Zeribian Myth of the Reborn Sun

Time of the Old Sun

Unce upon a time, when the Gods had just created Salan, the young world was a paradise. All land was filled with plant life nourished by the blazing heat of the Sun. The people wandered the forests, gathered wonderous harvest form wild plants, and life was easy.
But the people were not satisfied. They asked the Sun God to give them more heat, give them more grassland to turn into fields. And the Sun Good, as he had become fond of the people, agreed. He gave them more heat. The forests began to wail, the ponds began to evaporate. But the other gods saw what was happening. They started saying to each other: "The Sun has become too proud and full of himself. He does not respect the work of other gods". But they didn't dare to intervene yet.

The Flood

Then one day Idûrfeš, the Godess of Swamps, was walking though her beloved marshlands. She could see that the marsh was drying, and felt the lifless moss crumpling under her feet. All the frogs and newts had gathered on the last wet puddles of water, and they cried for her help. When she saw their despair, she burst into tears. Huge tears fell from her eyes, and she cried so hard that soon the whole world became flooded. The people, desperately trying to escape from drowning, fled into the highest mountain tops. When the rain finally ended, the mountains had become mere islands in the huge salty ocean.
Then the other gods finally realised they had to take up arms against the Sun God. A huge war was fought among the gods and the world trembled from their anger. Finally the other gods won. They slew the Sun God and threw his body from the sky. When it fell towards the earth, the Sun God's own anger burned his body into ashes, and the ash rained all over the land. And the gods set a new sun on the sky, and the new sun was gentler, just warm enough for the people to grow their food.

Reborn Sun

One day a farmer went on his field to pick up chilies. When she cut open a pod, a huge burst of light jumped out and blinded her. When she was finally able to see again, she realised that the light was the Sun God reborn. Grateful that the farmer had released him, the Sun Good gave the people back the fire that had been extinguished in the Flood. Therefore he is called Usahdeg 'He Gave us the Fire'. His heat can still be tasted in the chilies until our times.

In Literature

The myth of the Reborn Sun was one of the first pieces of literature ever written in Ngad i zerib (Zeribian language). Some early fragments from Der Fem Island survive in a primitive script that shows heavy influence from the Nem alphabet.

Time of the Old Sun

The original text in Ngad i zerib and the gloss for fellow conlangers/linguists (tooltip explains the abbreviations used in the glosses).

Unce upon a time, when the Gods had just created Salan,
Ramku xar waš bar wuzanzan dermit biziz bed
that-CL time 3-3-TER-PL build ERG-god-PL land

the young world was a paradise.
ŋuxyr gwar ze
IPF-3-sit land calm place

The heat of the sun was waking up the plants and herbs of earth
Ym žepku bed uŋumit griškam bišeg i bex syr nex rin.
in all-CL land 3-IPF-3-CAUS wake-up heat of sun plant and herb

The people wandered the forests,
Ŋupedegdeg zir ym trel,
IPF-3-walk-PL human in woods,

gathered wonderous harvest form wild plants, and life was easy.
uŋuzedegeg waš syrdeg i gaš rin, ŋuxyr žyn žal.
3-IPF-3-gather good harvest of wild herb, IPF-3-sit light life

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But the people were not satisfied.
wagaŋuxyr zir žalgam
NEG-MIR-IPF-3-sit people happy.

They asked the Sun God to give them more heat,
Wučep nezzy šeg ken Bexiz
3-3-ask more-CL heat IO sun.god

give them more grassland to turn into fields.
Wučep nezku nededbed i uŋumahŋin
3-3-ask more-CL grassland that 3-IPF-3-cultivate

And the Sun God, as he had become fond of the people, agreed.
Rimzy kar uŋufin Bexiz ryd ‘hal’ i uŋukel zir
That-CL reason 3-IPF-3-want sun.god say ‘yes’ that 3-IPF-3-like people

He gave them more heat.
uŋušumkal nezzy šeg
3-IPF-3-give-start more-CL heat

The lakes began to evaporate, the forests began to wail.
gaŋunefešur tul, gaŋušikam trel.
MIR-IPF-3-become.dry lake, MIR-IPF-3-cry-begin trees.

But the other gods saw what was happening.
Uŋugrišiš kwenmaq biz i uŋeš.
3-IPF-3-see-PL other-CL ERG-god that 3-IPF-happen

They started saying to each other: "The Sun has become too proud and full of himself.
zuŋuryd: Uxyr Bex azan gurmaw
REFL-3-IPF-3-say 3-be Sun too proud

He does not respect the work of other gods".
waŋuburwiš i wudermit kwenmaq biz.
NEG-IPF-respect that 3-3-build other-CL ERG-god

But they didn't dare to intervene yet.
Sand wagawumit zan mesw
yet NEG-MIR-3-CAUS stop he

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Related Ethnicities

• Zeribians

Related People

• Idûrfeš (god)
• Usahdeg (god)