The Gods of Pegana
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Lord Dunsany [Edward J. M. D. Plunkett] >> The Gods of Pegana
Produced by Beginners Projects, Anne Reshnyk
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
THE GODS OF PEGANA
LORD DUNSANY
CONTENTS
Preface
Introduction
Of Skarl the Drummer
Of the Making of the Worlds
Of the Game of the Gods
The Chaunt of the Gods
The Sayings of Kib
Concerning Sish
The Sayings of Slid
The Deeds of Mung
The Chaunt
The Sayings of Limpang-Tung
Of Yoharneth-Lahai
Of Roon, the God of Going, and the Thousand Home Gods
The Revolt of the Home Gods
Of Dorozhand
The Eye in the Waste
Of the Thing That Is Neither God Nor Beast
Yonath the Prophet
Yug the Prophet
Alhireth-Hotep The Prophet
Kabok The Prophet
Of the Calamity That Befel Yun-Hara by the Sea, and of the
Building of the Tower of the Ending of Days
Of How the Gods Whelmed Sidith
Of How Imbaun Became High Prophet in Aradec of all
the Gods Save One
Of How Imbaun Met Zodrak
Pegana
The Sayings of Imbaun
Of How Imbaun Spake of Death to the King
Of Ood
The River
The Bird of Doom and THE END
PREFACE
In the mists before THE BEGINNING, Fate and Chance cast lots to
decide whose the Game should be; and he that won strode through
the mists to MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI and said: "Now make gods for Me, for
I have won the cast and the Game is to be Mine." Who it was that
won the cast, and whether it was Fate or whether Chance that went
through the mists before THE BEGINNING to MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI--_none
knoweth._
INTRODUCTION
Before there stood gods upon Olympus, or ever Allah was Allah, had
wrought and rested MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI.
There are in Pegana Mung and Sish and Kib, and the maker of all
small gods, who is MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI. Moreover, we have a faith in
Roon and Slid.
And it has been said of old that all things that have been were
wrought by the small gods, excepting only MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI, who
made the gods and hath thereafter rested.
And none may pray to MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI but only the gods whom he
hath made.
But at the Last will MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI forget to rest, and will
make again new gods and other worlds, and will destroy the gods
whom he hath made.
And the gods and the worlds shall depart, and there shall be only
MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI.
OF SKARL THE DRUMMER
When MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI had made the gods and Skarl, Skarl made a
drum, and began to beat upon it that he might drum for ever. Then
because he was weary after the making of the gods, and because of
the drumming of Skarl, did MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI grow drowsy and fall
asleep.
And there fell a hush upon the gods when they saw that MANA rested,
and there was silence on Pegana save for the drumming of Skarl.
Skarl sitteth upon the mist before the feet of MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI,
above the gods of Pegana, and there he beateth his drum. Some say
that the Worlds and the Suns are but the echoes of the drumming of
Skarl, and others say that they be dreams that arise in the mind
of MANA because of the drumming of Skarl, as one may dream whose
rest is troubled by sound of song, but none knoweth, for who hath
heard the voice of MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI, or who hath seen his drummer?
Whether the season be winter or whether it be summer, whether it
be morning among the worlds or whether it be night, Skarl still
beateth his drum, for the purposes of the gods are not yet fulfilled.
Sometimes the arm of Skarl grows weary; but still he beateth his
drum, that the gods may do the work of the gods, and the worlds go
on, for if he cease for an instant then MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI will start
awake, and there will be worlds nor gods no more.
But, when at the last the arm of Skarl shall cease to beat his drum,
silence shall startle Pegana like thunder in a cave, and MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI
shall cease to rest.
Then shall Skarl put his drum upon his back and walk forth into the
void beyond the worlds, because it is THE END, and the work of Skarl
is over.
There may arise some other god whom Skarl may serve, or it may be
that he shall perish; but to Skarl it shall matter not, for he shall
have done the work of Skarl.
OF THE MAKING OF THE WORLDS
When MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI had made the gods there were only the gods,
and They sat in the middle of Time, for there was as much Time
before them as behind them, which having no end had neither a
beginning.
And Pegana was without heat or light or sound, save for the
drumming of Skarl; moreover Pegana was The Middle of All, for
there was below Pegana what there was above it, and there lay
before it that which lay beyond.
Then said the gods, making the signs of the gods and speaking with
Their hands lest the silence of Pegana should blush; then said the
gods to one another, speaking with Their hands; "Let Us make
worlds to amuse Ourselves while MANA rests. Let Us make worlds and
Life and Death, and colours in the sky; only let Us not break the
silence upon Pegana."
