» Fri May 04, 2012 8:31 pm Feel free to play along, y'all.
TO: Urag gro-Shub, Grand Vizier of Arboreal Librarianship
Arcanaeum, College of Winterhold, Winterhold, Skyrim, Tamriel, Mundus
FROM: Wylandriah, Witch of the Sordid Court
Seventh Door of the Seventh Hall, East Wing, Mistveil Keep, Riften, Skyrim, Tamriel, Mundus
DATE: First Seed, 3E 203/4/5?
Dear Urag,
Well, and it's been some time since I've talked with you, you bushy faced duffer, and you know that's never a good thing; after all you're the only one who actually UNDERSTANDS when I start ranting about the importance of quasi-symbolic anolysis of the traditional texts, even if you don't engage in it as much as you should. So here's a letter from your Wylandriah, wishing you lived closer to Mistveil. It's really quite nice, once you get down to it; I don't think there's one single spot in Skyrim where the household arachnids are so close to the woodland variety, and I actually did find a nest of those, too, down in the dungeons - have you ever been down there? Really fascinating, the variety of structural supports the Jarls have used through the years - they were living cheek-to-jowl with each other because there'd been a collapse, so I cleared the blockage away and set them free. They're docile creatures, really, if you know how to handle them - which I do, of course, I always have; just show me something with eight legs that I can't sweet-talk into submission - and you'll be interested to learn that their silk makes a potent preservative for textiles and texts both.
Oh, texts. Yes, indeed, that's what this letter is about and why I'm spending time writing to you instead of doing actual work - no offense intended, because you know I love you, but you must also know my priorities lie with experimentation - for I recently acquired a document I think you'll find interesting. The implications are, quite frankly, astounding; who would have thought that the bardic tradition of the Nords had its genesis in ancient Atmoran dragon-skalds? It sheds not a small bit of light on the obtuseness of Nordic poetry - I never could stand all the sideways skald talk; those blighters in the Bard's College never say anything straightways - as it's quite clear that draconic verse is barely verse at all but rather near pure image exemplification, which really is only to be expected from the primeval Tongues. The translator's note - no idea who he was, though I'd assume some Nord bard from the late first era; sorry about that, but you'll just have to look into that facet yourself - implies that this fragment was part of a much longer epic engraved at some central site - apparently dragons engrave, of all things, and reading their words could be even more devastating than hearing them, for mortals - in Atmora, though I'm really not sure I believe in Atmora. Where the dermographic dovah of antiquity – and there’s something else to tittle your tat; dragons get tattoos? I wonder, is that common, would the ones flying about now do it? Maybe – I ought to – find someone – or have the Jarl find someone – to kill a dragon for me and look at its skin – where the old supposed Atmoran dragon-skald got all these strange ideas about the Demon of Knowledge I’m sure I don’t know.
I guess you'll want to know where I got this and what it is. I bought it off a Dunmer, oddly enough, as a huge slab of petrified wood, if you can believe that, and with it an ancient fixed-charcoal rubbing and translator's journal, because of course since this is supposed to have been taken from Atmora originally it could only have been brought to Skyrim as part of the graven hull-history of the Five Hundred. The original symbols look like chicken scratch to me, but I guess that's all draconic runes really are. And note the interesting quasi-dialect the translator uses; the dragon language must have only been partially extirpated from the Nord tongue when he did his work; I've taken the liberty of translating it further into modern grammar and spelling, though there wasn't too much to do.
Anyway here's the text package itself, with love from: Wylandriah
[...] … of Aenshint Tyme told as Writ bye won tattu ring'd Dovah of Forgottenne sekt, partte of the faebl'd Kliff of Dahmaan. Onlii thiiz Wordde preserv'd of all the Runne ther, for biifr ond aftr tu Graet wos the Pour of Dovah script for Menne to riid; all whu try'd wer diistroy'd. [...]
The Ogmismol
[... ... ...] ............... [... ... ...]
Lothe, myn clawwe | to ryf thiiz runne...............Loathe, my claws | to rife these runes
of hermetik fynd | in taproote tyme................of hermetic find | in taproot time.
