A Companion to the Valley of Wisdom

[Don Nadie]

A Companion
to the
Valley of Wisdom

(Salhin lays to rest in the cave, pre-Caliphate period)

by
Alejandro Benjázar

dedicated to the Student and the Nadiri, both gone, both missed.
I cherish the wonder we shared, together, for the first time.

[Don Nadie]

Introduction

(Salhin emerges from the cave, pre-Caliphate period)

The Valley of Wisdom is, perhaps, one of the most significant and sacred locations near the Well. According to tradition, scholarship and legend, it was there that Izdu himself taught Salhin, thus beginning the Age of the Tutelage which saw faith, wisdom and prosperity spread through the Great Ash Desert, as well as the flourishing of Ashfolk civilization.

Those who travel to the Valley, north of the Winding Canyons, will be confronted by the grand cliff walls of the Valley, and the gigantic glyphs inscribed therein. It is said these were the lessons of Izdu, written by the God's own hand in Erugitic. They are, in and by themselves, well worth the trip.

If you open this book expecting translations of them, however, I fear you will be dissapointed. Izdu teaches us that Knowledge is a Path, not a destination. We delve into Mystery and divine, in the Darkness, our own path... For only by ourselves can we earn true knowledge.

As such, I leave it to you to find your own translator, and to decypher its contents.

What this little boklet offers, however, is a brief commentary on each of the inscriptions, which I have taken to call Exhortations. Historically, of course, such inscriptions have had many names and many translations, and I may recommend Tailay bin Khaim's "Historical Approaches to the Valley of Wisdom". My commentaries intend only to spur the curiosity of those who'd make pilgrimage to see such a hidden wonder... And to help them think more deeply on what they read.

It is a sacred trip, and you will be better for it.

[Don Nadie]

The Exhortation of Wisdom

(Salhin is followed by his people, pre-Caliphate period)

First of the inscriptions as one enters from the south, and located on the eastern wall, the Exhortation of Wisdom is perhaps most sacred to the Izdur.

Ponder, as you read its words the relationships between the Heavens, Knowledge, and the Infinite.  Are we not all specks in the endless turns of the Wheel? We face the uncertainty of our position, aiming at what is infinite yet endlessly limited in the constraints of our minds, culture and circumstances.

And yet, as the Exhortation reminds us, true Knowledge is eternal, no matter the time or circumstance. The struggle, of course, is to find it. Does it teach, then, the quest for objectivity? Or perhaps the impossibility of it? I fear, oh reader, you shall have to rely on theologicians to resolve such a thorny question.

Instead, allow me to draw the attention to how the elements relate to one-another, to the way Wisdom is framed as a connection. In this exhortation, it is neither given, not granted. It emerges from the hands that toil, reaching to the farthest stars and the deepths of the heart. Consider, then what I mentioned in the introduction and remember, as you read those walls, and this booklet: always make your own effort.

[Don Nadie]

The Exhortation of Peace

(The people of Salhin celebrate, pre-Caliphate period)

Located opposite of the Exhortation of Wisdom, on the western wall, this Exhortation is the most ancient example of the noble taboo against violence. There is, in these instructions, a sharp and beautiful desire of respite from the tribulations of what was, until the Tutelage, a time of want and suffering. A world were one must and often does shed their neighbours blood, their hand forced by the very violence arround them.

The Tutor, instead, exhorts us to work towards peace and development, to build tall and beautiful and bright, to make worthy things for those who will come after. We must endeavour to spread what one has learnt, endlessly, towards the horizon. The image of Paradise as something tended and constructed by constant effort brings to mind, too, the careful hand of the Kulamites.

The lines about ignorance, however, puzzle many. Do they refer to the ignorance of the Faithful, exemplified by perhaps the B'aarat Inquisitions, who burn that which, in their orthodox thinking, we are best ignoring? Perhaps, for there are many who feel there are things best left unknown, and untouched.

I am of the opinion, however, that it speaks instead of the ignorance of violence. For it is the dream of the Tutor (the dream of every father, too) that those who come after him shall never come to know the burdens of bloodshed and war. We can only keep on hoping.

[Don Nadie]

The Exhortation of Wonder

(The jeweller, pre-Caliphate period)

Continuing north on the western wall, we find an exhortation about respite, and what it allows us to create. Reasonably, considering historical context, the world at large is conceived as a hostile place which has, for long, been navigated. The wisdom of Izdu, at last, means that there is a space to rest, a place to grow roots. It brings to mind the Storyteller, Warad, whose word connects the roads and makes civilization prosper.

Interestingly, it also teaches us the importance of rest in our travails. Think, oh stranger, are do you not contribute most to the world when you aren't weary and worn out? What wonders can any of us create, when our bellies are full and our beds warm? How many Salhins live without ever being given the opportunity to read? How many Osmans die, their lives spent not in the greatness, but in hunger and misery? Think, oh reader: of what use is a home that is not shared?

