The Song of Oruhua

Overview

From the beginning of history, the living have nurtured a love for mysteries deep inside their hearts. Be it the curiosity of cats, the wonder of children or the pensive nature of the elves - all the beings of this world have an intrinsic wish to explore and learn the unknowable. What is interesting, however, is how stories and myths spread and take root inside people's minds - despite the limitless creative power of the mind, the same patterns appear, time and time again. In this paper, I aim to present my study on a common myth spread all across the Shoreline, that is the myth about a song coming from the ocean's depths - the "Song of Oruhua".

Common Features

The "Song of Oruhua" is myth about a cursed song that echoes throughout the night, luring the sailors to an untimely demise (or making them vanish, depending on the region the origin of the name "Oruhua" is either lost to time or hidden in an undiscovered culture. There are many versions of this legend, yet most of them agree that the source of the haunting sound is an otherworldly being, a monster that preys on those who work on ships and fishing boats until the night falls. The creature will sing its song from its underwater layer, and whoever hears the reverbrations caused by the notes will be miraculously hexed, causing them to jump overboard and into the waves on the ocean, sinking down in search for the mysterious singer.

Common Themes

• The unknowable abyss: this myth explores the relationship people have with the unknowable, using the depths of the ocean to reflect the dark expanse that stretches beyond what we physically/metaphorically "see". Thus, the matter is elevated in the eyes of the fearful and its many inhabitants receive monstruos characteristics - literally threatening to eat alive the foolish and the brave. The ocean can also represent the depths of the mind, ilustrating that the worst monsters will always live inside our own imaginations and that losing yourself to the illusions of your own mind is akin to death.
• The folk against destiny: there is a special connection to be made between the hunter and the hunted, the creature and its pray, that being us, or more specifically fishermen and sailors. Their uninteresting descriptions let each one of us insert ourselves into the story, allowing us to imagine the dangers of exploring uncharted waters at the risk of our own lives.
• The element of water: water carries many symbolic values across all the cultures and subcultures of the Meridian. Its first and foremost association is with life itself, as water is a building block of life - all animals and folks need water in order to survive, from dog to dwarf, from sparrow to kirfolk. The ocean exists in this case as a keeper of life, hiding the rejected creations of nature underneath the surface. Water can also symbolize emotions in some cultures - that would correlate the act of drowning with the idea of "drowning in your emotions" or succumbing to one's own turmoil. We each live our lives, earning our living through work while being cautious of the depths of our hearts, of the darkness lurking inside ourselves.
• The brave and the foolish: to work under the threat of imminent death is a complete disregard for one's safety - such actions could only be the result of foolishness (the act of disregarding danger) or bravery (the act of accepting the danger, as well as the consequences of facing said danger). This myth would advise against both of them, instead suggesting cowardice as a better variant: sometimes, to succumb to one's fears can make the difference between life and death. It could also be seen as an attempt to discourage acts of heroism and self-centrism, as all brave or stupid enough to think themselves heroes will face a gruesome death.
• The captivating song: the element that brings sailors to their demise is the haunting song of the monster. Since the sound is said to come from under the ocean, one can argue the musical qualities should be lost by the time it reaches the surface of the water. This might suggest the idea of chasing illusions or fake objectives is a dangerous pursuit, with many blinded by the lies ready to throw away their lives, hoping to receive their reward.

Variations of the Myth

As stated previously, the myth suffered changes as it spread along the Shoreline of the Continent, each culture introducing changes based on local geography, ideology, religion and so on. One thing that always differs is the actual nature of the monsters; while the whalehunter villages on the west coast of the Continent fear the great kraken lurking beneath their ships, the people of the Hija'ya Coast believe that beautiful half-fish women lure the unsuspecting sailors to their doom, charming them with promises rather than through simple song. In some rare cases, the being is subject to veneration from the people, raising its status to that of a god - the reasons behind such an alignment are open to speculation, my personal theory being that they willingly sacrifice their free will and offer their futures to their monster-god in order to escape the burden that is the fear of unknown.

The Myth's Importance

All myths serve a crucial role in unveiling the mysteries of the world. As a community develops and forms its own culture, the sum of all worldviews belonging to its members converges towards what might be called "common vision". This "common vision" holds all accepted truths of said community, serving as an metaphysical book that holds answers to their questions. By doing this, the common folk is not preoccupied with further inquiry, being free to work in order to provide resources and security for them and their family/community.

Myths can also be vehicles for imparting values and teachings through an easily-digestible form: stories. Children thus have an interactive way of learning about their world, and parents can make sure their offspring do not violate the rules of the community; a mutually beneficial exchange, although one that may suppress future tendencies to learn and explore, giving birth to cultures based solely on tradition and that leave no room for inquiry.

At a base level, it can be said that the "Song of Oruhua" is a good way to teach the young about the dangers of sailing during nighttime, especially if the children will grow to be sailors (which is most likely the case for villages and towns along the Shoreline).