Livyatan

**Livyatan** is the Primordial Beast of the Sea from Judeo-Christian lore and is, alongside Caelum and Behemoth, one of the Guardians of Earth.

## Overview

Livyatan is the primordial sea monster that was created by God and is one of the power interpretations of the Chaoskampf. She is an ancient beast of the seas, originating from Jewish folklore and different versions of Christian Mythology. She is also the first entity to be known as a leviathan, a title also taken by many other large and powerful sea monsters, such as the Kraken, Cirein-cròin, Hafgufa and Moby Dick.

Due to all being created by God at the same time, these three beasts treated each other as siblings. Livyatan's siblings are the Caelum of the Skies and the Behemoth of the Land. Even as the weakest, she is powerful enough to give some trouble to God, something even Lucifer can't do.

Livyatan also rules the underwater kingdom of Atlantis along with the Greco-Roman Deities of the Sea, Poseidon. This is because Poseidon flirted with Livyatan which caused her to lose her temper and try to kill Poseidon until Zeus give her Atlantis to co-rule as a peace offering.

## Appearance

Livyatan usually appears as a serpent or any type of sea creature she desires. In truth, she is more a mix of many kinds of marine life into a singular all-powerful sea beast. Mortals are unable to fully comprehend its visage, so all they see is just its shade or a giant sea serpent. Livyatan's features are both snake-like, kraken-resembling and with fish-like structure.

## Personality

Being a Primordial being Livyatan is describe as very unstoppable ominous serpent sea monster, very aggressive and far more monstrous than any other creatures of the sea, and more frightening than her sea monster kin.

She is nearly an unstoppable monster that ready to devour everything in her sight, because of this she has an intense odds and rivalry towards her creator God, and always giving Him troubles whenever necessary. Yet she still respects His authority despite being regarded as the Great Sea-Serpent of the Sea, like her Norse counterpart, Jörmungandr.

During the time that she met the Greek Deity of the Sea, Poseidon, she showed to be rather annoyed by his persistence of courting her, and even going as far as to threaten to destroy the Atlantis if Poseidon angered her enough. Zeus had no choice but to give her co-rule over Atlantis along with Poseidon.

Despite her allegiance with the Greek Pantheon, her true loyalty lies only to her Creator; God. As she always respected, revered, and also feared Him despite their odds to each other, she along with her siblings: Behemoth and Caelum have a loyalty and respect to God despite being monsters, and God knowing that they will serve their purpose in time, and always keeping them at bay so that the Earth will not be threatened.

In recent times, she still retains her original personality, yet with some differences. She appears to be quiet serious, passive, and emotionless, radiating a cold, calm, and cautious composure. But she will show mercy and compassion to those who have earned it, particularly those who respect to her status and doesn't anger her patience. She wishes to be left alone and valuing her privacy, not caring much to outside world, and she wants to live under the seas as peaceful and quiet as possible.

## Powers and Abilities

**Absolute Invincibility:** Livyatan is boundlessly and infinitely invincible and undefeatable in absolutely every aspect: Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, Spiritually, Conceptually, etc. The probability of them losing or drawing in a confrontation would be zero every time, and this holds true for any type of confrontation where every and any aspect of Livyatan is put to the test.

**Chaos Embodiment:** Livyatan is chaos itself in a physical form. They are thus unpredictable and uncontrollable and can cause others to become disorderly and disorganized.

**Creation:** Livyatan can produce something either out of nothing or from existing sources.

**Dragon Physiology:** Livyatan possess the traits, attributes, characteristics and/or abilities of dragons; a powerful and legendary creature, typically depicted with serpentine or reptilian traits, that features in the myths of many cultures. They achieve this either through full or partial transformation into dragons, choosing to mimic certain aspects of draconic beings, or simply already being a dragon in the first place. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the *European Dragon*, derived from European folk traditions and which is ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern mythologies, and the *Chinese Dragon*, with counterparts in Japan, Korea and other East Asian countries.

**Demonic Dragon Physiology:** Livatan is or can transform into a demon-type dragon or an actual hybrid of demon & dragon. These dragons have infernal and demon-like abilities, while also having the standard abilities of a dragon. Thanks to their hybrid nature, they are rare, more mystical and supernaturally conditioned.

