A BRIEF WORD ON THE CHRONICLE OF CAINE
It is unimportant that this part of the Book of Nod is not comparatively accurate with the standard biblical canon. What is important is that we have, perhaps for the first time, a personal viewpoint on the events surrounding the days after the Fall. Caine tells us in his own words what his motives were, and although it is quite possible that this story exists only to shape our idea of him, we can assume that there must be some element of the truth in his tale. His account is, after all, the only eyewitness report we have to rely upon.
Ah, our dear Father. In some Islamic myths, the translated Satan figure is thrown from Heaven not because he hates mankind, but because he loves God too much to bow to any other but God, and he will not serve man. It is perhaps that Caine shares in this love: he so loves his brother that he cannot think of any other worthy sacrifice to the One Above. Surely Caine could not have had any other reason to sacrifice his brother. He could not know death, having been born before Death was something humanity had experienced.
Other figures of that time also play instrumental roles in the Book. Surely it is not purely mythological transliteration that causes Lilith to appear in this story, for she is a figure in the oldest of the Hebrew Midrashim. Having been cast out of Paradise first, she would recognize Caine for one who had been in the light of heaven and subsequently cast out. There are those among my colleagues who believe that this stanza should represent the idea that Lilith, mother of magick and demoness herself, taught the first Disciplines to Caine. Others see her role as being a midwife to our Father's awakening to his own magickal potential.
What remains to be discovered is the fabled “Cycle of Lilith” which supposedly describes the time Caine spent with Lilith as her servant and lover. Was it merely a dalliance, or could it have been some kind of mystical apprenticeship, during which Lilith gradually drew out of Caine the limitations that the Divine had placed upon him, and slowly Awakened him to his own magickal powers? The fact that she shows trepidation at his drinking her own blood from the Awakening cup might point to her lack of total understanding as to what, exactly, this might do to the First Son of Adam.
We cannot afford to speculate whether the cup causes a hallucination in Caine or whether Caine is actually physically transported to a wilderness somewhere in the Darkness. This is not understood, neither is it explained by the translation of the original text. The original phraseology essentially means "breathed in" or "moved." Both meanings of the word point to either explanation. And we cannot gain much in the debate: it matters not whether Caine was physically transported. Like shamanic visions recorded as a result of ritually consuming hallucinogenics, Caine's experience was as real to him as any journey might be to you or me.
My childe, Beckett, continues to restate his opinion that the Chronicle of Caine is a vampiric parable. I totally disagree, but Beckett is a beloved childe. I will include his studies and findings here, below.
A PARABLE OF GENESIS: RECOGNIZING ALLEGORY IN THE CHRONICLE OF CAINE
Because of the literary distance between the current translations of the text (Dr. deLaurent's translation included) of The Book of Nod, the original intent of the Book has been lost. It is my theory, based on my own researches, that the stories of Caine and Abel, Caine's curse, and his subsequent meeting with Lilith are parables created to tell the tale of the first Kindred in such a way that even the simplest of us can understand them. Through my own scholarship, and drawing upon the work of the fundamental Caine scholars in the world (including some captured writings by a Black Hand worshipper of Caine), I have created a story which I believe harkens back to the original parable of Caine.
In the time after humanity went from a hunter/gatherer society to cultivating farm animals and developing agriculture, there were two tribes, named for their chiefs. They were called the people of Caine and the people of Abel. The people of Abel were herders and animal husbanders, and were more primitive than the people of Caine. They worshipped a great Sun God, who was a warrior who lived in the sky. The people of Caine were agricultural, and were more civilized than the people of Abel. Because it was so important to time the harvest, the people of Caine worshipped the Moon Goddess, the Dark Mother who was both the fertility of Earth and the mystery of the Moon.
Yet, not all of the people were happy. Chief Abel attacked Caine's people, telling them that they were inferior and cursed because they did not hunt like their Sun God hunted. Caine's people did not know much about fighting, but Caine taught them how to use the sharp things that they used to till the soil to kill. When Abel's people came back to torment them again, Caine's people fought back. All of the men, women and children of Abel were killed. The Sun God of the people of Abel then called them cursed as a people, and laid a blood-curse on all of them that they would wander without a home in the wilderness. He burned their villages and salted their fields, and told all to turn away from the people of Caine.
