Queens of the Silver Age

Queens of the Silver Age is a compilation of writings that form a significant part of the Orkanan religious texts, collectively known as the Scriptures. This collection is composed of various chapters, each authored by different individuals, which are primarily historical reconstructions based on older, partially written sources and oral traditions. As one of the older parts of the Scriptures, the Queens of the Silver Age contains a substantial amount of mythology.

History

The earliest versions of the Queens of the Silver Age date back to the rise of the Orkanan Realm of Stoldavia, approximately 2500 years ago. At that time, these were individual stories transcribed from oral traditions into what is now known as Liturgical Stoldish. Many of these transcripts were lost following the fall of the Orkanan Realm about 1800 years ago when conquerors sought to eradicate any physical remnants of Fyrirhugun Orkanan. The stories currently compiled in Queens of the Silver Age are those that have survived through both transcripts and oral history.

The collection as it exists today is largely the result of efforts by the Sunna clergy from Skara. When the Skara Samverkan established a trading network across northern Stoldavia, religious leaders noted the lack of female representation in what was then known as the Scriptures. The Sunna denomination, rooted in the teachings of the Sisters of Mercy, advocates for gender equality and balance. Their clergy traveled to trading towns to gather local sources and stories about influential women. Over a few decades, they found that about a quarter of these stories could be grouped around the concept of queens from the Silver Age—the era predating the Orkanan Realm, marked by the use of copper and bronze and when silver was a symbol of wealth and progress.

A significant breakthrough occurred when the Sunna clergy accessed sources from Thultannia, where the Orkanan tradition had a more continuous history. This allowed them to verify many stories with Thultannian accounts and some written records. In 6998, the collected works were presented as a single volume written in Scarch. With minor adjustments, the entire collection was adopted into Mellanhand Orkanan at the start of the Greater Stoldavic Empire, replacing earlier, less coherent representations in the Scriptures. The book has been an integral part of the Scriptures ever since.

Contents

The oldest stories in the Queens of the Silver Age revolve around Disa, who, according to the Scriptures, was the first female leader of society. Within the context of the Scriptures, she is regarded as the first queen of all known humankind. Historians who do not interpret the Scriptures literally suggest that Disa was likely the first female leader of a significant early Stoldavic civilization, which might have seemed like the entire world to its members at that time. Disa is also mentioned in the Five Exemplars book of Wecka.

Subsequent chapters provide a lengthy description of the lineage of the Queens of the Silver Age. Due to numerous translations and reliance on oral sources, this chapter is internally inconsistent and a source of ongoing debate. However, following chapters are presented in a chronological order as defined in this lineage, placing Disa as having lived around 4200 years ago, assuming she was a historical figure.

Key stories in the collection include:

• Ioharna Regelmässa (Regular Johanna): The first story following the lineage.
• The Saga of Avån: Not named after a queen but a river.
• The Stories of Anna Maris: Three stories that mix practical issues with a mythological narrative featuring wandering spirits and rås. Anna Maris was the queen of a coastal area known as Framlandet or Framkanten (Edge) and taught lessons on fishing, basket-making, and fulling. Her third story, How to Handle a Rope, remains a popular Orkanan song.
• The Long Story of Gertrud Dalmans: Considered an allegory about chemistry, where the main characters represent inanimate elements that change behavior when interacting. The core of the story is about the art of metal alloys and their applications, despite its heavy use of magical elements. Gertrud's story reads almost like a biography of a self-taught orphan who climbed the social ladder to become the queen of Mitt Kola.
• Karin Drotten's Stories: Set in the mythical land of Gottland or Gothland (synonymous with "Good Land"), Karin's legacy involves catching Vind's direction (inspiration or force) through the allegory of windmills. Her stories are deeply mythological as windmills did not exist before the Orkanan Realm. Her third story explains the dimensions of space through the allegory of weaving cloths, a central element in Orkanan-based mathematics.
• Stories of Klara and Klarissa: Different denominations have different versions. Half of the four stories associated with Klara are attributed to her daughter Klarissa in the Mellanhand scriptures.
• The Single Story of Frida: Titled Give the Mule What He Wants, it remains an inspiration for politicians and diplomats.
• Hyndla's Story: The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret, also holds political significance.
• Stories of Gudrun: Contains eight stories and an additional ode to Klarissa, providing significant internal cross-references within the Queens of the Silver Age.
• Other Notable Stories: Include No One Knows First, It Gave the Sky Is Falling, Weeping Tree, and The Saga of Queen Orma or the Lost Month of Willow. These are among the most popular stories from the Scriptures.
• Lindra's Series: Focuses on the importance of sleep, medication, insanity, sisterhood, and touch as a major sense. These stories are central to Orkanan ritual practices, including the use of hypnotic substances.
• The Era of Vulgarity: Summarized in most versions, with some versions containing 11 to 14 different stories about this period, which is said to predate the foundation of the Orkanan Realm by a few decades.
• Unnamed Queen (Born to Ulla): The final stories revolve around an unnamed queen referred to as Born to Ulla who is linked to Ulla, the last queen mentioned in the chronological base of chapter two. Notable stories include I Sat by the Sea, If I Had a Tail, My Vind is the Sun, and Smooth Sailing. Kalopsia is about the birth of her daughter and is believed to have died 18 years after the foundation of the Orkanan Realm, placing her death around 5109 RH.