[Herderstat] Reindeer Herder Mythology

The University of Normark, based in Konungsheim.
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Rija Hirvisson
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Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2012 10:58 am

[Herderstat] Reindeer Herder Mythology

Post by Rija Hirvisson »

These stories are a collection of myths. They are listed in chronological order.


Mother Whitetail

Whitetail was a graceful reindeer who existed in the time before the universe, when the world did not exist and only the gods danced among the twinkling stars of the night sky. In this age Whitetail was still young, and she frolicked among the stars as any reindeer does in the pastures of today. She was not like today's reindeer though, for she was much, much more beautiful, and had graceful white wings like the Pegasus of Greek lore. Her dancing and her beauty radiated among the stars so much, that they fell in love with her. And she, who enjoyed frolicking among the twinkling lights so much, fell in love with the stars. So it came to pass one day that the God of the Stars came to Whitetail and professed his love, and they were wed by Sun and the Moon. Shortly thereafter, they had a child, their only one, who became the World.

In its infant years, Whitetail carried the young World on her back, dancing among the stars, and basking in the glow of her friends, Sun and Moon. This is how she came to be known as Mother Whitetail.


The Sun and Moon

The Sun and Moon were friends of the God of the Stars and Mother Whitetail, so much so that they were the only witnesses present at the latter two's wedding. The Sun and Moon were not related to oneanother, but had both come from unknown times before the dawn. Sun was a vibrant boy, the same age as Mother Whitetail, whose hair and face radiated so much that it was blinding to mortal eyes. Moon was a stunning girl, whose fair and soft features cast a gentle and soothing glow.

It came to pass that as Whitetail married the Stars, so Sun and Moon also came of the age to marry, and fell in love with oneanother. So shortly after the wedding of Mother Whitetail, the Sun and Moon wed in great harmony, and the infant World, still carried by Mother Whitetail, was aided by the Sun and Moon.

After the marriage of Sun and Moon, the Moon gave birth to a lovely daughter, only slightly younger than the World. Her name was Aurora. And like her parents, she would come to be the friend of the young World.


The World and Aurora

Aurora, daughter of the Sun and Moon, and the World, son of Mother Whitetail and God of the Stars, grew up as childhood friends. Together they would ride on Mother Whitetail's back across the universe, and gaze in awe upon the creation of World's father, who had designed and built the great constellations. They would also visit with Aurora's parents, the Sun and Moon, and bask in their glory and wisdom.

So eventually it came to be, as the two younglings grew older, that Aurora fell in love with the World, and he cherished her equally. Thus they were wed, and the two dynasties of the ancients became one. World, now great and large, still rode upon his mother's back, while Aurora fascinaed him with her magical displays of light and color in the evening skies.

The children of Aurora and the World were unlike their parents, because they were half animal and half man. These people, who became known as the Spirit People, were much smaller and mortal unlike their eternal siblings. So World housed them all on himself, letting them dot his surface all around. And Aurora entertained the children with her light shows. So these came to be the first people of the World, and our great ancestors.


The Spirit People

The Spirit People heralded the First Age of the World, meaning the time when the World first became populated. In this time the children of Aurora and the World grew and spread at great speeds and in many variations. The Eaglemen of the mountains, the Bearmen of the great forests, the Snakemen of the deserts, the Buffalomen of the great plains, the Reindeermen of the taiga, and so on.

They were so called the Spirit People because they embraced both aspects of animal and man, and held a greater reverence for nature, shunning cities and the designs of modern civilization. They were exceptionally strong in spirit, and could endure great tests of perseverence, show exceeding devotion and love, or seethe with the anger of vengeance.

For many years the Spirit People lived and dwelled on the World. They lived in peace and harmony for countless millenia, growing and populating the World several times over. But as their population grew, they became more and more arrogant. In the end they forsake their family, caring not for the World or those beyond.


Breaking of the Spirit People

After many years had passed, and the Spirit People, those who were half human and half animal, had populated all the World, they grew arrogant, and forsook their families - the Sun & Moon, the Stars and Mother Whitetail, and even the World & Aurora. In grief, the World wept, and the Stars were blotted out by the crying, and the others wept, flooding over the World with water. But what was worse was that in their arrogance, the Spirit People disconnected themselves with their animalistic traits, and revered nature so much that she forsook them, and the Spirit People split into two - the Human Kingdom, and the Animal Kingdom.

After the split, both kingdoms were humbled by the overflow of emotion and grief that they had caused the World and indeed the entire universe. But they could not change what had been done. And Mother Whitetail, so grieved by what her family had done, fled to the Stars and hid among them, so that only her shadow (constellation) remains, leaving the World and Aurora behind.

The Sun & Moon, split between loyalties to the World & Aurora, and to the Stars and Mother Whitetail, travelled between them at intervals, one watching over the other at a time. Thus began the cycle of night and day. And the Humans lost their abilities to communicate with the animals, and began to build civilizations that would advance to the people's of today. Although some fled to the taiga and tundra, remote places, and hid and kept to the old ways. While the Animals kept to nature, protecting and keeping in touch with the natural world. And this was how the Second Age of the World came to be.


The Second Age of the World

The Second Age of the World began with the splitting of the Spirit People and the formation of the Human Kingdom and the Animal Kingdom. While humans settled into groups, forming the early civilizations of Babylon, China, and fabled Atlantis, so too the animals went to the forests and those places where humans were not. Both lost the skills to communicate with the gods, but they nonetheless knew to revere them. The animals most of all stayed in touch with nature, serving as protectors and totems of spirit energy. But humans lost their way, and defiled the world, building cities, polluting its land, and fouling its oceans.

Not all were lost though. Others too had fled to the remote regions, where civilizations were not apt to exist. The great forests of the north, the mountains of snow, or the frozen tundra of the Arctic. Among these the tribes held to the old ways. And of those tribes were the Reindeer Herders. Those who were descended of the Reindeer People, who among the Spirit People were revered for their wisdom and leadership. Although they herded and hunted the reindeer, they nonetheless greatly respected the animal, and cared for and worshipped them, paying great homage with prayers and incense when one was killed.

Even though the tribes of Reindeer Herders eventually became seaparate, building unique cultures of their own, they all maintained their respect and worship of the ancient reindeer. Some are modern, with horseless carriages and houses of stone, while others still hold to the old ways, in tent and yurt. In this reverence, they hope, through continued homage to the celestial family, that one day human and animal may be reunited in spirit, and the world returned to its pristine state, with the errors of the past repented and forgotten. For this they continue to pray and herd the great reindeer whose ancestry they share.

Tarjei Einhornsson
Posts: 369
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2012 12:13 am

Re: [Herderstat] Reindeer Herder Mythology

Post by Tarjei Einhornsson »

Of the umpteen mythologies developed in micronations, I can honestly say that the Herder's is quite unique and special and is one of my favorites.

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