The Forest of Shelanoir

The second of the myth songs included in the Singing Hill ~Ar=Ciel Ar=Dor~ album, this one tells about a legend that was very famous in the Teru region of Syestine.
A long time ago, the Goddess Shelanoir created a forest that was filled with all sorts of plants and beautiful flowers. One day, an old woman brought here an special kind of flower called a Dianthus, which only grew in very faraway regions, and she treasured it greatly. However, a bushfire caused the forest to be reduced to ashes and it also burned off the old woman to death. However, the Dianthus flower was kept safe from the fire thanks to the old woman's sacrifice.
Shelanoir was greatly saddened by this, and after recreating the forest, she swore that she would protect the flower until the end of time. However, the unique beauty of these flowers caused many ambitious men from the nearby kingdom of El Daiyella to come to the forest and take them all away, believing that they would be used to create an elixir that bestowed eternal life. Shelanoir was angered by their actions, which made her surround her forest with thorns. If anyone stupid enough to try entering the forest approched them, the thorns would trap and pierce them until they fell dead.
Thus, the forest was kept in peace for a long time, until a Teru boy called Ryugg came to the forest. Braving the sea of thorns, he managed to reach the very center of the forest and met Shelanoir there. They became friends, and slowly she began to open her emotions to him. However, this happiness ended after some time, since the king of El Daijyella himself came accompanied by his army and burned off the forest in an attempt to find the coveted Dianthus flowers. Despite their efforts, Ryugg and Shelanoir were unable to save the forest or the tree from which the flowers sprouted.
After this, Ryugg disappeared, and Shelanoir in her sadness recreated the forest and covered it in thorns once again. She spent many days, many months like this, waiting for someone to release her from this sadness. Finally, Ryugg returned to her side, covered in many wounds, but very glad because he had managed to find another sapling of a Dianthus tree. Shelanoir was greatly overjoyed by this fact, and the forest returned to its former happiness.
==Lyrics==
saa liv ar utti ZeeiFaLea
afarrss Shelanoir Teru enn Ryugg
sstaary natell faara sos crnnar gryuune
wwouter tiilr kaa afarrss
saa liv ar utti ZeeiFaLea
afarrss Shelanoir Teru enn Ryugg
sstaary natell faara sos crnnar gryuune
wwouter tiilr kaa afarrss
Let's unfold ZeeiFaLea, "The Stories of Coexisting with the Gods"
I'll tell you the story of Shelanoir, the Goddess of Plants and Ryugg of the Teru
--This time I'll sing the story of a mysterious forest within which flowers bloomed all over--
nunn karama mssib sibit yoon
touu farlim stta rrem twr
solmar tinni kii sittin sittun touu
kfarim rln tillin teen
nunn karama mssib sibit yoon
touu farlim stta rrem twr
solmar tinni kii sittin sittun touu
kfarim rln tillin teen
Within the deepest reaches
Of the silent paradise covered by the plants
There was a divine tree
That made graceful flowers bloom
arre vann rammr deenrr
orms sistry syeena avarnmunni munimini iyaar
arre vann rammr deenrr
orms sistry syeena avarnmunni munimini iyaar
The Goddess loved these flowers, and thus She carefully raised and protected them
But at some point, rumors started spreading about them being "flowers that bestowed immortality"
arre grrun valla diina
utwtw misten geena
foll kstine Shelanoir uskst kstw kstw kstw meta
arre grrun valla diina
utwtw misten geena
foll kstine Shelanoir uskst kstw kstw kstw meta
When the greediest men heard these rumors,
They came and plucked these flowers until none of them remained
The pain this brought to the Goddess tremendously angered Her'
gaara deera goodri egina duguu rici mera
syant ikiila hagrii ent aggo granm miiaa
gaara deera goodri egina duguu rici mera
syant ikiila hagrii ent aggo granm miiaa
In response to Her rage, the briars grew larger
They caught these malcontents, and their sharp thorns pierced them to death
gooli misern elmwwt wsyera
gooli misern elmwwt wsyera
Thus the people came to fear this place, calling it the "Forest of Evil"
shyaa mirl wsyera cngreed sourra mie Teru enn kffa Ryugg
uuo tou millar ygga mer mer hng riigg tiigyaa
shyaa mirl wsyera cngreed sourra mie Teru enn kffa Ryugg
uuo tou millar ygga mer mer hng riigg tiigyaa
A certain day, a Teru youth of clear eyes called Ryugg appeared in the forest
He crossed the sea of briars, greatly suffering in the process, and reached the place where the Goddess was
wsyera misty fiia wsyera feidi titia
livistr oii fedier
harm cssty fiia cldia haarfe elstir riddir
mss crteneyerr twfr
wsyera misty fiia wsyera feidi titia
livistr oii fedier
harm cssty fiia cldia haarfe elstir riddir
mss crteneyerr twfr
Within the forest of miracles, within the forest of destiny
They met each other as if they were being led to their encounter
They looked at each other under the divine tree, surrounded by the flowers' scent.