**Transcendent Dragon Physiology:** Livyatan with this ability either is or can transform into a dragon or draconic being of godly power. Livyatan's power is to be considered utterly fearsome as it's that which no dragon could ever hope to overcome or even equal, making them essentially the absolute pinnacle of all dragons.

**Enhanced Senses:** Livyatan has extremely accurate senses, allowing them to see, hear, smell, taste and feel better than the best member of his species. On this level, Livyatan maybe capable of developing other senses (ex; an Esp, sensing blood, etc).

**Feral Mind:** Livyatan can tap into a primal instinctive state of mind, which can release an unstoppable rage that allows them to perform in vastly increased capacity, taking and inflicting damage that they couldn't or wouldn't in their normal state. In some cases, Livyatan's mind descends so far into the feral state that, mentally, they are little more than wild animals.

**Freedom:** Livyatan possess a supernatural form of freedom and independence that liberates them from laws, rules, fate, predestination, concepts, limits, and other types of cosmic, spiritual, mental, physical and mystical jurisdictions, making Livyatan highly resistant or outright immune to their effects. In theory, the lowest level of freedom amounts to enhanced free will that enables users to act more independently from and/or with an immunity to more 'worldly' limitations such as laws or societal norms. The advanced levels of freedom, however, would liberate Livyatan from fundamental aspects of reality and existence, such as logic, causality or even their own origin, with the absolute form of freedom being liberated from absolutely everything and therefore being nothing short of, and solely possessed by, Omnipotence itself.

**Guardianship:** Guardians are often those who are of noble birth or a high position of great historical or legendary importance. They have taken/been given the responsibility to defend, protect and, if needed, avenge the focus of their protection, which can be an object, place, concept, or person (throne/crown, village/gate/country/planet, love/good/harmony, royal heir/chosen prophet, etc.) among other things.

**Light Generation:** Livyatan can generate light of various intensities.

**Horn Protrusion:** Livyatan either has or can generate horns on their head or body, which can be used offensively.

**Matter Ingestion:** Livyatan can eat any substance without harmful effects, regardless of what they consume. They can consume matter in any form - solid, liquid or gas.

**Ocean Manipulation:** Livyatan can create, shape and manipulate the oceans and seas and everything in them, including all the aspects of the oceans, from the purely physical ones and also mythical/conceptual ones, such as: capriciousness, hidden mysteries of the depths, and the subconscious.

**Reptile Physiology:** Livyatan with this ability either is or can mimic/transform into reptiles, including Crocodilia (crocodiles, gavials, caimans, and alligators), Sphenodontia (tuataras), Squamata (lizards, snakes, and worm lizards) and Testudines (turtles, terrapins and tortoises).

**Cetacean Physiology:** Livyatan either is or can mimic/transform into cetaceans, including whales, dolphins and porpoises.

**Fish Physiology:** Livyatan with this ability either is or can mimic/transform into fish, including hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish.

**Sea Monster Physiology:** Livyatan with this ability either is or can transform into a aquatic monster, a monster with an innate connection to the sea.

**Transcendent Physiology:** Livyatan possess the traits, attributes, characteristics and/or abilities of transcendent beings like deities, other beings that are divine in nature, and other transcendent level beings like cosmic entities. Most have surpassed the restraints of the material existence and transcended their physical limitations to achieve a higher level of status, power, and/or state of being. They achieve this either through literal transcendence, summoning or transforming into a godly entity, or already being a divine being in the first place.

**Unnatural Size:** Livyatan either possesses a level of physical size either greater or smaller than that of a normal member of their species or is simply a member of a species that is naturally bigger or smaller than humans.

**Venomous Fangs:** Livyatan possesses teeth that are coated with or secrete natural venom, which can extend to the victim when said victim is bitten by the fangs. The poison can have a variety of effects, ranging from sedation, paralysis, mutation and instant death.

## History

### Origins

Livyatan was one of the many pieces of Therion given sentience by God to rule over a part of His creation. Livyatan was perhaps the first beast to come into being, followed by the Behemoth and the Caelum, as the embodiment of the chaotic waters that cannot be tamed by man and only by God. At the time, however, Livyatan did not dwell within the Earth but resided below it until she was tamed by God after the creation of the Heavens and Earth. It is said that Livyatan was not too fond of being under God's power and would express its frustration by thrashing violently in the abyssal waters, threatening to flood the Earth and devour the moon but would be stopped by God each time.