Then raising Their hands, each god according to his sign, They
made the worlds and the suns, and put a light in the houses of the
sky.
Then said the gods: "Let Us make one to seek, to seek and never to
find out concerning the wherefore of the making of the gods."
And They made by the lifting of Their hands, each god according to
his sign, the Bright One with the flaring tail to seek from the
end of the Worlds to the end of them again, to return again after
a hundred years.
Man, when thou seest the comet, know that another seeketh besides
thee nor ever findeth out.
Then said the gods, still speaking with Their hands: "Let there be
now a Watcher to regard."
And They made the Moon, with his face wrinkled with many mountains
and worn with a thousand valleys, to regard with pale eyes the
games of the small gods, and to watch throughout the resting time
of MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI; to watch, to regard all things, and be
silent.
Then said the gods: "Let Us make one to rest. One not to move
among the moving. One not to seek like the comet, nor to go round
like the worlds; to rest while MANA rests."
And They made the Star of the Abiding and set it in the North.
Man, when thou seest the Star of the Abiding to the North, know
that one resteth as doth MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI, and know that somewhere
among the Worlds is rest.
Lastly the gods said: "We have made worlds and suns, and one to
seek and another to regard, let Us now make one to wonder."
And They made Earth to wonder, each god by the uplifting of his
hand according to his sign.
And Earth was.
OF THE GAME OF THE GODS
A million years passed over the first game of the gods. And
MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI still rested, still in the middle of Time, and
the gods still played with Worlds. The Moon regarded, and the
Bright One sought, and returned again to his seeking.
Then Kib grew weary of the first game of the gods, and raised his
hand in Pegana, making the sign of Kib, and Earth became covered
with beasts for Kib to play with.
And Kib played with beasts.
But the other gods said one to another, speaking with their hands:
"What is it that Kib has done?"
And They said to Kib: "What are these things that move upon The
Earth yet move not in circles like the Worlds, that regard like
the Moon and yet they do not shine?"
And Kib said: "This is Life."
But the gods said one to another: "If Kib has thus made beasts he
will in time make Men, and will endanger the Secret of the gods."
And Mung was jealous of the work of Kib, and sent down Death among
the beasts, but could not stamp them out.
A million years passed over the second game of the gods, and still
it was the Middle of Time.
And Kib grew weary of the second game, and raised his hand in the
Middle of All, making the sign of Kib, and made Men: out of beasts
he made them, and Earth was covered with Men.
Then the gods feared greatly for the Secret of the gods, and set a
veil between Man and his ignorance that he might not understand.
And Mung was busy among Men.
But when the other gods saw Kib playing his new game They came and
played it too. And this They will play until MANA arises to rebuke
Them, saying: "What do ye playing with Worlds and Suns and Men and
Life and Death?" And They shall be ashamed of Their playing in the
hour of the laughter of MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI.
It was Kib who first broke the Silence of Pegana, by speaking with
his mouth like a man.
And all the other gods were angry with Kib that he had spoken with
his mouth.
And there was no longer silence in Pegana or the Worlds.
THE CHAUNT OF THE GODS
There came the voice of the gods singing the chaunt of the gods,
singing: "We are the gods; We are the little games of MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI
that he hath played and hath forgotten.
"MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI hath made us, and We made the Worlds and the
Suns.
"And We play with the Worlds and the Sun and Life and Death until
MANA arises to rebuke us, saying: 'What do ye playing with Worlds
and Suns?'
"It is a very serious thing that there be Worlds and Suns, and yet
most withering is the laughter of MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI.
"And when he arises from resting at the Last, and laughs at us for
playing with Worlds and Suns, We will hastily put them behind us,
and there shall be Worlds no more."
THE SAYINGS OF KIB
(Sender of Life in all the Worlds)
Kib said: "I am Kib. I am none other than Kib."
Kib is Kib. Kib is he and no other. Believe! Kib said: "When
Time was early, when Time was very early indeed--there was only
MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI. MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI was before the beginning of the
gods, and shall be after their going."
And Kib said: "After the going of the gods there will be no small
worlds nor big."
Kib said: "It will be lonely for MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI."
Because this is written, believe! For is it not written, or are
you greater than Kib? Kib is Kib.
CONCERNING SISH
(The Destroyer of Hours)
Time is the hound of Sish.
At Sish's bidding do the hours run before him as he goeth upon
his way.
Never hath Sish stepped backward nor ever hath he tarried; never
hath he relented to the things that once he knew nor turned to
them again.
Before Sish is Kib, and behind him goeth Mung.
