CREATION MYTH
In the beginning, there was only Weeyeuteipoe (the Mother Goddess). Weeyeuteipoe lived quietly and mused herself with many ideas and thoughts of what could be. She danced in the sea of the sky to pass her days. To keep herself warm while she slept she created an eternal ball of fire that she kept close at hand. When she grew tired of the dark expanse she created the endless stars. Together they twinkled and danced amidst the sky. For what seemed like eons, Weeyeuteipoe lived alone in an expanse of nothingness. With the passing time, she grew quite lonesome. There was no one with whom she could share her thoughts. There was no one to keep her company. Even dancing with the stars could no longer console her. Eventually Weeyeuteipoe became gripped with a crippling depression. She could only curl up and cry in defeat. Her sorrow was too great; it caused her heart to burst from her chest and divide into six magnificent gods.
The first fragment of her heart fell into the deep wells of water that were her tears and they transformed it into Yahleiyoesahpoe. Yahleiyoesahpoe would eventually become the goddess of water, storms, and passion. She cascaded over her mother’s stilled body and flooded much of it.
The second fragment of Weeyeuteipoe‘s heart fell to the parts of her body that remained above water. Her flesh turned to mud and bound with the fragment to create Peiyeiboepoe, the god of earth, agriculture, and law. He clamored high to see across the expanse of their mother and the land they were to rule.
The third fragment bound to Weeyeuteipoe‘s breath and it became Sahmahveipoe, the god of wind, crafts, and beauty. He danced over the waters and earth of Weeyeuteipoe and greeted his siblings.
Fourth to be born was Feiyeukwapoe. She was caught with a burst from the ball of eternal fire and flew to the ground. She burned deep to her mother’s core and brought warmth and fire to the land. Feiyeukwapoe would become to be known as the goddess of fire, war, and the hunt.
The fifth fragment landed on their mother’s forehead and grew bright and shone with her knowledge. This fragment gave birth to Veiteeyehpoe, the goddess of knowledge, time, and the moon. She rested high above all and shared deep thoughts with their mother.
The last fragment fell back within the wound on their mother’s chest. This last piece of her heart began to sprout and grow into Geegweipoe. Geegweipoe grew a lush forest that soon sealed the deep wound from their mother’s sorrow. This hole was said to lead into her now empty chest, where purgatory awaits cowards and betrayers. Geegweipoe would become known as the god of the death, rebirth, vegetation, and the underworld.
Only Veiteeyehpoe knew of their mother. She told the others of how they came to be and the gift that was their mother’s slumbering form. For many moons, they played with the gifts of their mother. Geegweipoe created a vast variety of vegetation that spread across the world. He and his plants were well fed from the water of Yahleiyoesahpoe and the fire that Feiyeukwapoe pulled down from the eternal flame. She would roll the great ball of light to every corner of the world, circumnavigating it many times over. Yahleiyoesahpoe danced and jumped across the many bodies of water. She splashed it across the continents, creating seas, rivers, lakes, and more. Sometimes she would make great leaps and cause large waves to crash over the lands and the water would engulf them. Peiyeiboepoe played with the vast arrays of land their mother had left him. He pulled up mountains, ripped canyons into the landscape, and smoothed down hills until nothing but sand and desert remained in areas. Sahmahveipoe twirled around the world. He blew great gusts, submerging deserts in torrents of unending sand, and whirling water into mighty storms.
Together the Sahnoeyeipoe played gleefully for a long time. However, as they were only a fraction of their mother, they soon found themselves needing things to survive. Their bodies grew heavy the longer they played. This they discovered was because they needed to rest. They could not romp endlessly without tire. Though, even after resting, they still found themselves weak.
Veiteeyehpoe thought for a time and ventured into their mother’s dreams. She carefully studied the vegetation Geegweipoe created and she noted how they thrived in the sun. Talking to her kin she said, “See how they greedily grasp for the light and the water? They absorb it and grow. It must nourish them. We too must need something to nourish us.”
The others found sound logic in this conclusion, so they all set to work. The Sahnoeyeipoe created all manner of flora and fauna. Feiyeukwapoe created beasts that could roam on four or more legs. Sahmahveipoe created creatures that could soar through her skies. Yahleiyoesahpoe made creatures that could traverse her waters. Peiyehboepoe created beings that roamed on two legs and ventured through his landscapes.
Despite their best efforts the animals could not nourish them like they needed. Little energy could be gathered from them and they would not go willingly. Many of them found ways to instinctively avoid their efforts. Thus, they decided that they must try again.
“Perhaps…” Veiteeyehpoe concluded, “That they have not enough of us and mother in them? Perhaps they need more thought?”
“Perhaps,” Geegwiepoe added, “they need soul? A piece of our hearts like mother gave us?”
This they concluded must be the problem, so together they worked create creatures that embodied them more. Veiteeyehpoe gave knowledge to their beings, and each gave a sliver of their selves that could be spared. Veiteeyehpoe gave a fragment of their mother’s light to her people so they might remain eternal and knowledgeable. These beings are who we call oracles. Geegweipoe gave his creations a seed from deep within him, so they might grow mighty like him and share his cyclical abilities of rebirth. These are the dryads of the forests. Peiyeiboepoe gave his creations his eyes so they might see the possibilities of the lands they were given. These became humankind. To her creations, Feiyeukwapoe gave a piece of the eternal flame, so they might burn bright with passion and ferocity like her. These are the many beasts of the world. The creations of Sahmahveipoe were given a tuft of his wind, so they might soar high and far like him. For her gift, Yahleiyoesahpoe bestowed upon her creations a scale from her body, so her creatures would remain strong and glorious like she.
The Sahnoeyeipoe found success in these creations. They bestowed upon few, visions from the gods, for the gods were ethereal and unable to convey their will to the masses. The beings of the world held great regard for these visions and followed the instructions of the gods. In return the creatures flourished in the world that was Weiyeuteipoe.