Creative Writing - Myths

[Cantriped]

Ok, this was actually a Creative writing assignment for my American Lit class, but it's so fantasy themed that I had to put it here too. We had to take an old maxim like those found in "Poor Richards Almanac" and write a story that exemplified it, well here was mine. the maxim I chose became the title.

 

“Hypocrisy is the Homage that Vice Pays to Virtue”

By Kendric Jourdan

Long ago, when gods still roamed our fair earth, there existed a pair of deities known only as Virtue and Vice. They were the gods of mortals, As such were sustained by mortal belief, unlike the old gods of nature and animals who interacted with mortals only when they were forced to.

 

These deities battled upon the celestial plane of mortal minds, not with sword and spear and shield as mortals did, but with ideas and servants dedicated to their spread. However neither deity had ever met the other, they had never known anything of the other except that they existed and threatened their existence.

 

One evening however Vice happened upon Virtue bathing in a vast river. At the merest glance Vice knew who and what she was, her purity and beauty was beyond mortal comprehension, and not language designed could be fit to describe her. However she did not see the loathsome Vice, for he’d hidden himself well.

 

From then on Vice became her shadow, beyond the notice of her or her servants he followed, learning every detail of her… leaving only when the suns strongest ray’s drove him away at the Sun god’s behest… For though Virtue knew nothing of Vice’s attentions, many of the old gods knew of it and worked against Vice. Each time he was driven away Vice became more determined, and as his knowledge of her deepened he came unintentionally to love her.

 

In anger at this blasphemy the old gods had warned Virtue that Vice was always close at hand… but she did not believe this could be so.

 

During all of this the world had grown more peaceful, for in his distraction Vice had neglected his lieutenants, leaving them to spread their vices on their own. Needless to say it seemed sloth was a vice they all shared without the whip of their master to drive them foreword.

 

Finally Vice realized that however great her virtue, and regardless of the breadth of his love, they could never be together. But in the entirety of a generation, Vice had never seen Virtue linger with another, and even in a crowd she seemed alone.

 

Deciding the end this Vice left her for a time, and in his dark home crafted a new son. A new lieutenant that embodied all Vice knew of Virtue. His sons beauty was equally beyond mortal understand, though even Vice knew it paled before Virtues. The creation took nearly as long as Vice’s knowledge of Virtue had taken to gather, and even when it was finished it was a generation more before his son awoke.

 

When Vice’s angelic son awoke, Vice taught him all the knowledge of the world possessed by the gods, and of everything he knew.

“Why have I no name by which I am known?” The Angel asked on day, after having learned of everything in this world.

 

Vice thought long upon this, but he could think of no name to give his son, knowing nothing of goodness but what he learned in watching Virtue. Finally he told his child that by Virtue’s love alone could he earn his name.

 

In the days that followed Vice resumed his haunting of Virtue, though now he no longer neglected his lieutenants, so the world again began to darken. Meanwhile, the angel sought out Virtue’s servants and from them learned of their purpose. Devising a plan the angel assembled a great army of men with the purpose of battling the growing darkness of the world, beguiled Virtue’s lieutenants into aiding him in his crusade.

 

For decades the crusade raged on, the angel and his armies slew any with even the barest hint of “Evil”, all in the name of Virtue. Finally there was no one left to fight, the land lay gutted with war and the peoples of man all but gone. Virtues lieutenants had all long since died, not of battle but of guilt over the things they had done, never realizing the Angel ha beguiled them all.

 

In victory the angel sought out Virtue, still garbed in the blood-stained accoutrements of his war. When finally he had found her upon the steps of a gutted ruinous temple he told of all he had done in her name, and out of love for her and her purpose.

 

Even Vice was horrified by the descriptions, the death his creation had caused, at the betrayal Inherent in spreading death in the name of virtue. In his horror Virtue had noticed Vice was there for the first time. She realized that what the old gods had told her was true.

 

“Have you no name?” She finally asked, long after the angel’s voice had faltered, her own betraying a hint of sadness.

 

The angel stood frozen for a moment, but finally he shook his head in answer, not wanting to speak of what Vice had told him long ago.

 

Seeing this Virtue said, “then Hypocrisy I name you – the homage Vice has paid to Virtue.”

