" Cheva?"
"Yes, the people here call the Sun overhead 'Cheva,'" Mrs. Larry said. "The pronunciation is slightly different between the two tribes; Cheva, Nicheawa, they're about the same."
"So what? Are we going to shout 'Oh, look, Cheva ' every time we see the Sun from now on!" Boris's voice was full of amusement.
Su Huilan, a philosophy professor, was quite interested in this and asked, "Madam, is this related to the myths of the Itza People?"
Mrs. Larry said, "Yes, the names of celestial bodies are usually related to mythology. For example, the etymology of the Sun 'SUN' in Norse mythology is 'Sunna,' the daughter of the giant Mundilfari. She drives the Sun chariot every day, taking turns with her brother Mani who drives the moon chariot across the sky. This is exactly the opposite of the yin-yang relationship of the sun and moon in Eastern legends."
In the legends of the Itza People, Cheva is their Sun god and also the name of the Sun. No matter which planet or island they migrated to on the Ramla, they called the star that illuminates the world above them Cheva.
"What's the name of the moon that night?" Alice asked curiously. "Well, if there is a moon."
"Of course there's a moon. We've been shrouded in a giant moon before, haven't we?" Mrs. Larry laughed. "Their moon is called Ischewa, and it's both siblings and lovers to Cheva."
"Oh, another chaotic family! Could that little Sun I saw during the day be their deformed baby?" Boris blurted out.
"He's not deformed at all. When he grows up, he'll probably scorch this whole place! Boris, you'd better get roasted like a kebab!" Petru laughed loudly.
"If I get burned, do you think you can escape?"
"I'll dive into the water, I'm a pirate!"
"Hahaha, that's hilarious! You want to compete with a navy soldier who spent the best years of his life on a submarine in holding his breath underwater?"
Petru probably also felt that he didn't have much of a chance of winning, so he stopped talking.
However, their interruption made everyone laugh, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.
Mrs. Larry said, "Myths originated from early human activities, when populations were small and inbreeding was common. In matriarchal societies, people had no idea who their father was."
"Is that why Greece and Norse mythology are so confusing? Mythological history is practically a bad example for children!"
"That's normal. Mythology is actually a process of humanity refining its ethics and morality. Once human civilization matures, especially with the emergence of religion and etiquette, this situation will no longer occur."
Are Cheva and Ischewa their supreme gods?
"No, they don't worship the Sun and books, they worship the stars," Mrs. Larry said.
"The starry sky?"
Qingmu recalled the devout way the savages knelt and worshipped the starry sky last night, and Mrs. Larry's chanting echoed in his mind again, the stirring words and voice still resonating in his heart.
After singing it once, he had completely memorized the lyrics. For a moment, he felt that the lyrics had always been in his memory, only to be awakened at this moment. However, he didn't remember anything because of it; it only made his headache worse.
"Yes, the starry sky," Mrs. Larry said. "They believe the world was born from the clouds in the starry sky. They call the starry sky Unabu, the highest deity they worship."
Su Huilan said, "That's quite a scientific statement! Stars and planets were originally born from nebulae, so saying that nebulae created the world isn't wrong. I even wonder if they were once a highly advanced civilization!"
Mrs. Larry said, "Similar ideas exist in the Maya civilization, which relied on their advanced astronomical calendar. However, the Maya People did not have as obvious astrological worship Itza People, nor did they have gods representing the stars or nebulae."
Could there really be some connection between the Itza People and the Maya People?
"It's hard to say; we can only be certain after the altar's inscription is deciphered."
"Could you tell me more about the myths of the Itza People?" Su Huilan asked.
Mrs. Larry said, "Actually, it's nothing special. Aside from the unique star worship, it's very similar to our mythology. It's basically about gods creating the world, managing humanity, leaving behind justice, and driving away evil, etc. However, there are a few points worth noting, or that might interest you. In Itza People mythology, besides several gods having names similar to those of the gods in the Itzamna pantheon of the Maya civilization civilization, there's also a god whose name is the same as a god in Greece mythology, and I can't hear any difference in pronunciation."
"Who?" several people asked in unison, as Greece mythology was the most familiar to everyone.
" Gaia," Mrs. Larry said.
" Gaia? That's the Greece goddess of the earth, which does resonate with the starry sky!" Su Huilan said.
Mrs. Larry shook her head and said, "No, in the mythology of the Itza People, Gaia is not the god of the earth, but an evil god hidden in the dark clouds of the starry sky. He is one who controls the starry sky at the same time as Unabu, one symbolizing light and justice, and the other symbolizing darkness and evil."
"Haha, thank goodness we don't have Greece here!" Petru said gleefully.
Mrs. Larry continued, " Unabu created the world, which was born from the nebula and was filled with light. Cheva and Ischewa are Unabu's children, and they play in the sky every day. Cheva is masculine and independent, and likes to influence the world with his own power and light, while Ischewa is gentle and sweet, and likes to snuggle in his mother's arms. They are their Sun and moon, their day and night."
Besides Cheva and Ischewa, Unabu had five sons who together established world order, made the world a better place, and became the guardians of humankind.
She looked at the Qingmu in the mist as she spoke, "Do you know what those savages called you when you received the scepter yesterday?"
"What?"
" Sangqi," Mrs. Larry said, "They call you ' Sangqi.' Sangqi is also the son of Unabu, and the totem I saw on the altar floor resembles Sangqi; he represents the Tree of Life."
Qingmu's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason, and then he had that strange feeling that something was about to crawl out of his head.
Mrs. Larry said, "I would never have associated you or Mr. Stone with their mythology, but I saw you taking the scepter. At that moment, a vision suddenly appeared on you. I don't know what happened, but you became exactly like the tree in the altar. The key point is that there was a bird on that tree that looked just like the one on your head."
So I made a point of learning about their mythology and also asked them what they thought of Mr. Stone. Among Unabu's five sons, there was one named Mantiste, or perhaps Mantistu, who in their mythology symbolizes mountains and power. I transliterated his name as Manti Stone, and I hope the association between the names won't offend you, Mr. Stone!
Situ smiled calmly and said, "It's just a myth."
But Qingmu felt that calling Manti Situ was perhaps more appropriate.