At the beginning of time, there was only the Goddess, Saromata. She was the universe and all that it contained, and yet she was alone. Her loneliness was great, and even greater was her desire for a companion. This desire took form within her, and she eventually pushed it forth from her body in the pains of labor. Thus was the God born.

Saromata rejoiced greatly in her son, and he in her. As the aeons passed, their love for each other increased and changed, so that they were lovers as well. And like good lovers, they exchanged gifts. Saromata gave her son dominion over all matter - fire, air, water and earth. She retained her control over the energies of creation - life, death, and magic.

The God thought long and hard over what gift he should give in return. He decided to use his newly acquired powers to make the gift. So he formed the world out of his elements, creating mountains and oceans, breezes and streams. To set it in its best light, he made the burning sun. And then he called to his mother and bride, "Come! See what I have made for you!"

Saromata was greatly pleased. The world was a marvelous place, filled by the ingenuity of the God. She looked at each blade of grass, each feather on a bird. It entertained her endlessly. Or, perhaps better to say, nearly endlessly.

One day, the God had gone off to work on the Moon, which would reflect his love's many aspects. Saromata was by herself in the gardens of the world, marvelling over the same bird she had seen many times before. "It is so beautiful," she thought. "Yet... it is exactly the same as it has been for thousands of years! Never-changing and static. It would be more interesting if it could move about as I." So she blew on the bird and gave it life, whereupon it began to fly about. Saromata was delighted, and quickly began gifting life to all the animals and plants of the world.

She was contemplating giving life to the very stones when the God returned. He looked hurt. "Did you not what I made you?" he asked.

"Beloved! I love it very well," she assured him. "See, I have not changed it one jot: all is as you made it. But now they can move about and oh! Do you hear the birds singing?"

"Yes," he said glumly. She continued to reassure him, but decided that she had better not enliven the stones, lest she hurt him even more. She praised him on the Moon, which she liked very much, and his mood improved.

At least, it was, until he had gone off to scatter the stars in the night sky. Having learned that she liked motion, he thought their wheeling dance would please her. So Saromata was once again alone on the earth.

She watched her two favorite birds: the one who sang the most sweetly and the one who flew the most nimbly. "A pity," she thought, "that there is not a bird that combines those two noble qualities." Struck by the thought, she suddenly bestowed on the birds the ability to procreate. As she had hoped, their offspring flew and sang beautifully, and she was again delighted.

Then her lover came home again. He looked about himself and noticed the place was more crowded than when he left. "You've added to it again!" he accused her. "You said I should be the one to make things of air, and earth, and water, and fire!"

"And so you are! I have not reduced your powers one jot," she replied, wounded at the accusation. "But see! Now they are like us, female and male, and create young! Isn't it wonderful?"

"Yes," he replied, glum again. But it was hard to deny that the young animals were not delightful to behold, nor the flowers not beautiful as they buddded. And so she praised him about the stars, and he cheered up.

"But Beloved," he said to her, "I did not make this world so that it would hold more creatures than I first put on it. I am afraid they will overrun it and fill it up."

"You are right," Saromata said, somewhat sadly. "And I cannot endlessly spin souls for the young all day. I shall give them each a span of life, then, and when they have lived it all, I shall take the soul back and so put it into the body of a newborn creature. In this way, the world will not be overrun, but it will still be ever-changing and new."

And thus was the world made, and thus life and birth and death came into it.

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