The shiif-tattere kast | osyde to the Sea...............The sheaf-tatters cast | aside to the sea
their ink to ronne | and dygramme diikhey;...............their ink to run | and diagrams decay;
to moldring kriip | with mysiilyel skhrii,...............to moldering creep | with mycelial scree,
Ond othre minutye | unfaerseene be Dey................and other minutiae | unforeseen by Day.
Ond shrudest of thiiz | in skhematik-squiiz:...............And shrewdest of these | in schematic-squeeze:
the bolbus bryn-braen, | the eyt-sokhr’d flox...............the bulbous brine-brain | the eight-svcker’d flux
whuz skin engolf’d | hise selcuth siblinggez,...............whose skin engulfed | his selcouth siblings,
ond nerse-nest hosk: | Wuld ye know yet morr?...............and nurse-nest husk: | Would you know yet more?
He who ‘graves heritans | opon the roots of tyme...............He who ‘graves heritance | upon the roots of time
in the Dan-dewii hommoks | of Old Mary’s shore-shelffe................in the Dawn-dewy hummocks | of Old Mary’s shore-shelves.
Kall’d Tsar of the Seae | for hise sol-skin's ryme...............Called Tsar of the Seas | for his soul-skin's rhyme
of kryptik koloration | to the daan-domb elffe................of cryptic coloration | to the doom-dumb elves.
Bot profoundlii poygnant | pruv the tonii knotte...............But profoundly poignant | prove the tawny knots
of the wumb-webb’d elffe | to the lonlii skrybe................of the womb-webb’d elves | to the lonely scribe.
Hise skriven’d hide flexes, | rosles hise restles haertte,...............His scriven’d hide flexes |rustles his restless hearts,
ond to the Sea he dives: | Wuld ye know yet morr?...............and to the Sea he dives: | Would you know yet more?
Thanne froth’d the wavve | and eddiee spiral’d in...............Then froth’d the waves | and eddies spiraled in
opon the detritos den, | the Onderkliff's glomm,...............upon the detritus den, | the Undercliff's gloam,
where blaekh trunkke | stak gallerrie in brim...............where black trunks | stack galleries in brim
ond heart-hollow falle | to rite the lomm................and heart-hollow fall | to write the loam.
Op lurch’d the moss | with squamos hyde twiche................Up lurch’d the moss | with squamous hide twitch.
Ond a sioptik ball | blink’d traeserrie doun...............And a scioptic ball | blinked traceries down
to the limp cuttle stranded | on the Onderkliff's iche...............to the limp cuttle stranded | on the Undercliff's itch
ond its wyrm-Hyrmit's froun: | Wuld ye know yet morr?...............and its wyrm-Hermit's frown: | Would you know yet more?
To the mold-mounded dragon | the bryne-braen spaek:...............To the mold-mounded dragon | the brine-brain spake:
"O Hyrmit, laernne mii | your grow-glossii misterie,..............."O Hermit, teach me | your grow-glossy mysteries,
for without Wyfe, Mothor, Dohtor | myn empty haertte aek................for without Wife, Mother, Daughter | my empty hearts ache.
Where is Love’s nym | writ in thiis triie?”...............Where is Love’s name | writ in these trees?"
Ond the Hyrmit chokl’d | at the tynii oktopus................And the Hermit chuckled | at the tiny octopus.
Hise ragged clawe jabbed | to the eyt-bottress’d Trii,...............His ragged claw jabbed | to the eight-buttress’d Tree,
the touering spyne | in bonn-spyral tross,...............the towering spine | in bone-spiral truss,
aflott opon the Sea:| Wuld ye know yet morr?...............afloat upon the Sea: | Would you know yet more?
That tortyle-torchur, | that peritrykhos Trii;...............That tortile-torture, | that peritrichous Tree;
the serpent-ribb’d spyre | where the moth nestte rest;...............the serpent-ribbed spire | where the moth nests rest;
shelter of dosk-baethed doff | ond Dan-blazon’d Kanopii...............shelter of dusk-bathed duff | and Dawn-blazon’d Canopy
wher the Hyrmit hords | engravingge of rost................where the Hermit hoards | engravings of rust.
[… … …]...............[… … …]
Thanne spaek the dragon: | “Siik ye ther................Then spake the dragon: | "Seek ye there.
