A mythologized history of ancient Equestria and the world, from the very beginning of creation to the coronation of Celestia and Luna.
Have you ever wondered what Equestria was like before the reign of Celestia and Luna? Have you wondered how the world was created, why all the different creatures of the world exist, amd much more? The history of the Age Of Legends, from the creation of the world to the coronation of the Royal Sisters, is detailed in the Gesta Deorum, the Deeds Of The Gods.
Welcome to Equestria, the land of myths and legends.
History, as we all know, is the collection of stories about the past told to inform or to entertain, or at least that's the definition I most prefer to use. When it comes to history from the Pre-Unification Era, pony historians seem to have forgotten this. They maintain that many if not most details about life in the era are inaccessible due to a lack of written records and whatnot, and thus there is little history to speak of. This is neither informative nor entertaining, and thus cannot be considered history as I define it. While we may not have many written records from the era, we do have many different legends and myths that tell entertaining stories and thus can be considered history. If anyone would like to disagree with me on this, I would be happy to send them on an all expenses paid visit to the sun. With this in mind, let us journey through the mystical land of ancient Equestria, home to various gods, monsters, demons, and great heroes of old where adventure is never more than a day's gallop away.
The Gesta Deorum, Unicornian for 'deeds of the gods', will tell the history of the world from its creation to the coronation of Princesses Celestia and Luna and the subsequent end of the Age Of Gods. Most names used in this book will be in the forms most recognizable for that specific character. For most characters, those names will be in Nimbic, the language of the ancient pegasi, for they are the source of many myths used here. Due to the conflicting nature of many myths from this time period, I will only use the ones I see as the most plausible and compatible. There will also be no dates for all but the latest of myths, as many of them cannot be accurately tracked on account of there being no pony civilizations, or any civilizations for that matter, to track years. Personally, I think they're overrated anyways.
In the beginning, there was nothing. The universe was but a swirling mass of primordial chaos and darkness, unending and everlasting. From this void, a light arose from the deep and moved upon the face of chaos, and this light was Harmony. Harmony said, "Let there be order!", and there was order, and the swirling mass immediately ceased to move.
Harmony had calmed the endless void of chaos, and She had made the void bow before Her, and saw that it was good. She called out to the void, saying unto the darkness, "Come out, and witness my creation!" And so, another light rose from the darkness and soared to face Harmony. And Harmony said unto her, "Thou shalt rule and have dominion over the highest of heavens, and be first and greatest among my children." And so this second light was named Aether, and split into many, making the stars and planets in the skies, and Harmony saw that it was good.
Next, Harmony made the oceans and seas of the world, and so divided the darkness from the heavens. Another light soared up from the waters, and Harmony said unto her, "Thou shalt rule and have dominion over the expanse of the waters, and bring light and life to the oceans." And so this third light was named Okeanos, and gave life to the waters, and Harmony saw that it was good.
Next, Harmony brought forth earth from below the waters, and called it land. Another light soared up from the land, and Harmony said unto her, "Thou shalt rule and have dominion over the land, and bring light and life to the Earth." And so this fourth light was named Gaia, and gave life and growth to the land, and Harmony saw that it was good.
Next, Harmony made the winds to soar over the land and the oceans, unhindered and free. Another light soared up from the winds, and Harmony said unto him, "Thou shalt rule and have dominion over the air, and bring life and light to the winds." And so this fifth light was named Aeolus, and gave life and energy to the winds, and Harmony saw that it was good.
Next Harmony made a ball of fire above the Earth so it may orbit freely, and called it the Sun. Another light soared up from the Sun, and Harmony said unto him, "Thou shalt rule and have dominion over the Sun, and fly above the Earth in the lower domains of Aether, and sustain the realms of your kin below you." And this sixth light was named Helios, and brought day to the Earth, and Harmony saw that it was good.
When Harmony gazed upon her creation, She smiled, for all was good. She spread Herself across the land and the oceans and the winds and the domain of Aether, and magic was brought to the world, and the power of Creation brought to her children.
Over time, Aether grew envious of the realms of her lesser siblings. She felt that, as its first and greatest child, Creation should be hers by right. She bellowed out towards the Earth, that jewel of Creation, "Beware, ye lesser children of Harmony, for ye shall not reign forever!" And so Aether brought forth war to the realms below heaven, and with her army of stars conquered them, binding Gaia, Okeanos, and Aeolus in mighty chains atop of Mount Aris, for as they were divided, they could not oppose her. And so it was that Aether held Creation in her hands, along with her race of Primevals, those beings formed from that primeval chaos. They were giants in those days, with the bodies of ponies and the heads of beasts. The were as grey as a storm cloud with red, bullish faces and forms tall enough to snatch the clouds from the sky.
