Kiltic Creation Myths
Kiltic Mythology
Creation Myths are among the oldest surviving examples of ancient Kiltic Mythology, describing the origin of the world, and how it was first inhabited by the ancestors of mankind. Although developed within the Kiltic oral tradition, the creation tales that come down to us are remarkably uniform in nature, which speaks to the rigor with which the Fili were required to commit them to memory.
The Creation of the Universe
Anorda, who was called "the womb of existence," was the first goddess.1 Before the birth of the cosmos, she filled the unfathomable emptiness of nihility with all of creation’s majestic potential. From the essence within her came forth the entire universe.
Within Anorda stirred a void, and it began to grow. As it grew, the essence of the universe within her was divided, creating the god Omna and the goddess Anuna, each the compliment of the other. When they awoke, Omna and Anuna observed each other across the void and were drawn to each other with great intensity.
They entered the void and in an instant rushed toward each other, coming together in an embrace so tight they became inseparable. The force of their embrace ignited an Eternal Flame between them, the Tine Síoraí, and with that embrace, the void within Anorda was filled and the universe was created.
Within Anorda stirred a void, and it began to grow. As it grew, the essence of the universe within her was divided, creating the god Omna and the goddess Anuna, each the compliment of the other. When they awoke, Omna and Anuna observed each other across the void and were drawn to each other with great intensity.
They entered the void and in an instant rushed toward each other, coming together in an embrace so tight they became inseparable. The force of their embrace ignited an Eternal Flame between them, the Tine Síoraí, and with that embrace, the void within Anorda was filled and the universe was created.
The Creation of the World
Anuna bore three sons – Nevord, Róin and Erimach – who grew up between their embracing parents, and became giants. They soon realized they must escape from the entrapment of their parents or they would perish. Nevord complained to Omna that he must allow his children their freedom. But such was Omna’s love for Anuna that Nevord’s plea did not move him. Róin called out to Anuna that her children must be free or they would die. Though Anuna’s love for Omna was great, her motherly love for her children caused her to weaken her embrace, if only for a moment.
It was then that Erimach struck at Omna, plucking out his eyes and tearing his head from his body, whereupon Omna’s body fell, becoming the world. His flesh became the land, his bones became the stones and his final breath became the wind, while his severed head became the sun and his eyes became the moons.
The Tine Síoraí fell too, and was divided into many parts. Some parts fell hard, piercing Olma’s flesh and becoming the volcanoes and hot springs of the world. Other parts remained in the air, becoming the lightning, meteors and aurorae. The rest were scattered across the universe and became the stars that fill the night sky.
Anuna was horrified by what she saw, and she wept at the loss of her beloved husband. Her tears grew into rivers and swelled to a great flood, sweeping away her children and bringing them down to the world. There her tears mixed with Omna’s blood and became the seas, and Nevord, Róin and Erimach were banished there, becoming the Pronsaí gan Tír (Landless Princes), ancestors of the Fear Bolg, Neander and Fomori.
The shock of the death of her beloved Omna caused Anuna, who was pregnant at the time, to begin her labor and give birth to Torre, whom she sent into the world to rule over the Pronsaí gan Tír as god of the sea.
The Creation of Mankind
Anuna looked down upon the world and saw two white acorns, recognizing them as Omna’s testicles. She saw the spirit of Omna within them, and once again began to weep. Her tears soaked the dry soil, and the acorns took root and began to grow.
One of the white acorns grew into a magnificent oak tree, tall and straight and strong – it was Omna reborn. The other acorn became Dagodáir, the all-father of the world, from whom would come the gods who order the affairs of men.
Omna saw Anuna in the heavens and stretched his branches to the sky so she could dry her tears with his broad leaves, but the distance between the world and heaven was too great. And so Anuna continued to weep for the loss of her beloved. Nurtured by Anuna’s tears, the Great Oak that was Omna grew many acorns, which fell to the ground and became the first humans. Year upon year they fell, and soon the world was filled.
Those first humans did not yet know death, since there was no underworld to contain the sleeping souls of the departed. In time they became sullen and melancholy, unable to find meaning or joy in their endless lives. It was then that the Pronsaí gan Tír taunted the people from the sea, sowing discord, division and rebellion among them. The Landless Princes told the first people the story of their overthrow of Omna which created the world, and convinced them that the Great Oak was the source of their misery and they should rise up against him.
The first people did not remember that they were born of the Great Oak. Some of them believed the Pronsaí gan Tír and went about the land, convincing the rest. The first people attacked Omna with their axes, and he began to die and then to fall. As Omna fell, his heart burst from sadness at the betrayal of his children, scattering bits of his body to the four corners of the world, where they fell to the ground, rejuvenating the land and bringing renewal to the people. Seeing this, the first people recognized their folly and regretted their actions. They begged forgiveness, but it was too late; the Great Oak had fallen.
Then, in a fiery bolt of lightning, the Tine Síoraí flew down and struck the base of the fallen Great Oak, sealing Omna within it. Then two of the Great Oak’s mighty roots grew deep into the ground, spreading broad and wide to create a new spirit realm beneath the world. And though the Great Oak had fallen, Omna’s spirit remained in that shadowy realm as god of the netherworld, never again to see his beloved Anuna, who remained in the heavens as the mother-goddess of the world.
The Creation of Lifetimes
Anuna wept for three days at the loss yet again of her beloved Omna, and each day her tears poured down onto the world and flowed like a river between the two mighty roots, falling to form a still pool in the underworld. Omna drank from that pool, and on the first day after he drank, Cunnúnt, goddess of destiny emerged from his mouth. On the second day, after Omna drank from the pool of Anuna’s tears, Breith, goddess of birth, emerged from his mouth. And on the third day, it was Bás, goddess of death, who was born of Anuna’s tears from the mouth of Omna.
On the fourth day, Anuna ceased her weeping and called to her daughters. She told them how the first people had betrayed their father, but were filled with regret for their misdeed. Anuna bound her daughters to inflict a just punishment upon mankind, and having been so bound they became the Corraván, triple-goddess of lifetimes, who brings pain to childbirth and sets the number of men’s days.
On the fifth day Anuna called out to Omna, beseeching him to release their daughters, so they could go into the world as the Corraván, to secure the Éraic from the people for their attack upon him. Omna reluctantly agreed, for though they had betrayed him, he loved his children and yearned for each of them to return to him in his time.
And so on the sixth day the Corraván, who is called the Phantom Queen, was released upon the world and made men mortal. Thenceforth the pains of childbirth were greatly multiplied and the days of all men were numbered from their conception.
On the fourth day, Anuna ceased her weeping and called to her daughters. She told them how the first people had betrayed their father, but were filled with regret for their misdeed. Anuna bound her daughters to inflict a just punishment upon mankind, and having been so bound they became the Corraván, triple-goddess of lifetimes, who brings pain to childbirth and sets the number of men’s days.
On the fifth day Anuna called out to Omna, beseeching him to release their daughters, so they could go into the world as the Corraván, to secure the Éraic from the people for their attack upon him. Omna reluctantly agreed, for though they had betrayed him, he loved his children and yearned for each of them to return to him in his time.
And so on the sixth day the Corraván, who is called the Phantom Queen, was released upon the world and made men mortal. Thenceforth the pains of childbirth were greatly multiplied and the days of all men were numbered from their conception.
1 The ancient scholar Piaras Phelimi suggested in the Amhrán de na Scamaill that Anorda was the daughter of Am (Time) and Eigean (Necessity), but the assertion never gained widespread acceptance and Anorda is generally considered to have been an eternal, uncreated goddess.
PART OF A SERIES ON
the Ancient Kiltic Religion
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