In the xylem sliiv | of the riilyz’d siid,...............In the xylem sleeve | of the realiz’d seed,
in the exizhon enakted, | in the labrinthiin daer,...............in the excision enacted, | in the labyrinthine dare,
riid your solas criid.” | Wuld ye know yet morr?...............read your solace creed." | Would you know yet more?
So op wriggled | the iiger bryne-braen...............So up wriggled | the eager brine-brain
from the Onderkliff’d littre | of the siiping rhizosfiir................from the Undercliff’d litter | of the seeping rhizosphere.
Drovv hise ey-nib thru | the bottress-whorl’d graen...............Drove his eye-nib through | the buttress-whorl’d grain
ond squirm-blink’d in | to the xylem smiir................and squirm-blink’d in | to the xylem smear.
In mannish-mutant coul | he fervent whisper-sirches...............In mannish-mutant cowl | he fervent whisper-searches
Atmora’s crag’d and canyon’d grovvee. | Ond hise spellbuk sarrow Atmora’s crag’d and canyon’d groves. | And his spellbook sorrow
rivets the ash-brou’d Nordde; | bynds their haertte in lurchee,..........rivets the ash-browed Nords; | binds their hearts in lurches,
ond siids their iirre to grow: | Wuld ye know yet morr?...............and seeds their ears to grow: | Would you know yet more?
Bot Ysgramor’s ey | sytes the skrybe-scrolle...............But Ysgramor’s eye | sights the scribe-scrawls
of hise charcol menne | biigyl’d into prozz................of his charcoal men | beguil’d into prose.
Ond from hise drom-longge | a tempest-ripple squalls,...............And from his drum-lungs | a tempest-ripple squalls,
skours bak the forest fiind | to the Sea-gardyn’d grottozz................scours back the forest fiend | to the sea-garden’d grottoes.
The bryne-braen spaek: | “Love is not writ...............The brine-brain spake: | "Love is not writ
in the world trii’s veyns; | not the warmth of the wumb...............in the world tree’s veins; | not the warmth of the womb
nor the ogham-scribblee | of my word-witch’s clette...............nor the ogham-scribbles | of my word-witch’s clette
abyde in that dum.” | Wuld ye know yet morr?...............abide in that doom ." | Would you know yet more?
The wyrm-Hyrmit’s clawe | cliived to blaekhen’d bark...............The wyrm-Hermit’s claw | cleaved to blacken’d bark
split a hollow haert-scroll | ond unroll’d its ring’d runne................split a hollow heart-scroll | and unroll’d its ring’d runes.
The Sonne dazzled doun | thru the lignin-letter lok,...............The Sun dazzled down | through the lignin-letter lock,
its kriptic-skript glitter’d | and emboss’d the mossii dunne................its cryptic-script glittered | and emboss’d the mossy dunes.
Thanne spaek the dragon: | “Her skin is the vellom...............Then spake the dragon: | "Her skin is the vellum
of Historii’s skroll; | amber-asid the ink...............of History’s scroll; | amber-acid the ink
in ye, the ey-nib. | The nym ye thrum...............in you, the eye-nib. | The name you thrum
is the love ye drink.” | Wuld ye know yet morr?...............is the love you drink." | Would you know yet more?
“Nou wiild, little skrybe, | this twyse-nibbed quill..............."Now wield, little scribe, | this twice-nibbed quill
on yorn bryne-braen skin and | Her wonder-wuden flesh.”...............on your brine-brain skin and | Her wonder-wooden flesh."
Ond the Tsar of the Seas | squelched up the lentiselle...............And the Tsar of the Seas | squelched up the lenticels
of the wyrm-wing’d Kanopii, | in svckle-svckered treys................of the wyrm-wing’d Canopy, | in svckle-svckered trace.
Hise ring-runed wordde | in spyral-spynn’d flox...............Those ring-runed words | in spiral-spynn’d flux
erode the starrii bront | with hise blaekh-bryne whorl,...............erode the starry brunt | with his black-brine whorl,
where epokhs intermingle | in the south-poynt dosk...............where epochs intermingle | in the south-point dusk
of most-misterie’s rul: | Wuld ye know yet morr?...............of must-mystery’s rule: | Would you know yet more?
Myre-spynne rattle | their shock’d leavve in laffe...............Mire-spines rattle | their shuck’d leaves in laughs
at the gilt-stilted gliim | of hise waeve-waevered wordde................at the gilt-stilted gleam | of his wave-wavered words.
