Ceraliad

Purpose

The moral of the epic that one may have to do things they dislike, despite their best efforts.

Historical Details

Background

One of the numerous Venian myths involves the hero Ceralus. He was the son of Martalus and Peria, a mortal woman. Ceralus is a popular figure in Venian mythology, being the subject of several epics and numerous smaller poems. It was his descendent who founded Venia according to myth, so the Venians view him as the father of their people. 
The Ceraliad describes the titular protagonist's adulthood events during the most formative time of his life. Six major events take place during the text, all of which took place over one year. At the time, Ceralus is twenty years old, and a popular man among his people. Peria was the daughter of the king Onultus, who was jealous of Ceralus and worried he planned to overthrow him.
After the king accused Ceralus of murder, the young man fled into the wild. With Onultus' men pursuing him, he veered off the dirt path and into nearby brackish swamps. There, his horse broke a leg, and he was flung into the mud. He prayed to the gods for help. The Daemon ruling the swamp - a goddess named Palama - came to his aid. She offered protection in exchange for sacrificing the horse. He quickly slit the animal's throat. Palama threw up a wall of mist, concealing him. After the soldiers passed, Ceralus asked the Daemon if she could help him. She reluctantly agreed, only if he helped her with something.
Palama's request morphed into the first of six labors. Ceralus needed to slaughter a beast slaughtering her loyal worshippers, which he did. In her gratitude, Palama blessed Ceralus with her favor. They subsequently made love.
Not long after, Ceralus met with Martalus on an empty beach. While his father offered to destroy Onultus' fleet and curse him so he would never be able to sail the seas, Ceralus refused. He wanted to prove his innocence both to his grandfather and the rest of his people. The young hero merely asked for his father's favor. The sea god accepted for a tiny favor. Local raiders were desecrating one of his temples. Ceralus rode to the temple, drove away the bandits, and talked to the priests.
As thanks, they wanted to sacrifice a spotted bull to Martalus. Since their sacred herd was either slaughtered or scattered, Ceralus needed to retrieve one. He did so, after negotiating with a sylvan. In exchange for the sylvan tracking down a surviving bull, Ceralus delivered a love declaration to the Daemon of a nearby stream. The two ended up together, and Ceralus got his bull.
Ceralus guided the bull back to the temple, where the priests slit its throat and read its organs. The head priest divined that the hero must retrieve a famous sword before reclaiming his rightful place. Ceralus did so and returned home. Unfortunately, Onultus refused to see Ceralus' innocence. In the end, the king lost his throne. Ceralus replaced him and was crowned king of his people.

History

The Ceraliad was written by the famous poet and aristocrat Oppius of the Caletus, called Bassius. He wrote the poem over six years, one year for each the six important events that happen in the story. It was his self-described magnum opus, and the second to last epic he wrote before his tragic death by choking on a chicken bone.

Public Reaction

The poem was well-received by Bassius' friends and family. Lukewarm reception greeted the poem upon its publication among the circles of the wealthy. A common criticism was Bassius' emphasis on specific details of Ceralus' life, as well as his blatant new additions absent in earlier myths.

Legacy

The Ceraliad became one of the most famous works of mythology in Venian history.

Type

Text, Literary (Novel/Poetry)

Medium

Paper