The people of Caine were unable to recover. They wandered in the curse for many weeks, until they had no food to eat and had many troubles. Then the priestess of the Dark Mother, who lived beyond the Moon, came. The priestess offered Caine's people respite, succor and surcease. She taught them magic, taught them how to hunt, and taught them to drink blood.
The Sun God came to Chief Caine in dreams, and told him and his people to return and subjugate themselves to the will of people of Seth. Chief Caine refused. Then the Sun God told him that all the people of his tribe would be cursed forever, and it was so. But the Dark Mother said that there would always be a way to overcome this curse: if the people of Caine would come to Her, through her mystery, she would free them from the curse of the Sun God. In this parable, Caine’s people (and Caine) represent our need for civilization, the Humanitas that we constantly seek. Abel’s people (and Abel) represent our animal natures, our wild selves, the Beast that lies within us. The Dark Mother represents the mystery that guides our very existence: the magic of our blood, the power of Disciplines. We must seek the mystery of Dark Mother while dealing with the legacy left behind by the Sun God – the curse. Ergo, ‘A Beast I am, lest a Beast I become.’ Golconda is held out as a final goal, perhaps balancing all these things and showing the transcendence of the Beast Within
In this parable, Caine's people (and Caine) represent our need for civilization, the Humanitas that we constantly seek. Abel's people (and Abel) represent our animal natures, our wild selves, the Beast that lies within us. The Dark Mother represents the mystery that guides our very existence: the magic of our blood, the power of Disciplines. We must seek the mystery of Dark Mother while dealing with the legacy left behind by the Sun God— the curse. Ergo, “A Beast I am, lest a Beast I become.” Golconda is held out as a final goal, perhaps balancing all these things and showing the transcendence of the Beast Within.
THE CHRONICLE OF CAINE
THE FIRST TIMES
I dream of the first times1
the longest memory
I speak of the first times2
the oldest Father
I sing of the first times
and the dawn of Darkness.
In Nod3, where the light of Paradise shone
lit up the night sky
and the tears of our
parents wet the ground.
Each of us, in our way
set about to live
and take our sustenance from the land.
And I first-born Caine, I
with sharp things4
planted the dark seeds5
wet them in earth
tended them, watched them grow.
And Abel, second-born Abel
tended the animals
aided their bloody births6
fed them, watched
them grow.
I loved him, my
Brother
He was the brighest
The sweetest
The strongest
He was the first part
of all my joy.7.
Then one day
our Father8 said to us
Caine, Abel
to Him Above9 you must make a sacrifice —
a gift: of the first part
of all that you have.
And I, first-born Caine, I
gathered the tender shoots
the brightest fruits
the sweetest grass.
And Abel, second-born, Abel
slaughtered the youngest
the strongest
the sweetest of his animals.
On the altar of our Father
we laid our sacrifices
and lit fire under them
and watched the smoke carry them
up to the One Above.
The sacrifice of Abel, second-born
smelled sweet to the One Above
and Abel was blessed.
And, I, first-born Caine, I
was struck from beyond by10
a harsh word and a curse
for my sacrifice was unworthy.
I looked at Abel’s sacrifice
still smoking the flesh, the blood
I cried, I held my eyes
I prayed in night and day.
And when
Father said11
the time for
Sacrifice
has come again.
And Abel
led his youngest
his sweetest
his most beloved
to the sacrificial fire.
I did not bring my
youngest
my sweetest
for I knew the
One Above
would not
want them.
And my brother
beloved Abel
said to me
‘Caine, you did not bring
a sacrifice
a gift of the first
part of your joy
to burn on the altar
of the One Above.’
I cried tears of love as I
with sharp things
sacrificed that
which was the
first part of
my joy
my brother.
And the Blood of Abel12
covered the altar
and smelled sweet
as it burned.
