The Theft of the Scepter of the Moon

Introduction

The following short lay is transcribed in the form in which it is sung in the Northern District, and in particular, in which it was heard in the city of Ralakarr at the beginning of the Fourth Eon. Based primarily on religious texts, notably the odes of the Midnight Song for the Forefeast and Feast of Malfaloth, and on the Rite of the Purification of the Waters for the same feast, it is of course inherently conservative.

The tale belongs to that body of Amborian songs and legends which are more “cosmic” than “particular,” for its subjects are not the kings and queens of the Inland Sea, nor its villains the tyrants of the Black Hills. Rather, this tale concerns the Moon—Malfaloth the Hunter, the Hunter Who Goes in Silver, and other titles besides—and his queen, Onmanda, the “World’s First Mother” who changes her garments with the changing of the seasons, and who rules over the natural order from “The Hill of Shining Apples.” Its villains are Vishnarr, the instigator of the world’s marring, always more of a distant or cosmic villain to the Ambori than Orkon, their ancient foe, and Margloth, the first lord of the eastern dragons—concerning whom the tales of the Ambori say little, though in the consciousness of the Red Isle, the Leopard Isles, and other places where Kothorlas traders are often encountered, the great wyrms have become a recurring motif in art, story, and song.

The story itself is probably known to every Amborian boy and girl from their earliest years: Over the fates of the World Under Starlight, Nankeinela the Maker set the Stars to rule. But Mankind (understood in the broadest sense as the Dalian peoples, their long-sundered kin the Giants, the Kothloras, and the Ambori who are a blending of the Dalian peoples and the blood of the Stars) were not given to the Stars to rule, but rather submitted to the governance of the changeful moon, so that their freedom might not be inhibited by the intended changelessness of the Stars. Vishnarr, seeking power after he was cast down by Raos, sought another way into Middle Heaven, hoping thereby to challenge his old foe, but found it not. In his searching, though, he travelled to the lands of fire which are on the eastern rim of the world, and there he met the Salamanders, those great drakes of cold humors who once lived in the Lands of Dawn. These Vishnarr corrupted, promising them treasures in abundance and dominion over mankind if they would show him a way to regain his power. Margloth, the chief of the Salamanders and afterwards the first Lord of Dragons, showed him the Stair of Lower Heaven, which is ascended each morning by the Ram of Dawn, and offered to take him to the Palace of the Moon, where they might find and steal the Scepter of the Moon and so gain dominion over Mankind, if not over all of the created order.

Vishnarr ascended the stair with Margloth, and they came wreathed in the dark clouds of winter to the Palace of the Moon, which was at that time cold and silent—for Onmanda then slept, it being deep winter, upon the Hill of Shining Apples, and Malfaloth the Hunter had gone away wandering, as alas was his wont. Creeping into the throne room of Malfaloth, Vishnarr stole the Scepter of the Moon, and almost they had made their escape when Margloth saw the vast treasure-hoards of Malfaloth, and coveted them. These things Malfaloth had gathered from the many strange pathways of the airs, or won them in battle in the Realm of Midnight, which is beyond the worlds, and they were precious beyond earthly wealth. Margloth coveted them, and would not leave until he had sacked the whole Palace of the Moon. But the greatest treasures of all the Palace were the apples of gold and silver which hung upon the tree beneath which Onmanda slept, and when Margloth grasped after them, the tree itself shrunk back from the hideous form which he had now taken as Lord of Dragons, and one of the golden apples, falling, brushed the hand of Onmanda and awoke her.

Then began that song which the Children call “The Waking of Onmanda,” which she sang to usher in the Spring when she awoke from slumber. And Vishnarr and Margloth fled in terror at that song, for it sang of the right ordering of the world, which both of them had long forsaken. They carried no treasure back with them save the Scepter of the Moon only; but that was enough to doom the whole world Under Starlight to ages of darkness and oppression, until Vishnarr was at last overthrown by the alliance of the Three Kings upon the Field of Denthfeld.

The song consists of a prelude, which seems to have its origins in the verses for the lamentations of the Midnight Song on the forefeast and feast of Malfaloth, and these verses are of a different meter than those of the main body of the poem. These later seem to have been taken almost whole-cloth from the Rite of the Purification of the Waters for the feast and afterfeast. Notably, however, the “Song of Onmanda,” which is numbered as the last of the thirty most sacred hymns of the Ambori, is here adapted to fit the meter of the main poem, rather than the far more ancient form which we are accustomed to hearing in the services. 

Prelude

Nankeinela, First, Unfounded,
Long ago the Song of Ages
First he sounded, then the Heavens
Answered with their mighty chorus.
So the Stars of Middle Heaven
Kept the world by Song and Starlight.

