The Gift of Sound and Music

Origins

The Gift of Sound and Music

To tell you how sound and music was given to mankind, I must first tell you how humanity began...

Long ago, when the planet was first created and after the sky, land and sea had been separated; the gods and goddesses of the world wanted something more. "How about a day and night?" One god suggested. "How about living creatures?" Asked another. Both ideas were thought over and used, thus creating a day and night cycle and creatures of every size, shape and color to roam the planet-whether it was in the sky, on the land or swimming in the sea. The task took a total of six days and once completed, the gods and goddesses looked down at their work and were very pleased with themselves. Later that night, they all had a feast of ambrosia (drink of the gods) and food prepared from the best resources they could find.

After a while, the gods and goddesses grew weary and later, they retired to their respective homes: some north of the planet, where the wind was cold as ice; some went south to the warm and more dry areas such as a desert could be found; while others traveled west to be the first to see the sun rise and those that traveled east would enjoy the sun for a longer period of time before it too, would cycle back to the west then east again. In the end, only one god and one goddess remained. The god, a man with graying hair and wrinkles; the goddess, a woman with burgundy curls and a youthful appearance. Both didn't have names, but later on, they would be given names by the mortals that would be created....

The god tired after using some of his power to help bring about night and day, plus the creatures; bade his wife good-night and went to sleep upon some cirrus clouds. The wife, however, wasn't tired at all and while her husband slept, she became saddened. The goddess thought of how all the other gods and goddesses had contributed to the newly formed planet and how she didn't. It wasn't that she couldn't, but the goddess wanted something else, something besides a day and night cycle and a whole bunch of animals. She wanted something that was more like her...

After hours of thinking, the goddess came up with an idea. What if I make children from the soil of the planet? She thought, before checking to make sure her husband was asleep and then descending to the planet beneath her home. The goddess's feet first touched the soft ground and she jumped with excitement. Maybe I'll also name this planet as well....hmm...how about Earth? She thought, before bending over the ground and with her hands scooped out soil and mud. Thinking of her husband, the goddess first formed a man: he was muscular and tall. Then thinking of herself, she created a woman: she ended up being lean and short. Pleased with herself, the goddess began working on the "insides" of her creations.

As the goddess worked, hours had passed and the husband-who was in a deep sleep-woke up to find that his wife wasn't beside him. Worried, he searched the north, south, east and western domains of the gods and goddesses, but his wife was nowhere to be found. Once after returning home, the god sat on a cloud and tried to figure out where his wife was. It wasn't until daybreak though, when it literally dawned on him. His wife was on the newly formed planet. Curious to see what she was up to, the god descended as well.

After traveling miles upon miles, the god finally found his wife. She was making something from the ground of the planet. Striding up to her, the god says, "What are you doing dear wife?" "I am making a man and woman." She exclaimed. "A man and woman? Why would you make those?" He asks in response. "Because I can't have children, but by using this earth, I can create children in my image." His wife replied. The god became angry. He knew his wife couldn't bear him any children and whenever she brought up the word "children" it made him hurt on the inside. "Dear, we don't need any children. I've already given us day and night, not to mention the animals. Why not have a pet instead of a child?" "Because dear husband, they are not the same." She said, still molding and re-shaping something that looked like a heart. After some more pieces of earth were placed inside the "man" and "woman", the goddess then leaned over and kissed both of her children on the lips-breathing life into them. At first, the god didn't know what his wife was doing, but as soon as the "man" and "woman" started moving, the god glared at his wife. "YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO CREATE BEINGS LIKE US!!!" He shouted, causing the mountains and the ground to shake. "THEY CAN NEVER BE GODS LIKE US!!!" Angry, he grabbed his wife before she could finish her work. "No-o-o, I have to give them hearing and a vo-i--." But she was cut off as the god took his wife back to their home. There, he then put barriers around their domain. "NO MORE INVENTIONS FROM YOU!!!" He shouted, before storming off to another cirrus cloud to cool down. The goddess cried and cursed her husband, but at least she was able to keep an eye on her children and that alone made her happy...