Dinner before books... (Open)

[Cavan Mikal Weiss]

((Coming from... www.ragedsyphers.proboards100.com/index.cgi?board=forbiddenforest&action=display&thread=1200758015&page=1))

Cavan’s main reason for going of on tangents when he spoke was a combination of what muggles called ADHD, which was simply the inability to focus on only one thing at a time, and a large amount of normally unreleased hyperactivity. His parents made sure as a child that he got plenty of exercise, burning off his hyperactivity each day. He still dealt with it by being up extremely early for jog, which involved a lot of tripping, along with things throughout the day that kept him calm enough. As for being unable to concentrate, he’d mastered that some time ago. Now he could do his homework while translating, as long as no one tried to speak with him, and he had his spelled headset on to play classical music. His other reasoning for the tangents being, when he really enjoyed a subject he could go on for hours, comparing it and contrasting it with other subjects.

"Tell me more about the myths. Was there one in particular that you found more interesting? As you are likely aware, myths tend to be a very complex blending of fact and fiction... and often, even more fact melded into metaphor. Of course, for anyone not accustomed to reading them objectively, it was hard to discern what was fact and what was fiction.”

He listened to her, contemplating where to being his description, smiling as he noticed she was beginning to go off on her own tangent. He enjoyed listening to her speak about something he could tell she loved as much as he and his mother did, language and history. It seemed right that she let herself go a little, even if it was just in words, because she seemed to have a sad soul and it didn’t seem fair some how, though he knew not why this would be.

"Of course, the Akkadian language is quite ancient. And it is originated in the Fertile Crescent, so there are many ancient concepts, images, and stories which had melded with our own folklore today. Ancient creation myths... flood stories... they managed to wend their way into the tales of the ancient Israelites and their own folklore. Those, in turn, found there way into the Bible. So then, from the Judeo-Christian traditions, they were widely disseminated. Even those who do not follow one of those monotheistic traditions are typically familiar with the stories, due to their prevalence. And now I have run away with your comment. Please continue."

As she finished speaking, they came to the doors of the Great Hall, standing wide open in preparation for the arrival of students for dinner. Before deciding to answer her question and go off on his only speech, he thought it best to decide where they’d sit. “Your table or mine?” he asked cheekily, grinning from ear to ear partly from his little joke and partly for enjoying her speech. Once they were seated he’d figure out which myth to speak about first.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah thought about his question for a moment. Neither option seemed particularly more desirable than the other. One table was just as good as the other... but then, even her fellow Ravenclaws seemed to think her rather odd and a bit too dedicated to her own private, secretive research. While the environment here at Hogwarts was nowhere near as difficult as things had been back home, at Falstaff's, she did still experience mild bouts of the same derision by her peers as she had there from time to time. "Perhaps your table would be nice... an interesting change of pace," she decided finally.

She smirked slightly. "Lead the way gallant Sir Weiss."

D'rorah once again allowed Cavan the leading step, waiting to fall into step with him. As they made their way towards the Hufflepuff table, she glanced at the Great Hall around them. She had spent so little time in this room during her time at Hogwarts. It wasn't that she was averse to eating, she simply was of a mind to become so absorbed in her work that the concern would completely slip her mind. Actually, she supposed Cavan's initial suggestion of dinner was a good thing, all in all. It had gotten her away from the Forbidden Forest and out of her books for a few moments.

She gestured to an end of the table that was, as yet, empty. "Perhaps we could sit there?" she suggested, figuring it would be nice to have a conversation away from the general hubbub of the table. Or perhaps she simply, as usual, didn't wish to be in the company of a throng of people. Either way, it looked like the best place to her.

[Cavan Mikal Weiss]

"Perhaps your table would be nice... an interesting change of pace. Lead the way gallant Sir Weiss."

He giggled again, smiling as he led her toward his table. He noticed that there still weren't many students there yet and was glad to see that his spot was still open. It was every day when he attended dinner and didn't just grab something from the kitchens when he had time.

"Perhaps we could sit there?"

Cavan grinned, seeing that she was speaking about it normal spot at the table. "An excellent choice Lady Philosophy, if I didn't know better I would say you were psychic, for I was thinking about the same spot." He paused beside the end of the table, releasing her arm so she could seat herself. Her then took the seat beside her, not wanting to have to talk across the large table. "Well there were two myths that really caught my eye, one still lives today, though in a different way, and the other is such a wonderful idea it won't leave me." He smiled, settling into his, ready to tell her both tales once she was also comfortable.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah settled into the chair next to Cavan, never abandoning her normal, very straight and formal posture. She smirked at bit at his assertion that she must be psychic, something to along the lines of, no, but I am a mind reader, coming to mind. However, she stifled that witticism, knowing that it would be far from helpful. As it was, far too many people knew of her telepathy... it only took one person making an unintended remark for that prejudice against her kind to assert itself within the walls of Hogwarts.