When Helios saw what had befallen his kin, he set out to Mount Aris, riding upon his chariot of light. He confronted the giant Adiron, the mightiest of the Primevals and sentinel of the chained gods on the mountain, and said unto him "Stand down, oh mighty one, for I do not wish to fight thee. I only wish to free my siblings bound on the mountaintop."
Adiron replied, "Thou art a fool, king of sunlight, if thou thinkest me to stand down! I answer to our queen Aether, ruler of Creation, and no other."
"Very well!" answered Helios, and with his fiery blade Iliakos, he cut Adiron into pieces and cast his flesh into the ocean. He also broke the chains of his kin where they could not and set them free once more.
And so Gaia, Okeanos, and Aeolus, led by Helios, laid waste to Aether's army of stars, driving them back into the heavens, and confronted her atop the Mountain Kyriarchos, the highest point on the Earth. Helios said unto her, "Hear me, Aether, for this is a battle thou canst not win! Stand down and restore the order of Creation as Harmony intended, or be cast out into the darkness!"
Aether replied, "I shall not bow to lesser beings! Perhaps I should cast thee into the darkness for thy insolence, thou traitorous rogue!"
And so the battle raged for seven days and seven nights, and shook Creation to its core. Because the gods were united, and Aether, for all her might, was alone, they prevailed, and so the gods cast Aether down from Mount Kyriarchos into the darkness below the Earth, and there she became known as Tartarus, and became progenitor of all evil and darkness in Creation. As she fell, she cursed Helios' name and the names of all the gods, swearing to have her revenge at the end of time.
It was at that time a wave of terror rushed over the Primevals and their metropolis of Synkomedes especially, for they knew what had just transpired, and feared the wrath of the new rulers of Creation. And so it was that Melekos, king of Synkomedes, knelt before Mount Kyriarchos and wept, "O, what fools we have been, transgressing against the order of Harmony! Have mercy upon us, and do not cast us into the darkness!"
Helios appeared before the king Melekos and said unto him, "For thy peaceful surrender, thy people shall not die, but simply be exiled to the grand ocean in the south. There you shall have an entire continent unto yourselves, hidden within the mists, and be separate from the rest of Creation.
Most of the Primevals rejoiced at this mercy that they had been granted, and left for their new lands. Some, however, still cursed the gods, and for this they were made short, never again to tower above the Earth like the giants they had once been, and made to wander the shadows in between Earth and the darkness until the end of time.
And so Helios said unto his kin, "Let this be a new era for the realms of Creation, and may peace and benevolence reign eternally!" And the gods saw that it was good.
It was the Golden Age of Creation, and as of yet no beasts roamed the Earth, no fowl flew in the skies, and no fish swam in the oceans. The Earth was barren and devoid of all life. The gods saw to it that creatures be made to fill the world so that they may call upon their names and their rule over Creation may be supported.
And so it was that bountiful Gaia begat unto the world a son. His form was like that of an ox, but he was leaner with a long, thick neck, and skin plated with scales like those of a mighty dragon. His every step brought thunder to the earth, yet his willowy legs brought regal grace wherever he walked. He was as tall as the mountains, with a tail firm and long like a mighty tree. He was to be the mightiest of beasts, king and father to all lesser beasts that creepeth upon the Earth, and so he was rightly named Behemoth.
The might of Behemoth is such that his roar causes all beasts of the land that hath ears to tremble and bow. He is calm and gentle with his subjects, however, choosing only to eat the leaves off the trees and the grass that the bountiful Gaia provideth for him. He wandereth the Earth in a great desert to the south, accompanied by Harmony the Specter at his side, and there he shalt remain until the end of days.
Afterwards, swift-footed Aeolus called out to the winds and unto them gave a son, and his name was Ziz. Ziz is the king of all fowl that fly on the winds, and the rocs are his progeny. When his feet touch the Earth, his beak can kiss the heavens, and his wings unfurled can block the light of the sun. He flieth in the celestial spheres between the planets, roosting and laying his eggs where he may. When one of his eggs is rotten, Ziz casteth them out into the heavens, so that the Sun may incinerate them with its glory; we have given these eggs the name of comets.
Fiery-eyed Helios, seeing Ziz soaring about in the heavens, saw to it to create fowl of his own made of fire and light, and so, the majestic Phoenix was born. Phoenix was of the form of other fowl in the skies, except his flesh and feathers were crafted of fire, and his eyes crafted of light. He built for himself a kingdom upon the face of the Sun, and his kingdom was prosperous, because Helios had willed it so.
