Lore & Chronicles

Tale by Lutrykin - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2606 (2019-12-29)

Caprysmas

Once upon a time there was a capryni who was born on Atysmas Day. His parents named him Caprysmas.
It seemed like he had been blessed at birth by the gifts of Father Atysmas and all the fairies.
He was handsome, strong, tough, skilled with his horn and hooves and so brave that he was a pillar of the herd that lived near Avalae.
Yet he was not loved, for he was very proud of all his advantages.
He had only one friend, a capryni so kind that the whole herd adored him.
This friend admired Caprysmas, who, in return, knew how to be charming and give lots of wise advice.
With all the others, Caprymas was haughty and heartless.
He was particularly hard on a small Capryni, very weak but whose greatest defect, in Caprysmas' eyes, was to be quick-witted and the habit of defending himself with derision.
One day, landed in the herd, a capryni with the halo of belonging to an Yrkanis herd.
Of course, this frisky and very coquettish young capryni quickly became the darling of the herd, triggering the hostility of Caprysmas.
Unbeknownst to all, he left for Yrkanis and learned that his rival had been expelled from there for having endangered the whole herd by fleeing one day when he was supposed to stand guard.
Back at Avalae, Caprysmas was determined to have the newcomer sent away without revealing his secret, preferring to keep it for himself to have a hold on his rival.
But, the little capryni with the sharp tongue had fallen under the spell of the newcomer and he managed to avoid him being banished definitively although he was relegated to a very subordinate position.
Soon some great news arrived: Father Atysmas was looking for runners to complete the team of his sleigh.
Caprysmas left, in all confidence, to see Father Atysmas: he was convinced that the position of head of the team was his, that it was only waiting for him.
Words can hardly describe the rage that seized him when Father Atysmas refused his declaration, showing him how much his over proud attitude made him commit villainies.
Refusing to listen further, he took refuge in the company of his only friend and attempt to forget Atysmas' sleigh.
But, wasted effort, the whole herd was in turmoil: Father Atysmas was organizing a great race between Yrkanis and Fairhaven to find the members of his team.
Time then was dedicated only to preparation and training , each one trying to give the best of himself for this great feast.
Stubborn in his refusal, Caprysmas first tried to prevent his friend from joining the others but he thought back to Father Atysmas reproaches and, with a heavy heart, let him participate, both envious and happy to see him so joyful.
The great day arrived. All the runners of Atys were gathered in front of Yrkanis, ready to set off.
At the last moment, Caprysmas decided to take the start and when the signal was given, he jumped like the others.
But he was the only one who was totally out of practice and he found himself very quickly towards the end of the pack.
Humiliated, he was about to give up when he saw his friend come back to him with some members of the herd who came to encourage him.
This kindness gave him back his heart and little by little, he regained the lost ground because despite all his flaws, he remained a champion among the caprynis.
In view of the Maze of Sprite, he had reached the head of the race.
It was then that he saw his rival trying to cheat by taking a shortcut, dragging the little one with the sharp tongue after him.
Although he knew the corner was full of dangerous cuttlers, Caprysmas, listening only to his courage, set off in pursuit.
At a bend in the road, he had to face the fact: the rival had used the little one as a shield and had cowardly abandoned him facing the cuttlers.
Caprysmas plunged into the fray, skewering the cuttlers and pushing them away with his powerful hind hooves.
The little capryni refused to run away and remained at his side in an epic but unequal and doomed battle…
It would hadn't it been for the friend of all, who, having gathered the whole herd, came to Caprysmas' aid.
United in battle, the caprynis arrived in Fairhaven, exhausted but proud of themselves.

It was a mektoub who won the race, but Father Atysmas, who had seen everything, gave a place in the team to Caprysmas who made do with that place and, when he returned to his herd, everyone celebrated him.

And his rival, you will say to me? I'm afraid he ended up in the stomach of a torbak, but that's not to say in an Atysmas tale.

Tale told by Lutrykin - Atysmas Storytelling Assembly in Jena Year 2606 (2019-12-29)
Initially written by Napseis and told during 2011 Atysmas.

