The Myth of Ninyaham Adrisha

Summary

The Myth of Ninyaham Adrisha is an amalgamation of parts of the Shak epics told among many tribes of the Frësian peoples focused primarily on the story between two gods: Shighvash and Adrisha. The epics have been passed down primarily in oral traditions, either song, poem, or story, having only recently been written and translated by historians outside of Koljorn. These historians have spliced and reorganized the epics in order to separate threads and tell more cohesive stories of the specific gods and goddesses of the Frësian pantheon.

Components of the Myth

Amidst the early twilights of the gods, war, and conflict had begun to escalate. Shighvash, enraged by the loneliness and emptiness of his worlds, stole his sister, Adrisha, forced her to be his wife, and imprisoned her inside one of his rocky worlds. The tears from her mourning her brother's savagery and her imprisonment flooded half the world, creating oceans and rivers. Shighvash begged her to stop her weeping before the whole world was flooded and offered to let her roam the surface as she pleased if she would accept being his companion. Adrisha agreed and fell pregnant.

— Epic of Chyakud

While Shighvash was away, Adrisha gave birth to the fruit of the land and watered with the tears of her mourning, and the seed flourished across the world in beauty and growth. But this was Shighvash's world, and it fought back against what it saw were invaders. The mountains split open and blocked out the sun. Shighvash returned as his world warred against his wife, and she begged him to restrain the mountain's fire so that their fruit could flourish. Shighvash calmed the mountains and sent the winds to settle the ash so that their seed could flourish once more.

— Epic of Vadapsha

Again Adrisha fell pregnant, and again Shighvash left to war with the gods. Adrisha dreamed of touching the sky and going beyond the surface of this world and birthed an egg. From the egg hatched two eagles, who flew up from their mother and took to the skies as she had wished to do herself. Before long, birds flew in every sky and filled the trees, and their constant noise drove the winds to madness. Storms brewed across the oceans, fighting to keep the birds away from the winds. Shighvash heard his wife's mourning of their feathered progeny and returned to hold back the winds so that the birds had space to fly.

— Epic of Jyi Ish

Again Adrisha fell pregnant, and again Shighvash waged war on their father. Adrisha was saddened by the god's constant battle and spent her days with a longing gaze upon the ocean. She wished to drown herself in her pain and waded into the sea. As her birthing pains grew, she began to sink. Shighvash returned and sunk his hand into the sea to pull her out just as she gave birth to the fish of the ocean, who would thrive within the waters of their mother's mourning. Shighvash was distraught and made Adrisha swear an oath that she would never end herself, and she did swear.

— Epic of Likghich

Adrisha fell pregnant again, and Shighvash left to attend to his other worlds. Amongst the trees of the forest, with the chirping of birds singing her praise, Adrisha sought to bring forth a child for Shighvash that would bring him home once more. She birthed a litter of wolf pups, fur golden like her own hair, but they held the savagery of their father. However, Shighvash did not return. Adrisha waited years and watched the cycles of the world she had created with Shigvash grow and flourish, but he did not come.

— Epic of Chya Chur̂imid

Adrisha grew lonely as decades passed by without the sight of another soul. She longed deeply for love and affection. She climbed to the top of the tallest mountain and was warmed by the sun, cooled by the breeze, and in awe of the world that lay before her, she grew flushed and lay with the mountain. Surely, she thought her husband would arrive in rage at her actions, but he did not come. Adrisha fell pregnant and thought surely her husband would come and she could plead for him never to leave again, but he did not come. She birthed twins, a boy and a girl, shaped like her but made of earth. But something was wrong, and they were as she feared her husband to be. She grieved as she held her newborns, grieved as she feared for Shighvash, grieved as she regretted her oath of eternity. She laid her newborns at the base of a tree as she grieved and then saw how the trees moved in the wind. She took in her world and realized what she must do as a mother now. She made herself like the wind and breathed herself into the mouth of each infant, so her life was not lost but would become theirs for a time or at least until Shighvash returned.

— Epic of Ninyaham

Religion & Influence

Frësian

Reincarnation. One of the biggest influences the myth of Adrisha is seen to be foundational for is the unique belief of universal reincarnation. Tribes of the Frësian people believe that their soul or life force is actually a part of the goddess herself, and that part will find its way into the breath of another infant after they die. This also extends to the idea of universal memory, which the individual might access to see the previous lives in which their life force has taken part. This also makes certain topics, like necromancy, highly blasphemous and curses of any undead nature, particularly hated among the Frësian tribes.

Eschatology. The epics do not illuminate what happened to Shighvash, but as the Frësian people believe they are parts of Adrisha, they take the belief that he will return for her (or them) at some point in the future, at which point they will be recombined in soul-form as the goddess to meet her husband and the two are expected to live in harmony thereafter. Prophecies of signs of Shighvash's return include increasing storms, volcanic eruptions, and swelling of the sea.

Druidic Culture

Historians have connected the Ninyaham Adrisha myth alongside other druidic-style myths of archetypal mother earth of sacrifice. While druidic religions do not directly believe in reincarnation, they do place heavy value on systems of balance and eternal cycles that must be maintained.

Other Cultures

One variation of a translation documented by elven linguist Sedi Neva has been accused of being overly erotic with deeply explicit depictions of Adrisha's relations with Shighvash and the mountain, which he interprets as some other affair partner. This translation has been the basis for the creation of a whole selection of other kinds of erotica that most Frësian peoples find highly disrespectful of the goddess.

Related Ethnicities

• Frësian

Related Organizations

• Koljorn

Linguistics

'Ninyaham Adrisha' translates roughly from Ibrizian to 'Breath of Adrisha' and is related to the Närgon root 'nin' meaning breath, life or soul. Adrisha, too, is an Ibrizian compound of two words meaning life or soul, thus, in traditional terms, Adrisha is a goddess of life.

Art & Depictions

Temple of Adrisha Relief

by Syntax

A partially restored ancient relief in a cavern temple to Adrisha. There are no inscriptions, but the highly feminine form with the backdrop of the mountains as well as the tradition of the temple having been dedicated to Adrisha leave archeologists to believe this is meant to be a depiction of the goddess. Local spiritual leaders have indicated her eyes are closed in a form of sleep, that while her soul is in split form the goddess herself sleeps, waiting for the return of Shighvash.

Adrisha's Pause

by Syntax

A modern sculpture depicting Adrisha, pregnant with her human children in the woods with her wolf-child. Done by an unknown sculptur from Frëbjo.

A Breath of Light

by Syntax

A painting done based off of Sedi Neva's translation of the Frësian epics, which depicts a scene unique to Neva's translation of Adrisha blowing out and scattering the lights of the stars, the event which caused Shighvash to fall in love with her.

Our fair lady, our first and last breath,
Hair of golden sun, sleeps in soft rest,
Those of us born in love and longing,
Await for our soulmate's returning.

— Song of Adrisha