This exhortation reminds us, too, that no matter the horrors beyond, we can always craft a refuge and, in this refuge, create Beauty. There is something, in this Exhortation, of family gathered arround the fire, telling stories while the storm rages outside. The promise of peace, found in community.

[Don Nadie]

The Exhortation of Guardianship

(The Crowned Hero, pre-Caliphate period)

As we walk further north, we read an Exhortation of Guardianship, one of the most tender. Any reader familiar with the story of Salhin will inmediately recognize the references: the heavens-crowned figure being none other than Izdu, the pressing of heads being His fabled gesture.

Most interesting is, perhaps, the image of an awning. One interpretation would be the "awning" as a set of conditions, the frame within which knowledge develops. Some readers may be inclined to think of it as Fate: wisdom, and peace, can only exist when the Gods so-desire it, when the time is right. 

I believe, however, this reading ignores the wider context of the other Exhortations. The figurative use of the refuge represents, in my opinion, the frame within which Wisdom can be imparted, and shared. Without peace, without rest, there is nothing to be learned. Hence, once more, the divine mandate to create and give shelter to those who need it: the first and most indispensable step on the path towards civilization.

Thus, the Exhortation of Guardianship teaches us to teach, to find those younger and less instructed, to not only share with them, but push them forward. We create a refuge, and then we find our heirs, who shall (one hopes) continue our efforts.

[Don Nadie]

The Exhortation of Rulership

(Three Princesses, pre-Caliphate period)

A fascinating Exhortation, it appears on first reading to speak of the rulership of Caliphs, and Ashfolk culture, over the Great Ash Desert. Indeed, these words can often be found decorating the halls of Emirs, embroidered in the clothes of the nobility and its servants. For does it not give leave of all to the heirs of Salhin?

In my opinion, however, this is an extremely limited and limiting interpretation. Scholars build upon one another and so, too, does the Scholar. Instead, I suggest reading it as a representation of personal growth through personal discovery. Those who teach us provide guardrails on the path, for those who come next. At once on our own, and accompanied by those who aided us, we become transformed, and improved. Wisdom, thus conceived, is a dialogue between the ages. 

Thus, accepting wisdom means not only the responsibility to use it, but the duty to let others make their own mistake and chart their own destiny. Without the allowance of freedom, teaching becomes void. And is it not better for all to grow, and become better, than for the few to hold in their grasp wisdom? Does knowledge not grow, the more it echoes amidst the peoples and the crowds?

Understood this way, the aspiration becomes not for Ashfolk to lead and the rest to follow, but for all to become leaders. For all to reject the sword, to refuse the siren song of violence, that most unimaginative of solutions, and grow, together, into something better. The alternative (becoming reliant on others to do the violence for you, whilst keeping your hands clean) is simple a more hypocritical form of barbarism. And a worse one, perhaps, for the barbarian knows not what he should do, whereas the enlightened who lets others do barbarism for his sake should, in fact, know better.

[Don Nadie]

The Exhortation of Growth

(Wrestling Twins, pre-Caliphate period)

Growth is the theme of the Exhortation we see last, as the chasm gives way to much more constrained canyons. This is also one of the most historically fascinating Exhortations, for within we can see traces (and clues) on several historical polemics.

The reference to twins is a source of endless fascination. A more historical interpretation seems to indicate twins were once considered a good omen amidst the primitive tribes of the Ashfolk, perhaps a symbol of prosperity to come, perhaps of divine leadership. Of course, the irony of this exhortation is that, historically, the birth of Twins has not been terribly good for the Caliphate. Most famously, there is the story of Uspek and Zojhir... But even in other cases, twins often mean ambiguity in the order of succession, and thus herald the terrible Inmolation.

The city to be founded in a place of water is, of course, Al'Nasr, now known as Ephia's Well. While some archaeologists (myself included) claim it was first founded under the name "Iistu" by the Colossi, the first availible historical records are of "Bayt al-Wutun" (The Place of Idols), which Marib I shattered founding the Caliphate. Legend, however, claims that Izdu guided Salhin and his tired people to that same land, where the Waters would provide succor and respite. Scholars interested in this aspect of the region may wish to visit the Shrine of the Tutor, to the south of the Valley of Wisdom, where they may hear the tale from the lips of a Magus.

The identity of the "obscured" cities is, at least to this scholar, significantly less clear. One assumes it refers to the grand Ashfolk cities of Qa'im and Baz'eel, but there is anything but certainty in the matter. Theories have linked these with the ancient ruins of cities from the times of the Colossi, distant territories that became subjects (or, at least, fell withing the sphere of influence) of Colossi culture. As ever, we have little certainty.

