Tale About Cichol Lantern

[Grogos 4]

It was in the days of yore,

When the lands of Ceslavs were vast,

When there were no nations nor towns,

Before the first countries were born,

Before the people divided and spread,

At that time men lived close to Gods,

At that time things were new and simple,

In the vast woods of the north stood household,

In that household lived farmer with his family,

He had wife, young son and daughter soon to be wed,

He grew wheat in the land near the house,

Every few days he found his crops destroyed,

Every few day his farm were attacked by animals,

"Why is it like that" He thought,

"Why other beings can steal from me the fruits of my work?",

Many days He searched for the way to get rid of unwanted cadgers,

Many days passed until the night of Rakva,

Rakva, the night of summoning those that perished,

Rakva the feast for those long dead and burial for those that just died,

From all lands people gathered and so did farmer with his family,

From the temple of dark wood the Volodai emerged,

Cloaked in black wool He permitted to enter the temple of Cichol,

Cloaked in night he lighted the pumpkin lantern on the pillar of dark wood,

All gathered felt fear when the pale light throw shadows on the cellar,

All of people felt dread in the presence of God of night, death and magic,

After the celebration the farmer come back home with an idea,

After the day perished He crafted the lantern from pumpkin and placed it amidst his crops,

Months arrived and went, but farmer crop was untouched,

Months elapsed and no animal nor monster dared to approach farmer lands,

With such results farmer was overjoyed,

With new idea in mind he crafted next pumpkin and placed it atop the roof of his house,

"For protection of my family" he thought,

For many days it was as farmer intended,

Until the night of no moon,

Until the night of pure blackness,

When returning from the feast in his neighbor household,

When passing by his farmlands farmer saw that all his wheat was withered and dead,

He run to his house with ill premonition,

He entered through the door and froze in place,

In the chamber his two children were sleeping peacefully,

In between them stood tall figure robbed with blackness of the night,

Its head were the pumpkin lantern from the roof,

Its eyes were the fires that gave light but not warm,

"Mortal." Said the figure. "You summoned me here,

To this mortal world, and yet I found none to carry off to other side",

Farmer stood with terror as the figure of God of Death stood before him,

Farmer shivered with dread when the robbed figure pointed at him,

"Choose now. Who I will carry out, for no one makes me leave empty handed,"

"Choose wisely child, your son, or your daughter?"

Farmer stood in silence for minutes being unable to choose,

Farmer couldn’t make the decision so in desperation he grabbed knife from the table,

"Your soul it is then." Said Death when the steel pierced farmer heart,

"You will advance with me and your family will be left here,

at least for now..."

Those who listen remember well,

There is no safe way to meddle with Gods ways,

And no aid come without a price,

Yet the love between parent and a child.

[Knox213 10]

Moved to the Archive. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.