In the beginning the Race of Men were spiritual creatures of Zha. They were there when the World was Created, they saw how oceans and land was created, they saw the birth of the Sun and the Moon, and they saw how day and night was made.
They witnessed the first birds under the sky and the first fish in the sea, they witnessed the first tree and the first beast that walked over the earth. They saw how the Children of the Sun inhabited the Mountains, and how the Children of the Moon settled the great forests of the World. Because they were part of the creation them selves.
Men were given the assignment to be guardians of the World. And they witnessed how the Spirit was flowing through all things and they loved the World and all its creatures.
As spiritual creatures they could move where ever they wanted, and they could whatever shape they wanted. And often they were seen in the forests disguised as beasts. But they were not a part of the circle of Life and Death, and many of them wanted to experience this.
They made them selves material shapes that were subject to the Laws of the World. This was how the first Men came into the World, and they called them selves Zha’vu’Dreny, the Children of Zha.
The first Men remembered the Truth about them selves. They remembered they were spiritual creatures that had chosen to live in the World as physical beings. And they could observe the Spirit within each other and everything else in the World. And they were whole with the World and each other, and they enjoyed Life and all her faces.
They did not fear Death, as they knew this was a part of physical life. And they knew that when they died, they could return to life in a new body. So rich, intense and beautiful they found Life, that they called the time between the Lives for ‘The Rest’.
Men were indeed the Children of Zha, and showed all the Spirit’s faces. And in the beginning there were no limits for them. They could talk with their minds, and they could move out of their bodies if they wished. They had a great want to create, and they made many good and beautiful things by mind and by hand. And they always let the Spirit flow through everything they made. They gave birth to many children, partly so more spirits could experience psychical life, and partly because the dead could return from the Rest.
And Men fell in love with Life, the World and each other. And soon they identified them selves with their physical selves, and forgot who they really were. And they turned their back on their spiritual selves and on Zha, the Spirit. Suddenly they realised how different they all were. Some were white, others black; some had red hair, others had blue. And they started to keep themselves with those who looked alike. And each of these groups called them selves a People. And each People travelled the World to find a land they could call their own.
And soon they forgot the Truth about themselves, they forgot they were eternal spirits, and the World they once loved became a place full of threats. Suddenly they realised how fragile their bodies were, how easy it was to become injured and ill. And they both feared and hated these things. But most of all they feared Death. And soon darkness took hold of their hearts and they became Slaves of Fear. Suddenly they felt estranged by the World and each other, and what they remembered of the Truth was twisted by the Fear in their hearts.
And when Men inhabited the World, they took Fear with them. And things that before was knowledge became belief and doubt. And because they now were afraid, they worshipped safety and things that last. And they felt the need to defend themselves against everything they found hostile. Soon they turned against the World, everything that lived there, and against each other. They did not loose their ability to create, but with Fear in their hearts, all they made was more fear. But their passion for the World was now shown both as Love and Hatred.
The Race of Men became a people with great chaos in their minds. They always kept with them the memories about the times they were happy.
And that became their Destiny, to seek out the Truth about themselves. And they were given the Choice; the choice between living through love or fear, because only through love they could return back to the Spirit. And amongst them there was born individuals that still remembered the Truth, and they were marked with violet eyes; the colour of Zha. And they came to show the humans the way back to the Spirit. But they were both worshipped as gods and hated and despised.
But still they made many people meet their Fear, and in spite of that Men were cowardly, fearful and hateful, many of them showed great courage and love.
The Race of Men are the Children of Zha, and their thoughts, doings and wishes will mark the World to the end of Time.
Notes:
Many religious orders doubt the Truth in this story.
The Children of the Spirit’s learnings tells how Men had eternal life and were the Masters of the World. But the Dragons and Elves envied the humans, and by pretending to be Men’s friends and they wrought a shroud of oblivion over their minds and stole Men’s strength and eternal life.
The Order of the Dragons thinks that it is the elves’ fault that Men became Slaves of Fear, and also says that the humans would be lost without the Dragons.
The Order of the Moon has a similar theory, but none of these two religious orders find Men as something great in themselves. The Race of Men are only servants of the Gods. And they also pray for a time when the ‘demons’ won’t rampage the World.
The Order of the Stars give men all the blame for the evil in the World, it’s therefore a woman’s right to guide a man away from his natural longing for committing evil.
Translation by Alátariel