Myth-take Challenge #6

[Villamvihar]

Myths and legends could be said to be the prototypes of modern novels. They are stories in their own right, tales that were passed on for generations. Even today, some elements from the old myths remain in our stories and occasionally, they serve as inspiration.

This week's mythical element is: Jörmungandr

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Jörmungandr is the World Serpent from Norse mythology, a snake that grew so large that it was able to surround the whole world and then bite its own tail. The snake has become such an essential part of the world that should it ever let go of its tail, that act will mark the start of the apocalypse. As a symbol, Jörmungandr is sometimes used to represent infinity, or the world itself.

Your challenge is to write a story that incorporates your own take on this mythical element. The genre and setting of the story does not matter as long as the element remains recognisable.

 

[Elflady]

In Yuriaah there is a tale of the Balance, how everything have a beginning and end, how death follows life, autumn follows summer and then spring spreads new life after winter. This circle of harmony may never be broken lest the world will fall in ruin and catastrophes will follow each other until the world is a desolate place void of life where everything then can start over. This is why people are forbidden from living forever, no matter how long lived some races or species are they can not live forever, civilizations and countries can not last forever unchanged, change is a part of life and is the one important thing keeping the Balance.

The Zein is the pulsing energy that circles the world and everything in it, it is what gives life to gods, mortals, plants, animals and also what is taking it away, taking back the souls, giving them rest before letting them be reborn on the planet again. The act of everlasting life is a sin punished by death one way or another, if not the person is executed or robbed of their new life force the Zein will collapse in on itself and thereby killing all living things as the Zein is poisonous if loosened from the harmony that keeps it to its path and is ever let loose on Yuriaah.

No matter what you worship on Yuriaah, one of the myriad of Gods or Goddesses or your own strength or perhaps the mysterious Oracle of Skya Megali you automatically worship the Zein as well, because without it nothing would exist. But with the tale of Balance there is a question rarely asked, if harmony is upheld by everything having an end and a rebirth and nothing lasting forever, why is the Zein an infinite force? Is there something larger controlling it? Or does the Zein just have a larger life span than any living being and when its life is at an end the Apocalypse is eminent?