[Lucius]

Re: Creative Writing - Myths

 

I read it aloud to Brianca, and she seems to like it.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary is mulling it over.

[Robyn]

Re: Creative Writing - Myths

 

I read it aloud to Brianca' date=' and she seems to like it.[/quote']

 

Is she sticking her butt in the air again? That's what you get for petting her.

 

G-d save Douglas Adams.

 

__________________

What?

[Erkenfresh]

Re: Creative Writing - Myths

 

That's a nice story.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Creative Writing - Myths

 

 

 

Is she sticking her butt in the air again? That's what you get for petting her.

 

G-d save Douglas Adams.

 

__________________

What?

 

Hey. Asking G-d to save Douglas Adams is MY line. And when did you get all Jewish on me? The hyphenation of G-d is something I was only introduced too when Ilene did it in an email one day.

[Cantriped]

Re: Creative Writing - Myths

 

Thanks all for the comments, random and in praise

[Robyn]

Re: Creative Writing - Myths

 

Hey. Asking G-d to save Douglas Adams is MY line.

 

Exactly. I figured that had to get either you into this thread or Lucius back into it, and maybe even both

 

And when did you get all Jewish on me?

 

Only the Jewish wish for Douglas Adams to be saved?

 

The hyphenation of G-d is something I was only introduced too when Ilene did it in an email one day.

 

I was introduced to it when you did it

[Lucius]

Re: Creative Writing - Myths

 

Thanks all for the comments' date=' random and in praise [/quote']

 

The one thing I'm not sure I like is the title.

 

If you had a different title, your reader would be asking "So what IS the name of the son of Vice?" rather than already knowing what the name will be. Then the last line would come as something of a revelation, assuming you hadn't already figured it out.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Buying Power Defense against Transfer Palindromedary

[kjamma4]

Re: Creative Writing - Myths

 

Hey. Asking G-d to save Douglas Adams is MY line. And when did you get all Jewish on me? The hyphenation of G-d is something I was only introduced too when Ilene did it in an email one day.

 

Sorry to hijack the thread but I'm not following the hyphenation thing. Can you explain?

[Robyn]

Grave-to-grave missionaries: have YOU been saved yet?

 

Sorry to hijack the thread but I'm not following the hyphenation thing. Can you explain?

 

Some incarnations of Judaism taught the worship of He Who Must Not Be Named, an evil overlord who . . . wait. No. Strike that last part.

 

They believed that the name of their deity should not be written down lest it be desecrated (see Deuteronomy 12-3) - nor, in some cases, even spoken aloud, and that offenders would be banned from the afterlife and then summarily executed

 

Makes for a really good "Christian missionaries as evil priests" scenario:

 

"Speak With Dead!"

"Why . . . have . . . you . . . summoned . . . me?"

"Are you satisfied with your current afterlife?"

(pause) "What?"

"As a soulless heathen, your normal fate would be Hell, but our Deity has a very nice forgiveness package."

(disbelief) "You . . . want . . . me . . . to . . . convert?"

"And, if you join right now, our recent Eastern merger can give you excellent options on reincarnation!"

(exhaustion) "Let . . . me . . . rest . . . mortal."

"If you choose not to take advantage of our offer at this time, it may be weeks before our next agent can arrange another meeting!"

(anger) "Why . . . do . . . you . . . torment . . . me?"

"Don't let life pass you by! Seize it by the throat, and - GLACK!" (priest chokes from ethereal hands around neck)

 

Hmm. On second thought, maybe not much of a scenario there

[Lucius]

Re: Creative Writing - Myths

 

Sorry to hijack the thread but I'm not following the hyphenation thing. Can you explain?

 

Among some people (generally Jews) there is a taboo against spelling out the word. To use The Name is forbidden, and while this is not "THE" Name, it is "A" Name.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Wisely leaving the palindromedary out of it for once.

[kjamma4]

Re: Creative Writing - Myths

 

Among some people (generally Jews) there is a taboo against spelling out the word. To use The Name is forbidden, and while this is not "THE" Name, it is "A" Name.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Wisely leaving the palindromedary out of it for once.