It was just as if they were in a painting
klumee fie agrena
tctimi srrhal terin amoree
titim talene enr yuuk
fatine amm Shelanoir
klumee fie agrena
tctimi srrhal terin amoree
titim talene enr yuuk
fatine amm Shelanoir
While there was confusion inside their excited hearts at first,
Their hearts sought each other and this forged bonds between them
It was as if there were nothing that could impede them
From coming to mutually understand each other
crun bein tinni cc relli rerrern saatry ner soscrn ngllune
saatre narr trfarrn tinni uutan ieare
irkneca tmrexx tetoo liica
crun bein tinni cc relli rerrern saatry ner soscrn ngllune
saatre narr trfarrn tinni uutan ieare
irkneca tmrexx tetoo liica
But a certain day, some men that loathed the infamous forest came and set fire to it
Excepting for the two of them, everything was burned away
Leaving no traces behind
agnaal inisyoc trrna rikii
agrarkk ctiiwa twrau tuwaa
agnaal inisyoc trrna rikii
agrarkk ctiiwa twrau tuwaa
The Goddess' grief ran very deep
Regardless of what words of consolation She was told, nothing could get across to Her
knmstr liarr edrne grreir
tuulir flebe nistleen
knmstr liarr edrne grreir
tuulir flebe nistleen
Their feelings continued growing farther and farther apart,
Until a certain day, the youth departed for another place
wsyera kal dii biia
wsyera ruutuu elkii uii
mi teewa stii alffa reeio
urlr masss iy ti muuti
solamtii siie shfaa karate ryuuk nunny steer
wsyera kal dii biia
wsyera ruutuu elkii uii
mi teewa stii alffa reeio
urlr masss iy ti muuti
solamtii siie shfaa karate ryuuk nunny steer
A short time later, the Goddess' Power
brought the pure forest, the beautiful forest back to life
But She couldn't find the boy anywhere she looked
And in response to the Goddess' anguish,
The briars stretched themselves all over the forest again
nunerrffar cspa deihe reei yarnn angare
wsyera raar tecryar tecryar sutrr
seef raddi coore
beier sutrr trner Shelanoir
tiyi ehe erlaa wsyera aah
nunerrffar cspa deihe reei yarnn angare
wsyera raar tecryar tecryar sutrr
seef raddi coore
beier sutrr trner Shelanoir
tiyi ehe erlaa wsyera aah
She was left all alone in the depths of the briar sea, in the depths of the thick forest
The Goddess continued awaiting for the youth's retturn
If they ever met each other again,
Her obstinate heart would be set free
And joy would return to the forest
utwri faaker Shelanoir
cwdd risty tiiee ryuwk
nee esry faar ierrde
faar faar rrcii
utwri faaker Shelanoir
cwdd risty tiiee ryuwk
nee esry faar ierrde
faar faar rrcii
And a little later, the youth returned
To the side of his beloved Goddess Shelanoir
Hope filled his badly woundeed body,
As he held a small sapling of the divine tree in his hands...
crana gloon efarr mede yasa seel
wsyera syat eell revv sstaary
crana gloon efarr mede yasa seel
wsyera syat eell revv sstaary
And that tells us that a story
Ended in the depths of the thick and overgrown forest
==Story Told In This Song==
There was once an incredibly beautiful forest in the land of Syestine. And in there, many flowers bloomed one after other and the leaves of the trees grew in great abundance.
This was because in the forest, there was a kind old woman living in it that raised the trees with great care. And this old woman was loved by the Goddess of the Forest, Shelanoir.
Although she never appeared before her, Shelanoir was always in this forest and watched over the old woman.
On a certain day, a single Dianthus flower reached the hands of the old woman. It was still very small, but the old woman took it and raised it the best she could.
However, this happiness didn't last for very long. Because of a nearby bushfire, the forest of the old woman became ashes in a single night.
During the time in which the old woman did her best to escape alive from the fire with the Dianthus flower, she lost any possibility of escape and died burned away.
However, the Dianthus she held onto so dearly managed to escape from the flames and bloomed vividly.
Shelanoir was very sad about this and thus She decided that She would protect this Dianthus in place of the old woman.
Since the old woman gave her life to protect this little flower, She thought that She would raise it until it was a flower large enough for the old woman to see it from the Heavens above.
