this elven myth that the elves themselves, whose intentions concentrate on living the virtues of Avá only see the positive aspects of this unreconcileable dichotomy between the Light and the Shadow: It is their lives' essence to overcome the malices of Coór and to return their soul to the purity of Avá's beauty, to bathe in it in heavenly bliss, to be re-born finally and to overcome once again the enticements of the Shadow, finding a new path once more.
The Fear of the High Goddess. Although proud of Her creations but nevertheless disappointed with the outcome of Her Dream Avá thought about waking up from the Dream, destroying everything She had accomplished. But She couldn't. For there was one Thought in Her heart She couldn't cope with: The Thought that She couldn't awake, because She might realize to be just the Dream of another. There's only one very vague hint indicated by Avá's last expressed Thought that this other might be Her supposed creation itself...
Avá's Leaving of the World. As the Dreamer of the world, Avá the Mother of All, turned away from the world, Coór reigned over Aér'ai'chán. Coór was there from the beginning of time, as He was the All the Mother of All had created. Coór gathered "Coór'enín" (meaning "the Many" or "those who are being dark") around Him to support his intention of leading the Aér'aí'chán back to chaos. The Coór'enín were those High Spirits who had been neglected by Avá as she instructed the High Spirits to organize chaos. Coór reigned from this time onward many years over the world of Aér'ai'chán and mainly the orcs worshipped the Coór'enín, the Dark Gods, and became devoted to His cause. Many wars followed on all continents and the fight between and good and evil are still not over and will last till the end of time, when the Dream of Avá begins and ends.
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