Sept 2nd, 2020
Everything starts somewhere, everything has a beginning. There are some rather esoteric exceptions to this, but we are going to avoid touchy subjects like science and religion and instead focus on the fictional worlds we create. These worlds always have both a beginning and an end even if we, the consumers of these tales, never get to hear of these timeline bookends.
Some are obsequious; there was not, then there was and it sure was something. Some are remarkably specific; there was a thing, maybe, and then that thing did a thing, probably, and then everything else happened too. Regardless of which type of creation your world has, it started somewhere, because it did not exist before you thought it up. A little meta-esotericism for you in the morning, I'll wait for you to grab some coffee.
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Alright, so the creation of your world may not be a number one on your list of things to figure out, but it can be a very defining moment. Both in your fictional world and in our real one. But that begs the question: what kind of creation did your world have?
Let's define the term creation a little bit here to really zero in on what I'm talking about:
Creation in terms of world building has nothing to do with your first thought of or the first thing you wrote down (ok it might but stop being difficult and follow along please) it deals with when your world first came to be. Whether it was a burst of energy flashing the universe into existence or if it was a divinely inspired creation, there is a point at which your world sprang into being.
Forgotten Realms as an example, a truly prolific world with hundreds of stories set in it, began with these words:
"Out of timeless nothingness, there rose dark and indistinct mists, foreshadowing of what was to come, an idea of existence, guided by a will we dare name Ao, the Hidden One. With Time, the mists began to change. Out of the idea, form came to be." (footnote #1) This is a great example of the Godly Creation Myth. And for our purposes this is not actually a myth, this is canonically what happened in this world. And so, The Forgotten Realms came to be.
Another great creation myth is from Watership Down, a great story if you've never heard of it. Also, its about rabbits, badass rabbits. Frith is a sun-god that created all things and after the First Rabbit, El-hrairah, began eating everything, Frith made other animals eat rabbits. There is a lot more to it than that obviously, but it is an interesting beginning. Watership Down is an old story but there was a recent animated adaptation on Netflix with a fantastic visual creation myth at the beginning. Search for Watership Down if you are interested. (footnote #2)
Terry Pratchett's Discworld books also have an interesting creation myth, but I will not describe that here as just the search for the answer was hilarious and enjoyable. I would rather not deprive you all of that; just start by Googling "Discworld Creation Myth."
Examples of creation stories are everywhere in both the real and fantasy worlds. Do some research yourself and see what speaks to you. Or better still, keep reading and see if I can spark any ideas for you. If there is enough interest eventually, I will release my creation myth for Arcaylia as an actual story. I'm already writing it so even if you aren't interested, it may still be on here eventually. That's the benefit of running my own show I suppose.
Ok enough rambling again, let's see if we can inspire some creation myths for your worlds.
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The Catalyst and The Effect
Almost always there is a reference to what existed "before". Often this is a vague sort of "from the darkness" or "from chaos" sort of line. This does not necessarily have to be the case, but it is common enough that people won't think too much about it after you move on. This previous "stuff" can be considered the catalyst.
The catalyst can also be likened to a seed of some sort. There was a "this tiny thing" that existed in "aforementioned darkness and whatnot" until "the instigator" did a thing.
The effect is almost always "and now the world exists, and history begins."
The caveat here is that it must make at least a "certain" kind of sense. In the forge-god example below, it might not make much sense for that to be a particularly peaceful world as most people would associate that god's actions as violent. So, it stands to reason that could be a high warfare sort of world. If the creation myth involves a lot of water, the standard connection is emotion. Little easily identifiable bits of logic can help make the reader get on board with your creation story.
See if you can identify the catalyst and the effect in the following examples:
Example 1 -> Simple Cause and Effect
There existed only the Eversea. Waters still and unmoving until there came the seed that fell. And fall it did into the Eversea, sending out the first waves. The endless movement that exists even now. And when the seed touched the waters it grew roots. The roots reached down beyond the sea and found the first soil. From that soil came land and from that land came all that was to be above the waves.
Catalyst -> Seed falling into the Eversea
Effect -> Motion (waves) and Land are created
World Idea -> A naval inspired world where land is rare but bountiful. Heavy on the Aquatic Cultures and Light on land-based everything.
Example 2 -> Simple Cause and Effect with a Twist
Before all else there existed the colours. Amorphous pools of blue and yellow and red and all colours between them. The pools of colour were still for ages until there came a tremor. The tremor disturbed the pools along their edges where they met. And from these tremors came more and more colours. As the colours themselves began to coalesce and expand across the pools, the pools themselves were consumed and never again cold be as pure as they once were. For their purity would now destroy the other colours that had burst to life.
New colours created new diversity in form. From the colours came shapes. From the shapes came movement and from movement came intent. From that intent became will and it was this will that became the First Gods, the Ancient Painters destined to create our world.
Catalyst -> The tremor that shook the pools.
Effect -> A blending of colours to create new colours and then shapes etc.
World Idea -> Art is magic. Mages cast magic through dance and colourful flashy displays. An enemy of grey blandness seeks to destroy all colour.
Example 3 -> Cause and Effect... And Effect
The Great God of The Forge, Kellekir, swung his mighty hammer and struck the anvil of worlds a mighty blow. The shape upon which he laboured was at once formed and unformed in his everlasting toil. It was a blow that sent the spark of our world falling beyond the anvil's edge, a pale flickering ember of what could be but also a flaring tribute to what now was and what would one day be.
Catalyst -> 1) The striking of the hammer and 2) the creation of the spark.
Effect -> The creation of the spark and 2) the spark leaving the anvil.
World Idea -> A world forged in fire. Perhaps created directly by a deity, but a world of iron and steel. Dirt and food are rare, dwarves really do eat stones and inorganic materials. Maybe sentient golems exist as caretakers of this Iron World.
Example 4 -> Stringy Logic
There came a wind from beyond the void, a movement from beyond movement that brought with it smells and sounds in its wake. These sensations brought something alive in the void. A creature beyond ken, beyond mortal understanding that did not yet know its power, nor its own intent.
But the creature roused itself to waking and breathed deeply of the newfound smells and grew hungry. The sounds told it something was near though not what it was. The creature hungered mindlessly and lashed out, sending cracks in the void through which light began to drift. The light illuminated a deer that quickly fell before the creature’s mindless hunger. The spray of blood and shards of bone fell across the void, seeding in death the life that once flowed through the deer. The creature clawed at the void itself and passed beyond its clutches into the light beyond, leaving the void changed irrevocably and with life welling up wherever the blood and bone settled.
Catalyst -> 1) A distant wind, 2) the death of the deer, and 3) the destruction of the void.
Effect -> 1) The creature awakes, 2) blood and bone seed life in the void, and 3) the light comes in and changes the void.
World Idea -> I would make this world complex, probably quite low tech and natural, very druidic. A kind of cycle of life, strongest survive sort of situation.
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Well... That was my poor attempt at giving some examples and shedding some light on the whole "let there be light" thing. Hopefully, it helps at least a little bit.
If anyone wants to use any of those ideas, feel free. If you hit it big with your idea just remember me for giving the idea, that’s all I ask.
Eric
As always, here are some things to click for more reading:
Footnote #1
Footnote #2
Research Links
Note: After publishing this article I realized that Eversea is the title of a book series by Natasha Boyd. When writing I was trying to illustrate a concept and did not research the name Eversea at all. The creation myth I created has zero resemblance to the story by Natasha Boyd but just in case you are interested and for the sake of honesty and whatnot, here is the link to the Goodreads page for her book(s): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17793815-eversea