엘가난: 만물의 아버지

아주 오래전, 시간조차 갓 태어났을 그 옛날, 그곳에는 오직 태양과 대지만이 존재했다. 호기심을 느낀 태양이 대지를 향해 머리를 숙이자, 그들이 서로 닿은 자리에서 엘가난이 탄생했다. 태양과 대지는 아름답고 총명한 엘가난을 매우 사랑했다. 엘가난에게 주는 선물로 대지는 하늘과 땅에서 수많은 새와 짐승들을 태어나게 하였고, 수많은 녹색의 아름다운 것들을 만들어냈다. 엘가난은 어머니의 선물을 너무도 사랑하였다. 그는 그들을 칭송하며 그 사이를 거닐었다.

비옥해진 대지를 바라보던 태양은, 엘가난이 대지의 창조물들과 어울리는 모습을 보고 질투에 휩싸였다. 태양은 얼굴을 대지에 가까이 숙여, 대지가 창조한 모든 피조물을 불태워 잿더미로 만들어버렸다. 대지는 슬픔과 고통으로 갈라졌고, 자신이 만들어낸 모든 것을 잃은 슬픔에 소금기 어린 눈물을 흘렸다. 대지가 흘린 눈물은 대양이 되었고, 그녀의 갈라진 몸 사이로 강과 개울이 흘러내렸다.

엘가난은 아버지가 저지른 짓에 분노하여 복수를 다짐하였다. 그는 하늘로 날아올라 태양과 맞붙어 싸웠다. 그들이 영겁의 세월을 싸우는 사이, 태양은 점점 약해져 갔다. 하지만 엘가난의 분노는 사그라지지 않았다. 결국 엘가난은 하늘에서 태양을 들어 올려 대지의 슬픔으로 만들어진 심연에 던져넣어 버렸다. 태양이 사라지자 세계는 어둠에 휩싸였고, 하늘에 남은 것은 엘가난과 그 아버지가 전투를 벌인 흔적뿐이었다. 그 후 전투로 인해 떨어져 나간 태양의 정기가 깃든 작은 파편들은, 어둠 속에서 반짝이며 빛났다.

—데일스 엘프 랠러피린 부족의 수호자, 기샤렐의 이야기를 바탕으로 한 엘가난과 태양의 이야기에서 발췌

 

2Elgar'nan: The All-Father

 

Long ago, when time itself was young, the only things in existence were the sun and the land. The sun, curious about the land, bowed his head close to her body, and Elgar'nan was born in the place where they touched. The sun and the land loved Elgar'nan greatly, for he was beautiful and clever. As a gift to Elgar'nan, the land brought forth great birds and beasts of sky and forest, and all manner of wonderful green things. Elgar'nan loved his mother's gifts and praised them highly and walked amongst them often.

 

The sun, looking down upon the fruitful land, saw the joy that Elgar'nan took in her works and grew jealous. Out of spite, he shone his face full upon all the creatures the earth had created, and burned them all to ashes. The land cracked and split from bitterness and pain, and cried salt tears for the loss of all she had wrought. The pool of tears cried for the land became the ocean, and the cracks in her body the first rivers and streams.

 

Elgar'nan was furious at what his father had done and vowed vengeance. He lifted himself into the sky and wrestled the sun, determined to defeat him. They fought for an eternity, and eventually the sun grew weak, while Elgar'nan's rage was unabated. Eventually Elgar'nan threw the sun down from the sky and buried him in a deep abyss created by the land's sorrow. With the sun gone, the world was covered in shadow, and all that remained in the sky were the reminders of Elgar'nan's battle with his father—drops of the sun's lifeblood, which twinkled and shimmered in the darkness.

 

—From The Tale of Elgar'nan and the Sun, as told by Gisharel, Keeper of the Ralaferin clan of the Dalish elves