But my Father said
‘Cursed are you, Caine
who killed your brother
As I was cast out
so shall you be.’13
And He exiled me to wander in Darkness
the land of Nod.14
I flew into the Darkness
I saw no source of light
and I was afraid.15
And alone.
THE COMING OF LILITH
I was alone in the Darkness
And I grew hungry
I was alone in the Darkness
And I grew cold
I was alone in the Darkness
And I cried.16
Then there came to me
a sweet voice
a honey voice
Words of succor
Words of surcease.17
A woman, dark and
lovely
with eyes that
pierced the
Darkness
came to
me.18
I know your story. Caine of Nod."
She said, smiling.
"You are hungry. Come! I have food.
You are cold. Come! I have clothes.
You are sad. Come! I have comfort."
"Who would comfort one so Cursed as I?
Who would clothe me?
Who would feed me?"
"I am your Father's first wife,
who disagreed with the One Above
and gained Freedom in the Darkness.
I am Lilith.19
Once, I was cold, and there was no warmth for me.
Once. I was hungry and there was no food for me.
Once, I was sad, and there was no comfort for me."
She took me in, she fed me.
She clothed me.
In her arms. I found comfort.
I cried until blood
trickled from my eyes
and she kissed them away.20
LILITH'S MAGICK
And I dwelt for a time
in the House of Lilith21
and asked her
"Out of Darkness,
how did you build this place?
How did you make clothes?
How did you grow food?"
And Lilith smiled and said.
"Unlike you, I am Awake.
I see the Threads that spin
all around you, I make that
which I need out of Power."22
"Awaken me, then, Lilith." I said.
"I have need for this Power.
Then, I can make my own clothes,
Make my own food,
Make my own House."
Worry creased Lilith's brow.
"I do not know what the
Awakening will do for you,
for you are truly Cursed by
your Father.
You could die.
You could be forever changed."
Caine said, "Even so, a life without
Power
will not be worth living.
I would die without your gifts.
I will not live as your Thrall."
Lillth loved me, and I knew this.
Lilith would do what I asked,
though she did not wish it.
And so, Lilith, bright-eyed Lilith,
Awakened me.
She cut herself with a knife
and bled for me into a bowl.
I drank deep. It was sweet.23
And then I fell into the Abyss.24
I fell forever, falling
into the deepest darkness.
THE TEMPTATION OF CAINE
And from the Darkness
came a bright shining light,
fire in the night.
And the archangel Michael revealed himself25
to me.
I was unafraid. I asked his business.
Michael, General of Heaven,
wielder of the Holy Flame,
said unto me,
"Son of Adam, Son of Eve, thy crime is great,
and yet the mercy of my Father is
also great.
Will you not repent the evil that you
have done, and let his mercy wash you clean?"
And I said to Michael,
"Not by [the One Above]'s grace, but mine own
will I live, in pride."26
Michael cursed me, saying
"Then, for as long as you walk this
earth, you and your children will
fear my living flame, and it will
bite deep and savor your flesh."27
And on the morning, Raphael came28 on
lambent wings,
light over the horizon
the driver of the Sun,
ward of the East.
Raphael spoke, saying
"Caine, son of Adam,
son of Eve,
your brother Abel
forgives you your sin.
Will you not repent, and accept the
mercy of the
Almighty?"
And I said to
Raphael
"Not by
Abel`s
forgiveness,
but mine
own,
will I be
forgiven."
Raphael cursed
me, saying
"Then, for as long
as you walk this earth,
you and your children
will fear the dawn,
and the sun's rays will seek
to burn you like fire
wherever you hide always.
Hide now for the Sun rises to take
its wrath on you."
But I found a secret place in the earth
and hid from the burning light of the
Sun.
Deep in the earth, I slept until the
Light
of the World was hidden behind the
mountain
of Night.29
When I awoke from my day of sleep,
I heard the sound of gentle rushing
wings30
and I saw the black wings of Uriel
draped around me -
Uriel, reaper, angel of Death,
dark Uriel who dwells in darkness.
