 |
 |
David Wirthlin: AN ABRIDGED GENEALOGY OF OUR MOTHERS |
 |
Domstol birthed two unremarkable children: Solv and Stal. They also birthed unremarkable children. All males and outside the purview of genealogical records. Jard birthed Himmel and Bidra. Himmel birthed Tre, but died during the procedure. Bidra raised Tre until she was of age, then Tre left toward the sea coast to be with Gull. Devastated by the loss of Tre, Bidra refused to have children of her own. Jard eventually convinced her to carry on the bloodline, and Bidra birthed Hjerne and Stillhet. Slange, Stjerne, Hjort and Himmelen lived out their days with Maler and without children. Slange and Hjort were believed to have become sterile simply by association with Maler. Stjerne and Himmelen were never actually sterile, but lived as such. Any who lived and associated with Maler took on a vow of sterility, beginning the practice of social sterility. To fill their days, inhabitants of the Maler compound raised animals, tilled the land, provided food and raiment for all. Hjerne had many suitors and couldn’t turn any away. She had approximately thirty-two offspring, though all but two were male. She birthed Regn and Dyr. Most of her males were sent to work on Maler’s compound and a few were kept around to stud. Stillhet birthed Skitt, Elv, Fjerne, Innsjo and Prins. After her third miscarriage, Regn moved in with Maler, who died shortly thereafter. Following Maler’s death, Prins took over the compound and became known as Maler. Dyr was born sterile, but refused to live with Maler, and instead moved into a home in the mountains. There she lived on wild flowers and herbs and eventually regained fertility, birthing Fjell. They remained in their mountain home until Fjell was of age, but records of their existence end there. It is believed they went north. |
|
Innsjo never grew larger than a small pig and lived out her days as a scourge to the people who loved her. Skitt died in a stampede of younglings on a visit to Maler’s compound. Elv birthed two offspring, and named them in honor of Farfatter and Skitt. She sent Farfatter to the sea coast for Gull. When Farfatter arrived, she learned Gull had succumbed to the sea, so Farfatter was raised by Tre. Skitt went north in search of Dyr and Fjell, but became prey to wild beasts. Past her birthing days, Elv moved to Maler’s compound and took over following Maler’s death. Fjerne birthed Tenker, Tro and a number of unremarkable males. Tenker begat Honning. Honning begat Godseir. Godseir killed herself, and thus ends the line of Tenker. Tro was patient, waiting for the most suitable mate, and birthed Vinger and Lope, two of the most remarkable women outside of Sovnig Oye. Through Vinger’s line would come the first Hovik, though this is not in the official record. She birthed Tid and Arstid, but they lived forever in their mother’s shadow. Vinger sat on the side of Sovnig Oye when she became active birthing again. Tid birthed Ridder and Sjo. Arstid never begat and instead chose to serve her mother all the days of her life. She died in her fifteenth year. Lope, despite her success in research and the impact on everyone around her, had a seizure during childbirth. She and her unnamed child died. |
 |
Ridder birthed twin deformities who were offered as appeasement to the wild beasts. Sjo birthed Hval, the most beautiful ever known. With no suitor deemed up to her standard, she was displayed as the model of beauty. She eventually found secret love in a descendent of Hjerne’s stud males. She birthed a male. Overcome with jealousy over Sjo’s success and remorse over her own deficient birthing, Ridder impaled herself on the eve of the great storm. She survived the storm and wandered the land impaled the rest of her days. Birthing again, Sovnig Oye begat Kriger and Konge. Kriger was sent to establish near the sea coast. She birthed Fugl and Skjold. Fugl birthed Bille, who returned with news of Kriger’s death. Upon her return, Bille birthed Gutt. Skjold remained at the sea coast, but there is no record of any offspring. Konge birthed numerous offspring, both male and female. On record, there is Jente, Floy and Drunning. Konge and her offspring fled to the north woods to live in righteousness. Bille changed her name to Maler and took over the compound. Gutt birthed Bla, who in turn birthed Tid. Tid was unremarkable, save for her voice. For a time she was forbidden to produce offspring in order to save her voice. Sovnig Oye later reversed this decision in the hopes of the voice being passed on to future generations. In her later years, Tid birthed Var, who indeed carried on her mother’s voice. A woman named Urent arrived from the north woods, claiming to be the daughter of Drunning. She left the bosom of her mother to birth Gronn. After Urent’s death, Gronn moved to Maler’s compound, and took over following Maler’s death. After a short time, Maler left the compound, changed her name back to Gronn, and birthed Har. The genealogy of our mothers ended when Sovnig Oye began only birthing males. She reversed tradition and recorded the birth of males on the official record. Her first was the Hovik who later became Hiver. Har also birthed a Hovik, but left him to become Maler. Sovnig Oye adopted him and this began the genealogy of all. |
|
David Wirthlin is the author of two books: Houndstooth |
and 
. His work has been published in the Denver Quarterly, Horse Less Review, elimae, NANO Fiction, Sleepingfish and the 2nd Hand. He lives in Colorado.