The world was ruled by Song and Starlight,
But the race of hapless mortals
Nankeinela knew were fated
Many twisting, turning pathways
To tread before they to their Maker
Would return, for final judgment.

Many twisting, turning pathways
They would tread, so the Maker
Placed above them the Shining Hunter,
World’s First Wanderer, Prince of Moonlight,
Malfaloth the Silver Flower,
Who the fates of Mankind ruled.

He the fates of Mankind ruled,
And the token of his power
Nankeinela gave: a scepter
By which Mankind Under Starlight
Had their freedom under rule
Of his turning, changeful nature.

Ever will the Shining Hunter
Turn again, despite his wanderings—
Turn again to shining fullness.
So will Mankind, hapless mortals,
Turn anon to seek his Maker,
Hear again the Song of Starlight.

How Vishnarr Sought the Stair to Lower Heaven

In those days when first the waters
Of the world shone like Crystal
And the Giants, great in beauty,
Still unfallen walked the Southlands
Building kingdoms, making music—

Building kingdoms, making music,
And the Stone-kings in the Northlands
Kept the waters under cypress.
In the West the Star-folk prospered,
Still unfallen Under Starlight.—

Then the Southern Polestar, fallen,
Sought return unto the Heavens,
Sought to challenge Nankeinela,
Sought revenge upon the Polestar
Of the Northern sky beloved.

In the Nothern sky beloved
Raos, Polestar, over heaven
Kept his vigil, ceaseless guarded
Passages to Middle Heaven.
Vishnarr could not gain an entry.

Vishnarr could not gain an entry
To the paths of Middle Heaven.
Then he sought another pathway
Through the Sun-lands, lying Eastward,
Far beyond the Final Desert.

Far beyond the Final Desert,
There in lakes of liquid fire,
There the ancient Salamanders
Leaped among the dancing fires,
Ran along the scorching sandstone.

By the glowing, scorching sandstone
Played the blissful Salamanders,
Waiting for the Car of Morning
Rising up from cold abysses.
They sang to light the Sun at morning.

When the Polestar of the Southlands
Saw them light the Sun at morning,
Then he saw the Ram go bounding
Up the stair to Lower Heaven—
The stair was made of subtle substance.

“The stair is made of subtle substance,”
So the Salamander told him
As he bathed, the gleaming lizard,
In a pool of liquid fire
Where he fed on growing diamonds.

There among the growing diamonds
Vishnarr found him, old seducer,
Promised him the rule of Mankind,
Heaps of treasure under Mountains,
If he led him to the Heavens.

“I will show the stair of Heaven
Which the Ram of Morning, bounding,
Climbs, his fleece of gold unfading
Showing all lands Under Starlight.
I would have that gold forever.”

“I will promise mighty treasures,
Shining hoards of gold and diamonds,
Gems uncounted, crowns in heaven
Forged by stars for fair Onmanda,
If you lead me to the Heavens.”

Vishnarr by the subtle stairways,
Led by Marglorth, Salamander,
Who became the Lord of Dragons
Then into the Lower Heaven
Came amid the deep of winter.

The Coming of Vishnarr to the Palace of the Moon

In the deep of middle-winter
Vishnarr walked the Lower Heavens
Far beneath the shining porches
Of the Stars whom Raos ruled.
Storm-clouds billowed, skies were darkened.

Storm-clouds billowed, skies were darkened
At the coming of the ruler
Of those stars whom Nankeinela
Had cast down from Middle Heaven.
Then he sought the Hunter’s palace.

Vishnarr sought the Hunter’s palace,
Sought it on the paths of Heaven,
Sought it with the Salamander,
Sought among the clouds of Winter
Till they came to Ivory Palace.

Vishnarr came to the Ivory Palace,
And the gates were made of pearl.
But the gates were all unguarded—
Malfaloth the Hunter, roaming,
Did not know Onmanda’s peril.

Knowing not Onmanda’s peril
Malfaloth the Hunter wandered.
So came Vishnarr, Margloth creeping,
Through the pearl gates unguarded.
Fair Onmanda slept at Winter.

Fair Onmanda slept at Winter;
While the wide lands Under Starlight
Under winter snows were sleeping.
Vishnarr and the lord of dragons
Came into the gleaming fortress.

Now into the gleaming fortress
Vishnarr and the lord of dragons
Enter, and the gleaming treasures
Of the Moon are piled around them:
Gold and silver, gems in caskets.

Gold and silver, gems in caskets—
Weighty trash of Lower Heaven,
Which the Hunter, Silver Flower,
Gathered when afar he wandered,
Brought it there to please Onmanda.

