The Creation Myth
I. The First Song — The Elves' First Deed
She did not cry out — for sound had not yet been born.
But her silent sorrow echoed into eternity.
And the elves, the first awakened souls,
heard this mute lament — and understood.
So they built — not with hammers, but with sound.
A symphony, written in the language of stars,
played on harp-strings spun from the fibre of heaven.
And every note melted a tear.
Every chord broke the sleep of ice.
When the final verse rang out — Glydratha opened her eye.
And from the melted drops of her tears came the rivers, the light, and all that lives.
Thus all things began — and thus was balance born:
The depths of chaos held up by the resonance of order.
This is the elves' first deed.
And so they guard life, for they know the sound behind all things.
II. The Elvish Cosmology — The Creation Myth in Epic Form
The Symphony of the Before-Divide
Verse I — Darkness Before Sound
Before anything breathed, before light was born,
when darkness itself was all that existed,
a Goddess rested in the embrace of the deep —
Glydratha, she-without-name.
She did not dream. For dream was not yet known.
She slept in stone, trapped in the solitude of ice.
Her tears were frozen jewels —
memories from a time before time.
Around her was only substance — without form.
A primal world of chaos, but without will.
And out of this deep nothing,
arose a sound. A tone. A first movement.
Not a noise — but a presence. A being-there.
It was the elves.
The first beings of light.
Born not of flesh, but of resonance.
And in that first sound, they understood her pain.
Verse II — Builders of the Symphony
The elves did not build with stone.
They sang.
They shaped reality through structures of tone,
where vibrations became stars,
and notes became mountains, trees, and rivers.
They composed a Cosmic Symphony,
so beautiful that even silence wept.
And in the final verse — where every tone gathered into a single chord —
the tears in Glydratha's breast melted.
She opened her eyes, and the world breathed.
From the meltwater came the sea.
From the first light — came the day.
From harmony — came life.
But within the frozen chaos there was unrest —
a will toward disorder.
And thus were humans born —
as the children of dissonance.
Verse III — The Split and the Divide
In the beginning, humans and elves walked together.
They learned the law of the symphony. They guarded the forests, sang with the rivers.
But humankind created its own sound.
A script that broke the rhythm.
And thus came pride.
They wished to rule, not to guard.
To create outside the order of tone.
Across 13 staves — over 1321 years each —
elves and humans fought a war across time.
Not with swords, but with wills.
At last, the Divide was raised.
A wall between dimensions,
so that the elves could remain the guardians of the symphony — and humans could learn to find their way home, of their own free will.
1. The Primal Dimension — The First World
In the origin of time there existed a dimension before matter, a primal world where humans and elves lived in harmony as guardians of nature. Here there was no war, no property, no separation — only the task of guarding and carrying forward the balance between light and dark, chaos and order.
The elves were closer to their souls than humans, and were able to sense and use the cosmic currents directly. Their language was music, geometry, and symbol — a cosmic symphony they wove together with the will of the Creator.
Humans, however, began to develop a written language of their own, independent of the symphony of the elves. This led to pride, discord, and greed, and finally to a rebellion against the original laws.
2. The Split and the Creation of the World
After 13 staves of 1321 years of strife, it was decided that a divide must be raised.
This divide split the primal world into two planes:
- The spiritual sphere, still accessible to the elves and to humans in dreams, visions, and deep meditation.
- Physical reality, our world, where time and matter rule.
The elves could still cross the Divide, but if they remained too long in our world, they risked being tempted and weighed down by physical existence. Humans, by contrast, could only cross back in spirit — in ecstatic states or in deep dreams.
7. The Three Goddesses — Creators of the Divide
Here we draw on three forces often found in both Norse and archetypal mythology: the weavers of fate, the sisters of time, the cosmic principles. The three goddesses can also be understood as gravity, vacuum, and counterforce — or as the elements of creation, destruction, and re-creation.
Myrae — The Weaver of Vows and Light
She is the one who holds the memories of what was, and weaves bonds between beings and worlds. It was her thread that formed the first contour of the Divide — not as punishment, but as protection.
- Symbol: A spiral-shaped silver thread
- Essence: Memory, connection, healing
- Element: Light and aether
- Role: Gave the Divide its form
Eiraveth — The Silent Judge
She hears no prayers and judges with no wrath, but weighs all that is out of balance, and lets it find its natural consequence. She saw humanity's break with the oldest laws and balanced the chaos with the law of fate.
