The Coronation of Eplear

[The Song of Eplear is a Bosmeri epic dating back to the First Era. It tells the story of King Eplear, founder of the Camoran Dynasty and the modern kingdom of Valenwood, whose unification of the Bosmeri tribes is counted among the greatest military feats of all time. His conquest, needless to say, was a seminal moment in the history of the Bosmer and Eplear remains a giant in Bosmeri history. Strangely, his song has never achieved the fame of lesser epics of the Bosmer, such as the Dansir Gol or the Meh Ayleidion.

The poem itself is very lengthy, and more an amalgamation of separate songs and poems than a single work. Its verse is all but impenetrable to the translator; too much of the Bosmeri poetic meaning would be lost for the endeavor to be worthwhile. However, the notes, annotations, and comments that accompany many ancient copies of the Song could fill volumes of their own, and it is these I have aimed to collate and translate.

This section deals with the coronation of King Eplear, and offers a fascinating insight into First Era Bosmer and the many ancient civilizations that once shared their homeland. While the account (ostensibly factual and prosaic) is replete with poetic imagery and, no doubt, exaggeration, it remains a worthy subject for study, and the best clues we have as to how the first year of the First Era played out.]


After many years of the hunt-against-wise-foes Eplear of the Camorans was supreme among the Boiche. Every tribe and clan had promised itself to Eplear and the green-sap by Eplear's words or his thousand arrows and blades, and Eplear had welcomed them. All the Boiche were as one and the green-sap was true-whole. The forest rejoiced to know Y'ffre's touch, and Falinesti graht-oak sang as Eplear climbed to its highest branch.

There he stood, mightiest among Boiche and root of the sap. Atop Green-Sap-Walking Eplear king-of-all saw all his forest and praised Y'ffre that it was good. He promised all things good to Y'ffre who gave all things good to Bosmer. Y'ffre smiled on Eplear, most favored among most favored green-sap, and Falinesti graht-oak, most favored among most favored green-sap also, rose to walk Eplear king-of-all through the forest. A thousand thousand Boiche followed in the great graht-oak's wake and the Valenwood sang to see them run through it, as sap through a tree.

Great Falinesti came to rest at last, as if in summer (for it was summer-of-the-heart for all green-sap). And a thousand thousand Boiche climbed its branches to crown their king-of-all, Eplear Elf-King Camoran.

The greatest graht-oak stretched and sang and grew a new shape, only for Eplear Elf-King, a throne of the green-sap, living wood vibrant in honor of the king-of-all. Eplear sat and his people bowed. Every tribe of the Boiche came to lay gifts before Eplear Camoran, gifts for all the Bosmer.

Abragoth of the Kahnik gave the head of Great-Gold-Ape-King, war chief of the golden apes who would not promise to Eplear (but not of those who would), and who the Kahnik shot with many arrows for their king-of-all. His bones were golden moonstone, and Eplear ate his face that his skull would be a helm for a king.

Wendilac of the Parikh gave a hundred hundred pearls from the Blue Divide, treasures of Y'ffre's eyes-in-the-water, now Eplear's eyes-in-the-woods.

Boleron of the Andrulo gave the hide of a terrible time-lizard, that the great hunter had chased over every footprint.

Hormilrimor of the Guleld gave a feather, which was very beautiful.

Ungalithor of the Liilgur Matilion gave himself to guard the king-of-all with every day, even when joy led him elsewhere.

Silvenar of the Edinil gave his everything-that-is to Eplear to give to all the Boiche to speak.

Oolathar of the Oolathar gave a million arrows of every make for Eplear to shoot a million things.

Kidragon of the Tithihk gave all the colors, every one that is, on his own body.

Yuuligon of the Calobar gave a great dead bug.

Fogorth of the Jalkin gave a hundred vessels of honey that was sweet and good and fit for the king-of-all.

And many other tribes gave many other gifts, and Eplear had many hundreds. And when all the tribes had given all the gifts, others came as well.

The giants gave Eplear a city of Haven. They walked in the sea and made great buildings of stone they fetched, only tiny buildings to them because giants are great-large.

The bird-men of the rivers gave Eplear five-and-twenty tongues of their own, and after he ate them all he spoke them all and sang.

The satyrs of the woods gave a secret, whispered one more benefit of hiding even Eplear had not thought of. Eplear told everyone the secret because he did not like them, but everyone liked the satyrs' benefit of hiding.

The centaurs gave Eplear an idea that many things would happen and one day men would rule.

Kulathuah the Haredda gave much tree-flesh that Eplear knew was useful to the clever men.

Juuk the Kothithiri gave ten strange beasts from far away.

Hadhuul the king of elves-elsewhere gave a handful of magic, which his people were clever at.

And many other peoples gave many other gifts, and at the end of it all Eplear had many many hundreds. And he gave them all to all his people, because the green-sap was true-whole and Eplear wanted only that. He called to the priests of Y'ffre, who were all wise and holy Boiche who knew many things, and knew what Y'ffre wanted almost as well as Eplear Camoran. They climbed to the highest branches with Eplear and placed the golden skull of the Great-Gold-Ape-King on his head and called him king with a song. All the Boiche sang and the forest sang with them, and Jone and Jode smiled to hear such a beautiful song of the green-sap, and listened as they sang for a whole turn.

When the song was done, Eplear took his bow, and one of his million arrows, and loosed it so far and so fast and so strongly that the bow shattered into dust, and the arrow flew higher than Jone and Jode. Eplear never missed, and when some time was passed, the sky grew darker, and the Great-Bird-of-the-Hunt fell from the sky to land at the feet of Green-Sap-Walking. Eplear Camoran ate its great elf heart, and much more besides, and tore one great wing from its body. He ate that too, until only a great long bone was left, and that was his new bow, fit for king-of-all. And then Eplear declared that all were his clan, and all the Boiche feasted on the Great-Bird-of-the-Hunt until they were full.

After many hours of feasting, and many hours of singing, and many hours of dancing, and many hours of lovemaking, Eplear was king-of-all in Valenwood, Elf-King Camoran beloved by all and all knew. Eplear told the Boiche that Y'ffre smiled on all of them, and Eplear knew no falsehood, and he was right.