They konjugaet konshosness | in aurgone phlom’d draftte...............They conjugate consciousness | in aurgone phloem’d drafts
and sip hise mannish miin | for straenge and skaeled wardde................and sip his mannish mien | for strange and scaled wards.
Ond the eyt sukhered sak | tombled back to the mold................And the eight svckered sac | tumbled back to the mold.
“Myn wordde do not wynd | the world to myn wish;..............."My words do not wind | the world to my wish;
ond mortalitii mocks | the skript-silkke I fold,”...............and mortality mocks | the script-silks I fold,"
sorry-spaek the kottlefish: | Wuld ye know yet morr?...............sorry-spake the cuttlefish: | Would you know yet more?
The moss-mound stirred | with the wyrm-Hyrmit’s squint...............The moss-mound stirred | with the wyrm-Hermit’s squint
ond hise aperchur-eye flash’d | thru misterie-mottled skin............and his aperture-eye flashed | through mystery-mottled skin.
Thanne spaek the dragon, | “Ay, lore-bound lint;...............Then spake the dragon, | "Aye, lore-bound lint;
for love requyres lyfe | to polse from within.”...............for love requires life | to pulse from within."
Thanne piil’d the wyrm | asku the splinter’d skale...............Then peeled the wyrm | askew the splintered scale
of hise lykhen-likhed chest, | unto its haertwud hollow,...............of his lichen-licked chest, | unto its heartwood hollow,
ond the kuttlefish saeng | that knowledge, nu-born-frael................and the cuttlefish sang | that knowledge, newborn-frail.
“By sakrifishyl ultrifidy | alon dos Awe grow;..............."By sacrificial ultrifidy | alone does Awe grow;
not dead-lettre’d desynne | bot impaerfekt translaeshon................not dead-letter’d design | but imperfect translation.
Myn time-rhymme bot siid; | all else is mutaeshon................”My time-rhymes but seed; | all else is mutation."
Ond the dragon’s daggerre | gashed and rent the saeg,...............And the dragon’s daggers | gashed and rent the sage,
thrii pith-paegge pull'd: | the faet-triplet haertte...............three pith-pages pulled: | the fate-triplet heart
to the starrii trii bestow’d; | Infinitii of each Aeg................to the starry tree bestowed; | Infinity of each Age.
Thanne raeng the krox-tronk | with lurid living art;...............Then rang the crux-trunk | with lurid living art;
with textuel oergy| tattu’d in ruted runne...............with textual orgy| tattoo’d in rooted rune
and liif-splinter’d Sonne: | or both, siil’d in Love:...............and leaf-splinter’d Sun: | or both, seal’d in Love:
for Onderkliff rutte | twig-tangle and crun...............for Undercliff roots | twig-tangle and croon
with the Kanopii’s stemme | that prickle-pirse the doff................with the Canopy’s stems | that prickle-pierce the duff.
Thanne mash’d the maw | of the mossy wyrm-Hyrmit,...............Then mash’d the maw | of the mossy wyrm-Hermit,
socked doun the slit squid : | autosarkofagii incarnaet................svcked down the slit squid : | autosarcophagy incarnate.
Hise spyneless bulk slinks | round hise wud rondelet wyfe;...............His spineless bulk slinks | round his wood rondelet wife;
ond the douny-trunk thrills | ond shivers with stryfe...............and the downy-trunk thrills | and shivers with strife
as hise paper pulse pounds | hidden-Historii to lyfe................as his paper pulse pounds | hidden-History to life.
Hise twisted-tongue twiches | in whisper-tender draul:...............His twisted-tongue twitches | in whisper-tender drawl:
“All lore lives in Love | for ye, https://www.dropbox.com/s/h8y6xm8vdfobfo4/The%20Ogmismol.jpg”..............."All lore lives in Love | for you, https://www.dropbox.com/s/h8y6xm8vdfobfo4/The%20Ogmismol.jpg"
Lothe, myn clawwe | to ryfe thiiz runne...............Loathe, my claws | to rife these runes
of hermetik fynd | in taproote tyme................of hermetic find | in taproot time.
[... ... ...]...............[... ... ...]