Uriel spoke to me quietly, saying
"Son of Adam. Son of Eve. God
Almighty has forgiven you your sin.
Will you accept his mercy and let me
take you to your reward, no longer
cursed?31
And I said to dark-winged Uriel,
"Not by God`s mercy, but my own, will
I live.
I am what I am, I did what I did,
and that will never change.”32
And then, through dread Uriel,
God Almighty cursed me, saying33
"Then, for as long as you walk this
earth,
you and your children will cling to
Darkness
You will drink only blood
You will eat only ashes34
You will be always as you were at death,
Never dying, living on.
You will walk forever in Darkness,
all you touch will crumble into
nothing,
until the last days.”
I gave a cry of anguish
at this terrible curse and
tore at my flesh.
I wept blood
I caught the tears in a cup
and drank them35
When I looked up from my drink of
sorrow
the archangel Gabriel,
gentle Gabriel
Gabriel, Lord of Mercy
appeared to me.
The archangel Gabriel said unto me,
"Son of Adam, Son of Eve,
Behold, the mercy of the Father is
greater
than you can ever know
for even now there is a path opened,
a road of Mercy
and you shall call this road [Golconda].36
And tell your children of it,
for by that road may they come
once again dwell in the Light.”
And with that, the darkness
was lifted
like a veil
and the only light was
Lilith’s bright eyes.
Looking around me, I knew
that I had Awakened.
When my energies first
surged through me
I discovered
how to move like lightning
[Celerity]
How to borrow the strength
of the earth [Potence]
How to be as stone
[Fortitude].
These were like
breathing once was to me.
Lilith then showed me
how she hides herself from
hunters [Obfuscate]
How she commands
obedience [Dominate]
And how she demands
respect [Presence].
Then, Awakening myself further, I found
the way to alter forms [Protean]
The way to have dominion over animals [Animalism]
The way to make eyes see sight [Auspex].37
Then Lilith commanded that I stop, saying
that
I had overreached my bounds
That I had gone too far
That I threatened my very essence.
She used her powers and commanded me to
stop.
Because of her power, I heeded her,
but deep within me a seed was planted,
a seed of rebellion
and when she turned her face from me,
I opened myself up once more to the Night
and saw the infinite possibilities in the stars
and knew that a path of power, a path of
Blood
was mine for the taking,
and so I awakened in me this Final Path,
from which all other paths would grow.
With this newest power, I broke the bonds
that the Lady of Night put on me.
I left the Damned Queen that evening,
cloaking myself in shadows,
I fled the lands of Nod
and came at last to a place
where not even her demons could find me.
ZILLAH'S TALE
Let me tell the tale of Zillah38
first loved of Caine,
first wife of Caine,
the sweetest blood,
the softest skin,
the clearest eyes.
Alone of Caine's newest Childer,
did Caine desire Her,39
and she was not mindful of his
desire, turning away from Him.
Not gifts, not sacrifices,
not perfumes, not doves,
not beautiful dancers,
not singers, not oxen,
not sculpture, not beautiful clothes,
nothing would turn Zillah's heart
from stone to sweet fruit.
So Caine pulled at his beard40
and tore at his hair
and took to roaming the wilderness
at night, thinking of her,
burning for her,
and one night Caine came upon
an old Crone singing to the moon.
Caine said to the
Crone,
"Why do you sing so?"
And the Crone replied,
"Because I yearn for
what I cannot have ..."41
Caine said to the
Crone,
"I yearn also. What can
one do?”
The Crone smiled and said,
"Drink of my blood
this night,
Caine, Father of
Kindred,
and return tomorrow
night.
Then will I tell you
the wisdom
of the Moon."42
Caine drank at the
Crone's bare neck,
and departed.
The next night, Caine
found the Crone
sleeping on a rock.
"Wake up, Crone."
Caine said.
"I have returned."
The Crone opened one
eye and said,
"I dream of the
solution for you
this night. Drink once
more of me,
and then return
tomorrow night.
Bring a bowl of clay.
Bring a sharp knife.
