kel-Biann (III)

Kel-Biann, the supreme deity of the Two Kingdoms, sleeps with his faded head laid down on the rock of ages, where he dreams horrible dreams and the eternal lion and eagle remain to devour him.  The Prophet Bleghet says of this Eternal Man: "He is kel-Biann, our Ancestor, patriarch of all the world, whose History Preceded that of the Eldest Race and in whose Sleep, or Chaos, Creation began."

Kel-Biann is said to have a wife, kel-Ainatib, who birthed him a daughter, kel-Asurej.  Before the world existed, a jealous kel-Biann hid his daughter from her intended husband, kel-Sej, and turned his back on kel-Sej's Divine Vision, sinking into his deadly sleep.  Kel-Biann embraced Vala, rendering her Veil; but although the Eternal Eagle gave Vala to kel-Biann as bride, and took kel-Asurej for his own, both kel-Biann and Vala were overwhelmed with guilt.  His children and his whole universe were driven forth and separated from him by his disease of shame.  The Prophet Bleghet says that he cried out, "All is Eternal Death unless you can weave a chaste Body over an unchaste Mind!"  Therefore kel-Biann commits himself to the materialism of the Moral Law, which is Vala's Veil.  The Prophet Bleqhet says of this event: "Every ornament of perfection and every labour of love in all the World and in all the Brazen Peaks was become an envied horror and a remembrance of jealousy, and every Act a Crime, and kel-Biann the punisher and judge.  All these ornaments are crimes, they are made by the labours of loves, of unnatural consanguinities and friendships horrid to think of when enquired deeply into; and all these hills and valleys are accursed witnesses of Sin.  Neziru therefore condensed them into solid rocks, stedfast, a foundation and certainty and demonstrative truth, that Man be separate from Man.  He sat by the Gallows and underneath his heel shot up a deadly Tree: he nam'd it Moral Virtue and the Law of the God who dwells in Chaos hidden from the human sight.  From willing sacrifice of Self, to sacrifice of miscall'd Enemies for Atonement: kel-Biann began to erect twelve Altars; he nam'd them Justice and Truth."

This loss of the Divine Vision had terrible consequences. Kel-Biann's Emotions (Havul) usurped the place of his Reason (Neziru) when those two Animals were fighting over kel-Biann's body sleeping in the holy tent. Neziru left Havul to pour his fury on kel-Biann. Havul did this when kel-Biann worshipped the Shadow from his wearied intellect. Havul smote him with boils, whereupon kel-Biann dismissed him, limiting his senses.

Kel-Biann's sleep is a wandering, says the Prophet Bleghet: "He drew  Vala's Veil, woven for Cruel Laws, and cast it into the Sea Deep to catch the Souls of the Dead.  Now kel-Biann was come to the Palm tree and the Oak of Weeping which stand upon the edge of Halweb, and he sunk down from the supporting arms of the Eternal Lioness, who dispos'd the pale limbs of his Eternal Individuality upon the Rock of Ages, Watching over him with Love and Care as the Sea of Time and Space thunders aloud against the rock.  Here kel-Biann remains, deadly pale outstrech'd and snowy cold, storm cover'd, a Giant form of perfect beauty outstretch'd on the rock in solemn death, hereafter all that ensues takes place in his dreams until the Last Judgment, when he will Wake upon the Couch of Death.  Thereupon will he sneeze seven times, a tear of blood will drop from either eye, and he will again repose in the Lioness's arms, in the arms of tender mercy and loving kindness.  Kel-Biann will then collect up the scatter'd portions of his immortal body into the Elemental forms of every thing that grows.  Wherever a grass grows or a leaf buds, The Eternal Man will be seen, will be heard, will be felt, and all his sorrows, till he reassumes his ancient bliss."  Meanwhile, kel-Ainatib elects the seven Eyes of God (kel-Temkhes) to protect the Eternal Man, whose inward eyes are closing from the Divine Vision, and all his children wandering outside are fleeing away from his bosom.  Kel-Biann, in a last effort on his couch of death, delivered his sovereignty to Neziru.

The Prophet Bleghet's Scripture of the Night Journey begins:  "Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from ??? to ???, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.  Bleghet wept and walked forth from kel-Fams Vale clothed in Clouds of blood, to fall thro' kel-Biann's heart which is the bosom of death, travelling outside of Humanity*.  Kel-Biann's Circumference was clos'd: his Center had begun dark'ning into the Night of Halweb."

Naitash, the Covering Cherub, is kel-Biann's Spectre.




*The actual word used here refers to a wide variety of humanlike races.