The Gods, Succession and Conflict

Cosmic Conflict

As soon as a universe is populated then an element of dynamism comes with that. How do these actors behave? How do they interact with the world and each other? These questions at some point will introduce friction to a living, breathing universe and from friction, conflict often follows. When it is divine beings that are the centre of these events, the conflict takes on a cosmic dimension that sees the reshaping of the world. It is a pattern that can be seen again and again in creation myths and development stories from Chronos challenging Ouranos to Zeus challenging Chronos.

Bul, The Cloud Gatherer

The War in the Heavens

The myths the Xosu tell about how Dunsun succeeded to the rule of the Cosmos follow that similar pattern. The story of the Kolithelon taking the rule of the cosmos from the Belithelon fits with the succession crisis, but I have also endeavoured to fit this within the frame through which all my writing passes. The new generation of gods challenge the old. The gods of craft and culture take on those of the immense forces of nature to tame them. This is not just about one generation overthrowing another; it is the building of the layers that add depth and complexity to the world. The sacrifice of Gingel set the bounds of the cosmos, its structure, the coming of the Belithelon introduced the immense forces of nature, lightning shattering the sky as great waves rocked the shoreline. Now come the Kolithelon, gods of refined craft and culture, music and song. This is the cognitive layer I have discussed previously.

Dunsun, Lord of the Cosmos

An interconnected world

Though the Kolithelon may have succeeded to the rule of the cosmos, this does not mean that those immense structural forces are gone and do not shape the lives of the people. Bul was defeated but only banished to the heavens. Sem still lurks in the oceans. The physical world is held at bay but not tamed, it can still overwhelm the ordered, civilised life. This is where these stories can have a real impact on the people of Kolgennon, that anxiety that civilisation is a veneer that can be demolished upon a whim creates a fragility and vulnerability within the world that can serve as a backdrop to society, culture and storytelling.