One day, one of the sons of the majestic Phoenix died, and for him the kingdom wept. There it came to pass that a group of phoenixes sneered at their king and mocked his departed son rather than mourn him in an act of foolishness, provoking the ire of Phoenix. "Why do you mock me so?" shouted the majestic Phoenix. "Why, when one of your own has died, do you choose to mock and jeer?" They had no answer, for really there was no answer for what they had done. And so it was that the majestic Phoenix cast them from the light of the Sun, cursing them with silence and eternal death for their insolence, and thereafter they became known as the earthly phoenixes.
Finally, the sweet Okeanos begat unto the world a daughter, and her name was Cetus. Gentle Cetus had the form of a great whale, and ruled the creatures of the ocean fairly and justly.
The gentle Cetus soon begat unto the oceans a son and daughter of her own, and their names were Kanaloa and Leviathan. Kanaloa's form is that of any fish in the waters that he chooseth to take, but most often he taketh the form of an octopus. He is the father to most creatures of the oceans, and most ocean creatures revere him as the greatest among them. When he may, he gazeth at the stars and planets in the heavens and divineth the future according to their whims, to no one's benefit but his own.
Fierce Leviathan is truly one of the most powerful beasts to call Creation its home. Her coils are numerous, and uncoiled she is seven leagues in length. In form she is like a serpent, who speweth forth mighty columns of fire from her maw, igniting the skies with her awesome power. In demeanor she is like a demon, and in physical strength like a god.
Cetus and Leviathan, though mother and child, bore enmity with one another, for though Cetus was gentle and loving, Leviathan was brash and hostile, with no care for the benevolent rule of her mother. And lo, it was that Leviathan slew her mother the gentle Cetus, and exiled her brother Kanaloa to the island which bears his name. When nothing remained of Cetus but bone, she begat unto the world a son, and with him produced her progeny, the lesser leviathans of the oceans. The sweet Okeanos began to weep, for her only daughter was dead and her beautiful oceans had been taken captive by the monsters of the seas.
The other gods took heed of the grieving of Okeanos and the upheaval in the oceans, and with haste took up arms. But, as the fierce Leviathan swam in the depths of the seas, they could not reach her. It was then that fiery-eyed Helios had an idea. "Hear me, siblings, for this is what we shall do! We shall make a ball of packed earth, a thousand cubits wide, and infuse our blood into it, to lure fierce Leviathan to the surface!"
And so it was that the gods crafted the perfect bait with earth and blood. Fiery-eyed Helios flew out over the navel of the world, the deepest part of the ocean, and with this bait cast his mighty line into the sea. Leviathan tugged at the bait, and with her world-shaking might nearly dragged fiery-eyed Helios to the depths of the darkness to be nothing more than a speck in the waters. Helios held fast, though, and reeled fierce Leviathan's form to the surface of the waves.
Fiery-eyed Helios drew forth his blazing sword Iliakos and swung at the fearsome serpent, but fierce Leviathan's scales were far too strong to be broken. Helios and Aeolus grappled with her with all of their divine might, but still Leviathan remained unharmed. It was then that sweet Okeanos glided across the surface of the waves to meet fierce Leviathan, carrying her spear Almyros with her, and pierced the monster in the eye, where it had not its resilient armor. And lo, fierce Leviathan bellowed with rage and agony, and in turn sweet Okeanos bellowed with scorn in her heart to the serpent thus: "Thou damned serpent, thou plague upon my seas! Thou, who stole my beloved and only daughter gentle Cetus from me, shalt with her hence follow!" A blue light soon after engulfed the seas and the gods themselves with its glory. When the light faded, neither sweet Okeanos nor her progeny the fierce Leviathan could be seen, for they were at the bottom of the oceans, never to be seen again until the end of all things. And the gods began to weep, for one of their own was lost.
The gods proceeded to hunt and slay the lesser leviathans of the seas and them back to the depths from whence they were conceived, never to see the sun's light again, for such is the way of monsters. Dismiss ye not fierce Leviathan herself, however, for she liveth still, and dwelleth at the navel of the world where dead souls go to be reborn, waiting to devour hapless souls and damn them to eternal oblivion. So be vigil, and search for the gentle and guiding light of Okeanos if ye wish to be reborn.
And so it was that there were beasts upon the earth, and fish in the oceans, and fowl in the skies, and the gods saw that it was good.
In times thousands of years past, near the beginning of Creation, there was no Moon to light the night sky. The day was brighter than day, and the night was lit only by the twinkling of the stars. The beasts of the Earth frequently aired their grievances to the Sun floating about the heavens, but Helios would hear none of it. Why should he bow to the whims of those lesser than him?