 

I thought that the taboo was not against spelling per se but in writing it down because, as Robyn posted, there would be a chance that the physical spelling could be desecrated/destroyed. I thought I had seen years ago there was some sort of council/consensus that electronic spelling did not constitute a "real thing" hence desecration/destruction was impossible.

 

P.S. Found this. I guess with anything religious, there is rarely consensus

 

http://www.schechter.edu/askrabbi/judaism_deletename.htm

[Robyn]

Re: Creative Writing - Myths

 

I thought I had seen years ago

 

As a side note, the practice of condemning those who spoke That Name arose sometime between 200 and 500 A.D., and I think they stopped encouraging it a long time ago

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: Grave-to-grave missionaries: have YOU been saved yet?

 

Makes for a really good "Christian missionaries as evil priests" scenario:

 

"Speak With Dead!"

"Why . . . have . . . you . . . summoned . . . me?"

"Are you satisfied with your current afterlife?"

(pause) "What?"

"As a soulless heathen, your normal fate would be Hell, but our Deity has a very nice forgiveness package."

(disbelief) "You . . . want . . . me . . . to . . . convert?"

"And, if you join right now, our recent Eastern merger can give you excellent options on reincarnation!"

(exhaustion) "Let . . . me . . . rest . . . mortal."

"If you choose not to take advantage of our offer at this time, it may be weeks before our next agent can arrange another meeting!"

(anger) "Why . . . do . . . you . . . torment . . . me?"

"Don't let life pass you by! Seize it by the throat, and - GLACK!" (priest chokes from ethereal hands around neck)

 

Hmm. On second thought, maybe not much of a scenario there

 

ROFLOL!!! That was freaking hilarious

 

QM

[Robyn]

Re: Grave-to-grave missionaries: have YOU been saved yet?

 

ROFLOL!!! That was freaking hilarious

 

Thanks! Glad you liked it.

 

I've refined some of it since then, PM me if you're interested in the "perfected" version

[Lucius]

Re: Grave-to-grave missionaries: have YOU been saved yet?

 

Thanks! Glad you liked it.

 

I've refined some of it since then, PM me if you're interested in the "perfected" version

 

AWW, Why not post it here?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Summon Palindromedary

[Robyn]

Re: Grave-to-grave missionaries: have YOU been saved yet?

 

AWW' date=' Why not post it here?[/quote']

 

It was only a few minor tweaks, and I'd already hijacked katal3's thread as it was.

 

That said, I do have a way to keep it brief

 

 

Grave-to-grave missionaries: have YOU been saved?

 

This change provided alliteration with "grave".

 

"Speak With Dead!"

"Why . . . have . . . you . . . summoned . . . me?"

"Are you satisfied with your current afterlife?"

(pause) "What?"

"As a soulless heathen, you would normally be condemned to an eternity in Hell, but my Deity has an extremely generous forgiveness package."

(disbelief) "You . . . want . . . me . . . to . . . convert?"

"And, if you join right now, our recently acquired Eastern branch can offer you some very nice options on reincarnation!"

(exhaustion) "Let . . . me . . . rest . . . mortal."

"If you choose not to accept our faith at this time, it may be weeks before our next agent can arrange another meeting!"

(anger) "Why . . . do . . . you . . . torment . . . me?"

"Don't let life pass you by! Seize it by the throat, and - URK!" (priest chokes from ethereal hands around neck)

 

I'm torn between "condemned" and "fated". The new usage has a harsher tone to it, while "fated" is more along the lines of "destiny"; the soulless heathen, due to pronouncing the name of their Deity, has the metaphysical purpose of burning in Hell for all time.

 

 

 

[Cantriped]

Re: Creative Writing - Myths

 

Wow... lots of comments since last I had a chance to check the boards. Well as for the name I realize it takes the "flare" out of it as a story, but that part wasn't my choice for the exercise. the assignment was to take an old maxim and write a story that exemplified it, the maxim of course would become the title.

Anyway I'll have the edtied version up momentarially, the version up previously was the rough draft.

[Cantriped]

Re: Creative Writing - Myths

 

By Kendric Jourdan

Long ago, when gods still roamed our fair earth, there existed a pair of deities known only as Virtue and Vice. They were the gods of mortals, and as such were sustained by mortal belief, unlike the old gods of nature and animals who interacted with mortals only when they were forced to.

