[The following is the thirty-second of many posts–here is the first, here is the second, here is the third, here is the fourth, here is the fifth, here is the sixth, here is the seventh, here is the eighth, here is the ninth, here is the tenth, here is the eleventh, here is the twelfth, here is the thirteenth, here is the fourteenth, here is the fifteenth, here is the sixteenth, here is the seventeenth, here is the eighteenth, here is the nineteenth, here is the twentieth, here is the twenty-first, here is the twenty-second, here is the twenty-third, here is the twenty-fourth, here is the twenty-fifth, here is the twenty-sixth, here is the twenty-seventh, here is the twenty-eighth, here is the twenty-ninth, here is the thirtieth, and here is the thirty-first–about a fictitious discovery of ancient manuscripts of a religious text of narratives and magic spells. Its purpose for my readers and me is to provide a cosmology and mythography on which I am basing much, if not most, of my fiction–short stories and novels. If anyone is interested in reading this fiction, he or she can use these blog posts as references to explain the nature of the magic and universe in my fiction.]
Translator’s Introduction
This set of pithy maxims was not thought to be requiring a magical ritual, involving the use of the four elements personified by the Crims. The words were thought to be magically effective in themselves: the original language uses such musical elements as metre, alliteration, assonance, consonance, and rhyme felt sufficient to influence the feelings of those in the tribe and to deter them from using magic in aid of sinning, by curbing unhealthy emotions.
They are to be chanted repeatedly, louder and louder, and with more and more emotional intensity.
- Pride is the father of shame.
Humility is the mother of honour. - Anger is a moment of madness.
Calm keeps sanity everlasting. - Envy is admiration and hate embracing.
Its lack looks on without malevolence. - Greed never grasps enough.
Giving never gets empty-handed. - One getting fat while many starve
reverses how food should be shared. - Lust loves the flesh and hates the heart.
Lovemaking gives life, never taking. - Despair hates all the outside world,
because it hates all that’s inside.
Commentary
It’s fascinating how this ancient tribe, through these proverbs, seems to have anticipated the deadly sins of the Church.
Infinite Ocean 