When the Sun hideth behind the horizon and the Blue Heaven is losing its opacity, and therefore the Black Heaven sown with silver stars beginneth to be seen through it, then above on the northern sky thou can see five stars in the shape of bird's footprint.
It is said that at the beginning the Creator made a swan or a crane or another noble bird, and it laid an egg, and the eggshell became the Firmament, and the albumen became the Air, and the yolk became the Earth, and that the five stars are the footprint of that bird on that egg. But this is only a folk tale, because the footprint is too small for an egg so big.
And as the Sun sinketh deeper into the underworld, other two stars appear, and the altered shape remindeth thee something familiar, and then thou becomest aware that what thou held for a bird's foot is in fact a human hand. And this time the size fits, as thou can see when thou stretchest thy arm and wilt observe the stars at the tips of thy fingers.
And if thou art not a woman, then thou may notice that to thy ring finger the star is more close than the stars at thy middle and little finger, and this will be a sign to thee that this constelatiton is an imprint of the hand of the Lady rather than of the Lord, because women have their index finger longer than their ring finger, whereas men have their ring finger longer than their index finger.
And in those evenings when the sky is veiled in clouds and he holy stars cannot be seen, and in winter evenings when the starry fingers direct down and only before dawn they rise to suitable orientation, then take this scroll and read the holy words revealed by ancient prophets:
In the first book of holy hand, there is described the begin of the earth and of the heavens above it; also their upheaving and decorating. - It hath 2 chapters.
Creating of the earth and the heavens, 3. their
upheaving from the earth.
1:1 At the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
1:2 And the heavens were so low above the earth that humans were not able to walk uprightly and they had to crawl on four limbs like beasts.
1:3 And God saw that it was bad.
1:4 Then God said: Be there a wide space between the heavens and the earth and divide the heavens from the earth.
1:5 And the Lady put her right hand on the heavens and made that wide space between the heavens and the earth, and divided the heavens from the earth. And it was so.
1:6 And God saw that it was good.
Creating of stars, 3. their names. 12. Decorating
of heavens.
2:1 And so the heavens are upheaved farther from the earth in the day when the Lady put her right hand on the heavens.
2:2 And where Lady's fingers touched the heavens, there came into being stars.
2:3 And the name of one star is Thuban or Alpha of the Dragon; it was created by her thumb.
2:4 It is the one around which the sky formerly revolved.
2:5 And the name of the second star is Edasich or Jota of the Dragon; it was created by her index finger.
2:6 And the name of the third star is Theta of the Dragon; it was created by her middle finger.
2:7 And the name of the fourth star is Aldhibain or Eta of the Dragon; it was created by her ring finger.
2:8 And the fifth star is Aldhibah or Zeta of the Dragon.
2:9 And the stars created by her wrist are Gamma and Beta of the Lesser Bear.
2:10 And so she had seven stars under her right hand. (John 1:16)
2:11 And God saw the stars, that they were beautiful.
2:12 And God said again: Be there more images made of stars on the heavens to be signs of the events that shall happen. And it was so.
It narrates about the holy land and its protection. - And it hath two chapters.
Creating of valleys and rivers, 5. their names.
13. Blessing and hallowing. 14. Creating of the dragon,
16. his sleep 20. and future awakening.
1:1 And so the heavens were decorated, but the earth remained yet smooth and dry.
1:2 Then God said: Be there valleys on the earth and be there rivers flowing in them.
1:2 And the Lady's Fame put his left hand on the earth, and impressed it into the surface of the earth.
1:4 And where his fingers touched the earth, there came into being valleys with rivers.
1:5 And the name of one river is Shot; it flows in the valley created by his thumb.
1:6 And the name of the second river is Mizzlia; it flows in the valley created by his index finger, where there is silver.
1:7 And the silver of this valey is excellent.
1:8 And the name of the third river is the River of the Red Raven; it flows in the valley created by his middle finger.
1:9 And the name of the fourth river is Anglewater; it flows in the valley created by his ring finger.