 

These deities battled upon the celestial plane of mortal minds, not with sword and spear and shield as mortals did. Rather, these deities battled through influence over mortal beings. Neither deity had met the other, nor did either know anything of the other except that it existed and threatened their existence.

 

One evening however this changed when Vice happened upon Virtue bathing in a vast river. At the merest glance Vice knew who and what she was, her purity and beauty was beyond mortal comprehension or compare. No language known to man or god was fit to describe her. However she did not see the loathsome and terrible Vice, for he’d hidden himself well.

 

From then on Vice became her shadow, beyond the notice of her or her servants he followed, learning every detail of her… leaving only when the sheer strength of the elements drove him away… For though Virtue knew nothing of Vice’s attentions, many of the old gods knew of it, and in anger of his blasphemes activities worked against Vice.

 

Each time he was driven away Vice became more determined, and his knowledge of her deepened until, quite unintentionally, he came to love her in his own twisted way.

 

In anger at this blasphemy the old gods had warned Virtue that Vice was always close at hand… but she did not believe this could be so.

 

During this time the world grew to be more peaceful, for in Vice’s distraction he had neglected the servants he’d created to spread weakness throughout the world. Sloth is seemed was a vice they all shared, without the whip of their master to drive them foreword.

 

Finally, after a generation of watching, Vice realized that no matter great and caring Virtue’s heart might be, She would never be able to love him. Like her, he was indescribable in his character, but in a far different way.

 

What Vice did learn to his advantage and sadness however, was that Virtue was, despite her perfection, completely alone. None truly loved her as Vice thought he did, because none were truly her equal but him, in an entirely different sense of course, but the point held in his mind.

 

Finally Vice decided to end Virtue’s loneliness. For a time he abandoned watching her, returning to his dark citadel to craft a son who would be as perfect as she. His son’s beauty was equally beyond mortal understanding, and nearly equal to Virtue herself. Vice poured all he knew of virtue into his new son

 

When Vice’s angelic son awoke, Vice taught him all the knowledge of the world possessed by the gods, and of everything he knew. But what Vice did not learn in return was that though his son was angelic in appearance and manner, at his core he was as twisted of character as his father ever was.

“Why have I no name by which I am known?” The angelic child asked one day, long after he’d grown into adulthood.

 

Vice thought long upon this, but he could think of no name to give his son, knowing nothing of goodness but what he learned in watching Virtue. Finally he told his child that by Virtue’s love alone could he earn his name.

 

In the days that followed Vice resumed his haunting of Virtue, though now he no longer neglected his servants, so the world again began to darken.

 

Meanwhile, the angel sought out Virtue, and learned from her what she would tell, giving little of himself but the fervor he felt around her. From Virtue’s aides the angel learned the idea of acting in the name of another.

 

Devising a plan the angel assembled a great army of men with the purpose of battling the growing darkness of the world. He beguiled Virtue’s aides into joining him in his crusade, claiming that it was the only way to forever defeat the Servants of Vice.

 

For decades the crusade raged on, the angel and his armies slew any with even the barest hint of “Evil” or weakness. All of this they did in the name of Virtue.

 

Finally there was no one left to fight, the land lay gutted from war and the peoples of man all but gone. Virtue’s aides had all long since died, not of battle, but of guilt over the things they had done, never realizing the angel had beguiled them all.

 

In victory the angel sought out Virtue, still garbed in the blood-stained accoutrements of his war. He found her upon the steps of a gutted, ruined temple, and told her of all he had done in her name. All of it out of love for her and her purpose.

 

Even Vice was horrified by the detail of the descriptions, the death his creation had caused, at the betrayal inherent in spreading death in the name of virtue and the corruption he had never seen in his creation. In his horror Virtue had noticed Vice was there for the first time. She realized that what the old gods had told her was true.

 

“Have you no name?” She finally asked, long after the angel’s voice had faltered, her own betraying a hint of sadness.

 

The angel stood frozen for a moment, but finally he shook his head in answer, not wanting to speak of what Vice had told him long ago.

Seeing this Virtue said, “then Hypocrisy I name you – the homage Vice has paid to Virtue.”

 

Ever after did Hypocrisy remain in this world, the appearance of Virtue, corrupted at it’s core by vice.