I will have your answer
then."
Once again. Caine took blood from the
Crone,
who immediately fell back into a deep
slumber.
When Caine returned the next night,
the Crone looked up at him and smiled,
"Greetings, Lord of the Beast," the
Crone said.43
"I have the wisdom you seek."
"Take some of my blood,
into the bowl you have,
and mix in these berries
and these herbs,
and drink deep of the elixir."
"You will be irresistible.
You will be potent.
You will be masterful.
You will be ardent.
You will be glowing.
The heart of Zillah will melt
like the snows in spring."
And so, Caine drank from the Crone's
elixir,
because he was so in love with Zillah,
and he so desired her love in return.
And the Crone laughed. The Crone
laughed aloud.
She had tricked him! She had trapped
him!
Caine was angry beyond compare.
Caine reached out with his powers,
to rend this Crone apart with his
strength.
The Crone cackled and said, "Do not"
and Caine could do nothing against her.
The Crone chuckled and said. "Love
me."
And Caine could do nothing but stare
into her
ancient eyes, desire her leathery skin.
The Crone laughed and said, "Make me
immortal."
And Caine Embraced her. She cackled
again,
laughed with the pure ecstasy of the
Embrace,
for it did not pain her.
"I have made you powerful. Caine of
Enoch,
Caine of Nod,
but you will forever be bound to me.
I have made you master of all,
but you will never forget me!
Your blood, potent as it is now,
will bond those who drink it,
as you did, once a night
for three nights.
You will be the master.
They will be your thrall, as you are mine.
For though Zillah will love you, as you
wanted, you will love me, forever. Go now, and
claim your lovely bride, I will wait for you in the
darkest
places, while I brew more potions for
your health."
And so, heavy hearted,
Caine returned to Enoch.
And each night,
for three nights,
Zillah drank from her Sire,
though she did not know it.
And, on the third night,
Caine announced he would marry44
Zillah, his sweetest Childe,
and she agreed.
THE TALE OF THE CRONE
For a year and a day45
Caine labored in service
to a Crone, who with blood-wisdom,
bound him as surety
as any prisoner.
She would visit him at night
force him to give up his blood
for her secret elixirs
and potent formulas
She would take his Childer's Childer,
and they would never be heard from again.
But Caine was wise. He did not drink
from her ever again.
And she did not ask him to, thinking
that he was ever in her Thrall.
One night, Caine went to the Crone
in the forest,
and told her of terrible dreams
that he had during his sleep.
"I fear for my life, Crone.
I fear the prophecy of Auriel,
and my Children's lust for my blood.
Tell me secret knowledge, that I might
be powerful against my own."
And the Crone went to a tree
made of gopher wood,46
and broke off a limb.
She took a sharp knife
and sharpened the limb.
"Take this piece of living wood,
sharp, strong,
pierce the heart of your wayward childe.
It will render him still,
and yours to command.
Instead of feasting on your heart's blood,
he will feel the weight of your justice."
Caine said, "Thank you, Mother," and
with that, moving in quick movements,
Caine took the stake of gopher wood,
seized it and drove it
deep within the Crone's heart.
Because Caine, wise Caine
had fed not upon her for a year and a day
and because he forced his Will through
his hands, he broke the Bond she held
on him, and turned his fortune.
She laughed again, as blood welled up
and poured out of her mouth.
Her eyes poured out hate.
Caine
kissed her
once, kissed her
cold, withred lips,
and left her there
to Raphael’s gentle smile:
the sun that rises.
THE TALE OF THE FIRST CITY
In the beginning there was only Caine.
Caine who [sacrificed] his brother out of
[love].47
Caine who was cast out.
Caine who was cursed forever with
immortality.
Caine who was cursed with the lust for
blood.
It is Caine from whom we all come:
Our Sire's Sire.
For the passing of an age he lived in [the land of Nod].
In loneliness and suffering.
For an eon he remained alone.
But the passing of memory drowned his sorrow.
And so he returned to the world of mortals:
To the world his brother [Seth, third-born of Eve,] and [Seth's children] had created.