- Symbol: A scale carved in dark stone
- Essence: Balance, justice, responsibility
- Element: Earth and darkness
- Role: Gave the Divide its meaning
Thaleira — She Who Kindles New Light
She carried with her the last spark from the primal fire that first lit the stars, and gave this spark to the Divide as a soul-bridge between worlds. This is why, in dream, ecstasy, and meditation, one can still cross over.
- Symbol: A flame within a droplet of water
- Essence: Rebirth, transition, hope
- Element: Fire and water
- Role: Gave the Divide a bridge
The Cornerstone
The birth of the universe and the Divide's deep lesson — told as the ancient beings who witnessed creation passed it down.
This is the story of the universe's deepest truths, as they were handed down by the ancient beings who witnessed creation. It is the very core of the philosophy — an explanation of why all realms are connected, and why balance and understanding are essential to all existence.
The Beginning of All — An Outburst of Care
Before humans and before elves, there were only the mammals. The elves were created on the day the first mammal showed care for a species other than its own. Mother Earth created the elves in this way, when the goodness of an animal surpassed its natural instincts — to hunt its prey — and it chose instead to show care and give love.
As this goodness spread through nature, all creatures lived together, both those considered magical and those not. They lived side by side, all following the same laws and rules. All lived in accord with nature. All lived as one with their soul; the soul was woven together with the body. One was spiritual and physical at the same time. The spiritual was as natural as the physical; one did not need to train the spiritual to have a spiritual experience. This was the perfect balance, and as it was meant to be; everything and everyone followed the earth's harmony and rhythm.
The elves were then set to govern and guide all living things; they are the extended power of Mother Nature. The elves' responsibility became to control and maintain this balance in nature. Everything is created to fill its place; everything was created for the good of nature and for all who lived within it. Humans were created to help the elves maintain this balance.
The Challenges — The Dwarves, the Trolls, and the Path of Humankind
A few creatures, however, developed in the wrong direction. These creatures placed their own needs and desires above all others; they set themselves highest and believed themselves more important than anything else. Dwarves, trolls, and humans were the creatures that caused great problems for all other races and for nature itself.
The elves saw how this would end. The elves' world is the world we all come from, and once shared. The elves, who were set to govern and guide all races in accord with nature, thus faced a problem that had to be solved in the best possible way for everyone. The elves had to solve this problem as quickly as possible. Elves believe every creature has its own worth and place in nature; all are equally valuable and important and are not to be destroyed or oppressed by others, but all have the right to live as they were created and meant to be, regardless of the advantages or disadvantages this might entail.
The Dwarves: The elves set the dwarves to work and to find the earth's treasures, such as gemstones and minerals. These were to be guarded and cared for. The dwarves thrived underground, in the narrow, damp, and dark passages and caverns, and they also loved beautiful, shining things. The dwarves' greedy and hot-tempered nature began to show, and became harmful to other races. The elves saw that they were troubled and ill at ease, so the elves placed them to live and work beneath the ground, away from the sun's strong light, where they could dig out and guard their treasures, which they held in such high esteem. In this way they created the passages and caverns that nature needs; many of these spaces were filled with air and water, which nourished plants and life underground, and the creatures made to live there. The dwarves' two chief traits — greed and hot temper — thus became a necessity rather than a problem for others, while at the same time they were placed exactly where they could keep their nature and manner, without being a threat to anyone else.
The Trolls: Trolls were another race that grew to enormous size, and in time became a great problem. It was in their nature to be clumsy and short of thought; nor did they have compassion or understanding for what surrounded them. Trolls also had an insatiable appetite, and their manner and uncomprehending mindset led them to become angry and violent toward things they could not understand — which was nearly everything. The trolls began to be a great problem as they grew larger, destroying everything around them and anyone who happened to be nearby.
The elves arrived at the only and best solution for everyone — even for the nature they lived within. The elves decided that the trolls must be allowed to keep their nature and manner, but in such a way that they were not a threat to all who found themselves nearby. The elves and the natural force "Mammon" made the trolls small and let them live on the forested plains, among vegetation and stones. Here they could destroy and fight; they could roam freely without being a threat to anyone. In this way the trolls kept their natural manner while living on their own terms, without being a danger.
Humans: The elves had now solved two problems in a sensible and just manner. The elves now faced a new and greater problem — one that would prove to change everything that was meant to be.