One day, Helios went down to the Earth and walked among its fields and meadows, and there he met a songbird. And the songbird said unto him "Helios, Lord of Sunlight, I must humbly request on behalf of all beings that reside on the Earth that you dim your brilliant light. You see, on Earth, the day is too bright to see anything, and the night is too dark."
And Helios replied, "Yes, yes, I have heard that many times before from the mouths of earthly beasts; I have heard it so much that it scarcely concerneth me now."
The songbird said, "If I may, Lord of Light and Majesty, could you split your sun into unequal pieces so that I may fly by both day and night if I so pleased?"
To this, Helios simply laughed. "Do not be absurd! Doth not the Sun deserve to shine as bright as it may as part of its nature? Telling me to shine dimmer than what is possible would be like asking thee to fly lower, and not experience the clouds and the wind unique to the heavens."
Just then, Aeolus came down in defense of the songbird, "Helios, my brother," he said. "Why art thou so callous towards those who are not thine own, Helios? Dost thou not remember how Tartarus acted the same way towards us at the advent of creation?"
And Helios said, "Aeolus, why must thou come down in defense of this tiny bird? Dost thou not have better, more pressing things to do?"
And Aeolus said, "This is not about me, brother. If this is how thou speakest to mine own subjects, I shudder at the thought of what thy kingdom must look like when thou art sat upon thy throne."
Helios gestured for his brother to follow him, "Come, Aeolus," he said. "It is clear that thou art angry over nothing. A stroll across the meadow should calm thy nerves substantially." Aeolus reluctantly followed his brother, haughty of heart though he was.
It was then that Helios and Aeolus came upon a fair maiden sitting upon a rock. Her name was Eos, for she shone like the radiant dawn, and instantly both of them were smitten by her charms.
Helios knelt down in front of the fair Eos and said unto her, "Sweet, radiant beauty, thy fairness hath captivated me. Thy hair is as if spun from gold, and thy eyes are like stars in the night. O, fairest among all, wilt thou be my bride?"
Aeolus also knelt down in front of her, saying unto her, "Maiden of the dawn, I implore thee to be my bride instead. Would not I be better a husband than Helios, able to come to your aid as fast as the winds when he stayeth on his throne in the heavens, blind to the needs of the world?
Helios glared with outrage at his brother Aeolus, his eyes burning like fire, and said, "Would not the sun be a fiercer fighter than the winds, able to exact justice upon any who displease him or his beloved more than one who cares only for his birds?!"
It was at this that Eos chuckled to herself. She then rose from her rock and said, "Lords of Wind and Fire, there is no need to quarrel. To determine who is most worthy, I shall issue a challenge. Whoever among you can give to me the greater gift shall have my hand in marriage."
And so it was that Helios, in his mighty forge on the Sun, toiled away for seven days and seven nights. When he finished, he gazed upon his creation, his gift to his beloved with pride. It was the fairest pendant in all of Creation, shining like silver and as light as a star.
Helios descended to the Earth to gift this pendant to the fair maiden Eos, but she did not look at it with much elation. "Thy gift to me is magnificent," she said. "But when everything thou makest shines as bright as thee, it taketh its luster away, for a light needeth darkness to truly shine."
It was then that Aeolus gave to the fair maiden Eos his own gift, a vast tapestry woven from the clouds depicting Aeolus smiting Tartarus with bolts of lightning and casting her down into the darkness below the Earth. No other gods were to be seen anywhere else in the piece, and the haughty Aeolus stood alone upon Mount Kyriarchos.
Eos gazed upon this tapestry and shed a single tear, like a blade of grass sheds its morning dew, for she had never seen such beauty before. She said, "Aeolus, thy handiwork is magnificent! I concur that thy work shineth where silver doth not. Wilt thou marry me, o Patron of Wind?
Helios ignited with burning rage, and said, "Fair maiden, surely thou seest that this is nothing more than pure embellishment! Aeolus did not smite Tartarus on his own, nor could he have!"
Aeolus turned to his brother and said, "Calm thyself, o brother of mine. Tend to thine own needs first, and I shall tend to mine." He gazed lovingly at his bride-to-be, and they went off beyond the horizon, leaving the outraged Helios to fume to no one but himself. Aeolus and his wife knew each other well, and between them, they bore four children. These four children were the Four Winds of the Earth, and so their names were Boreas, Notos, Euros, and Zephyros.
Helios left for his own kingdom on the face of the Sun. He knew how long the beasts of the Earth had aired their grievances to him regarding his Sun, yet now he wished to right them. To this end, he gave his necklace a piece of the Sun's light, and set it to govern the night so that it may glow like silver among the stars. And so it was that the Moon was created, and Helios and the beasts of the Earth thought it was good.