RECOVERY OF HARMATHIA (5:54)
by Eterman
, finished in 27.01.2002
"Truthfully speaking, I didn't really expect to find any such writings
amoung the archives. Reading those words was like receiving a lightning
strike. My minds was storming, thoughts running wildly.
"The words were inevitably clear, praising a forthcoming recovery, the
recovery of Harmathia, about which we had earlier read from other
documents and deeds. No earlier writings, however, considered it with
such deep manifest. I was stunned to notice how this consept
draw our earlier assumptions indubitable.
"It seemed to me that we had been right almost in all our suppositions
considering the Harmathian state and its people. It confirmed the ancient
roots of that culture as well as the magnitude of its influence during
all its years of power, which were told to be many.
"I could not, however, find answers or clues to many our questions. We
still had no idea of what happened to the Harmathians after the great
war. Neither could I even guess the meaning of this 'recovery': whether
it was a prophecy, a pact or only empty promises, which would never be
fulfilled.
"Whatever I considered those words to mean - whether promises,
treaties, prophesies, plans - I did not even know who was behind them
or whom they were written to. I still strongly believed that the concerns
of culture, politics and ethnical matters after the war had much to do
with the vow of cemeroth. I truly believed that if I could find answers
considering the fate of harmathians after the war, the answers
considering the vow would appear just as well.
"Although I was a learned man and mastered in divers languages, this
elder Rebon language, as it is named, caused me great difficulties.
I knew well how even small transitions in spoken language influenced
greatly in written language having a tendency to cause considerable
transformation with time. And after all, it had been only a few desultory
expressions in the old Semeroth prophesies that had caused numerous
misinterpretations even amougst the Logishar. The difficulty lied in the
fact that no man on earth was know to be speaking the old harmathian
language. It only existed in documents.
"Due to this lack of frequent use, the language has been almost
forgotten and while the documents written with it are few, the meanings
of many words have been almost impossible to trace.
"Some chapters appeared rather clear, but I was certain that amoung
those words many hidden meanings would lie. Reading these rather odd
phrases was like studying riddles, although I still doubt those words
were originally intented to be so cryptic. I'm full conversant with
the theories on the subject, though, and I must acknowledge the sound
reason behind those suggestions adversary to my own view.
"I progressed slowly trying to concentrate on every word I read. I
made notes and analyzed every detail with persistent reflection. My mind
was, however, soon carried away by this inspiring context the text held.
Whoever wrote those words had been a true wordwright, a true artist
having the ability to create beauty.
"The promised rise of Harmathia was particularly touching and
uplifting to read, and I could picture myself this multitude, this
noble people with firm affections and hope in future. I could picture
this frequently mentioned 'march of victories', which would bring a
prolonged, long awaited justice to this wandering people, who ever they
were.
"Then this one phrase suddenly caught my thoughts as if I had yet
again been struck by a lightning. It told about the Guard, who would at
last gain his rest. The Guard had been mentioned many times before, and
we had considered this character the protector of Semeroth, who last
had been Cimmeon, but now, suddenly, the text referred to a group of
people, which could now hold a wise rule over a marvellous southern
state without their earlier burden.
"This new information was crucial. It was like nothing I had read
before from other documents. It was stunning. The Guard would not always
refer to this one person, but sometimes, if not always, to a certain
group of people.
"And now I could see in my imagination this group of people, this
small amount of relatives. As I thought of these matters I gained
insights and great new knowledge. It must be a family living in the
southern kingdom, Saludd of course, with bonds of blood and ancient
roots. Anyone could've known the answer: Simmel in Kzar.
"The City of Kzar and its sore state of govern. The corruption and
rumors of rebellious activity. The enemy would of course rather attack
this Guard itself than sneaking past it in the night, since this option
had apparently never worked before. I wondered how long it had taken to
get to this position - to weaken this family of power to its new fragile
state. Soon the Guard would be no more, and Semeroth would be revealed.
"I had not found the answers that I had been looking for, but this new
knowledge might be yet much more important. It might prove central, in
this quest, to make some connection with Simmel - to recover this new
brach of the vow. It seemed that there were a great deal more of these
branches than we had first thought. Cimmeon had surely held some
knowledge of these matters, but he had been long gone and now we were
compelled into the effort of rather hastily salving all of this precious
information."
Another Land of Whispers -theme finished. The work proceeds
indeed, although there have been times when I've been rather doubtfull.
That final part (orders 21-27) I find interesting, because the structure
is indeed the kind that I've imagined used in ancient Harmathia. It's a
relatively easy basis (the rhythm and style mostly) for musical
progression, but while promoting free subjective expression, it allows
swift changes and even complex transitions in chording.
And yes, that piccolo solo at orders 24-25 is actually possible to be
played. It may cause difficulties with the breath (it quite surely
would), but with the right technique, it can be played correctly.
hmm... have to admit that in this song my method of structurizing is not
in its finest. I've always preferred a coherent structure over a
disjointed entity of separate parts. And even though my parts are not
separate in harmonic sense, they are not properly connected into each
other. Allowing myself to create these parts may have hindered me from
using my developing method of structurizing the way I've recently gotten
acquainted with. But what's done is done: the musical growth is complete
now and there's nothing I can do about it anymore. (I don't know if I
really do believe in that, but I don't have much better excuses anyway.)
The Land of Whispers -series contain:
Land of Whispers
Shelter
Northern Shimmer
Knights of Whispers
Recovery of Harmathia
No, the series is not complete.
Various aspects shall yet be
presented.
-Harri Kivisto
eterman@writeme.com