The Birth of Umberlee
In a time before the balance settled, Mercannan saw one great Fae, named Metasuina, had taken to living in his domain. She was fickle and tricksy, but he was enamoured of her. His wife, Degdia, was jealous, and so appeared to the Fae in disguise. She told her that Mercannan wanted her. At first, the Fae was flattered. Degdia then told her that she was in the unique position of having power over a God.
“You can demand from him whatever you can imagine,” the Degdia told the Fae.
Satisfied that unreasonable demands would deter her husband, Degdia departed.
When Mercannan came a-courting, the Metasuina was ready. He announced his love. She responded that she could not return it unless he gave her what she wanted.
“A part of you. A part of a God is what I claim,” she said.
Mercannan replied, “You have my heart. That is a part of me.”
Metasuina said she would think about it and to come back the next day. The Degdia returned that night in the same disguise, to ask what had happened. Metasuina told her.
“Fool,” she replied,“ he has tricked you into accepting nothing. You must demand more from him then that!”
So the next day when Mercannan came a-courting, Metasuina said that his heart was not enough. She must have a true part of him, a part she could keep with her.
Mercannan desperately wanted her. So he reached up to his face and pulled out his left eye. In his powerful grip, he crushed it into a beautiful jewel, legend tells this is the Eye of Mercannan. He hands it to her.
“You have my eye. You can always keep it with you. Is this enough to win your love?”
Metasuina, hoping for advice from her mysterious visitor, again tells him to return tomorrow.
When the Degdia returned to Metasuina that night, she found it nearly impossible to repress her rage. Determined to punish her husband for his foolishness, she again presses the Fae to demand more, to truly test Mercannan.
And so, on the third day, Mercannan again came a-courting. Again, Metasuina said she needed more.
“This jewel could be lost or taken from me,” she said, “I need a part of you that will be with me forever, a part of you that is inseparable from me.”
Mercannan thought. “This I can give you, with my word as a God, but only if you accept and return my love now, for I cannot face leaving again.”
Metasuina thought. This sounded like her last chance to accept the favour of a God. She agreed. When the Degdia next returned to Metasuina, the Fae had her back to the goddess.
“He gave me what I asked for,” said Metasuina, “A unique gift. A part of Him that will always be with me. Or a part of me.”
“What!” cried the Degdia, “Show me!”
Metasuina turned. She raised a bundle towards her visitor.
“Her name is Umberlee,” she said, “Our daughter.”
The Degdia succumbed to her rage. She dashed the child from the Fae’s hands and killed the Fae. She threw her bones into the sea. Then she came to the child. But she couldn’t bring herself to kill it. So she cursed it into the ocean where she would wander alone for eternity, separate from the gods and the Fae.
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