Treasures brought to please Onmanda
Lay in shining heaps around them.
World’s First Mother fast was sleeping
In her garden, through the Winter;
Vishnarr found the Hunter’s throne-room.

How Vishnarr Stole the Scepter of the Moon

Vishnarr found the Hunter’s throne-room.
There the Scepter, black as midnight,
Set with jewels, on the Hunter’s
Throne was sitting; still Onmanda,
World’s First Mother, slept at Winter.

While the Mother slept at Winter,
Then did Vishnarr, banished Polestar,
Seize the Scepter which the Maker
Nankeinela, First, Unfounded,
Gave for rule over Mankind.

In his rule over Mankind
Then the Hunter, Silver Flower,
Faltered when the Lord of Dragons
Led the Enemy of Raos
Up the Stairs of Lower Heaven.

To the Stairs of Lower Heaven
Vishnarr would now seek, and trembled,
Fearing lest that Heaven’s ruler,
Hunter bold who goes in silver,
Should return, exact his vengeance.

To return, exact his vengeance—
So men say the changeful ruler
Of the airs of Lower Heaven
Will yet seek to punish Vishnarr
For the theft of Heaven’s Scepter.[1]

Now the Thief of Heaven’s Scepter
Would the Stairs of Lower Heaven
Find again, before the master
Of the shining pearl palace
Came again to rest from wandering.

But the eye of Margloth wandering
Fell on heaps of gold and diamonds,
Mighty treasures for Onmanda
Won beyond the Reach of Midnight.
Margloth, Lord of Dragons, tarried.

Margloth, Lord of Dragons, tarried,
Lusting after gleaming rubies
(He who once the Sun at Morning
Kindled with his ancient chanting)
And the blue of shining sapphires.

“From the blue of shining sapphires
Stars of Heaven will not lead me—
Not until the many treasures
Of this palace I have plundered.
These I claim as lawful bounty.”

“Take your claim of shining bounty,
But I fear the coming master
Of this palace—plunder swiftly!”
But in plundering those treasures
Margloth woke the sleeping Mother.

Margloth woke the sleeping Mother
When a tree of fragrant apples,
Golden apples from her garden,
He desired, tearing, clawing,
And the bole went backwards swaying.

The Waking of Onmanda

Then the bole went backwards swaying
And an apple ,gleaming, golden,
Brushed her hand, and so awoke her
Up from Winter’s heedless slumber
To a cold and early Springtime.

To a cold and early Springtime
Fair Onmanda, waking gently,
Found intruders, foul deceivers
Standing in her sacred garden
On the Hill of Shining Apples.

On the Hill of Shining Apples
Fair Onmanda, waking gently,
Sang a song of all things growing,
Of the way of all creation,
And the order Under Starlight:

“Barren moorlands, cold and ancient,
Hold within them Summer’s promise:
‘Frost must freeze us, spring will thaw us,
Time will bring us onto summer.’
Time will wound us, time will heal us.

“Gates of Winter closely guarded
Hold the Summer’s glad rejoicing.
Spring will thaw us, Summer warm us,
Time will bring us to the Harvest.
Time will wound us, time will heal us.

“Gates of Winter: stand ye open!
Open wide your guarded treasures!
Summer warms us, Harvest cheers us,
Time will bring again the Winter.
Time will wound us, time will heal us.

“Gates of Winter: cease your groaning!
Give Onmanda what you treasure.
Time will wound us, time will heal us,
Time will draw us down to darkness.
Time is running like a river.

“Springtime’s treasures, bright and blooming,
I bestow upon the moorlands.
Springtime growing, summer dancing,
Harvest blooming, beehives droning—
Time will wound us, time will heal us.

“Heather blooming, beehives droning,
Spring is growing Under Starlight.
King and peasant, queen and maiden,
On the wheel are ever turning.
Time will wound us, time will heal us.”

So from sleep Onmanda, stirring,
Sang of seasons Under Starlight.
Vishnarr, Margloth, from her fleeing,
Left the treasures they had stolen—
Save the Scepter, gift of Heaven.

So the fate of hapless mankind
Vishnarr held, and long he ruled
In the darkness till the monarchs
On the sodden plain of Denthfeld
Made their fate, ruled well their peoples.




[1] This eschatological reference echoes those found elsewhere in the hymnography and tales of the Ambori. The prevailing belief is that in the end of days, Malfaloth will come to exact vengeance upon Vishnarr, and to atone for his own lack of watchfulness, and evil will finally be expelled from the World Under Starlight, forever banished to the deep abysses below.