Amtaeus, Light of the Spark, God of the Forge

Amtaeus is the light of the spark, or the luminal aspect of the forge of creation. The first spawn of Lumen, Amtaeus is regarded as the chief maker and shaper of all which populates space and time - giving form, shape and function to the energy Lumen cast into the formative universe. Many variations of the Amtaeus myth exist, and most cultures refer to the god of making and crafting by names native to their folk, but most among manunkind will refer or appeal to Amtaeus as the patron of all who make and craft, whether it is at a forge, at a loom, in a dry dock, or anywhere else raw matters are taken and conscientiously made with skill and purpose into something else.

Summary

When Lumen, Light in its Celestial Aspect, God of Death cast the greater portion of their spiritual body into the relations and motions of space and time, a great spark issued upon collision. While the soul-stuff of Lumen shattered into pieces far too numerous to count, the point of its first contact with space and time, the source of the spark, held together and was imbued with such energy that it sprang to life and consciousness, assuming an existence both bound (as all things are bound) and yet independent of Lumen. Whereas Lumen had, in cutting so much of theirself away, become but a seeder, watcher, and reaper, this new consciousness found meaning in forging new matters and machinations out of the relations and motions which Lumen had established and given potential. Lumen thus named this new figure Amtaeus and bid him to ply his will to the work of shaping and refining creation, lighting the forges and weaving the matters and energies with which to populate space and time with things.

Historical Basis

As with Lumen, there are the usual theological debates surrounding the historicity and form of existence of the The Divinities of Light. Sages have noted that an Amtaeus-like figure has been observed in the myth-cycles of almost all the speaking people's known to exist, and that this figure is almost always named in those myriad cultures in such a way as to refer to making, crafting, shaping, forming, and likely emerged as invocations, prayers, chants and so on of early crafts-people at the beginning of a project or at the start of the workday. The ruthlessly skeptic Sir Reginald Twyn has advanced the theory that the various Amtaeus-like figures to emerge were but a simple people's means for appealing to the entropy of existence to at least let their own work run smoothly and with successful outcome. Furthermore, he notes, most folk have prduced their own share of great artisans whose name is handed down through generations, or whose pieces still remain as testimonial to their craft, and in some instances it is one of these figures who has been deified or, in other instances, built into an incarnation of Amtaeus theirself. Though perilously close to denying the existence of Amtaeus as a Divinity altogether, Sir Reginald does not go so far, acknowledging the considerable evidence of verifiable miraculous deeds which have been performed in Amtaeus' name, particularly by their most devout followers the @Sisters of the Forge.

Variations & Mutation

Sir Reginald also compiled a collecton of variations on the figure of Amtaeus: Amtaeus at Creation: Forging the Master of the Forge: a Compilation of Tales, Songs, and Folklore Concerning the Light of the Spark. The most notable variations on the figure of Amtaeus concerns their birth, their relationship with Lumen, and their relationship with the other Divnities. In some versions Lumen and Amtaeus are antagonists competing over which of the two will have the more active hand in further shaping, creating and populating the universe. In some versions of this tale Amtaeus kills Lumen, and then resurects them as a child whom he charges with the work of cleaning and reclaiming the waste and decay which accompanies and follows creation. In other versions the two reach a compromise, Lumen agreeing to give Amtaeus a free hand in further shaping the material matters and relations of the universe so that Lumen can focus on spiritual concerns. In some versions Amtaeus spawns full-frown, and in others is raised and tutored by Lumen. In some versions the other Divinities are not merely consciousness which emerges after or in the wake of Amtaeus, but are actually given existence by Amateaus who forms vessels which their consciousnesses might inhabit.

Cultural Reception

Sir Reginald notes that, depending on the specific culture in question, Amtaeus is personified in different ways. In some cultures they tend to appear as a spinner and weaver, in others a smith and metalurgist, in others a carpenter, in others a leatherworker, and in others a shipwright or other craftsperson.

In Literature

Outside of myth cycles, Amtaeus has inspired little literature. This is perhaps because most who appeal chiefly to Amtaeus as a patron are more inclined to work with hands than with words. Writers and those who fancy theirselves 'fine artists' have tended to invoke Kallista, @Lotyx, or one of Amtaeus' 'children' : Yemithir, Qatrigir, and Wayel (the illustrator, the descriptor, and the maker of fortune). In religious plays, Amtaeus is typically used as a narrating figure as they tend to be imagined as more of a neutral observer of events and their conflicts rather than an active participant. What others do with what Amtaeus makes is not Amtaeus' concern.

In Art

A number of symbols are iconically linked to Amtaeus, a loom, a needle, a hammer, an anvil, and a spinning wheel, almost always in a red, maroon or scarlet hue. When depcited as a person Amtaeus variously appears as a man or a woman, depending on the surrounding iconography and the prrevailing gender stereotypes of the people in question. Thus Amtaeus is typically depicted as a woman of middle age when at a loom, a young woman when at a spinning wheel, a burly man when at an anvil or bearing a hammer, thought they ar almost always depicted as having red hair, red hued clothes, with a gleam in the eye, and showered or draped in sparks of inspired creation.