The Tale of Kérasa

Happy New Year!

The Year of the Mosquito is at an end and the Year of the Eagle had now begun! Hurrah!

Today is the Holy Day of Kérasa! Hurrah!





In the beginning, there was nothing but void, and the void was chaos, and the chaos was Kérasa. Alone in Her swirling mixture of primordial seawater, Kérasa was content. Her universe was quiet and peaceful.

After some time, Kérasa’s saltwater met with an eddy of sweet water, and the sweet water was Hívo, God of Potable Water. They joined together, happy in each other’s company. In serene calm, the waters mixed together. The salt and sweet canceled each other and They both became just water. The two alone, Kérasa and Hívo enjoyed the emptiness.

Before long, though, Kérasa gave birth to Kara, Goddess of Soil. Earth sprang forth from the waters. Other gods and goddesses quickly followed. Stars and atmosphere and noxious winds crowded the universe. The world became noisy.

Kérasa and Hívo complained of the ruckus. They asked the other gods to remain quiet. The new gods did not listen to Their elders, however. In fact, They grew angry at Kérasa and Hívo for telling Them what to do. Kérasa’s grandson, Zhaké, God of Rivers, cast a spell upon Hívo, putting Him to sleep. Since none of the gods would speak to Her, Kérasa was left alone.

She began to lose Her mind. Being alone in the quiet of an empty universe had been relaxing, but being alone with a surrounding cacophony was unbearable. Her anger at the noisy new gods grew every day. Lest She went completely insane, Kérasa needed the universe to return to the silence of the beginning.

If only the raucous universe were to end, Kérasa could have peace. To that end, Kérasa created dragons, serpents, mermaids, and demons to spread strife to the world of the other gods. She brought forth war, famine, floods, and disease to the gods and Their creations. Once the crowded universe collapsed from Her attack, Kérasa would once more be free in the void.

The other gods joined battle with Kérasa’s army of dragons and demons. The war raged on for years, which were but a blink of the eye to the Eldest. Neither side prevailed.

To give Her army an advantage, Kérasa gave the Tablet of Destinies to the leader of Her army, a dragon named Kínoko, to wear as His breastplate. Being the eldest god, Kérasa had always held the tablet, which declared Her to be the ruler of all things. Since the tablet is to survive for all eternity, it naturally is indestructible.

Kérasa’s army attacked the gods yet again, with the gargantuan Kínoko at the fore. He shot fire from His maw, tore demigods apart with His claws, and deflected all blows with the Tablet of Destinies. Zhoro, God of Heat, closed in on Kínoko and challenged Him to single combat. Kínoko agreed.

It soon became apparent, however, that Zhoro outmatched Kínoko. Not even the Tablet of Destinies could not save Kérasa’s lover from Zhoro’s flashing sword. Kérasa swept down upon the battlefield to stop the duel, but She was too late.

Zhoro sliced His sword through Kínoko’s lengthy neck. While the dragon reeled from the wound, Zhoro stabbed Kínoko at the edge of the tablet breastplate. His sword penetrated Kínoko’s scaly skin and pierced His heart.

Kérasa erupted in tears, cradling Kínoko’s lifeless head in Her lap. Thus distracted by Her grief, Kérasa didn’t notice when Zhoro snatched up the Tablet of Destinies and took it across the battlefield to Sorosotuzho, God of the Atmosphere. Sorosotuzho was a grandson of Kérasa and the strongest of the elder gods. He gladly accepted the tablet from Zhoro and raised it high above His head, declaring Himself to be the Ruler of the Universe.

At that point, Kérasa didn’t care. She had already lost both Hívo and Kínoko, plus the peace and quiet of Her early life. It no longer mattered to Her if She was the titular ruler. In fact, nothing mattered to Her anymore.

Kérasa attacked Zhoro with all the pent-up rage of destroyed bliss and the fury of a goddess with nothing to lose. Zhoro was surprised by Her attack, and She nearly defeated Him, but He regained His balance and killed the reckless Kérasa.

As Her body fell alongside Kínoko’s, Kérasa’s spirit flew away to be as alone as She could manage in the din of the crowded universe. Far behind Her, Zhoro carved up Her body, creating from it the heavens and the earth. He sliced up Kínoko’s body and sprinkled the blood across the new earth to form humanity. We are all from Kínoko’s blood, and thus Kérasa’s creation. We all walk upon Kérasa’s body and breathe Her air.

At the far end of the universe, Kérasa created a new body for Herself. Seeking peace and solitude in which to grieve, She made Her way up to the top of Mount Farasa. There atop the grand mountain around which the sky revolves, Kérasa cried. She cried for the loss of Her lover, Kínoko. She cried for the loss the sleeping Hívo, Her one true friend and mate. She cried for the loss of a quiet universe.

After many years, Kérasa decided that the catastrophe which is the universe was all Her fault. If She had not borne children, the scourge of the gods and humanity would never have existed. She knew it was too late to return to Her quiet life, but She realized that She could still bring some comfort to the people who were stuck in the universe with Her.

Because of Her own childbearing nightmare, Kérasa has focused Her powers on helping women to have safe childbirths. She wants no woman to regret their birthing experience the way She did. She wants women with pure hearts to become fertile and bear children with pure hearts themselves, to improve the nasty universe, little by little.

Since Hívo’s sweet water had canceled Kérasa’s original saltiness, Her tears had flowed clean and pure into the earth of Mount Farasa. The years of tears slowly trickled through the rock to eventually spring forth from the ground, far down the mountainside. Kérasa cast a spell upon Her tears, making them bring fertility to those who drank.

Local women found the spring and tried the water. To their surprise, they discovered that barren women became fertile. Births became painless. Mothers and children lived -- and happily, too. The women whispered news of the springs of Mount Farasa to their friends, who quietly informed other women. Soon, all the women of the world knew of the miracle of Kérasa’s tears.

With renewed spirit and a confidence in the goodness of the universe, Kérasa awakened Hívo. The world was no longer such a terror that Hívo would go insane. He saw the universe, accepted its noisiness, and thanked Kérasa, His friend of eternity.

Together They live atop Mount Farasa at the center of the universe and watch the world spin by, bringing peace and purity to all who venture Their way. So drink the waters of the Eldest and you, too, will be at peace. Drink Kérasa’s tears and you, too, will be fertile. Drink and you shall remain strong. Drink the water, honor Kérasa, and She will make your universe a better place through you.