Beyond the historical and realistic interpreation, a symbolic reading may prove equally illuminating. After all, in the context of evidently moral and religious wisdom, it'd be strange that the Tutor present but historical instructions. Personally, I find this Exhortation to ring true in its advice: the birth of children is ever the birth of hope, for no parent wishes to leave the world worse than he found it, for his descendants. Thus, children become in themselves an exhortation, an imperative to do better in the future, reaching further, ever-spreading knowledge and civilization. Through the burning, intrinsically human desire of doing good for our descendants, we become more than we could ever have been alone.

[Don Nadie]

The Exhortation of Loss

(Mourning Lover, pre-Caliphate period)

Most mysterious of all, the Exhortation of Loss finds itself hidden between the tighter cliffs of the Valley of Wisdom, before it leads to the Gates of Ur-Shulgi. Its content and its ambiguity, however, continue to defy any clear interpretation.

The reference to the four (a father, three sons) is an interesting image. Traditionally, Izdu the Sage is assumed to have had two children, the Twins Kamil and Gamil. The fourth (in the inscription, identified as a son) remains a mystery. Some scholars have assumed it refers to the Mother, performing a most peculiar reading that equates the roles of children and wives, but the idea of subsuming Her has been rejected by most. A heretic take in turn assumes the presence of a mysterious third "brother". Some would relate this third presence with a heretic cult hidden beneath the sands, whose carvings bring nightmares to those unfortunate enough to decypher them. The relationship between religion, history and myth remains, as ever, contentious.

Regardless of the historical base of this number (or lack thereof) the Exhortation registers a sense of diminishment, a loss. If the other Exhortations expressed the desire to go forward, and achieve, this one brings to mind the inevitable decay which, we are taught, follows the turning of the Wheel. No matter the greatness of your achievements, the heights of your civilization, an end will always come. Four will become two, will become one. Loneliness will come to haunt you. There's a end-date, to the world.

If the initial lines were puzzling, the last ones provide us with an even greater mystery. The name "Assaredu", for starters, remains untranslatable. The most common assumption is that it is another way of refering to the fabled "Assuru", a term quite familiar to those of a scholarly or exploratory bend. In this line, one may posit that "Assaredu" could be a word derived from "Assuru", perhaps an adverb derived from the noun. I am personally inclined to be cautious: similarity is too often used to fill the gaps in archaeology, a presumption that can cause no small amount of trouble. As ever, it befits us to be careful and not expect to find, literally, the last of the Magi's children residing deep beneath the center of the Disc.

The last two lines provide one final, peculiar metaphor. Marble and slate are opposite materials (in color, yes, but also in value), which leads to imagine the throne and gyre (or perhaps, spiral) are meant to be understood as opposites... Though wether this is an adversarial or complementarial opposition remains unclear. Is this the nature of Assaredu, a concept made of contrasts? Is it a literal series of structures, in the Assuru? Entire thesis could be written on the matter, but any scholar must admit they'd be based on little more than assumption. 

Personally, I prefer to dwell in the metaphorical interpretations - the Exhortations not as literal histories or descriptions, but as poetic statements. In this light, I lean towards considering the opposition of the throne (stable, center of power) and the gyre (turning everything at the same distance). What this brings to mind is a reflection upon the much-reiterated image of the Wheel: we know its spokes, we know of its turns... But what is its axis, and where does it la? Perhaps, this is the meaning of Assaredu, where the last and most central element of the Wheel, the one arround which the rest turns (Truth? Love? Fate?) resides still.

[Don Nadie]

Postscript: On the Treacheries of Translation

(The Lyre-Player, pre-Caliphate period)

"Each translator is a traitor" is a common saying in my culture. Indeed, the act of translating from one language into another is, by necessity, treacherous and imperfect. Whatever meaning an original carries, a part of it will always be lost. "Garden", in our world of Ash, brings to mind connotations of wealth and power that would've been unthinkable to anyone in the verdant times of Bel-Ishun.

When we translate the inscriptions of the Valley of Wisdom, an archaic form of the Erugitic language, we must always bear in mind our inability to bring such subtext to the fore. We know very little of the times of Salhin, and what we know is mixed with myth, orthodoxy and heresy. I have endeavoured to provide some scholarly and historical context for possible interpretations (such as the cities of the Ashfolk) but these are, ultimately, a deliberate choice on my part - and one which may well be wrong. Perhaps by linking Assuru and Assaredu, I am misleading you, reader. Perhaps, by encouraging caution in the comparison, I mislead you even more. You must endeavour to hold form your own scholarship, your own opinion. You must treat the words of everyone - even and specially masters on the field like myself - as part of a conversation, rather than unimpeacheable authority.

Remember, in sum, to mistrust my treacherous art.