Hearing that he had been particularly captured by two of the myths, she turned her attention to him as she surveyed the offerings before her for dinner. As always, the house elves had placed quite a spread before them... and as always, it seemed to be the usual sausages and meat pies, none of which she would touch. Reaching for a nearby bowl of mashed potatoes, she served a modest portion onto her plate, along with a small pile of neglected green beans which didn't appear to be the favorites of any of the students. Suddenly, she remembered why she would usually rather study than bother with the Great Hall for meals. At least this time there was an intelligent person to converse with to make the experience bearable.

"So, which two myths were those, Mister Weiss?" she asked as she unenthusiastically forked her potatoes and raised them to her lips. The swallowed the grey lump of starch, thinking to herself that she would do nearly anything for a bit of Falafel or even some sort of interesting pasta dish. She took a few bites as Cavan spoke before finally giving up and setting her fork aside. It would be far more interesting to give him her full attention anyway.

[Cavan Mikal Weiss]

He noticed as they settled into their chairs, D'rorah continued her normal, very straight and formal posture. Cavan couldn't help wondering if she'd been raised by people who felt the need to have perfect posture and impeccable manners. He knew his mom would laugh and tell her they wouldn't bite, that she should relax and he silently wondered how D'rorah would react if someone told her that.

Cavan was about to begin his explanation when he realized that the dinner menu hadn't changed a bit since he'd asks the elves to slip in something a little more nutritious. He wrinkles his nose trying to find something that he could work with. Finally he followed her example and places a bit of mashed potatoes and green beans on his plate. He nibbled at the green beans as he thought about how to make the food more enjoyable. One taste of the mashed potatoes and he was re-mashing them himself and pulling out a small pouch filled with vials. One was filled with a white powdery substance. He was quick to sprinkle some of it on the potatoes along with more butter which was out for the bread. Another held what looked to be fresh diced chives, which he also added a bit to his plate as well. He then pulled out two small boxes from the pouch and moved two little tan cubes from one box to the other before putting the first box back in the pouch. He tapped the second box with his wand and mumbled something softly under his breath. Then he dumped the two cubes, which were now steaming onto a large empty space on his place.

Finally done, he looked back to D'rorah, "The food needs some help, will you let me fix it?" He asked as he put the second box away, leaving only the two vials out. He had noticed during his revamping of his plate, she had set her fork down, and he'd brought her here to eat, and that what she would do if Cavan had anything to say about it. His own plate looked much more appetizing, the potatoes where better mashed, much more white, with chives sprinted on them, and something smelled like grilled chicken.

"So, which two myths were those, Mister Weiss?"

"Well, the first one is my favorite, though I haven't heard much of it in more recent times. It is about the apsu, not the God but an underground freshwater ocean that lakes, rivers, springs, wells and other freshwater were thought to be drawn from. It is said that Ea or Enki lived there before humans were created with his Damgalnuna, his mother Nammu, his adviser Isimud and a variety of subservient creatures. My favorite creature is Lahmu, the gate keeper and twin brother to Lahamu, both first-born children of Apsu and Tiamat. The only thing I don't like about them is they are the parent's of Anshar and Kishar, the sky father and earth mother...." He paused taking a drink and going over what he'd already said so that he could keep himself from rambling overmuch.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah watched as Cavan took his own bleak meal well in-hand. Unsure of what the brown cube was, she shook her head slightly. She didn't feel particularly like explaining the vagaries of vegetarianism when she could be having conversation anyway. "No, thank you. I suppose I really was not terribly hungry in any case."

She listened quietly as Cavan began relaying the tales he had read in his Akkadian book of myths. "Yes, and then Anshar and Kishar were the parents of Anu, the supreme heaven god," she replied, nodding. And then Anu and Nitu bore Enil, Ishtar, and Ea. But I wonder, what do you not like about Apsu and Tiamat being the parents of Anshar and Kishar? That is an interesting preference."

She watched him as he spoke, noting that he had not only translated the story, but had so far come to really grasp it. She had never found geneaologies all that interesting and had to pay specific attention to them in order to learn them. So and so begetting so and so, begot so and so... it all became a bit tedious after a while. Though, knowledge of family lineage did sometimes add interesting insight into a story.

