Vil and the Birth of Tane

Sor created for himself a daughter. She was named Vil, which signifies beauty, and all who saw her agreed that none was ever more accurately named.

Vil loved the living things of the world, and spent much of her childhood amongst the flowers and birds in her father's garden. As she grew older, so she wandered further. Vil never tired of her explorations, for there was always some new tree or insect to fascinate her. And in all her travels, she came to no harm, for even the wildest beast became tame at her approach.

In the forests, far to the east, lived two brothers, Tiras and Tiram. They were old gods, who had dwelt in the deep forest from the earliest days. While they knew their forest home well, and could converse with the beasts of water, land, and air, they preferred each other's company to that of other gods. Thus, Tiras and Tiram had heard no rumour of Vil.

One day, Vil's journey took her near the brothers' house. Tiram was collecting firewood when he spotted her. Never had Tiram seen anything so beautiful, and for the next hour he watched Vil from hiding, too awe-struck to approach. When Vil moved out of sight, Tiram rushed home to tell his brother of the goddess he had seen.

No creature has ever been born that the brothers Tiras and Tiram cannot track through their forests. And Vil, who knew of nothing she need fear, made no attempt to disguise her path. The brothers spent the entirety of the next day watching Vil in secret. In their innocence, they longed to approach her, but did not know how to, and feared her rejection. At last, Vil lay down to sleep in a quiet glade, and Tiras and Tiram returned to their house.

The brothers talked late into the night. Various stratagems for approaching the unknown beauty were suggested and rejected. While Tiras and Tiram excelled in wood-craft, the complexities of social interaction left them terrified. Eventually, Tiras suggested that they proceed their introduction with a gift. The gift would need to be both pleasing and useful to her. The brothers already knew of Vil's love of nature, so perhaps a living gift? A creature which would do anything to please her. One which would be pleasing to Vil's and eye, and which she could not help but love. Satisfied that they had formed the perfect plan to win Vil's favour, Tiras and Tiram resolved to begin work the next morning.

The creation of Vil's gift took many weeks. No one was more skilled than the brothers Tiras and Tiram, yet this undertaking taxed even their abilities to their very limits. Only when they were satisfied that they had exceeded even their original intentions did the brothers begin their search for Vil.

In a sun-dappled glade whose location is now lost to us, Vil spied three beings waiting for her. Two were gods, of a kind she had met many times before, while between them the third was new and different and fascinating. As Vil watched delightedly, her gift approached her. She reached out to the gift, wanting to please it, and embraced the creature to her. The gift followed its instincts to please Vil, while Tiras and Tiram watched in surprise and confusion, not realising that they were witnessing something entirely new. Realising that they had made Vil's gift too well, the brothers returned to their home, and left the couple alone.

Vil settled down to live in the glade with her gift. They took an innocent pleasure in each other, and Vil taught the gift her love of the animals and plants of the forest. As the weeks passed, it became clear that they had created something else new, for Vil's belly began to swell. In the fullness of time, she gave birth to a boy-child, whom she named Tane.

The gift's short existence had been filled by Vil's unconditional love. Now, Vil was distracted by a natural, equally unconditional love for the young Tane. For several days the gift struggled to understand the new circumstances of Vil's life. However, the jealous rage could not be contained, and on the sixth day, the gift attacked the baby.

For the first time, Vil unleashed her full, godly might. She struck the gift once in the throat, destroying it instantly. Her anger spent, Vil collapsed to her knees, cradling her baby in one arm, her broken gift in the other.

Vil was still knelt in tears when her father found her. Sor had sensed his daughter's impending distress, and had searched the four corners of the world for her. Seeing the destruction before him, Sor compelled Vil to tell him what had happened.

"This is an evil day," Sor said when she had finished. "By destroying your gift, you have created Death. As Tane's father died, so will he, and all of his line. They will pass from this world, never to be reborn. While I can create a place for their spirits to seek peace, I cannot undo the curse you have placed upon them."

"Father," cried Vil, "I would undo this curse."

"You cannot. But if you accept the judgement I place on you for your part in this crime, you can bring comfort to Tane's line."

"I will accept your judgement, Father."

"Then, as you caused the death of Tane's father, when Tane dies, you will guide him to the place I shall create for his eternal rest, and so for all his line.

"As you have been mother to Tane, so shall you be mother to his line, and bring comfort to them during their brief existence."

Having pronounced his judgement, Sor divided Vil in two. One half he named Vilsem, who guides mortals to the Valley of Peace. The other he named Viltel, by whose blessing women may bear children.

Vilsem took up the broken gift, and left to take up her grim duty. Sor and Viltel travelled west, in search of a place where they could build the house in which Tane would spend his childhood.