After this, many years passed.
The Dianthus became an incredibly large tree, and thanks to this, many other flowers bloomed every day.
Given that it grew so large and that these flowers were something that no one in the region had ever seen before, many rumors about the tree began to spread and many people came to this land attracted by them.
However, this was unfortunate, since according to these rumors, the flowers would become the key to eternal youth once they were stripped from their roots and leaves, and due to this, the Dianthus flowers and tree received severe damage.
Shelanoir was so sad at this that She created a large forest of thorns around the tree to protect the Dianthus flowers.
Despite this, some people called "heroes" frequently came to the forest of thorns to try to destroy it and take away the Dianthus flowers.
Shelanoir finally snapped, and whenever anyone came to this forest, they would be restrained by the thorns and killed by them.
The thorny trees became like the walls of a castle, and thus, the forest of the old woman completely became the Forest of Evil.
Even after this, many reckless heroes came to this forest, but still, they were completely devoured by the newly created Forest of Evil and not even one of them returned alive.
And one day, one more child came to this forest shrouded in sadness. Shelanoir was always protecting the forest with the thorns, but she didn't even flinch at the presence of the child.
Since the situation was now different from how it used to be, Shelanoir kept excitedly watching the child out from mere curiosity. His eyes were filled with very strong "feelings". She had never seen eyes like the ones the child had. This child had gotten lost in the forest, and despite continuing to be harmed by the thorns, he had decided to keep going to the end, even if the tail of which he was so proud got all covered in wounds. As She watched the boy, continuing to be lost in the forest of thorns for many days, Shelanoir finally began to feel pity for him.
When he awakened the next morning, he found a great number of fruits right beside where he was sleeping. And the next morning, he noticed he was covered by a grass mattress, and then he understood how he managed to spend the cold night without freezing. While continually wondering who it was, he gratefully accepted these gifts, and with his energy replenished, he marched on to the very center of the forest.
And finally, he entered into a place in the thorns where no one had stepped before. Once he saw the scene that unfolded within them, he was left breathless. Somehow, there was a vast, beautiful forest within this place, with many flowers blooming and enshrouded by the soft light of the sun that filtered between the foliage! And in the very center, there was a tree where many of the Dianthus flowers that everyone endlessly sought were blooming, which rose as far as the highest skies.
Shelanoir was so surprised that she couldn't hide herself well and the boy finally managed to see her during a brief moment as she moved between the trees. The boy chased after the surprised girl. And in his chase, he arrived at the base of the great Dianthus tree.
That girl was covered by the shade of the Dianthus tree.
It was as if he was trapped in an illusion that showed him that "the girl was here" right back from the beginning. That was how beautiful the girl and the Dianthus flowers were.
The boy looked at the cautious face of the girl and gently spoke to her:
"Were you the one who gave me those fruits?"
It might just have been because she was being watched the boy from outside the tree's shade, but the girl very slowly and suddenly, nodded.
"Thanks. I'm Ryugg. And you're...?"
"...Shela."
As he looked up at the Dianthus tree, he explained in all honesty that he was the grandson of the old woman that used to live in this forest. While he lived in a very faraway place, the rumors of the wind told him about the death of his grandmother, and upon hearing the rumors of this forest, he immediately ran off here.
Shela was very surprised, but then she felt a very deep sadness. Why was she going to kill him off to drive him away from this forest, without even knowing that he was the precious grandson of the old woman she liked so much? Shela then told him how she was completely alone after his grandmother died and how she protected the forest. Ryugg just smiled as he told her a single word: "Thanks." While she was very happy and excited to hear these words, she just looked aside.
After this, both of them lived together in the forest. But no matter how much time they spent together, Shela was always taciturn and inexpressive, and even when she was trying to talk with Ryugg, she would just reply with very blunt words. Still, they made breakfast together every morning, bathed together, and gathered many of the Landos Ryugg loved so much. Ryugg also treasured very much the many flowers that Shela had raised. He loved the flowers so much that he even watered them with Shela.
Even if they didn't really exchange many words, the distance between them was certainly shortening little by little.
But on a certain day, something happened. An enormous disaster for both of them happened. That day, Ryugg was going around, watering all of the trees and flowers in the forest.
But then, he encountered something unthinkable. Somehow, part of the forest of thorns had been burned away!
This was all done by the humans. The human king, incapable of enduring the fact that he would never be able to have the flowers of eternal youth, the Dianthus, no matter how much he waited, had ordered his army to completely burn away the forest.
The flames burned away all the thorns in an instant and drew near the house where Ryugg and Shela lived.