Very pleasant are all things before the face of Sish, but behind
him they are withered and old.
And Sish goeth ceaselessly upon his way.
Once the gods walked upon Earth as men walk and spake with their
mouths like Men. That was in Wornath-Mavai. They walk not now.
And Wornath-Mavai was a garden fairer than all the gardens upon
Earth.
Kib was propitious, and Mung raised not his hand against it,
neither did Sish assail it with his hours.
Wornath-Mavai lieth in a valley and looketh towards the south, and
on the slopes of it Sish rested among the flowers when Sish was
young.
Thence Sish went forth into the world to destroy its cities, and
to provoke his hours to assail all things, and to batter against
them with the rust and with the dust.
And Time, which is the hound of Sish, devoured all things; and
Sish sent up the ivy and fostered weeds, and dust fell from the
hand of Sish and covered stately things. Only the valley where
Sish rested when he and Time were young did Sish not provoke his
hours to assail.
There he restrained his old hound Time, and at its borders Mung
withheld his footsteps.
Wornath-Mavai still lieth looking towards the south, a garden
among gardens, and still the flowers grow about its slopes as they
grew when the gods were young; and even the butterflies live in
Wornath-Mavai still. For the minds of the gods relent towards
their earliest memories, who relent not otherwise at all.
Wornath-Mavai still lieth looking towards the south; but if thou
shouldst ever find it thou art then more fortunate than the gods,
because they walk not in Wornath-Mavai now.
Once did the prophet think that he discerned it in the distance
beyond mountains, a garden exceeding fair with flowers; but Sish
arose, and pointed with his hand, and set his hound to pursue him,
who hath followed ever since.
Time is the hound of the gods; but it hath been said of old that
he will one day turn upon his masters, and seek to slay the gods,
excepting only MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI, whose dreams are the gods
themselves--dreamed long ago.
THE SAYINGS OF SLID
(Whose Soul is by the Sea)
Slid said: "Let no man pray to MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI, for who shall
trouble MANA with mortal woes or irk him with the sorrows of all
the houses of Earth?
"Nor let any sacrifice to MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI, for what glory shall
he find in sacrifices or altars who hath made the gods themselves?
"Pray to the small gods, who are the gods of Doing; but MANA is
the god of Having Done--the god of Having Done and of the Resting.
"Pray to the small gods and hope that they may hear thee. Yet what
mercy should the small gods have, who themselves made Death and
Pain; or shall they restrain their old hound Time for thee?
"Slid is but a small god. Yet Slid is Slid--it is written and hath
been said.
"Pray, thou, therefore, to Slid, and forget not Slid, and it may
be that Slid will not forget to send thee Death when most thou
needest it."
And the People of Earth said: "There is a melody upon the Earth as
though ten thousand streams all sang together for their homes that
they had forsaken in the hills."
And Slid said: "I am the Lord of gliding waters and of foaming
waters and of still. I am the Lord of all the waters in the world
and all that long streams garner in the hills; but the soul of
Slid is in the Sea. Thither goes all that glides upon Earth, and
the end of all the rivers is the Sea."
And Slid said: "The hand of Slid hath toyed with cataracts, and
down the valleys have trod the feet of Slid, and out of the lakes
of the plains regard the eyes of Slid; but the soul of Slid is in
the sea."
Much homage hath Slid among the cities of men and pleasant are the
woodland paths and the paths of the plains, and pleasant the high
valleys where he danceth in the hills; but Slid would be fettered
neither by banks nor boundaries--so the soul of Slid is in the
Sea.
For there may Slid repose beneath the sun and smile at the gods
above him with all the smiles of Slid, and be a happier god than
Those who sway the Worlds, whose work is Life and Death.
There may he sit and smile, or creep among the ships, or moan and
sigh round islands in his great content--the miser lord of wealth
in gems and pearls beyond the telling of all fables.
Or there may he, when Slid would fain exult, throw up his great
arms, or toss with many a fathom of wandering hair the mighty head
of Slid, and cry aloud tumultuous dirges of shipwreck, and feel
through all his being the crashing might of Slid, and sway the
sea. Then doth the Sea, like venturous legions on the eve of war
that exult to acclaim their chief, gather its force together from
under all the winds and roar and follow and sing and crash
together to vanquish all things--and all at the bidding of Slid,
whose soul is in the sea.
There is ease in the soul of Slid and there be calms upon the sea;
also, there be storms upon the sea and troubles in the soul of
Slid, for the gods have many moods. And Slid is in many places,
for he sitteth in high Pegana. Also along the valleys walketh
Slid, wherever water moveth or lieth still; but the voice and the
cry of Slid are from the sea. And to whoever that cry hath ever
come he must needs follow and follow, leaving all stable things;
only to be always with Slid in all the moods of Slid, to find no
rest until he reaches the sea.
