Tair Teyi: Loneliest Two
"We shall never be lonely again, should we perish into the night!"
Summary
Kauaru and humans are now spread across Wlitowa and its daughter-continent Wlitowaru'u. Thousands of years ago, before the Tuhrans set foot on their shores, before the Kauaru appeared from the west, the land was devoid of sapient life. In this time, a lone, young Kauaru woman, Krota, was washed on Wlitowaru'u's southern shores. Fallen tragically ill and mistaken for dead, she was rested on the sea. The currents brought her across the ocean, and she found renewed life in a land she had never known.
At the same time, a young man, Rahte, found rest on the northern shores of Wlitowaru'u. He was the son of an Irewan fisherman, and the only survivor of his father's vessel. They should never have ventured that far south; the planks on which he rested were all that remained to testify to their folly.
Krota thought herself dead. She explored this new world, surprised that she was the only one to arrive in this haven. She found hunger in this afterlife, and the plants there could not nourish her alone. She cried that even in the afterlife she had to kill, but she found solace that the food her prey provided was good. She built a fortress amongst the trees and prepared to spend eternity there.
Rahte only knew how to fish, but he fished to great success. He learned to build, and to dig, and he excavated himself a home from the loamy mountains of northern Wlitowaru'u. He explored the coastline, drawing a map of the land. He had no way to know the direction of home, but even still he dreamed about the fame he would attain upon his return- Rahte: the Great Explorer of the Southern Continent.
These two lived for years on their own. The land was good to Krota, and the sea was good to Rahte. They lacked for nothing but one with whom they could share their fortunes, their tales of joy and sorrow. Krota tended to the small animals that frequented the forest. Rahte gave names to the stars in the sky and the mountains beside him.
Their lives in isolated paradise were broken when a large quake shook the small continent. The sea bared its mighty waves as it crashed to the ground. The mountains shook and crumbled to meet them. The forest branches fell to the ground with the sound of rushing wind, and the animals fled for safety. Krota ran outward and Rahte ran inward. When they saw each other, the ground stilled, and the land quieted.
Neither one believed the other when they spoke of their origins, but it didn't matter. They were together, and they would never be apart. With their skills combined, they commanded all they could see. Their daughter once had a calming and peaceful dream, of which she could only remember a single line: "The lonely shall be reunited," the Second of the Seven Truths.
Upon hearing this, the parents proclaimed:
"The mountains shall break, the trees shall snap,
and the sea shall fall upon itself!
Greater still is the one who finds another in the void!
May those who find friendship find bonds stronger than the land;
those who find love, a treasure prettier than the stars of the sky!
For we have more in a day together than in a hundred years alone,
And we shall never be lonely again, should we perish into the night!"
At the same time, a young man, Rahte, found rest on the northern shores of Wlitowaru'u. He was the son of an Irewan fisherman, and the only survivor of his father's vessel. They should never have ventured that far south; the planks on which he rested were all that remained to testify to their folly.
Krota thought herself dead. She explored this new world, surprised that she was the only one to arrive in this haven. She found hunger in this afterlife, and the plants there could not nourish her alone. She cried that even in the afterlife she had to kill, but she found solace that the food her prey provided was good. She built a fortress amongst the trees and prepared to spend eternity there.
Rahte only knew how to fish, but he fished to great success. He learned to build, and to dig, and he excavated himself a home from the loamy mountains of northern Wlitowaru'u. He explored the coastline, drawing a map of the land. He had no way to know the direction of home, but even still he dreamed about the fame he would attain upon his return- Rahte: the Great Explorer of the Southern Continent.
These two lived for years on their own. The land was good to Krota, and the sea was good to Rahte. They lacked for nothing but one with whom they could share their fortunes, their tales of joy and sorrow. Krota tended to the small animals that frequented the forest. Rahte gave names to the stars in the sky and the mountains beside him.
Their lives in isolated paradise were broken when a large quake shook the small continent. The sea bared its mighty waves as it crashed to the ground. The mountains shook and crumbled to meet them. The forest branches fell to the ground with the sound of rushing wind, and the animals fled for safety. Krota ran outward and Rahte ran inward. When they saw each other, the ground stilled, and the land quieted.
Neither one believed the other when they spoke of their origins, but it didn't matter. They were together, and they would never be apart. With their skills combined, they commanded all they could see. Their daughter once had a calming and peaceful dream, of which she could only remember a single line: "The lonely shall be reunited," the Second of the Seven Truths.
Upon hearing this, the parents proclaimed:
"The mountains shall break, the trees shall snap,
and the sea shall fall upon itself!
Greater still is the one who finds another in the void!
May those who find friendship find bonds stronger than the land;
those who find love, a treasure prettier than the stars of the sky!
For we have more in a day together than in a hundred years alone,
And we shall never be lonely again, should we perish into the night!"
Historical Basis
In Wokaiya, "Krota" means "Big One," and "Rahte" means "Small One." If these two ever did exist, their true names have long been forgotten.
Cultural Reception
This myth is known throughout Wouraiya but especially in Wlitowa. The poem therein is often spoken during wedding ceremonies, with the the wife dressing herself as the avatar of Krota and the husband as the avatar of Rahte. Royal marriages between female Kauaru and male humans, such as those between the first king of Wlitowa and the queen of the Kauaru and between Ikata Takwyare and the crown prince of Keyrit, are often said to have been blessed by that ancient couple, with the blessing legitimizing and consecrating their marriage.
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