WooHooMan
Auror
So, I've been working on one of those mythopoeia things for this story I'm doing but I feel like it's kind of messy right now. Like it's just a bunch of ideas thrown together without much keeping it together or coherent.
As part of this project, I wanted to avoid a few cliches I've noticed in made-up mythologies.
First off, no "creation of the universe" myth. I don't have any particular reason why I'm not doing one. I just didn't feel like making one is all.
Second, no gods. I'm tired of hearing about mythologies that are just "blank is the god of whatever and he's all blah blah and then what's-her-name is the goddess of stuff and she's like" you know, that's kind of boring to read.
So, the most basic idea of my mythopoeia is that the universe is constructed of three elements: the machine, the animal and the drama. They're the basic cosmic forces of which everything else is a representation or aspect of.
The Machine is the laws of nature, science and magic. The interchangeability and similarities of these laws is something of a reoccurring theme. Harmony between the three, progress of science, preservation of nature; I was hoping these could be reoccurring themes through the different myths.
The Animal is a representation of life.
The Drama is a little more abstract. The idea is that the people that this mythology applies to follow the "life is a story" worldview. Things like irony, fate, symbolism and so forth are actual forces in the world. These nonphysical forces are what the Drama represents.
The nature of time is circular. The universe is destroyed and from its remnants, a new universe emerges. As such, there is no creation and, to some extent, there is no destruction.
The only consistent aspect of every universe is the Titans.
I couldn't list the Titans and their names because there are millions of them. They're suppose to be like bugs: barely sentient with a huge but barely noticeable impact on the world. In fact, I imagine them looking like dragonflies.
There are three types of Titans: embodiments of knowledge, power and "meaning".
The Titans of the previous universe are dead and have been fossilized. The fossilized remains of the primordial Titans are know as the Three Mystic Hearts.
The first, and most important, is the Heart of Time which is made-up of a bundle of dead knowledge Titans.
Time is like water in this universe. It just kind of stands still unless something moves it. The Heart of Time is what allows time to flow, irrigating the universe and making progress possible.
The second is the Heart of Material made from dead "meaning" Titans. Initially, the energy it emanated allowed the remains of the previous universe to reshape itself into the current universe, creating new matter when new matter was needed.
Early in the life of the universe, a mortal found the Heart of Material and ate it. He then achieved a form of apotheosis and became known as "Oblivion". He is the closest thing this mythology has to a "god".
Early in the mythos, he acts as the trickster. Later in the myth cycle, he becomes the personification of death.
Because the Heart of Material is no longer around, things cannot be created from nothing. Matter is now finite though changeable.
The third is the Heart of Power made from dead power Titans.
Odic Khan is a prophetic figure in this mythology. It is a golem created by early humans and powered by the Heart of Power. It is the most powerful being in the universe - capable of destroying the world.
It's the apocalyptic herald of the story like Fenrir in Norse mythology or even the anti-Christ in Christian lore.
I plan on explaining the mythology through the story of Zane, the legendary hero of the mythos.
Zane's story will explain the beginning of modern civilization, the origin of evil, the nature of Odic Khan, the prophesied end of time, and Oblivion's rise to the position of Death incarnate.
So, there you go.
I'd appreciate any kind of feedback, questions, criticisms, whatever.
As I said before, I feel like it's kind of disorganized and random right now. If anyone has any ideas on how I can make it feel like a more complete work, I'd love to hear it.
As part of this project, I wanted to avoid a few cliches I've noticed in made-up mythologies.
First off, no "creation of the universe" myth. I don't have any particular reason why I'm not doing one. I just didn't feel like making one is all.
Second, no gods. I'm tired of hearing about mythologies that are just "blank is the god of whatever and he's all blah blah and then what's-her-name is the goddess of stuff and she's like" you know, that's kind of boring to read.
So, the most basic idea of my mythopoeia is that the universe is constructed of three elements: the machine, the animal and the drama. They're the basic cosmic forces of which everything else is a representation or aspect of.
The Machine is the laws of nature, science and magic. The interchangeability and similarities of these laws is something of a reoccurring theme. Harmony between the three, progress of science, preservation of nature; I was hoping these could be reoccurring themes through the different myths.
The Animal is a representation of life.
The Drama is a little more abstract. The idea is that the people that this mythology applies to follow the "life is a story" worldview. Things like irony, fate, symbolism and so forth are actual forces in the world. These nonphysical forces are what the Drama represents.
The nature of time is circular. The universe is destroyed and from its remnants, a new universe emerges. As such, there is no creation and, to some extent, there is no destruction.
The only consistent aspect of every universe is the Titans.
I couldn't list the Titans and their names because there are millions of them. They're suppose to be like bugs: barely sentient with a huge but barely noticeable impact on the world. In fact, I imagine them looking like dragonflies.
There are three types of Titans: embodiments of knowledge, power and "meaning".
The Titans of the previous universe are dead and have been fossilized. The fossilized remains of the primordial Titans are know as the Three Mystic Hearts.
The first, and most important, is the Heart of Time which is made-up of a bundle of dead knowledge Titans.
Time is like water in this universe. It just kind of stands still unless something moves it. The Heart of Time is what allows time to flow, irrigating the universe and making progress possible.
The second is the Heart of Material made from dead "meaning" Titans. Initially, the energy it emanated allowed the remains of the previous universe to reshape itself into the current universe, creating new matter when new matter was needed.
Early in the life of the universe, a mortal found the Heart of Material and ate it. He then achieved a form of apotheosis and became known as "Oblivion". He is the closest thing this mythology has to a "god".
Early in the mythos, he acts as the trickster. Later in the myth cycle, he becomes the personification of death.
Because the Heart of Material is no longer around, things cannot be created from nothing. Matter is now finite though changeable.
The third is the Heart of Power made from dead power Titans.
Odic Khan is a prophetic figure in this mythology. It is a golem created by early humans and powered by the Heart of Power. It is the most powerful being in the universe - capable of destroying the world.
It's the apocalyptic herald of the story like Fenrir in Norse mythology or even the anti-Christ in Christian lore.
I plan on explaining the mythology through the story of Zane, the legendary hero of the mythos.
Zane's story will explain the beginning of modern civilization, the origin of evil, the nature of Odic Khan, the prophesied end of time, and Oblivion's rise to the position of Death incarnate.
So, there you go.
I'd appreciate any kind of feedback, questions, criticisms, whatever.
As I said before, I feel like it's kind of disorganized and random right now. If anyone has any ideas on how I can make it feel like a more complete work, I'd love to hear it.