With the cry of Slid before them and the hills of their home behind
have gone a hundred thousand to the sea, over whose bones doth Slid
lament with the voice of a god lamenting for his people. Even the
streams from the inner lands have heard Slid's far-off cry, and all
together have forsaken lawns and trees to follow where Slid is
gathering up his own, to rejoice where Slid rejoices, singing the
chaunt of Slid, even as will at the Last gather all the Lives of
the People about the feet of MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI.
THE DEEDS OF MUNG
(Lord of all Deaths between Pegana and the Rim)
Once, as Mung went his way athwart the Earth and up and down its
cities and across its plains, Mung came upon a man who was afraid
when Mung said: "I am Mung!"
And Mung said: "Were the forty million years before thy coming
intolerable to thee?"
And Mung said: "Not less tolerable to thee shall be the forty
million years to come!"
Then Mung made against him the sign of Mung and the Life of the
Man was fettered no longer with hands and feet.
At the end of the flight of the arrow there is Mung, and in the
houses and the cities of Men. Mung walketh in all places at all
times. But mostly he loves to walk in the dark and still, along
the river mists when the wind hath sank, a little before night
meeteth with the morning upon the highway between Pegana and
the Worlds.
Sometimes Mung entereth the poor man's cottage; Mung also boweth
very low before The King. Then do the Lives of the poor man and of
The King go forth among the Worlds.
And Mung said: "Many turnings hath the road that Kib hath given
every man to tread upon the earth. Behind one of these turnings
sitteth Mung."
One day as a man trod upon the road that Kib had given him to
tread he came suddenly upon Mung. And when Mung said: "I am Mung!"
the man cried out: "Alas, that I took this road, for had I gone by
any other way then had I not met with Mung."
And Mung said: "Had it been possible for thee to go by any other
way then had the Scheme of Things been otherwise and the gods had
been other gods. When MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI forgets to rest and makes
again new gods it may be that They will send thee again into the
Worlds; and then thou mayest choose some other way, and not meet
with Mung."
Then Mung made the sign of Mung. And the Life of that man went
forth with yesterday's regrets and all old sorrows and forgotten
things--whither Mung knoweth.
And Mung went onward with his work to sunder Life from flesh, and
Mung came upon a man who became stricken with sorrow when he saw
the shadow of Mung. But Mung said: "When at the sign of Mung thy
Life shall float away there will also disappear thy sorrow at
forsaking it." But the man cried out: "O Mung! tarry for a little,
and make not the sign of Mung against me now, for I have a family
upon the earth with whom sorrow will remain, though mine should
disappear because of the sign of Mung."
And Mung said: "With the gods it is always Now. And before Sish
hath banished many of the years the sorrows of thy family for thee
shall go the way of thine." And the man beheld Mung making the
sign of Mung before his eyes, which beheld things no more.
THE CHAUNT OF THE PRIESTS
This is the chaunt of the Priests.
The chaunt of the priests of Mung.
This is the chaunt of the Priests.
All day long to Mung cry out the Priests of Mung, and, yet Mung
harkeneth not. What, then, shall avail the prayers of All the
People?
Rather bring gifts to the Priests, gifts to the Priests of Mung.
So shall they cry louder unto Mung than ever was their wont.
And it may be that Mung shall hear.
Not any longer than shall fall the Shadow of Mung athwart the
hopes of the People.
Not any longer then shall the Tread of Mung darken the dreams of
the people.
Not any longer shall the lives of the People be loosened because
of Mung.
Bring ye gifts to the Priests, gifts to the Priests of Mung.
This is the chaunt of the Priests.
The chaunt of the Priests of Mung.
This is the chaunt of the Priests.
THE SAYINGS OF LIMPANG-TUNG
(The God of Mirth and of Melodious Minstrels)
And Limpang-Tung said: "The ways of the gods are strange. The
flower groweth up and the flower fadeth away. This may be very
clever of the gods. Man groweth from his infancy, and in a while
he dieth. This may be very clever too.
"But the gods play with a strange scheme.
"I will send jests into the world and a little mirth. And while
Death seems to thee as far away as the purple rim of hills; or
sorrow as far off as rain in the blue days of summer, then pray to
Limpang-Tung. But when thou growest old, or ere thou diest, pray
not of Limpang-Tung, for thou becomest part of a scheme that he
doth not understand.
