Soon after in the lowermost of the four cave-wombs of the world, the seed of men and the creatures took form and increased; even as within eggs in warm places worms speedily appear, which growing, presently burst their shells and become as may happen: birds, tadpoles or serpents. So did men and all creatures grow in their variety and multiply in many kinds. Thus the lowermost womb or cave-world, which was Ánosin téhuli (the womb of sooty depth or of growth-generation, because it was the place of first formation and black as a chimney at night time, and as foul the internals of the belly), thus did it become overfilled with being. Everywhere were unfinished creatures, crawling like reptiles one over another in filth and black darkness, crowding thickly together and treading all over each other, one spitting on another or doing other indecency, so much so that their murmurings and laments grew so loud that many among them sought to eseape, growing wiser and more manlike.





©1996, Richard Hooker

For information contact: Richard Hines
Updated 6-6-1999