1:10 And the fifth river is Beardwater.
1:11 And the river flowing in the valley created by his wrist is Bear river.
1:12 And so he had six valleys with rivers under his hand.
1:13 And God blessed the six valleys with rivers and sanctified them because they came into being in the day when he put his hand on the earth.
1:14 And God made also a great winged dragon and stood him to guard the holy land of six valleys and rivers.
1:15 And while the dragon was awake, the holy land lived in peace and safety.
1:16 But after many years the dragon became weary, and he fell asleep.
1:17 And a creature so great sleepeth very long, and during many years the wind covered his body with thick layer of dust, and a dense forest had grown on that dust.
1:18 And so the dragon sleepeth under the Mountains of Boars, and he hath his wings folded under the Forest of Goats, and his tail is under the Hills of Crayfish.
1:19 And the defense of the holy land remained only in hands of its dwellers, but the holiness of their home gives them such strength that they many times defeated even enemies more numerous than were themselves.
1:20 And when the holy land will be in the worst danger, then the dragon will awake again and will punish all enemies.
Heavenly and earthly hand, 2. dragon, 3. bear 4.
and centre. 5. Emerald Tablet.
2:1 So there is the holy constellation Right Hand near the centre of northern sky and there is the holy shire Left Hand near the centre of the northern land.
2:2 And as the constellation of the Dragon surroundeth the Finger Stars, so the Dragon Mountains surround the Finger Valleys.
2:3 And as the constellation of the Lesser Bear lieth along the Wrist Stars, so the Bear Hills lie along the Wrist Valey.
2:4 And as the centre of the sky moved from the Lady's Thumb to the Tip of Lesser Bear's tail, so the capital of Hexapotamia moved from the Mount Ruler to the mouth of the Bear river.
2:5 And so it is fulfilled what is written on the Emerald Tablet: That which is below is like that which is above and that which is above is like that which is below.
Geographic commentaryVarious names hath been given to this land, some rightly and some in error. For many it became a fabulous land and its name and position was confused with the names and positions of other mythical lands.
It is known that the Lands of Both Dragon's Flanks are surrounded by waters on all four sides, but some sources mention that at northwest, there is a very narrow isthmus, connecting them with another land. Also it is said that the waters, which connect the southmost part of the east coast with the eastmost part of the south coast, are a man-made channel.
We can take for granted, that the west coast is about sixty nautical miles wide and the east coast is two times wider and reacheth half degree farther both to north and to south. The length between these coasts is about two and half degree, which in these latitudes correspondeth to about one hundred nautical miles. But whereas the latitudes can be measured with simple devices, the longitudes were mere estimations before the invention of a precise chronometer. Therefore it is quite common that many islands, which are drawn on some maps far on the west, are placed by other er much more eastward.
The oldest record of a voyage to the coast ot the Land of Dragon's Right Flank says:
First we sailed nine degrees westward, then northward along the westmost coast of our continent, then back eastward, and at last again northward up to the mouth of a great river at the 45th degree. There we left the ship suitable for sailing along the coast, and on the board of another ship we left the coast and voyaged first ten degrees westward, then three degrees northward, then five degrees again westward up to the southeast corner of the Land of Dragon's Right Flank, and then along its south coast half degree westward up to the Awesome Fortress, and at last one and half degree to the Queen's City, which lieth on the 49th parallel.
It was usually concluded that this voyage started in Cartagena, and that the mentioned great river is thus Garonne. This agreeth with later statements that the southeast cape is 14 degrees from Greenwich.
But the ships sailing along the fiftieth parallel westward beyond the Land's End do not find any dry land until they reach the distant shores of Stockfishland. And so some say that what we see on the northern sky is not a mere mirror image of the lights of its splendid cities, but the very holy land taken from the earth and moved onto the heavens, not accessible now for mortals who cannot sail on the waters which cover the outer surface of the crystal vault of the sky. But the Wise know that the holy land is still on the earth and the old description of the way to its shores is still valid for those who know where it begineth.