Anton The Grave Digger

A story that describes the birth and naming of the god of the dead and the lost, Anton, to the people of the Slyiaflora Republic or the Free Meadows.

Summary

It is said that Anton was a small child who was lost, the child's parents had been attacked and slain by wolves on a journey to sell wares to another village.
Anton could not find his way back home and be forced to stop due to hunger. After starving alone for hours the only thing the child could do was cry and beg for help. From the young child's tears, Clarethria flowers would begin to grow under the moonlight. A man, dressed in petals, would appear next to the child and asked the crying boy for his name and why he cried. The child responded that his name was Anton and that he was lost with nowhere to go. The man with no name's heart was shaken and he promised he would help the boy.
The story ends with the child dying and the man, in tears. The man with no name would bury the child and gave him funeral rites. The man promised the child before his's last breath that no one would forget him and the man took the name, Anton. Anton would walk the great meadows of Slyviaflora, leading the lost back to their families and burying those who died without a proper burial.

Historical Basis

There is very little if any historical basis for the story. The story is referenced throughout much other Meadows myth. A number of lost Slyviaflorans have throughout the people's history have referenced meeting this Anton figure, dating back hundreds of years, many describing similar figures. The people of Slyviaflora also believe that the very existence of the Clarethria flower is proof of the existence of this story being correct. Given that the flower has for thousands of years only been able to grow in the Free Meadows.

Spread

Why the myth and story is only known in Slyviaflora, also know as The Free Meadows, the story has spread thanks to trade in wide part due to trade along the Cassian sea. The story has reached across the world though in large part due to the value of the Clarethria in herbal medicines.

Variations & Mutation

The most widely changing part of the story is the flower of that grows from the child's tear and the reason for the child being lost. In almost all myths though the flower is either medicinal or poisonous, even at times both, to represent life and death. With the exception of the most common flower variation, the lily.

Cultural Reception

This story is part of the Slyviafloran religion and is often though used as a bedtime story among their people. It helps to reinforce the ideas of caring for one another and the people's belief that their gods love them beyond imaging and that their deaths hurt even the gods. The derivatives of the name Anton are very popular with people such as Antonia, Antonius, Antono, Antonoada, and others. All respectively meaning variations of "One Who is Lost" or "Protected By The Lost One."

In Literature

A large amount of Slyviafloran literature and music is devoted to this story as it is one that touches their people.

In Art

There are numerous art pieces and ballads to the Meadowian faith

Date of First Recording

Unknown, likely by the early Slyviaflorans

Date of Setting

the time of the gods, an age of myth