How Eurmal Stole Voria's Innocence

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From: aelarsen@facstaff.wisc.edu
Date: Sat 22 Apr 2000 - 22:34:30 EEST

        Here's another myth for the list. The basic idea for this one
comes from Chad Brinkley, with changes and additions by myself.
        Once, after the Lightbringers brought Yelm back to the sky, Eurmal
grew bored. He tried and tried but could find little to amuse himself, and
he began to despair of ever being entertained again. But just as he had
given up all hope of amusement, he saw Voria, the pure innocent Spring
Maiden, and he decided that he wanted to steal her innocence.
        First he appeared to her as a handsome young man, bearing love
gifts and pretty words, and in that way he tried to seduce her. But she
was as children are, and could not understand his intentions.
        Next he appeared to her as a young maiden, bedecked in jewels and
fine clothes, and tried to make her envious enough to steal something. But
the Spring Maiden had no desire for anything other than what she already
had.
        Finally, he appeared to her as a young Alynx kitten and began to
play with her. After making her happy and laughing, he suddenly bit her
hand and scratched her arm. Startled and in pain, she dropped the kitten,
and Eurmal laid very still. When she recovered from her surprise, Voria
tried to play with the kitten again, but now it just laid there, looking
dead. Gradually Voria, who had never known or seen death, began to
understand what death was, and she became disconsolate. She roamed
aimlessly, weaping and shivering. Eurmal snuck away, and hid her innocence
in a deep hole.
        As the Spring Maiden mourned, so too did the Spring around her.
The ground stayed wet, flowers grew crookedly or not at all, Valind stole
in with a late frost and killed many Spring plants. Ernalda became
worried, and spoke to her other daughter, Babeester Gor.
"Your sister is distressed and the world around her weeps. Since
you protect the earth, go and learn what has hurt her."
        Babeester Gor went to her sister, but Voria was afraid of her and
fled. After many such efforts, Babeester Gor became frustrated and went to
speak to Lankhor Mhy. "Old Graybeard, make yourself useful for once and
tell me what is wrong with my sister. She weeps and wails and runs from me
when I try to speak to her."
        The Gray Lord ignored her rudeness, since it was Babeester Gor's
way to speak to all men in such a fashion, and thought for a while. "It
was the sight of death with drove Flesh Man mad, and at times he acted in
such a way as you say. Her innocence has fled from her, and you must find
it again."
        Babeester Gor returned to where she had last seen Voria playing,
and began to search from there. With her skills at tracking, she soon
found Eurmal's footprints and she followed them until she came to the place
where Eurmal had hidden Voria's innocence. He had hidden it so well that
she could not uncover it, but she was able to follow Eurmal on from there,
until she found him, laughing uncontrolably.
"You, Eurmal Lackwit, what is so funny?"
        When Eurmal saw her, he stopped laughing. "Nothing."
"Your nothings are everyone else's somethings. What did you do to
my sister?"
"Nothing. Honest. Would I lie to you?"
"More to the point, will you tell me the truth before I strangle
the life out of you?" She went to grab him, but he turned into a sparrow
and fled from her.
        Babeester Gor chased Eurmal all the way to Orlanth's hall. Eurmal
turned into a man again, and hid behind Orlanth, who sat on his throne.
"Grim Axe Maiden, why do you chase my fool?" said the king of the gods.
"He has stolen my sister's innocence. I will have it back and his
head with it," growled the Avenging Daughter.
"Eurmal," said Orlanth, "stop hide and come here."
        Eurmal came round the throne with a sheepish grin. "Hey, boss. It
was just a game I was playing with Voria. How was I to know she'd get
upset about it?"
        Orlanth scowled. "I cannot allow you to kill my fool. Although he
is a troublemaker by birth, he is amusing and sometimes even useful. He
has sworn an oath to me, and I cannot forget that. But he has done a great
wrong to you, and things must be righted. He will return your sister's
innocence, and he will owe you a debt in exchange for his head." Reluctant
but glad to have his head, Eurmal returned Voria's innocence and admitted
that he had tricked her. When he did so, Spring returned to the land, and
Voria, innocent as ever, forgave the Trickster.
        This myth theoretically concerns divine doings after the Compromise
and the start of Time, and many have speculated that it was created by a
Eurmali heroquester, though the Eurmali themselves won't give a straight
answer on it.
        The myth falls into two halves, both of which can act as the basis
for a heroquest. In the first half, Eurmal deceives Voria and corrupts
Spring. The Eurmali occasionally use this to gain unusual powers, but more
commonly, a Trickster can use this heroquest (or be forced to perform it)
against a rival farmer or tribe to cause the target a bad Spring. If
successful, Winter lasts longer than normal, insects and pests multiply,
and the Spring is wet and farming conditions poor, leading in turn to a
poor harvest. The relevant stations are the three tricks played on Voria.
        More commonly, the second half is performed as a heroquest by a
Babeester Gori to end a bad Spring. If winter lasts overlong or other
adverse conditions appear, Voria can be declared to have lost her innocence
and a local BG can quest to restore her innocent. The relevant stations
involve Finding the hiding spot for the lost innocent (which is normally
hidden inaccessably or occasionally guarded by something strange or
monstrous), Tracking down Eurmal (which normally pulls an innocent Eurmali
into the quest, usually from a rival or neighboring tribe), and Demanding
justice from Orlanth. Success on this quest produces an ideal Spring, and
sometimes allows the BG to acquire Eurmali magic temporarily.

Andrew E. Larsen

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