It is even suggested that Livyatan was envious of God's dominion over the Heavens (like the demon prince Leviathan) with the beast wanting to have a domain of equal value and vastness. And so, God gave it the Earth's oceans knowing that the Earth was, in His eyes, His greatest prize to be given to His greatest creation that being humanity. Afterwards, Livyatan became content and more so in regards to living alongside her cohorts who dwell within their own respective realms; Behemoth having the lands and the Caelum having the sky.

### Prophesized Death

It is prophesied that during the Apocalypse, Livyatan and its brethren shall be slain and its flesh will be served to all those deemed as righteous. This essentially means that when the time comes, God will slay these monsters to save His creations but only His followers will be allowed to feast. According to the Talmud, Livyatan's skin will be flayed and cover the tent where the feast takes place and if one does not consume its flesh they will be given clothing made from its skin. The remaining skin will be spread across the walls of New Jerusalem where its brightness is said to illuminate the world.

The remaining flesh of Livyatan will eventually come into contact with the remaining flesh of the other Primordial Beasts. These will then come into contact with the corpses of Trihexa and Divus when they are thrown into the Lake of Fire. This will bring upon the revival of the Primal Beast, Therion, but that's a story for another day.

## Myths and Legends

In the Book of Job, Livyatan is described as a creature in the form of a sea serpent that has the ability to shoot fire. Example being, "Out of his mouth comes burning lights. Sparks of fire shoot out." In Job, it is a sea monster and a symbol of God’s power of creation. Livyatan is generally described by many Hebrew followers as a gigantic serpent, lurking deep in the Red Sea. Others believe he is a huge sea worm or perhaps a variation of the legendary Kraken, who hunts down foreign invaders (i.e. non-Jews who try to invade the lands of Israel by crossing the Red Sea).

Islamic culture also made references to Livyatan in its texts that it is said to be a female creature while the Behemoth is a male creature. In the Old Testament, Livyatan appears in Psalms 74:14 as a multi-headed sea serpent that is killed by God and given as food to the Hebrews in the wilderness.

The mention of the Tannins in the Genesis creation narrative (translated as "great whales" in the King James Version) and Livyatan in the Psalm do not describe them as harmful but as ocean creatures who are part of God's creation. The element of competition between God and the sea monster and the use of Livyatan to describe the powerful enemies of Israel may reflect the influence of the Mesopotamian and Canaanite legends or the contest in Egyptian mythology between Apep and the sun god Ra. Alternatively, the removal of such competition may have reflected an attempt to naturalize Livyatan in a process that demoted it from deity to demon to monster.

### Judaism

Later Jewish sources describe Livyatan as a dragon who lives over the sources of the Deep and who, along with the male land-monster Behemoth, will be served up to the righteous at the end of time. The *Book of Enoch* describes Livyatan as a female monster dwelling in the watery abyss (as Tiamat), while Behemoth is a male monster living in the desert of Dunaydin, which is east of Eden.

When the Jewish midrash (explanations of the Tanakh) were being composed, it was held that God originally produced a male and a female leviathan, but lest in multiplying the species should destroy the world, he slew the female, reserving her flesh for the banquet that will be given to the righteous on the advent of the Messiah. Rashi's commentary on Genesis 1:21 repeats the tradition:

*"The...sea monsters: The great fish in the sea, and in the words of the Aggadah (B.B. 74b), this refers to the Leviathan and its mate, for He created them male and female, and He slew the female and salted her away for the righteous in the future, for if they would propagate, the world could not exist because of them. הַתַּנִינִם is written." - Gen, Rabbah 7:4, Midrash Chaseroth V'Yetheroth, Batei Midrashoth, vol 2, p. 225.*

The final "yud", which denotes the plural, is missing, hence the implication that Livyatan did not remain two, but that its number was reduced to one. According to Abraham Isaac Kook, Livyatan – a singular creature with no mate, "its tail is placed in its mouth" (Zohar) "twisting around and encompassing the entire world" (Rashi on Baba Batra 74b) – projects a vivid metaphor for the universe's underlying unity. This unity will only be revealed in the future, when the righteous will feast on Livyatan.