They desperately tried to protect the vegetation and put out the fire, but the fire was too fierce and they couldn't do anything against it. Meanwhile, the flames had already swallowed the Dianthus tree and their house.
Ryugg held Shela, who was still trying to put out the great fire, and ran through the flames, barely escaping alive.
These two, who barely escaped alive, then watched the remains of the forest under the night sky. Shela just sobbed and cried, and while Ryugg did the best he could to comfort her, that only rubbed her the wrong day.
"That was the Dianthus tree that your grandmother loved so much, that she protected it until her death... It's all your fault.. all your fault that I couldn't protect it..."
Shela said these words and blamed Ryugg for all of it. Ryugg then said:
"Forgive me. But I was able to protect what I hold dearest in this world, even if that meant holding and pulling it here. And that is no other than you, Shela."
While this tightened Shela's heart, it didn't show much in her expression and she spent the rest of the time depressed.
For the next few days, Shela didn't move at all from that spot. Ryugg gathered all the food he could find for her, but that day and even the one after it, Shela just sat in the same place. For her, Ryugg also made a house, one that could withstand the wind and rain.
During this time, he also made food for Shela and covered her with blankets when she slept. However, her mood didn't improve in any way.
No matter what he did, she was completely silent. And whenever they made eye contact, she immediately looked aside.
Shela spent many days like this, but one morning, when she woke up, she noticed that the usual food wasn't beside her. But that wasn't still enough for her to worry.
And even though many beautiful flowers began to bloom again around her, Shela didn't move at all.
One day, Ryugg told her that he would be going to a place that was a little far away from them and that he wouldn't be returning for some time, and then he departed. Even in such a situation, Shelanoir just saw him off with her distant attitude.
After this, three days, then five days passed... and since Ryugg didn't return yet, she gradually began to worry. Whenever she was hungry, she looked for fruits and ate them, but that didn't calm down the anxiety and the gripping loneliness she was feeling.
Then, one month passed. Shela couldn't just continue staying put like she had and she began searching for him in the neighboring areas. She went around the forest, looking for Ryugg, but she couldn't find him.
Then, on the 32nd night after Ryugg's departure, Shela began crying. She never thought that she would be so lonely and anxious if Ryugg had disappeared.
And in her great sadness, she made another forest of thorns and secluded herself within it.
After that, many months passed, and within the forest, a flower field, beautiful enough to dazzle anyone who looked at it, finally grew. And finally, on a certain day, a lone boy came and entered the forest of thorns.
His clothes and the tail he was so proud of became all tattered, but he crossed over the flower field and went on to head to the place beyond, where a single girl was sleeping.
The girl noticed his presence and rubbed her sleepy eyes as she rose up. Then she looked at the boy before her, in great surprise.
"I'm back. I'm sorry for leaving you all alone all this time, my dearest Shela." 
The boy said all this and then held in front of the surprised Shela something, which a closer look revealed to be a small potted Dianthus plant, and he gave it to her.
"This flower only grows in a very far away country. I sent one of them to my grandmother as a gift and it was the one you struggled so much to grow, right?
Of course, it'll never be able to replace the Dianthus that grandmother grew with so much care but... I'll give this one to you. So please... could you go back to how you used to be?"
Many large tears began falling without stop from Shela's eyes and she embraced Ryugg tightly.
Then, she cried into his chest. Ryugg patted her head and began comforting her.
"So that no one will interfere this time, let's travel to a faraway place, and in there, let's raise a large, great Dianthus tree. Let's fill it to the brim with our love, so Grandmother will be able to see it from the Heavens..." 
===About the Story===
This is a myth called [ZeeiFaLea (The Story of Living with the Gods)], and as one of the main myths told by the Teru, this depicts an interaction with Shelanoir, the Goddess of Plants.
As you might have imagined from the "tail" that came up frequently in it, Ryugg is a Teru, and the king that ordered the forest to be burned down was written as a [human]. The Teru are a race that greatly value their relationship with nature, and thus it's said that they had a long history of antagonism with the humans that cut down the forests.
From a myth like this, you can see how the Teru recognize all of the natural plants as [lives equal to their own].
And this isn't only limited to the plants: they also consider everything, from the animals, to the insects, to even the wind; this same way.Singing Hill ~Ar=Ciel Ar=Dor~ - Special Edition Booklet
==Trivia==
*This is the only song that has used so far the Proto-Carmena Foreluna language, which supposedly serves as the middle step between the Ar Ciela and Carmena Foreluna languages, and it was extensively used by the Teru. Although in the original lyrics booklet the lyrics were written in Hymmnos script, we felt it was more appropriate to use the Ar Ciela script in the article due to historical reasons.
==References==
Category:Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel
Category:Songs
Category:Normal Songs