"Go out into the starry night, and Limpang-Tung will dance with
thee who danced since the gods were young, the god of mirth and of
melodious minstrels. Or offer up a jest to Limpang-Tung; only pray
not in thy sorrow to Limpang-Tung, for he saith of sorrow: 'It may
be very clever of the gods,' but he doth not understand."
And Limpang-Tung said: "I am lesser than the gods; pray,
therefore, to the small gods and not to Limpang-Tung.
"Natheless between Pegana and the Earth flutter ten thousand
thousand prayers that beat their wings against the face of Death,
and never for one of them hath the hand of the Striker been
stayed, nor yet have tarried the feet of the Relentless One.
"Utter thy prayer! It may accomplish where failed ten thousand
thousand.
"Limpang-Tung is lesser than the gods, and doth not understand."
And Limpang-Tung said: "Lest men grow weary down on the great
Worlds through gazing always at a changeless sky, I will paint my
pictures in the sky. And I will paint them twice in every day for
so long as days shall be. Once as the day ariseth out of the homes
of dawn will I paint the Blue, that men may see and rejoice; and
ere day falleth under into the night will I paint upon the Blue
again, lest men be sad.
"It is a little," said Limpang-Tung, "it is a little even for a
god to give some pleasure to men upon the Worlds."
And Limpang-Tung hath sworn that the pictures that he paints shall
never be the same for so long as the days shall be, and this he
hath sworn by the oath of the gods of Pegana that the gods may
never break, laying his hand upon the shoulder of each of the gods
and swearing by the light behind Their eyes.
Limpang-Tung hath lured a melody out of the stream and stolen its
anthem from the forest; for him the wind hath cried in lonely places
and the ocean sung its dirges. There is music for Limpang-Tung in
the sounds of the moving of grass and in the voices of the people
that lament or in the cry of them that rejoice.
In an inner mountain land where none hath come he hath carved his
organ pipes out of the mountains, and there when the winds, his
servants, come in from all the world he maketh the melody of
Limpang-Tung. But the song, arising at night, goeth forth like a
river, winding through all the world, and here and there amid the
peoples of earth one heareth, and straightaway all that hath voice
to sing crieth aloud in music to his soul.
Or sometimes walking through the dusk with steps unheard by men,
in a form unseen by the people, Limpang-Tung goeth abroad, and,
standing behind the minstrels in cities of song, waveth his hands
above them to and fro, and the minstrels bend to their work, and
the voice of the music ariseth; and mirth and melody abound in
that city of song, and no one seeth Limpang-Tung as he standeth
behind the minstrels.
But through the mists towards morning, in the dark when the
minstrels sleep and mirth and melody have sunk to rest, Limpang-Tung
goeth back again to his mountain land.
OF YOHARNETH-LAHAI
(The God of Little Dreams and Fancies)
Yaoharneth-Lahai is the god of little dreams and fancies.
All night he sendeth little dreams out of Pegana to please the
people of Earth.
He sendeth little dreams to the poor man and to The King.
He is so busy to send his dreams to all before the night be ended
that oft he forgetteth which be the poor man and which be The
King.
To whom Yoharneth-Lahai cometh not with little dreams and sleep he
must endure all night the laughter of the gods, with highest
mockery, in Pegana.
All night long Yoharneth-Lahai giveth peace to cities until the
dawn hour and the departing of Yoharneth-Lahai, when it is time
for the gods to play with men again.
Whether the dreams and the fancies of Yoharneth-Lahai be false and
the Things that are done in the Day be real, or the Things that
are done in the Day be false and the dreams and the fancies of
Yoharneth-Lahai be true, none knoweth saving only MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI,
who hath not spoken.
OF ROON, THE GOD OF GOING, AND THE THOUSAND HOME GODS
Roon said: "There be gods of moving and gods of standing still,
but I am the god of Going."
It is because of Roon that the worlds are never still, for the
moons and the worlds and the comet are stirred by the spirit of
Roon, which saith: "Go! Go! Go!"
Roon met the Worlds all in the morning of Things, before there was
light upon Pegana, and Roon danced before them in the Void, since
when they are never still, Roon sendeth all streams to the Sea,
and all the rivers to the soul of Slid.
Roon maketh the sign of Roon before the waters, and lo! they have
left the hills; and Roon hath spoken in the ear of the North Wind
that he may be still no more.
The footfall of Roon hath been heard at evening outside the houses
of men, and thenceforth comfort and abiding know them no more.
Before them stretcheth travel over all the lands, long miles, and
never resting between their homes and their graves--and all at the
bidding of Roon.
The Mountains have set no limit against Roon nor all the seas a
boundary.