[Cavan Mikal Weiss]

"No, thank you. I suppose I really was not terribly hungry in any case."

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to try my tofu or some garlic salt on your potatoes? Hungry or not, you really should eat a little." He shifted in his seat a little tapping the cubes lightly and mumbling again, which caused them to grow to the size of a chicken breast, there sat toficken. (not actual sure of anything except tofurkey, so yeah... but I have had tofu that tastes of chicken.... )

"Yes, and then Anshar and Kishar were the parents of Anu, the supreme heaven god. And then Anu and Nitu bore Enil, Ishtar, and Ea. But I wonder, what do you not like about Apsu and Tiamat being the parents of Anshar and Kishar? That is an interesting preference."

"Oh, well when you put it that way there's nothing wrong with it. But the way the book says it, it makes it sound like Lahmu and Lahamu are Anshar and Kishar's parents, which is... well just wrong..." He wrinkled his nose at the thought of insest before shaking his head and taking a bite of his potatoes and green beans at once. After finishing the bite, he continued with his thoughts. "I must have mistranslated something, unless my book has a sick sense of humour. But I really like the idea that freshwater all over the world came from an underground ocean. I think it would be a very pretty place."

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah quirked her head as Cavan mentioned tofu. She hadn't had any idea that he was a vegetarian. When she had first arrived, she had been the only one... and while the house elves had at first been accommodating, she supposed it wasn't too difficult to allow the preferences of a single student fall to the wayside in the midst of cooking dinner for the entire rest of the student body. "Perhaps just a bit of... fixing..." she conceded. "Thank you." In truth, she was ravenously hungry... she never had gotten the hang of regularly attending to mealtimes with her mother or father to pull her out of her books and into the dining room.

"You are correct: Lamah and Lamahu were indeed brother and sister, according to the story. I would have to agree that incest is an improper form of relationship. However, in the time it was written, it seems to be somewhat common. There are examples of incestuous relationships throughout the early creation narratives of many peoples in the ancient peoples. No, you have not mistranslated anything there." She listened as he continued on about the freshwater coming from an underground ocean. "I am certain it must be quite lovely, considering it was the dwelling place of a god. Of course, then the narrative continues." She smirked slightly. "The gods were too... noisy. Can you imagine parents deciding to kill all of their offspring for a bit of noisiness? I daresay the population would be greatly reduced. And eventually, through much turmoil and unrest, Marduk creates the earth from the slain body of Tiamat."

[Cavan Mikal Weiss]

"Perhaps just a bit of... fixing... Thank you."

Cavan pushed his plate to the side as he took her own to fix it, smiling knowingly when she’d suddenly changed her mind, realizing what he was eating. He wasn’t a vegetarian, he just loved Tofu as much as any other food, but he could spot one, he’d have to write his mother to send more tofu, and veggie ‘meat’s. In the meantime, he’d fix this meal up, “Did you want the garlic salt and the chives on your potatoes D’rorah?” He asked as he moved on of the toficken breast onto her plate.

"You are correct: Lamah and Lamahu were indeed brother and sister, according to the story. I would have to agree that incest is an improper form of relationship. However, in the time it was written, it seems to be somewhat common. There are examples of incestuous relationships throughout the early creation narratives of many peoples in the ancient peoples. No, you have not mistranslated anything there. I am certain it must be quite lovely, considering it was the dwelling place of a god. Of course, then the narrative continues. The gods were too... noisy. Can you imagine parents deciding to kill all of their offspring for a bit of noisiness? I daresay the population would be greatly reduced. And eventually, through much turmoil and unrest, Marduk creates the earth from the slain body of Tiamat."

He wrinkled his nose at the knowledge that incest, at least in myths, was common in ancient times. He nodded agreeing with her assessment that killing noisy children would indeed cause a drastic population drop. “I can’t imagine anyone wanting to kill their children because of them being noisy. I mean, my mom will make us play in the yard, or bother our dad when we’re too noisy and she’s trying to write. I don’t suppose she’d even get that annoyed. But then again, when she tells us we’re too loud, we quiet down, I wonder if Apsu and Tiamat asked their offspring to be quieter before they started plotting their deaths…”

[D'rorah Philosophy]

“Did you want the garlic salt and the chives on your potatoes D’rorah?”

"Yes, garlic salt and chives would be very nice, thank you," she replied agreeably. It was odd to have someone catering to her whims. Actually, even more than catering to her whims, Cavan was trying to anticipate her needs and look out for her. It was almost as though he had taken on a brotherly role of sort herself. At least, she assumed that's what it was like... she had never had a brother herself.