He returned and was made welcome.
[For none would turn against him due to the Mark that was laid upon him]
The people saw his power and worshipped him.
[He grew powerful, and his power was strong,
his ways of awe and command were great]
[And the Children of Seth made] him King
of their great City, The First City.
But Caine grew lonely in his Power.
Deep within him, the seed of loneliness
blossomed, and grew a dark flower.
He saw within his blood the potence
of fertility
by calling up demons
Listening to whispered wisdom
he learned the way to make a child for his
own.
He came to know its power, and, doing so,
decided to Embrace one of those near him.
And, lo, Uriel, Dread Uriel, revealed
himself to Caine
that very night
and said to him,
"Caine, though powerful you are, and
marked of God,
know you this: that any Childe you make
will
bear your curse, that any of your Progeny
will forever walk in the Land of Nod, and
fear flame
and sun, drinking
blood only and
eating ashes
only.
And since
they will carry
their father's
jealous
seed,
they
will
forever
plot
and
fight
amongst
themselves.
Doom not those of Adam's
grandchildren who seek to
walk
in righteousness. Caine! Stay
your dread Embrace!"
Still, Caine knew what he must do, and a
young man
named Enosh, who was the most beloved of
Seth's kin,
begged to be made Son to the dark Father.
And Caine, mindful though he was of
Uriel's words,
seized Enosh, and wrapped him in the dark
Embrace.
And so, it came to pass that Caine beget
Enoch and, so doing, named the First City
Enoch.
And so doing, did Enoch beg for a brother,
a sister, and Caine, indulgent Father,
gave these to him, and their names were
Zillah, whose blood was most-favored of
Caine,
and Irad, whose strength served Caine's arm.
And these Kindred of Caine learned the
ways
of making Progeny of their own, and
they Embraced more of Seth's kin,
unthinking.
And then wise Caine said. "An end to this
crime.
There shall be no more."
And as Caine's word was the law, his Brood
obeyed him.
The city stood for many ages,
And became the center of a mighty Empire.
Caine grew close to those not like him.
The [children of Seth] knew him
and he, to turn, knew them.
But the world grew dark with sin.
Caine's Children wandered here and there,
indulging their dark ways.
Caine felt anger when his children fought.
He discovered deceit when he saw them
make word-war,
he knew sadness when he saw them abuse
[the children of Seth].
Caine read the signs
in the darkening sky,
but said nothing.
Then came the great Deluge, a great flood that washed over the world.
The City was destroyed,
the children of Seth with it.
Again, Caine fell into great sorrow and went into solitude.
And he left us, his Progeny, to our own ends.
We found him, after much searching,
deep in the earth,
and he bade us go, saying
that the Flood was a punishment,
for his having returned to the world of
life
and subverting the true law.
He asked us to go, so that he might
sleep.
So we returned alone to find the
children of Noah,
and announced that we were the new
rulers.
Each created a Brood
in order to claim the glory of Caine,
yet we did not have his wisdom or
restraint.
A great war was waged, the Elders against
their Children,
just as Uriel had said,
and the Children slew their parents.
They rose up,
used fire and wood,
swords and claws
to destroy those who had created them.
The rebels then built a new city
out of the fallen Empire.
They collected the thirteen clans
that had been scattered by the Great War,
and brought them all together:
They brought in the Kingship Clan [Ventrue],
the Clan of the Beast [Gangrel],
the Moon Clan [Malkavian],
the Clan of the Hidden [Nosferatu],
the Wanderer Clan [Ravnos],
the Clan of the Rose [Toreador],
the Night Clan [Lasombra],
the Clan of Shapers [Tzmisces],
the Snake Clan [Setites],
the Clan of Death [Giovanni],
the Healer's Clan [Saulot],
the Clan of the Hunt [Assamites],
and the Learned Clan [Brujah].
They made a beautiful city,
and the people worshipped them as gods.
They created new Progeny of their own,
the Fourth Generation of Cainites.
But they feared the Jyhad,
the Prophecy of Uriel,
and it was forbidden for those Children
to create others of their kind.
