Entry #1

When I asked my wife for cultural stories of foxes, she recommended 'Cadmean and the Reynard' you could imagine her reaction when I told her I didn't know about it. Apparently, all foxes know about 'Cadmean and the Reynard'...well all foxes except me.

She wasn't too happy to be the one to rectify that, and she now apparently thinks that our marriage is a big sham…Maybe I should clean out the attic, I might be staying there for a while.

In the early days of mammals, before the foundations of civilisation was laid, when the blood of the weak soaked the earth, and life was renewed in dens beneath earth and roots.

The world had yet to be filled with species of animals known to civilization, indeed the dreary state of the species of mammals were often told of as a tapestry yet to be embroidered with the weaves and stitches of the colours of life. A tapestry that laid somewhat bare to the gods and goddesses in the night skies above, for the caretakers of the world, though omnipotent beings, had yet to perfect the art and variety of life.

Amongst those spiritual beings, was one of the many caretakers of the Caninae, a rather youthful vulpine goddess Cadmean, was said to have grown a yearning desire in the sky. Some say that the tranquillity of the heavens bore her restless spirit, others claim that the lives of mortals caught her attention. Whatever it may be that had moved Cadmean from her duties, had caused her to take to the night sky, travelling under the guise of a shooting star.

Yet, in her haste, she tripped and fell unto the mortal realm below, unable to move, unable to scream, unable to fly. Cadmean could do naught but watch, as the starry skies in which she called home grew ever distant.

So great was her fall, that she exhausted all her strength and power just to survive, leaving her trapped and injured in the mortal world. It was said that her powers were so dimmed, that not even the gods and goddesses themselves could find her.

Lost below, Cadmean greatly feared that she would soon perish when the sun rose, for being a child of the stars, the sun would end any who thrived under the cover of the night.

But her fear of the sun was soon brandished aside, for at that moment a Reynard of unknown name and colour happened upon her. Cadmean at first, was cautious and fearful of the mortal Fox, for though he was armed with some semblance of a blade, her real fear came from her knowledge of mortal predators.

While a predator herself, she was first and foremost a goddess, far removed from the deprivation and cruelty of mortal beings. For she had seen the bloodlust of predators, driven to acts of bloodshed amongst their own kin from hunger. Would she meet her end from a mere mortal? Or from the fires of the sun?

Cadmean waited to feel the cold sting of his blade, or the hot breath of his mouth on her neck.

Yet none came, for the unknown Reynard had instead spoken a language she was unaccustomed to, while a goddess, she was still a youthful one, and cursed herself for the lack of knowledge in the tongue of mortals.

Though she could naught understand his strange words and gestures, she felt that he was concerned with her well-being, a familiar feeling, for she had felt it countless of times from her father Vulpecula.

The Reynard continued speaking, while making a plethora of faces and gestures, but alas, Cadmean grew tired trying to understand this stranger, and began to ignore him.

Weakened by her fall, while the rays of the sun grew ever brighter. She knew that she would soon meet her end, for how could a mortal save a night goddess?

Yet as she laid there, the Reynard suddenly stopped his yapping, instead, on his own will and at the protest of Cadmean. He whisked her away to his den, protecting her from the rays of the sun as it rose.

With naught a word, the Reynard would nurse her back to health with the prizes of his diligent hunts, and all the while, Cadmean felt indebted to her saviour.

While she knew not of her saviour's name, she did feel a growing attachment to him, and could not continue calling him Reynard, or mortal. For she wanted to name him by something that would be fitting for him, and so she took inspiration from his home.

She saw plants that reminded her of her tail, and remembered their name of Alopecuroides, seeing as to how his den was decorated with the plant, she thought that he might have some fondness for Fox tails. And so with some thought, she decided to name her saviour Alopecoides, a name which meant to be similar to a fox tail, a name fitting for how Cadmean perceived the mortal.

Many seasons passed, and love began to bloom and blossom between Cadmean and her mortal fox. The love was so great that Cadmean soon gave birth to a litter of kits, all of which were unique foxes. From the white-furred to the black pawed, the red-tailed to the grey snout, and the brown bellied to the gold eared. All foxes are said to be children of Cadmean and her mortal lover.

But one night, she was discovered by her kindred in the sky, who grew concerned with her whereabouts. But upon hearing of Cadmean's love for a mortal being, Astraeus the god who watched over the other celestial beings was furious at this union between goddess and mortal.

In his great rage Astraeus created and shaped a grotesque and hideous form, and breathed life into it. This being was known as a hound, created with one purpose, to rid the world of Cadmean's children and her lover, and to return Cadmean herself to the stars, so that she may be judged.

Upon hearing of Astraeus' plans, Cadmean's father, Vulpecula, fearing for his daughter's safety, warned her of Astraeus' hound and helped her hide her children and the Reynard from the wrath of the gods. Vulpecula knowing that his daughter was not one to hide blessed her with such speed so that she may never be caught.

But Astraeus was old and wise, and he knew of foxes' treachery, and to punish Vulpecula for his betrayal, he too gave to his devilish hound the power so that it may never fail to catch whatever it sought to hunt.

The god of the night sky Vulpecula, knowing that his daughter Cadmean would be eternally cursed to be ever hunted by a monstrous corrupted abomination of his distant cousin Lupus, was forced to plead to Astraeus for forgiveness and mercy on Cadmean's behalf. Astraeus appeared to be moved by Vulpecula's words and agreed for leniency, but only on the condition that Alopecoides and his spawn were to be killed, and Cadmean exiled to a mortal life, forever alone, never to return to the stars.

Vulpecula agreed to such terms, but he was a fox of cunningness and devised a plan in secrecy, he travelled across the stars, to the river Eridanus, a place where celestial geese were known to rest.

And from there, he captured a goose and left again, carrying with him the goose, Vulpecula approached his cousin Lupus. Vulpecula offered his cousin the goose for his aide, and discussed his plan. Lupus was to disguise himself as Alopecoides, so that he may escape his fate of death, while Alopecoides himself would escape with his kits to await Cadmean.

Lupus, with his powers, would not die from the execution meant for mortals, so the punishment of death would do him no harm. And when the deed was done, and Astraeus tricked into believing of Alopecoides' demise, Vulpecula would then use his powers to bind the fate of Cadmean and Alopecoides, so that even through death, they would always find each other again, from one life to the next.

Lupus, who upon hearing it, was moved by such love, that he too made it so that all his creations, the Wolves and their kin should follow this eternal bond. Because of this bond of eternal love, the tradition of a mate for life was born.