The Three Elements: A Lesson From Cu

The Three Elements: A Lesson From Cu

 

Talamh, Uisce, Aer.

                           It's actually very simple, everything you have ever seen without the sight has probably been Talamh, or earth if you prefer. In a less stable state there are the Sídhe, Daoine maithe, Fomorians, etcetera. They exists in the form of Uisce or water. Their physical forms are less stable which allows them to transform and interact more easily with the third element: Aer or... well, as it sounds, air. Aer is where it gets a little confusing as the laws of the physical universe basically go out the window. Living beings that cling on after death usually do so in a state of Aer and most just dissipate as they let go of the earth. Strong spirits that cling on are able to do all number of things in this state. 

                           If they're desperate to communicate with the living then they could become a Will-o'-the-wisp, ghost or poltergeist, desperately trying to make their will known. If they're particularly strong or stubborn they can condense their Aer and create a body out of Uisce or Talamh, each having their own benefits and detriments. That took decades when the world was full of life, and centuries nowadays with all the pollution and lack of nature. The most amazing part of controlling Aer is that you can form your own Tír -a realm of your own creation where the reality of the physical world doesn't exist. It's how the Tuath Dé created Tír na nÓg where time moves differently, and the many other fairy realms that humans often find themselves spirited away to came to be. Many of the supernatural creatures have all but given up on the mortal realm and retired to their own Tír to live out the remainder of their lifespan until they no longer want to exist at all. 

                           Keep in mind, there are many forms of life that never began as Talamh either. The Fomorians began as Uisce, without any stable physical form. They may appear as part beast, elemental or entirely inhuman and could change their form at will. Some even lived whole lives as rocks, mountains, rivers, lakes, wind, plant, light, animal -many never even bother developing conscious thought and exist completely unconsciously. Their physical forms could last centuries, but it also took them much longer to create these Uisce forms from Aer. Many of the tales you hear of monsters, spirits and even those referred to as gods are Uisce, whether they began as Talamh or not. 

                           The life that was born as Aer... well I find it hard to describe them. In 3,000 years I've only met a few and they were each harrowing experiences. Imagine coming face to face with a creature that has always existed outside of time and space. Their forms appeared to me as overlapped geometric shapes that formed patterns like celtic knots. Their vision is accompanied by intense stimulus on all senses at once, and they communicate simply through their will and read your entire existence just as simply. You can go insane if they aren't gentle enough with your senses, but they can also form bodies of Uisce or Talamh of their own and even seemingly shape their own Aer to create objects within our reality. It's a good thing that they rarely find our realm interesting, as their meddling is truly that of gods among men, even conpared to the oldest of Sídhe. 

                           So, 3 elements: Talamh, Uisce and Aer. Earth, water and air. The Land, The Sea and The Sky. Solid, liquid and gas. Birth, death and rebirth. Past, present and future. That's how we think of things in Ireland, but of course there are many other belief systems about the elements, how they interact and what the "supernatural" creatures are. 3 elements, 4 elements, 5 elements. Sídhe, spirits, yaoguai. Daoine maithe, gods, immortals. I have no idea how all of this came to be and I've never met anyone who does. This is just how I've come to view this world while learning from those who came before me and discovering everything that I could along my way.