This power their Elders kept for
themselves.
When a Childe was created, it was
hunted down and killed,
and its Sire with it.
Although Caine was away from us,
we did feel his careful eye watching us,
and we knew that he marked our
movements
and our ways.
He cursed [Malkav], when that one
defamed his image
and doomed him to insanity, forever.
When [Nosferatu] was found indulging
his tastes
in foul ways with his own Children,
Caine laid his hand on [Nosferatu],
and told him that he would forever
wear his evil
and twisted his visage.
He cursed us all, for killing the first part
of his Children, the Second Generation,
as we had hunted them down one by
one,
Zillah the Beautifu, Irad the Strong, and
Enoch First-Ruler.
And we mourned them all, as we were all
of a kind,
and all of the families of Caine's childer.
Though this city was as great as Caine's,
eventually
it grew old.
As do all living things, it slowly began
to die.
The gods at first did not see the truth,
and when they at last looked about
them it was too late.
For, as Uriel had said,
the seed of Evil planted,
blossomed as a blood-red rose
and [Troile], the Child
of his Child's Child
rose up, and slew his
Father, Brujah
and ate of his flesh.
Then war wracked the
city
and nothing could ever
be as it was.
The Thirteen saw their
city destroyed and their
power extinguished,
and they were forced to
flee, their Progeny along
with them.
But many were killed in
the flight, for they had
grown weak.
With their authority
gone, all were free to
create their own Broods,
and soon there were
many new Kindred,
who ruled across the face of the Earth.
But this could not last.
Over time, there came to be too many of
the Kindred and then there was war once again,
the Elders were already deep in hiding,
for they had learned caution,
but their Children had founded their
own cities and Broods,
and it is they who were killed in the
great wave of war.
There was war so total, that there are
none of that Generation
to speak of themselves any longer.
Waves of mortal flesh were sent across
continents
in order to crush and burn the cities of
the Kindred.
Mortals thought they were fighting their
own wars,
but it is for us that they spilt their
blood.
Once this war was over,
all of the Kindred hid from one another
and from the humans that surrounded
them.
In hiding we remain today,
for the Jyhad continues still.
And none will say when Caine will arise
again,
from his sleep in the earth,
and call for the city Gehenna,
the Last City, the City of Judgment.
The Jyhad continues still.
NOTES TO THE CHRONCILE OF CAINE
1. The "first times" discussed in this stanza have been researched thoroughly by myself and my fellow Kindred. The original text speaks of a time "before." The oldest piece of the Book of Nod has been dated just before the time of Sumer, around 4500 B.C.
2. I assume in this that the first stanza is the original narrator, perhaps the first translator of Caine`s story.
3. ”Nod” in this case, meaning, the ”Unknown Lands” - supposedly the lands outside of Eden, which were not named at that time.
4. Latin translation reads ”With a plowshare.” The translation is from the original Sumerian, and just implies a sharp thing. This could be a prehistoric ”spike” tool, used for planting seeds. It is definitely tooth-like, possibly formed of some mammal`s canines - or at least it is depicted thus in the Coonan-DeBrie fragment and the St. Clair Tapestry.
5. That Caine was originally a farmer would fall into line with his existence in the myth as a un-King/Dying God figure, much like the character of Dumuzi/Tammuz in the Inanna/Ishtar myth.
6. Blood in birth in this case. of course, perhaps being a result of the recent Fall. Note that this is the first instance of the word "blood" in the narrative. The translational sense of the word is more along the lines of what we would consider 'blood' rather than the 'vitae' cognate, which implies some extra virtue or potency
7. The "first part" is a phrase repeated throughout the Book of Nod. It means essentially, "the best." the "cream."
8. "Father." in this specific case, generally thought to be Adam.
9. I am translating this as exactly as possible. Because of the nature of the myth. one can easily assume that this is the God of the Hebrews and later Christianity. However, because this is not specifically stated in the text. I do not wish to colour the narrative with possible inter-religious complexities.