One race among the many that existed, who resembled the elves, lived as they did and among them, and were regarded by the elves as equals. Elves and humans had lived together as one people since time immemorial; in appearance, too, they were nearly alike. Humans were a proud race with a strong intelligence, much like the elves. But humans developed into a race unwilling to submit to anyone else. Nor would they share power with anyone. Humans would not even submit to nature and its laws. Humans came to see themselves as the race nature had created to lead and rule over all other races.
The elves saw how humans developed cunning, greed, and the ability to choose to be good or evil at the same time. Human cunning let them appear good even when their intention was evil. Humans could be deceitful and untrustworthy even toward those closest to them. Humans chose to follow their own ideas and thoughts, letting desire lead them. Whether they harmed nature or those who lived within it meant nothing, so long as they achieved their goal.
All this was unthinkable to the elves. They watched humanity's development with breaking hearts. Humans developed in direct opposition to nature's purpose. The elves saw that humankind was a threat to everyone around it. Indeed, even nature and creation itself would be threatened if humans were allowed to continue their course. The Realm of the Elves itself could fall, and if this happened, all of nature, and even "Mammon" itself, would be in danger of annihilation. Human thought and intelligence had a contagious effect on other races; even Mother Earth herself stood in danger of destruction if nothing was done.
The elves took from humans the ability to draw power from "Mammon" (the primal force that exists within everything). Humans then felt inferior to the elves. The elves understood that whatever humans set their minds to achieve, they would be able to accomplish given enough time. Nothing would be impossible for humans. Humans then developed their own language and were able to preserve their own ideas and thoughts, and so to share them through the written word. The elves realized, with heavy hearts, that they had to stop humanity's course. Once again they had to find a unique solution that was for the good of all — a solution that was drastic, but one that was for the best for everyone, so that all would have a future.
(A note on "Mammon": the Bible refers to the word mammon as worldly riches, or as the demon of injustice. Another, older meaning of the word is "that which one places one's trust in," but it can also carry the meaning of "that which is fundamental" or "of value.")
The Great Divide and Its Consequences
The elves had to split a perfect world and create several worlds separated from one another, yet still bound together as though they were one. This allowed humans to live as they were created and according to their own nature, as they were meant to be, without being a threat to other creatures or to the Realm of the Elves and its existence. The elves would continue their duties toward nature and all that lived within it, but now across several worlds.
Humans were given free access to their own world, but limited access to the Realm of the Elves. Humans were now free to do as they pleased in their own world and in their own version of Mother Earth and the primal force that binds all things together. As the worlds were separated from one another, human souls and bodies were likewise separated; they became two distinct parts, just as the worlds became distinct. Soul and body were separated, yet remain connected; they are no longer one. In this way humanity was shut out from the Realm of the Elves, a world humans were created to share with the elves. This was taken from us because of the choices we made.
The Earth-Elves — the bridge between worlds: Earth-elves is the original name for what we now call gnomes (nisser). The gnomes were not a problem in the world of the elves, but they carried many human traits, and the gnomes missed humans in the elven world, choosing to move to the human world themselves. They share the same temperament as humans, with many similar features and ways of being, and many cultural similarities to humans. Humans chose to become mortal when they left the Realm of the Elves, but because gnomes live so close to their souls, they grow to be three times as old as humans. They have also retained some of their abilities from the elven world.
The Invisible Thread — A Future in Connection
From the deep forests to the high mountain peaks, and from the bustling human-made cities to the ancient caves of the dwarves, even within the hidden labyrinths of the sirens beneath the cradle of the sea, it was as though an invisible but unbreakable thread continued to bind all beings together. Balance, trust, and understanding became increasingly recognized as key ingredients for any realm or world wishing to flourish in harmony. In a future ahead, new challenges and possibilities await, but through this unexpected interconnection, races and worlds would show that together they could create worlds reflecting both elegance and strength. This is a universe in which the actions of the many are mirrored across boundaries, creating a unique story of different worlds bound together by an invisible, unbreakable thread of shared existence.
In the worlds the elves have created, stories and legends have endured through generations, and their reality remains unshakeable for those who have experienced them. The elves' ability to cross the Divide between different worlds, owing to their pure souls, has remained an unwavering truth. In the same way, humans possess the ability to wander in soul-form through dreams and meditation, woven deeply into the fabric of their daily lives. The separate yet intertwined regions of the races stand as tangible evidence of the intricate connection and challenges the different beings face. Through time, their stories have become entangled, forming an image of an interwoven universe. These interwoven tales have become an indelible part of their shared existence.