Chapter 152.2
Mythological Pretense
By the way, stories of gods creating monsters are found in various myths.
In Greek mythology, the primordial goddess Gaia married her son, the sky god Uranus. She gave birth not only to titans like Cronus but also to monsters and demons like the Cyclopes, Hecatoncheires, Gigantes, and even the greatest and most powerful monster in Greek mythology, Typhon.
That might serve as a cautionary tale against both genetically and ethically questionable practices like parent-child incest. Additionally, Uranus, being rather promiscuous and indulgent, ended up having his genitals cut off by his son Cronus.
On the other hand, Gaia, the primordial goddess, represents the Earth itself.
So, while she gave birth to gods as symbols of the blessings of nature, she also bore monsters as representations of the terrifying threats of nature, which makes sense both logically and symbolically.
In another instance, in Christian mythology, when the first human woman Lilith, refused to obey God, the angry deity cursed her terribly, saying, [You shall bear children every day and devour those you have borne!] before banishing her.
That prompted even the angels who watched Lilith repeat this heartbreaking act every day to feel perplexed.
[Isn't this going too far…] they thought, and thus they softened the curse placed upon Lilith. However, it was too late, and Lilith, who had completely fallen into madness and darkness, armed with the skill of [Prolific Reproduction] granted by the curse, became a demon seeking revenge against God by giving birth to countless monsters through intercourse and mating with various demons.
Hmm, well, this is more a matter of cause and effect rather than gods creating monsters, but in terms of [gods creating monsters], it's close.
That said, when considering Lilith, whose existence can be traced back to Sumerian or Babylonian sources, and whose identity as Adam's wife seems to have been added later, the truth about her is murky.
Hmm? Come to think of it, are there surprisingly few instances of gods creating monsters? Even the Minotaur and the Gorgon sisters were transformed into monsters from humans by divine curses.
However, in Japanese mythology, while Izanagi's children, Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susano'o, were welcomed as the next generation of leaders, Fenrir, and his siblings, born of Loki, were abhorred as bringers of disaster. Both parents were single male deities, making it quite ironic.
But, returning to the point, there is another reason for considering Fenrir and his siblings as ordinary gods.
That's because Odin, the chief god of Norse mythology, is also a half-giant.
This is because the god Bor, born abruptly in the Ginnungagap, married the giantess Bestla, daughter of the frost giant Bölthorn, and bore Odin, Vili, and Vé, the three powerful gods.
In other words, even the eccentric and bizarre old man known as Odin was born from a giant's womb.
However, afterward, Odin, with his powerful brothers, killed his grandfather, the primordial giant Ymir, because he was making too much noise and being a nuisance. And so, they said, [Shut up already! You old geezer!!] and killed him.
Thus, fearing Odin's achievements and his strength, and probably because most gods have some giant blood in them, the other gods didn't say anything about Odin having giant blood.
However, as the power balance shifted to "gods > giants", the increasingly arrogant gods grew to hate the giants more.
Therefore, despite their bloodline, Fenrir and his siblings, who probably had the strongest giant blood at the time, were likely targets of the gods' animosity.
Fenrir, was ridiculed by the gods as [rough and violent, just like a little wolf], even though his appearance didn't change much. And Jormungandr, who, because of his slightly larger build and reptilian face, might have been disliked by his relatives like an annoying cousin, was probably severely bullied.
On the other hand, since they were all children of gods, they might have actually been able to transform into wolves or giant serpents. Odin himself often transforms into snakes or eagles.
But well, labeling Fenrir as [the supreme monster among wolf-type monsters] might be a bit forced.
If that were the case, since Fenrir swallows Odin during Ragnarok, it would mean [Fenrir > Odin], which is going too far.
However, some tales suggest Fenrir's lineage continued through a female giant in Jotunheim and a human man in Midgard, resulting in the birth of Sköll and Hati, wolves that chase the sun and the moon. So, Fenris may have his descendants species.
"Hm…? Wait, have you been watching me since you woke up?"
"Yeah, you looked cute."
"Hehe… good morning~♪ (kiss)"
As Machi, who had woken up, realized that she had been seen sleeping, she gave me a shy smile and a kiss. A warm kiss that made my heart melt.
But still, was it a dream about becoming Fenrir?
If I were Fenrir, Shizu would be the lucky goddess who greatly changed my fate, and Ruu would be the goddess who spun the thread of destiny, like Verdandi, Urd, and Skuld.
"Hmm…"
"Mm…"
It seems my goddesses are about to wake up soon, so, what should we have for breakfast?