Miotas Sinsear (miht-uhs sihn-shar)
Translated roughly to "Myth of the Ancients" this is the elvish name for the elven creation myth. According to the history and legend of the elves, the first elven people emerged from the heart of the Tree of the Ancients, Crann Sinsear in the early days of Ayndrinor. The creation myth does not specify one deity responsible for the elves, but many have developed their own versions of the myth that mention either Talia, Gaela, or both.
Summary
The elven myth of creation posits that one or more deities created the powerful Tree of the Ancients and with it, the race of elves. As part of their birth from this tree, the elves were tasked with being guardians and protectors of nature - a role they have continued to foster to this day. Specifically, the elves view their home forest, the Sinsear Forest, as a sacred area which they try to protect from outside forces.
Above everything else, the elves were tasked with protecting the Tree of the Ancients and nurturing its healing powers - healing both for nature but also for people and animals. The stakes for protecting this tree are dire: if the tree is ever harmed or captured by non-elves, nature will begin to collapse and die. For this reason, elves see themselves as the protectors and shepherds of the world, which contributes to their perceived cultural arrogance.
Spread
This creation myth is central to the history and culture of the elves of Crann Riocht, though many elves in other parts of the world also recognize the myth and feel connected to the elven homeland. Many of the elven diaspora make at least one pilgrimage to the "homeland" every century of their lives, hoping to see the Tree of the Ancients and pay proper homage to the origin of their people.
Variations & Mutation
The different variations of the myth mainly revolve around which deity or deities were responsible for creating the elves and charging them with protecting nature. These variations slightly flavor the worldview and philosophy in different ways of those who adhere to them.
Those who believe that Talia was solely responsible for creating the Tree and the elves rely heavily on the tenets of protecting nature - which is a core tenet of Talia's faith. These proponents point to the gifts of an entire forest, rivers, and a lake in the elven homeland as evidence that the Rain Maiden was responsible for their founding and continued prosperity.
Another group of elves believes that their creation was due to the influence of Gaela alone, relying on the powerful magic of the Tree of Ancients and innate magic of the elves themselves to make their point. As the ultimate mistress of the arcane, Gaela would have been the one to endow the Tree with its healing powers and connect its health to the health of all nature across the world. Elves who subscribe to this variation of the founding myth founded the observatory and university at Torloch and continue to make up a large portion of the faculty there today. Another large piece of evidence these believers point to is the traditional depiction of Gaela, who is shown even in the oldest art and literature as a drow or dark-skinned elf.
A large majority of all elves fall into a third category, attributing the creation to both Talia and Gaela. These elves pull evidence from both of the other camps to make their argument, pointing to both the natural world and the arcane prowess as evidence that both deities had a hand in the creation. Furthermore, they point to the deity Síohann, a child of Talia and Gaela known as the Watcher in the Wilds, as evidence that both deities created the elves. Though the Watcher is traditionally depicted as a halfling, many believe the race of elves was created at the same time, through a slightly different process. The impetus and calling of the elves very closely mirrors the core tenets of Síohann, and he is the prime deity of most elves - even those who support one of the other variations of the creation myth.
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