“I can’t imagine anyone wanting to kill their children because of them being noisy. I mean, my mom will make us play in the yard, or bother our dad when we’re too noisy and she’s trying to write. I don’t suppose she’d even get that annoyed. But then again, when she tells us we’re too loud, we quiet down, I wonder if Apsu and Tiamat asked their offspring to be quieter before they started plotting their deaths…”

She nodded slightly. "I do not believe the legends state anything about them asking the other gods to be quiet. Of course, we know that they were not successful in their wish to kill the other gods," she remarked off-hand. "All too often, I suppose it seems to easier to simply assume someone will not comply with a request than to go to all the trouble of asking," she added in a wry tone of voice."

"So then, what other myth did you enjoy? You mentioned there were two? I am quite curious to hear that the other might be. Actually..." she shook her head slightly, realizing she was getting somewhat ahead of herself. "I would first be interested to hear what it was of the first one that held your fascination. Overall, it is a fascinating story. Did you know that a derivation of the name Tiamat appears in the book of Genesis in the Bible? It is written in as tehom... the Deep. Of course, not everyone agrees that tehom is a derivation of Tiamat, but it is an interesting insertion. We see that so many ancient near Eastern creation myths are very intertwined and informed by one another."

[Cavan Mikal Weiss]

"Yes, garlic salt and chives would be very nice, thank you."

Cavan was quick to do exactly what he'd done to his own plate to hers, making it look all the more appetizing than it had before. When he was done, he returned her plate to her and put his dinner 'fixing' supplies away with a smile. "See how you like it now D'rorah," he coaxed, taking another bite from his plate before continuing his discussion.

"I do not believe the legends state anything about them asking the other gods to be quiet. Of course, we know that they were not successful in their wish to kill the other gods. All too often, I suppose it seems to easier to simply assume someone will not comply with a request than to go to all the trouble of asking."

He nodded agreeing that more often than not, people tended to take the easy way rather than the right way. He found that the easy way and procrastination tended to point toward laziness, which was becoming more and more common in both muggles and wizards. "Sadly I think a lot of people find it so. There is a muggle saying my mother uses a lot about assuming, or rather to assume. It's very clever but I can't repeat it, as I'd rather not start being rude. It's a rather hard habit to break I've heard."

"So then, what other myth did you enjoy? You mentioned there were two? I am quite curious to hear that the other might be. Actually... I would first be interested to hear what it was of the first one that held your fascination. Overall, it is a fascinating story. Did you know that a derivation of the name Tiamat appears in the book of Genesis in the Bible? It is written in as tehom... the Deep. Of course, not everyone agrees that tehom is a derivation of Tiamat, but it is an interesting insertion. We see that so many ancient near Eastern creation myths are very intertwined and informed by one another."

Cavan found himself giggling at D'rorah, she was as excitable as himself when given the right subject and he could almost see the tension in her body, like a coil pulled tight, ready to jump up at the conversation. "The first one grabbed my attention because it's one of those wonderful things that could be true. There could be freshwater under the seas and oceans. Perhaps not in the oceans themselves, but in the ground below maybe. Or maybe just a few feet above the ocean floors in the deepest places, where molten lava flows just a few feet below the surface... But also because I've always wondered what mer-folk cities are like, and I suppose in a way, Ea and his family could be mer-folk."

Cavan took a few more bites and then continued once more. "I didn't realize Tiamat was mentioned in the Bible. But that doesn't really surprise me. The other myth that caught my attention is also mentioned in the Bible."

[D'rorah Philosophy]

At Cavan's bidding, D'rorah tried another bit of her dinner. She ate it slowly, as though she were savoring the taste. "Much better, Mister Weiss. Thank you very much." She laughed slightly to herself. "It is rather refreshing to eat something with some sort of pleasant flavor. It seems the house elves most interesting endeavors are in the realm of meat and meat products."

She listened as he continued on, truly impressed by his level of scholarship. "Ah, the other is mentioned in the Bible as well? Can I assume, perhaps, that you are referring to the Atrahasis? Another ancient flood story, paralleled to the Noah story in the bible? There are quite a few parallels. I suppose that is invevitable, considering that the stories of ancient Mesopotamia formed the background for the world of those who originally began passing along the stories of the Bible."

She continued slowly eating the meal before her, taking her time so as to make her first pleasant meal in quite some time last awhile. She backed off of the conversation just a bit, so as to allow Cavan more room to freely express himself. She realized she had falled into her usual mode of lecturing on subjects which interested her, and she wasn't here to lecture... she was here to find out what he had learned.