In the Zohar, Livyatan is a metaphor for enlightenment. The Zohar remarks that the legend of the righteous eating the skin of Livyatan at the end of the days is not literal, and merely a metaphor for enlightenment. The Zohar also specifies in detail that Livyatan has a mate. The Zohar also associates the metaphor of Livyatan with the "tzaddik" or rightious in Zohar 2:11b and 3:58a. The Zohar associates it with the "briach" the pole in the middle of the boards of the tabernacle in Zohar 2:20a. Both, are associated with the Sefira of Yesod.

### Gnosticism

The Church Father Origen accused a Gnostic sect of venerating the biblical serpent of the Garden of Eden. Therefore, he calls them Ophites, naming after the serpent they are supposed to worship. In this belief system, Livyatan appears as an Ouroboros, separating the divine realm from humanity by enveloping or permeating the material world. We do not know whether or not the Ophites actually identified the serpent of the Garden of Eden with Livyatan.

However, since Livyatan is basically connoted negatively in this Gnostic cosmology, if they identified him with the serpent of the Book of Genesis, he was probably indeed considered evil and just its advice was good. Further, according to this Gnostic sect, after death, a soul must pass through the seven spheres of the Archons. If the soul does not succeed, it will be swallowed by a dragon-shaped archon, who holds the world captive and returns the soul into an animal body – a depiction resembling Livyatan mentioned before.

In Mandaeism, Livyatan is regarded as being co-essential with a demon called Ur. In Manichaeism, an ancient religion influenced by Gnostic ideas, Livyatan is killed by the sons of the fallen angel Shemyaza. This act is not portrayed as heroic, but as foolish, symbolizing the greatest triumphs as transient, since both are killed by archangels in turn after boasting about their victory. This reflects Manichaean criticism on royal power and advocates asceticism.

### Modern Usage

The word "leviathan" has become synonymous with any large sea monster or creature. In Modern Hebrew, the name means simply "whale." Some 19th century scholars have pragmatically interpreted it as referring to large aquatic creatures, such as the crocodile. As a term for sea monster, it has also been used of great whales in particular, e.g. in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick.

### Equivalents

Its source is in prebiblical Mesopotamian mythology, especially that of the sea monster in the Ugaritic myth of Baal. Livyatan of the Book of Job is a reflection of the older Canaanite Lotan, a primeval monster defeated by the god Baal Hadad. Parallels to the role of Mesopotamian Tiamat defeated by Marduk have long been drawn in comparative mythology, as have been wider comparisons to dragon and world serpent narratives such as Indra slaying Vrtra or Thor slaying Jörmungandr. Leviathan also figures in the Hebrew Bible as a metaphor for a powerful enemy, notably Babylon (Isaiah 27:1). Some 19th century scholars have pragmatically interpreted it as referring to large aquatic creatures, such as the crocodile. The word later came to be used as a term for "great whale", as well as for sea monsters in general.

## Quotes

*"You truly think you could defeat me? ME?! Do you even know who I am? I am the Great Empress of the Primordial Seas, master of all who dwells in the depths, one born of God's Might and the Endless Void. I am the one who was once worshipped by you mortals as divine figures of old. I AM THE LEVIATHAN! And I will make sure **none** of you fools would ever have the idea of taming me once more..." - Livyatan.*

*"If you lay a hand on it, you will remember the struggle and never do it again! Any hope of subduing it is false; the mere sight of it is overpowering. No one is fierce enough to rouse it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified; they retreat before its thrashing. The sword that reaches it has no effect, nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin. Iron it treats like straw and bronze like rotten wood. Arrows do not make it flee; slingstones are like chaff to it. A club seems to it but a piece of straw; it laughs at the rattling of the lance." - Job 41:8-29.*

*"Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many pleas to you? Will he speak to you soft words? Will he make a covenant with you to take him for your servant forever? Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you put him on a leash for your girls?" - Job 41:1-34.*

*"You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters. You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness." - Psalm 74:13-14.*

*"Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it." - Psalm 104:25-16.*

*"In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea." - Isaiah 27:1.*

## Trivia

* Livyatan has the most amount of children from the three primordial beasts.
* It is rumored that Livyatan was the one to destroy the RMS Titanic as a retort due to them saying that even God couldn't sink that boat.
* The Demon Lord Leviathan took his name from the primordial beast as a show of power and might.
* In the Midrash there's a legend that states that the giant fish which swallowed Jonah narrowly avoids being eaten by Livyatan.
* Livyatan has been identified as a crocodile, a plesiosaur, a whale or some unknown fish.