Kindness to Travellers

Zyrdolros in Haveda

It came to pass that Zyrdolros The Wanderer came to the land of Haveda. It was a small kingdom ruled by a lord who rarely left his castle or the city. Throughout the countryside, he was known for having high taxes, and the people of his land suffered greatly even though the land was fertile and prosperous. Zyrdolros wore his cloak and pack and carried his walking stick as he went along the road. Travellers hurried past him without a second glance, and merchants in their wagons sprayed him with mud. Those who saw him saw only a dirty rat, an outsider in a land ruled by humans.
Night fell, and a fierce storm split the sky open. He shivered and trod on until in the distance, he saw a dimly lit farmhouse. Weary from his day of walking, he knocked on the door and begged the woman who answered for a place to stay out of the rain. She ushered him in and bade him sit by the fire. Though her family had very little, she shared the last of their bread and stew with him and brought him warm blankets. Her husband took his pack and laid it at the foot of the bed to keep it safe. Their children cleaned his clothes and gave him brushes to clean his fur. The woman named Melita offered him her bed, and it was the only one in the house.
Come morning, the rain had ceased, and it was safe to travel once again. He blessed Melita and her family for their kindness and promised that they would be rewarded. He left and continued down the road. By evening, he came upon the city where the lord's castle resided. Wishing to make himself known to the lord as was the custom of the land, Zyrdolros went to the castle and entered the grand hall.
The lord refused to see him, and when the lord's manservant informed him that the rat wished for a place to stay, he was mocked. The lord cast the rat out and told him he could stay with the cows and eat of their food, but he was not welcome at the lord's table. And Zyrdolros became angry, but he left and spent the night with the cows. In the morning, he lay a curse upon the lord that his hall would be as barren as the lands he owned, and that his animals though they look fat bear him no meat. He would suffer with his people, and innocent blood would stain his hands.
Zyrdolros left the land and returned to his domain. A year later, he returned to Melita, though she was now very ill. He arrived as a foreign prince with a great entourage and wealth. All around them, people begged for his attention, and merchants pleaded for his blessing. But he ignored them as they ignored the beggar a year ago. He stopped at Melita's house, and she knew not who he was. Before her eyes, Zyrdolros transformed into the beggar she'd fed. She fell down weeping at her feet crying out that she had nothing left to offer him. The lord demanded more food from the farmers, and they could no longer feed themselves.
He reached out his hand to her and bade her rise. She and her family could be nobles in his lands where food was plentiful, and they would be healed of their infirmities. All she had to do was accept and go with him. Melita gathered up her husband and children and what few belongings they had and left that wretched land. Her family lived in that far off land for many years where they fed the poor and travelling from their table. And when she finally passed away, he took her into his domain to feast for eternity.

Summary

The story describes how Zyrdolros, the God of Travellers, went through a small kingdom and encountered two forms of hospitality. He appeared as a beggar and a foreigner making him the least socially acceptable to be associated with. The first people he encounters are merchants and other travellers who ignore him because of how he looks. When night falls, he approaches a farmhouse owned by a poor family. The family welcomes him in and treats him with honor. Before leaving the next day, he offers them his blessing and a reward. Then, he goes to the local lord and is refused any hospitality. He's treated like an animal and curses the lord before leaving. The story then skips ahead a year when the god returns to make good on his promises. He takes the farming family who treated him well to his domain and makes them nobles while the cruel lord has a famine and war destroy his land.

Related Locations

• Haveda

Related People

• Zyrdolros