Chapter 17 Literature and History

Hittite runes took shape more than 1,500 years ago, enabling narrative writing.Since then, the "Oia Creation Song", "Winter Ode", friendship, narrative poems, songs, etc. that have been passed down by singing or oral language have all been copied and preserved in writing.The way of word of mouth still exists.Many manuscripts of ancient texts can prevent the content from being too different or completely lost, but songs and history are part of children's education. They are taught by word of mouth and passed on from generation to generation through human voice. There are differences in vocabulary and pronunciation between ancient and modern languages, but rote memorization, regular reciting, and listening to classical works also preserve the meaning of the ancient language (which may help prevent the loss of language in daily speech), Hittite Runes, like Chinese characters, can contain many different pronunciations and meaning changes.

Friendship poems, narrative poems, songs, and popular ballads are still created in the form of oral performances, and most of the creators are professional singers.Popular new works were soon written on large sheets of paper, or collected in collections. Whether performed or recited silently, the value of such psalms and songs lies in their content, not their mixed literary quality.The main poetic techniques include loose meter, alliteration, fixed sentences, repeated construction, etc. The content includes myths, epics, historical narratives, geographical descriptions, natural observations, agricultural activities, marine knowledge, and handicrafts, persuasive stories and fables, Philosophy, fantasy, spiritual poetry and love songs, etc.Friendship and narrative poems are usually recited, and ballads are sung, accompanied by percussion.Professional reciters and singers may be accompanied by harps, violins, drums, and other instruments.Songs usually have less narrative content, and more are loved and preserved for their tunes.

History books, records, and magic and witchcraft are only preserved in written form, and Hittite runes and real runes are often mixed in the late period.There is usually only one copy of a lore (compilation of spells annotated by a wizard or school of wizards). One thing to keep in mind is: the words of these wisdom books should not be read aloud. The Osikors use Hittite runes to write their language, as they mainly trade with Hittite-speaking areas. The Kargs have a deep aversion to any form of writing, viewing it as witchcraft and evil.They weave yarns of different colors and weights to perform complex accounts and records; the Kargs are also experts in mathematics and use twelve digits.After the god-kings came to power, the Kargs began to use symbolic writing, and it was very rare.After some simplifications and additions, officials and businessmen adapted the Hittite runes into Karge for commercial and diplomatic purposes.But the Karg priests never learned to write, and many Kargs still draw a Hittite rune lightly for every Hittite rune they write, to cut off hidden witchcraft.

Explanation: Many islands have local ways of counting years.In the archipelago kingdom, the most widely used day counting system originated from the "Havnor Epic", and the year of Morad's succession was set as the first year in history.According to this system, the "now" here is actually the year 1058 of the Kingdom of the Archipelago. All that we know about ancient Earthsea can be found in the poems and ballads that have been passed down orally for hundreds of years, long before they were copied. The "Oia Creation Song" is the oldest and most sacred poem. It has been circulated in the Hittite language for at least two thousand years, and the original version may have existed thousands of years ago.Thirty-one verses in the poem tell how Xi Guoyi lifted up the islands in the Earth Sea at the beginning of time, named them in the language of creation, and created all things.The psalm was originally recited in the language of creation.

However, according to the song, the ocean is older than the islands. Before the Bright Oia Before Xi Guoyi built the island The wind of dawn caresses the sea And the ancient power of the earth that appeared in Roke Round Hill, Xincheng Forest, Etuan Mausoleum, Tieroneng, Pa'ou's Lip and many places may appear at the same time as the world. Xiguoyi may be the ancient force of the earth, or one of the ancient forces of the earth, or it may be a name of the earth itself.Some people think that all dragons, or specific dragons or specific people, are the incarnations of Xi Guoyi.The only thing that is certain is that the word "Xi Guoyi" is an ancient honorific name derived from the ancient He language verb "Xi Ji", which means "creating, shaping, and deliberately appearing".The noun "Yixiji" derived from the same root means "creativity, breath, poetry".

The Oia Creation Song is the foundation of education in the Archipelago.Children aged six or seven have heard the psalm, and most have begun to recite it.Any adult who cannot memorize, recite, or sing this poem with others, or who cannot teach children this poem, is considered extremely ignorant.The poem is taught in winter and spring, and is sung in its entirety every year during the Long Dance Festival to celebrate the summer solstice. A passage was quoted: but silence speaks; But darkness becomes light; But death is rebirth; The eagle soars into the void, brilliant and bright. Orphan on Earthsea quotes the beginning of the first stanza:

out of nothing, from beginning to end, Who can know? Everyone has the door to enter, But there are different ways. forever in all things, Longevity, gatekeeper, Xi Guoyi... And the last line of the first stanza: Therefore, Bright Eia rises above the waves.