Do Not Fear the Wisps

Wisp Cats are a well known species of felines that live in the Forest of the Moon, but their transparency has often likened them to mysterious qualities in myths and legends. This myth is an example, and it is often used as evidence to suggest that there was once a cult that worshipped a pantheon with a Wisp Cat.
This story is traditionally told orally, but a version was found that dated back to 67,800,000 PE. The version found has been included in many myth compilations, and is often credited as being the "most official". However, old documents crumble easily, and the original written document has a few pieces missing, so the writers and storytellers that use this version often have to add their own details.

Summary

The myth tells the story of a two young Darikae children and an encounter with a Wisp Cat. The children are a Vutagertan (Vuta-Etager-Gretan) and a Luvtagerval (Luvtur-Etager-Balval), so they can both detect magical entities. They stumble upon an old Luvtur in the nearby forest while out on a walk. The Luvtur explains to them that he needs a specific flower from the woods to help heal his lover, but because he isn't an Etager, he cannot easily find the flower. He asks the children for help, but also warns them of a creature known as a Wisp Cat that lives in the woods. The pair agree to help the old Luvtur, but decide to ignore the warning about the Wisp Cat.

The children set off into the woods, doing almost everything that the Luvtur told them not to in order to avoid waking the Wisp Cat. After a few hours of walking, the children stumble upon a cabin. Thinking that the house is the old Luvtur's, the children head inside; only to be face-to-face with a giant Wisp Cat. The cat makes a deal on the children's life, and allows them to bargain around a little. The Luvtagerval attempts to bargain out of the deal entirely, and the Vutagertan tries to make the Wisp Cat see that what they're doing is wrong. After several different offers are passed, the final deal is this: the children have to try to impress the Wisp Cat with a bouquet of flowers from the forest, or else they'll be eaten.

Once they leave the cabin, the Luvtagerval tries to argue with the Vutagertan about lying. After all, the woods are filled with many shiny and glowing plants that could distract the Wisp Cat from the fact that the bouquet isn't really made from flowers. However, the Vutagertan convinces the Luvtagerval that they shouldn't lie, and they go off to collect flowers.

When the pair return, the Wisp Cat takes a short glimpse at the bouquet before deeming it adequate to its wishes, and gives the pair a magical flower in return, then leaves with the cabin in a wisp of soft light. The children are then left at the edge of the forest again, and catch sight of the old Luvtur. The pair run towards him - in some stories, they tell him about their encounter, and he scolds them gently - and they give him the magical flower. The Luvtur thanks them, wishes a few blessings and gives them two charms, and wishes them on their way.

Historical Basis

While the two charms that the old Luvtur give the children often change from telling to telling, they often depict a light blue vulpine creature with a long fluffy tail. It is argued that this vulpine creature was the Wisp Cat in the story, which offers the idea that Wisp Cats used to be more foxlike in appearance. The way the Luvtur gives the children the charms is similar to how other Darikae people give tokens of deities. In a token passing, one gives the other a token of a deity to pass on the blessings of the deity. The Luvtur giving the children a charm in a similar way of a token passing suggests that some view Wisp Cats as deities, and it is possible that the children encountered a deity themselves.

Spread

Many in the Darikae culture know of the myth. Tourists also often hear it, especially if they visit the area near the Forest of the Moon.

Variations & Mutation

The size of the giant Wisp Cat is most often changed. Because most stories follow to the allusion that the Wisp Cat may be a deity, they often depict the cat as large, almost touching the ceiling of the cabin. The kind of flower the Luvtur wants always changes, and depending on how well the storyteller knows herbs and diseases, the disease that the Luvtur's lover suffers from. The smaller details get changed quite often. Usually the storyteller tries to relate the children to the listeners, and often squeezes little hints at the Luvtagerval's and the Vutagertan's private lives to connect better with the listeners. For example, one might add details that suggest the Luvtagerval and the Vutagertan work in a coal mine if they are telling the story to coal miners.

The Vutagertan's name usually starts with a "V", with common forms being "Vivian", "Vurtakuv", "Vutangus", and "Vaetakim". It is unclear if the original Vutagertan was given a name in the original telling of the story, but looking at the names given to her throughout retellings can paint a rich history of Darikae naming traditions changing throughout the years.
The Luvtagerval's name usually starts with a "L", and common names for him are "Luvtnau", "Latimer", Linesse", "Luvtaeknym". As with the Vutagertan, it is unclear what his original name was - if he had one - but the names do inform us of changes in naming traditions and how storytellers will change details to better suit their audience.

Date of First Recording

The first document that had a written version is dated at about 67,800,000 PE

Related Ethnicities