Iljena/Corpus/The Boats of the Dead/English

The Boats of the Dead

The ancestors told a story.

The land of the dead lies beyond the sea. Mahag trees grow there. The First Moon and the Second Moon rule the land of the dead. They are good, as befits the rulers of the dead. The First Moon rules the fire court, and the Second Moon rules the pool court. It is always dark night or bright day, never twilight, so that the spirits of the dead may sleep.

Mkr was a great craftsman. He delighted in carving wood, and he invented all the tools for carving. He decorated all he made with beautiful patterns. He was curious about all things. He knew many spells. But he could not ride a hnq, nor make an ice ship. At that time only great sorcerors could travel across the sea. Mrk wanted to know what lay beyond the sea. He cut down a tree, he carved its trunk into a boat. He was the first to make a boat of wood. He travelled to many lands across the sea and learned their secrets.

Eventually Mrk died, and his spirit crossed the sea to the land of the dead. He did not wish to sleep. He had never wished to sleep when he was alive. He always wished to be making and learning. Therefore he wished to leave the land of the dead and return to the land of the living. He saw that Mahag trees had strong, fine wood. He cut down three mahag trees and made them into boats. He gave the boats outriggers, and decorated them with beautiful patterns.

When the First Moon and the Second Moon come together, they hear the petitions of the dead. Mkr brought his boats to them. He gave one to the First Moon, and one to the second moon. He asked them to give him a new body, so that he could leave in the third boat and return to the land of the living.

The rulers of the dead granted this. They granted that any Leyen who made a boat should depart for the land of the living.

Mkr received his new body. He travelled across the sea. But he had not asked to live. His new body was still dead. Many Leyen made boats and followed him, but the same was true of them - they were still dead.

This is why the dead come in boats.