Oliver D. Bernuetz's Stories

Back to my home page - back to stories

Why the Seas are Salty

The following is an Esrolian tale that masquerades as a merfolk (probably triolini) myth. It attempts to explain why the seas are salt when rivers and lakes aren't. It may or may not be what the merfolk themselves believe (though why they would care one way or another is beyond me).

Why the Seas are Salt (a merfolk myth)

Why are the seas so salt, O noble finned father?
Listen well, O little finned one, and learn,

Long ago the seas and all the lesser waters were fresh
and all could drink of them.
Then came a time when the creatures and gods of the
land and air betrayed the waters.
Magasta forgave and forebore but betrayal
followed betrayal.
Then some weak land thing found Death and Magasta
wanted it for Himself.
Through horrific magics and unimaginable sacrifices
Magasta changed His very nature and made of
His very body a weapon against the land and the air.
Thus do we creatures of the deep water drink safely
of the sea while the poor pathetic land and air creatures
die when they do so.
The Father of Waters has never changed His nature
so water is not naturally salt but mighty Magasta
changes all liquid that enters His body into salt water.
The poor pathetic waters that cross the land are too
weak and forgiving to poison the land so their water
is not poison to the land and the air.

This page last modified in February 1998

Last updated February 13, 2017

Glorantha is a trademark of Chaosium, Inc. Gloranthan material on this page is copyright ©1997-2016 by Oliver D. Bernuetz or by the author specifically mentioned on an individual page. Glorantha is the creation of Greg Stafford, and is used with his permission.

Email me at bernuetz@mymts.net