The trees of Atysmas

Tonight I'm going to tell you the adventure - the true story! - of four homins.
Our group of friends is composed by a Tryker, a Matis, a Fyros and a Zoraï, all gathered together to celebrate Atysmas in peace.
Having decided to celebrate in Verdant Heights, our four companions met up in Yrkanis and decided to go and enjoy the show that the snowy forest would offer them.
The forest surrounds them, white and pure in its cocoon of snow.
Mischievous as usual, the Tryker plays about in the snow.
Realizing that he is far from his companions, he decides to hide fireworks in a fir tree to surprise his friends.
And what a surprise!
The tree stood there, majestic and illuminated! In front of so much beauty, they said to themselves that they absolutely had to let other homins enjoy it.
How they would like to admire these enchantments, every evening, in the quiet of their home, smoking good moss perfumed with sap of enola!
Without delay, our friends start thinking. The Fyros offers them, directly, to cut down the tree and bring it back.
The Matis tells them that he will know how to preserve the beautiful plant, although he thinks the process is a bit brutal.
Finally, the Zoraï tells them that he will know how to enchant the tree so that it never stops shining.
Back in the city, the children hurry around the strange procession, delighted and overexcited. It's beautiful, it's big, and it shines!
Moved by the delighted shouts of their children, the parents decide to ask the homins to share their find.
And so it is that, from now on, in each home at Atysmas, a beautiful illuminated fir tree is to be found, symbolizing the union of the sparkling Trykers, the cunning Matis, the wise Zoraï and the industrious Fyros.

The Great Library also preserves four tales heard at an earlier Atysmas vigil (for the moment only in their French version):

• Conte du Noël gourmand (Tale of the Greedy Christmas)
• L'Esprit de Noël (The Spirit of Christmas)
• La légende du Labyrinthe des Lutins (The Legend of the Maze of Sprite)
• Un chant d'Atysoël (A Song of Atysmas)

Frido the Frippo
Near a meadow where mektoubs and raspal were grazing, there was an old root thicket. In this thicket, near a barn and granary, there lived a family of talkative frippos. But the homins had moved on, barn and granary were empty. And as it turned to become winter soonish, the frippos started to gather grains and nuts and jubula and staw. All frippos laboured day and night. All, but the frippo Frido. ``Frido, why don't you work?'' they asked. ``I am working'' replied Frido, ``I'm collecting sun rays for the cold and dark winter days''. And as they saw Frido sitting there, gazing at the meadow, they said ``And now, Frido? We are all working, what do you do?'' ``I'm collecting colours'' he said, ``as the winter is long and grey.'' And once it looked like Frido was half asleep while all others were working hard. ``Are you dreaming, Frido?'' the frippos asked with contempt. ``Heck, no'', he said, ``I'm collecting words. There are long and dark winter days and we will not know what we shall talk about.'' As winter was approaching, and the first snow fell, the five small Frippos retreated into their hide-out between the roots and branches. In the first days they still had plenty to eat and the Frippos told many stories about singing Varinx and dancing Tyranchas. The whole family of Frippos was happy! But more and more of the nuts and Jubula eaten, the straw ran empty and the grains were only a remote memory. It suddenly became quite cold between the roots and branches of the old root, and no-one felt anymore like talking. Then they suddenly remembered when Frido talked about sun rays, colours and words. ``Frido!'' they called, ``what abour your provisions?'' ``Close your eyes'' he replied and climbed a large root. ``Now I'm sending you sun rays. Do you already feel how warm they are? Warm, nice and golden?'' And while Frido was telling about the Sun, the four Frippos already felt much warmer. Was it Fridos voice? Or was it some magic? ``And what about the colours?'' they asked excitedly. ``Close your eyes again.'' said Frido. And as he talked about blue Liosta and orange Gonji in the yellow fields of Ba-Che and of green leaves of the Jubula bushes, then they saw the colours so clearly and vibrantly as if they had been painted within their small Frippo heads. ``And the words, Frido?'' Frido cleared his throat, waited a moment and then told from a small stage: ``Who scatters the snow flakes, who melts the ice?'' Who makes the loud weather, who makes it silent? Who brings the lucky clover in Frutor? Who dims the day, who lights the Moon? Four small Frippos like you and me, live in heaven and think of you. The first Frippo in spring makes the rain laugh. The summer Frippo is the painter and has to colour the flowers. The autumn frippo sends his regards with nuts and Bac-Che. The winter frippo needs warm shoes for his cold feet. Spring, summer, autumn and winter are the four seasons, no more, no less. Four different happiness``. As Frido finished all Frippo clapped jollily, laughed and shouted ''Firdo, you are a poet!`` Firdo blushed, bowed and said humbly ''I know, you beloved Frippo-faces.``