Lake Bareotis, the sacred lake of the goddess Tyr

(...) Then it was decided that a tournament should be held in honor of the godess, at the lake we called Bareotis, to see which one of the other gods would marry her. Each of them had to give to Tyr a splenderous gift, the thing that she desired the most. Then came Van, the god of water, rivers and of the sea, and give her a neclace made of pearls that he hymself had collected from the bottom of the sea, but She rejected it, saying : This is not what i really like.

After him came Meterion, god of fire, who offered a ceptre made of

bronze with precious gemstones encrusted in it, but the Goddess refused, saying again: This is not what i want.

After this came Verin, the god of artisans, who offered Tyr the most splendid golden throne with depictions of animals and trees, and a charriot made of the finest wood founded on Yeia, but again the goddess, rejected politely the gifts, saying: You flattered me with your gifts, they are impressive and well crafted, but this is not what I want.

Seeing all this wonderful gifts, Abbon Shabai felt that he wasn't capable of compete with the other gods, and at first he became discouraged and decided not to participate in the tournament, but the goddess of fortune, Fer, who was his friend, sensing the god's sadness encourage him saying:

"Raised your head oh, you God of Wisdom, because you have nothing to fear, nor should you be jealous of the other gods, because you have the most important give of them all, at it is inside your head. And as i can see the future, i declare to you, that you must go, for alongside her you will be named King of the Gods, and father to multiple creatures thanks also to her, the beautiful goddess of pink lips and blonde hair, and after you have accomplish this both, gods and mortals will praise your wisdom and recognize you as the lord of the kosmos".

Then, the god followed the advice of his friend, and using his intelligence, he planned about was he was going to do. He took then, some flowers from the nearby lake, and went into the presence of the goddess Tyr. Then he offered the crown and inquired by this "humble gift"

-Why do you, dear Abbon Shabai, decided to offer me this colourful crown?- she asked

- Because, the only thing the goddess needed was a crown according to her might. For you are the most beautiful being in this world, and the Queen of a mighty proginee of plants and other living breathing beeings.

- Then, my dear, i shall marry you- stated the goddess- and a great smile appeared in each other faces.

Then, Verin angrily shouted: Why is he, oh mighty goddess, the chosen to marry you when his gift is so humble, is that the gift you wanted?.

- Yes, it is what i wanted, a compliment and a crown worth of my glory, and what is more worthy that the plants that i made grow each year- said the goddess.

And on that very lake both gods married, and after the ceremy the goddess of fortune proclaimed: It would be on this spot, were your happiness was achieved, that a mighty city would be built, full of wisdom because of you Abbon Shabai, and full of crops and wealth, because of you, Tyr. And the words of the goddess were fullfilled because nowadays there is a city near the lake, the city of the Blatians (Blati) so prosperous and rich thanks to the wisdom of its rulers, the fertility of its soil and the protection of the gods.

extract of The Deeds of the Gods, written by Zonaras of Elea, ca.701 AP

Summary

The myth tells us about a competition between the gods to see who would marry the goddess of nature, Tyr, that takes place on the shores of lake Bareotis. The tournament consists in giving the goddess a gift that the participants believe is the thing she would like the most

Many gods offered her many luxurious presents but she declined every single one of them until Abbon Shabai, god of wisdom anz light, offers her a simple crown made of flowers, as it is the only thing that such a beautiful woman needed.

Tyr then declares Abbon Shabai as the winner of the competition and the other gods, angry and confused ask her why he is the winner and she answers that the only thing he wanted was a crown made of the most beautiful beings she created ( the flowers) and a simple compliment, and thus both gods married on a little island on the midfle of the lake ( where a temple on their honor is located today)

Historical Basis

Of course, there is no historical basis to this myth. The Blatians and most of the rest of the Davidovian peoples believe this myth to have happened in the so called Era of The Gods, even before the creation of men and elves.

Spread

This myth is a very common story in the mythology of the Davidovian religions across Yeia. For the Seris, the Blatians, the Ancient Ikarians, the Oronai and the Crorai this myth is the beginning of their faiths. It is the beginning of the story of their pantheon of how the Sacred Couples of Gods came to be.

Variations & Mutation

Of course the latter part of the legend, in which the city of Blati is named and  it is also described as "blessed by the gods"appears only in the Blatian versions and in some Oronai versions of the myth written before the 6th century AP.

In the Seris Mythology the end of the myth says" ...and on that lake there is a sanctuary, and on one side of such lake lies the city of the Blatians". Also for the Seris this myth is also the beginning of the legend of the creation of humans and elves and also for other gods.

Cultural Reception

For the Blatians this legend is extremely important, because it justifies the wealth and power of their capital and the protection that the gods give to the Empire. Each year, the Blatian Emperors offer a crown of flowers at the temple in a little island in the middle of the lake in order to remember this legend and to ask the goddess for her protection

To the rest of the Davidovian peoples, this myth is important as its the beginning of the story of the formation of their pantheon and has no political or nationalistic connotations.

In Literature

There have been hundreds of books that narrate this myth across the lands inhabited by the Davidovian peoples. But also theatrical plays had been written to be performed in theatres on sacred festivals.

In Art

The myth of the marriage of Abbon Shabai and Tyr on the lake Baneotis have been a very famous topic for artists. 

Statues of both gods made of bronze were placed on an special temple in the middle of the lake in the early centuries after the conquest of the region by the Ikarians and the foundation of the city of Blati.

Also, in this city the scene of the marriage and the tournament is depicted on the walls of the Senate house as well as in the Imperial Palace.

Lastly,  there is a famous painting by a seris painter called Zerin, called  "Tyr crowned on Lake Bareotis" that is considered one of the masterpiece of seris art.

Date of First Recording

-615

Date of Setting

unknown