[Cavan Mikal Weiss]

"Much better, Mister Weiss. Thank you very much. It is rather refreshing to eat something with some sort of pleasant flavor. It seems the house elves most interesting endeavors are in the realm of meat and meat products."

Cavan nodded, "My mom likes to eat a well balanced meal, and my dad has been taking care of animals for so long that meat wasn't a big thing growing up. Cooking and being able to make almost anything not just edible but delicious was up there however. I'm glad you like it, it's a little harder making something tasty for another person. I'm sure the elves are trying to please the majority of students. I've asked them to make something a little, healthier, or perhaps less meaty, but they seemed to be one minded."

"Ah, the other is mentioned in the Bible as well? Can I assume, perhaps, that you are referring to the Atrahasis? Another ancient flood story, paralleled to the Noah story in the bible? There are quite a few parallels. I suppose that is invevitable, considering that the stories of ancient Mesopotamia formed the background for the world of those who originally began passing along the stories of the Bible."

Cavan laughed, nearly choking on a bite of food he'd just taken. "You amaze me D'rorah, you seem to know my tastes in mythology as well as you know which wand would suit me best. You are truly a reader of people. Yes, I was thinking of the story of Atrahasis. Told by Ea to build a boat to escaping the flooding of the river. He cut the mooring and floated into the Persian Gulf. It is amazing that so many people took that story and made it their own. I suppose that floods seemed far greater in the past than they do now, and more a force of Gods than nature... which are more one in the same... " He found himself smiling brightly as he saw her trying not to dominate the conversation.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah nodded as Cavan confirmed her guess about Atrahasis. "Well, I seem to come across history so often in my day-to-day dealings with research and such that I have a thorough knowledge of all of these ancient stories and myths. When you mentioned that the second was also in the Bible, Atrahasis seemed to be the most logical conclusion. The "Noah" character, Utnapishtim, also appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh seeks him to out discover the secret of eternal life, which was supposedly granted to him by the gods after the flood. Utnapishtim gives Gilgamesh a plant which restores youth, but it is stolen from him by a snake, which sheds its skin and leaves. Gilgamesh then returns from his travels empty-handed." She shook her head slightly, realizing she had again run away with the conversation. "But then, the Atrahasis itself is its own interesting story."

"All of these ancient Near Eastern creation stories have so many intertwined themes that it seems only to make sense to study them all together." She took another forkful of her potatoes, surprised that she was finishing her dinner rather more quickly than she wished. Perhaps though, the actual problem was that there was far less food than hunger. She scanned the table, looking to see if there might be anything she had missed before that was appetizing. Spying nothing, she returned her full attention to Cavan, waiting quietly for him to continue where she had stepped in.

[Cavan Mikal Weiss]

"Well, I seem to come across history so often in my day-to-day dealings with research and such that I have a thorough knowledge of all of these ancient stories and myths. When you mentioned that the second was also in the Bible, Atrahasis seemed to be the most logical conclusion. The "Noah" character, Utnapishtim, also appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh seeks him to out discover the secret of eternal life, which was supposedly granted to him by the gods after the flood. Utnapishtim gives Gilgamesh a plant which restores youth, but it is stolen from him by a snake, which sheds its skin and leaves. Gilgamesh then returns from his travels empty-handed. But then, the Atrahasis itself is its own interesting story."

Cavan nodded listening intently, this is what he loved, discussing various scholarly topics with someone who actually understood what he meant. D’rorah was definitely the older sister he’d never had, and because of that, he’d do everything in his power to accommodate her needs and wishes. He grinned as she went off on her explainations again, he was loving it, even if she was trying not to. “I didn’t realize there was a ‘Noah’ character in the Epic of Gilamesh… but then I haven’t really had a chance to read much of it. It was only briefly mentioned in my book, and then only about Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the Cedar Forest and the civilizing of Enkidu.” He realized he’d gone of track and stopped, turning back to where the conversation had started, “I wonder if there couldn’t have been a world wide flood… When we lived in the United States, we often visited Native American reservations and they told us stories. There was one about a world wide flood. All I know if it must have been very difficult for a muggle.”

"All of these ancient Near Eastern creation stories have so many intertwined themes that it seems only to make sense to study them all together."

Cavan noticed that considering how much they were talking, both their plates were emptying rather quickly and that D’rorah was assessing the table’s contents. “I have more tofu if you’d like, but I think desert should be soon and I don’t think there is much meat in those. He smiled kindly, taking another bite of his own food thinking of all they’d talked about and all that they would talk about the next day when they started on his Aramaic.