Cave Of The Dark Lady

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The Cave of the Dark Lady is a popular myth in the inland regions of Valdesa. There are several variations of the myth, and many stories that follow the classic pattern. There is a cave system in the mountains of southern Valdesa that has often been claimed to be the cave from the myth, and many venture there seeking the Lady’s blessing.

Summary

While there are thousands of myths that fall within the umbrella of being Cave of the Dark Lady myths, they all follow a similar pattern. A hero or protagonist of some kind is journeying in the mountainous wilderness, in desperate need of aid to complete some sort of task or quest. They stumble across an apparently uninhabited cave just as a storm or some other environmental pressure forces them to take shelter. While in the cave, the protagonist will face a number of trials, which usually correspond to their character flaws or their culture’s idea of the worst flaws. Once all of these trials have been completed, the protagonist emerges from the cave and is greeted by the Dark Lady herself, who gives them the boon they need to complete their quest. In some versions, the protagonist fails the trials and either dies in the cave or leaves empty-handed and doomed to fail their original goal.

Historical Basis

Many of the protagonists of the myths are actually historical figures from the region. Additionally, there is a cave in the area which is said to be the Dark Lady’s cave. While many great individuals have come from the immediate area around these caves and many disappear in the mountains every year, there is no evidence that these are connected to the goddess.

Variations & Mutation

The most common variation is in who the hero is, and what they need to succeed at their original task. Another common one comes in at the number and types of trials, as that tends to vary by the culture and time period the myth is from. Strangely enough, the location of the cave doesn’t seem to have any variations. Typically, such a myth would be applied to any reasonably suitable local landmark, but myths from the farthest corners of the mountain range always name the cave as being in around the same area. This ranges in vagueness from describing a specific cave, to saying who owned the land where the cave is at the time, to simply saying it was a great distance in the correct cardinal direction from the group telling the myth. Another unusual thing is that who’s cave it is also has no variation. The context of the story hardly applies to any of the Dark Lady’s domains once you get past the cave theme. And many of the groups living in the mountain have their own deities who would better fit the role. The boons gifted are similarly inconsistent with the Lady’s domains and interest. A popular theory to explain this is that the myth originated as being about a minor local deity, but was later applied to the Dark Lady due to some kind of similarity or miscommunication. However, this theory is complicated by the fact that the Dark Lady had been worshiped in these mountains as far back as any record goes. This makes it unlikely that she would have been assigned a pre-existing local myth, as she predates many of the local deities who could fit that role.

In Literature

The Cave of the Dark Lady continues to be a popular story element in the literature of the region. Often when a hero needs divine assistance, they will stumble upon the cave and receive a boon from the Lady, though the trials are usually focused on their individual character flaws or excluded altogether. Additionally, ‘going through the Lady’s cave’ is slang for someone, fictitious or otherwise, who is facing a very trying time. Interestingly enough, when the myth is referenced in modern literature it is far more common for another deity or being to be credited as the boon grifter in the cave. The most interesting of these is in East Islands region writing, where the boon gifter is often the Oracle of Yehuz. This does actually make more sense than the Dark Lady herself does in the context of the myth, as the Oracle had a habit of helping heroes without making it known who they were or that they were helping. Unfortunately, the Oracle of Yehuz is an incredibly localized figure, so it is unlikely that the original myth had anything to do with her.

In Art

Similar to its use in literature, paintings and murals often use the cave of the Dark Lady as an indicator that the subject is facing difficulties. There are also a great number of art pieces that depict the myth, especially the gifting of the boon.

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