The Book of Jord

Stanzas

 * 1) In early days of earth's existence,/ Jord consorted with High, Just-as-High,/ and Third, each of whom was All-Father,/ Dying-One, the Prophet, Odin,/ and they filled her with his essence,/ and she became round,/ and she bore them sons.
 * 2) Now High consorted with her mountains,/ Just-as-High consorted with her valleys,/ and Third consorted with her plains,/ and thus did All-Father fill her with His essence./ He died with her to lust in the mountains,/ He died with her to lust in the valleys,/ and he died with her to lust in the plains,/ and that is why he is called Dying-One.
 * 3) And first was borne from Jord from the mountains,/ and the children were short and squat,/ but fierce of blade were they,/ and strong of arm were they./ And High said, let them be Dwarves,/ for they are short and squat./ And that is why dwarves are called First-born,/ and they are High-sons.
 * 4) And second was borne from Jord from the valleys,/ and the children were tall and pale,/ but fierce of bow were they,/ and quick of foot were they./ And Just-as-High said, let them be Elves,/ for they are pale and prone to mischief./ And that is why elves are called Second-born,/ and they are Just-as-High sons.
 * 5) And third was borne from Jord from the plains,/ and the children were unremarkable,/ and their battle was unremarkable,/ and their prowess was unremarkable./ But Third said, let them be Humans,/ for they are earthly beings still./ And that is why the humans are called Last-born,/ and they are Third-sons.
 * 6) And All-Father said,/ Behold, I see a day when all shall rest,/ and Last-born shall fight First-born,/ and Second-born shall flee./ But a High-son shall rule Third-sons,/ and Just-as-High-sons shall wed Third-sons,/ and their daugther shall be Highest,/ and she shall rule legions.
 * 7) And All-Father said,/ Behold, I see a day when Second-born shall twist,/ and it shall pervert, becoming verdant,/ and it shall hide from sight./ This is why Orcs are called Twisted Ones,/ and they are the Hidden Perversions./ But Orcs took humans for brides,/ and their sons are the Hidden Third.
 * 8) And All-Father said,/ Behold, for one of the Hidden Third shall rise,/ and he shall throw off chains of bondage,/ and he shall kill and maim and crush,/ but he shall rule great hordes,/ and he shall eat hearts./ And that is why the orcs worship the Heart-eater,/ for he is to be their salvation.
 * 9) And All-Father said,/ Behold, for Jord will bear fell ones,/ and they shall be horned, with ruddy skin,/ and they shall be innocent,/ but Third-sons shall plague them./ This is why Tieflings are called Innocent Victims,/ and they are Plagued-Ones,/ and they are Third-son-prey./ And this is why Odin is the Prophet.
 * 10) Now Odin took a lump of Jord's flesh,/ and he fashioned it into a golem,/ and into it he breathed life,/ and she was comely, and she was large./ This is why giants are called Odin-breathed./ And Odin consorted with her,/ and she bore many giants,/ but only one was comely.
 * 11) Odin said to the comely one,/ daughter of the comely one,/ you have tricked me,/ for you are comely,/ but your siblings are ugly,/ and from them you have stolen their comliness./ So he named him Loki,/ and he is known as Trickster.
 * 12) Now Loki said to himself,/ I must consort with Jord,/ for I wish to be a creator,/ for then I shall usurp Odin./ But Odin sired Loki,/ and Odin created the comely one,/ and that is why Odin is All-Father,/ and he is Creator of Creators.
 * 13) But the product of Loki's consort with Jord was vile,/ and they were wicked and devilish./ So All-Father called them Goblins, saying,/ They have wicked spirits, and they were born by a rogue./ This is why Goblins are called Vile Ones,/ and they are Wicked-Spirited./ And Loki is the Rougish Lover,/ and he is the Goblin-sire.
 * 14) And finally, Loki consorted with a Vile One./ But their offspring was horrid,/ and to look on her was death./ So she was covered up./ Her name is Hel,/ and she is the Covered-One,/ and death is to see her./ So dwarves see Hel when they die.
 * 15) Now Jord had three thanes,/ and they were First-born./ The first was wicked, and he said,/ I shall take the blood of Jord,/ and I shall make it mine./ So he cut Jord's flesh and took her blood,/ and it shimmered, and he lusted for it./ This is why gold is Jord's Blood.
 * 16) The second was likewise wicked, and he said,/ I shall take the heart of Jord,/ and I shall make it mine./ So he cut Jord's flesh and took her heart,/ and it glittered, and he lusted for it./ This is why jewels are Jord's Heart./ And that is why dwarves lust for gold,/ and that is why dwarves crave jewels.
 * 17) But the third thane was good, and sought comfort./ Digging deep into the depths,/ The third thane of Jord spake:/ So softly do I sleep/ In the earth's embrace,/ It is a death dear to dwarves,/ and rebirth and renewal run/ vibrantly through my veins./
 * 18) Let all earth's eldest, the dwarves/ be always embedded in her womb,/ and beseech her to bear us anew/ when morning mists melt away./ This is why dwarves sleep in holes,/ and this is why they dwell underground./ And that is why they are called Hole-Dwellers,/ and they are Ground-Sleepers.
 * 19) Now the third thane said,/ my brothers are wicked,/ for they crave Jord's Blood,/ and they lust for Jord's Heart./ Let me take their wives,/ that their children may not be wicked./ So he took their wives and consorted with them./ This is why the dwarves share women.
 * 20) All-Father saw the third thane,/ and he saw the many women,/ and he said,/ Let me make for them a protector,/ who shall rain down fire upon those/ who dare to hurt the First-born./ So he made Thor,/ and he gave to him Lightning and Thunder.
 * 21) Now Thor was of great rage,/ and in great anger he said,/ My rage is as the fires in the bowels of Jord,/ and my anger is as her emissions./ This is why lava is called Thor's-Rage,/ and this is why women's emissions are called Thor's-Anger,/ for just as Jord emits lava,/ so too do women emit blood.
 * 22) Now the High-sons spread across the north,/ and they settled there, taking residence./ This is why dwarves live in the North./ But as the All-Father spake,/ some day we shall fight the Third-sons,/ and some day a First-born shall rule Last-borns./ So beware, human of Rome,/ for the days of your kind are numbered.