10. "Struck from beyond" might have been a lightning bolt. In some Latinate translations, it is a "bolt from beyond."
11. "Father", again, is probably Adam.
12. In this case. "blood" is written as the cognate to "vitae."
13. This stanza has confused many scholars, including myself. I have chosen to represent it as my particular translation, which is that it is Adam who is the "Father" in this stanza, and it is Adam who casts Caine out. The reasoning behind this is that the One Above never speaks directly to Caine: it is only through a medium that the One communicates Its will to Caine, as we will see. Furthermore, the word "Father" in the previous stanzas has always meant Adam. This contrasts heavily with the Genesis story, but it is internally consistent, and since Caine himself is said to have originated this particular narrative, we can take it on better authority perhaps than Noah, who penned Genesis. There are other interpretations, of course. In New York, Beckett once met a member of the Sabbat who claimed this section referred to our "true" father - Satan. He watched my childe closely when he said this, and then something which Beckett can only describe as an imp appeared on his shoulder. We have gone to great pains to not deal with this vampire again.
14. Here. now, we get the basic idea behind the "Land of Nod." No longer is it simply "not Eden." but it is now to be considered the "Exiled Lands." "Nod" in the Hebraic translation of the text is basically "the wandering lands." This is perhaps because Adam has established himself outside of Paradise and has created a territorial boundary between himself and the rest of the world: thus "Nod" is the same wilderness he was banished to. But now it is Caine who is leaving. One would think perhaps that Adam would have been a little more sympathetic to this, his last remaining son. However, it is possible that Adam's words in this were "divinely inspired" or perhaps inspired out of rage. Thus, we see the traditional tragic, tumultuous lives of all vampires as being indicative of their origins, Beckett says this parallels the relationship all vampires have with their sires, but I like to think our own continued alliance proves this hypothesis incorrect.
15. This stanza is quite important to the "Dying God" myth-perspective of Caine. Caine is destined for darkness, a dark land where he will learn much wisdom. This may refer to our own journey into death, from which our sires tear us when they feed us their own rich vitae.
16. These three things, hunger, cold. and fear (or sadness) still obviously attribute Caine with human feelings and failings. Caine is not yet a "vampire" in the traditional sense. He is, however, clearly cursed.
17. It was hard not to use Ishtar for this particular translation, for this stanza seems to speak of Ishtar: certainly her honey-voice and words of surcease are Ishtar's. Lilith would have to do, however, as many of the original works agree that it was Lilith in this narrative.
18. This stanza, and the others that follow here, I have seen in another form. This is the highly sought-after "Cycle of Lilith" which appears in many different forms. In looking for the original text for these stanzas, I was forced to go into the labyrinthine and saturnine depths of the world of the Diabolists. I started in Venice, where I met with some of the Order of the Black Rose. Dark monks, some of whom had to communicate with sign language because their tongues had been severed and then mummified as magical talismans. I soon found that they hungered for Kindred blood, and I was able to parley some of my own vitae for information that led me to Boston, Massachusetts, in America. There I met with a woman by the name of Selina, who at first refused to speak to me about the diabolic Cycle of Lilith. But then allowed me to continue for some bizarre mystical purpose. She said that the "Dark One Herself" asked to let me pass with the knowledge. I was followed through the streets of Boston by the Dark Clan themselves (the Nosferatu) until I got to a special bookstore: it is this bookstore that had, in their back shelves, a few fragments of the Cycle of Lilith behind glass. I was allowed to view it for a few moments before the shop owner returned.
The older man cursed loudly when he saw me and showed me the door quite firmly. I stood outside the door and heard the man berate his employee in some detail. They believed themselves to be speaking confidentially because they were speaking in a dialect of Italian native to Venice, but I had learned that dialect quite fluently and was able to listen for quite some time. I discovered that they were part of a dark circle of devil-worshippers.I followed the older man later that evening back to the cemetery where they held their rites. Although I was not able to find the devil-worshippers in the cemetery. I did have a very strange encounter in the graveyard nonetheless. A woman appeared from the fog as if by magic. By her aura I knew her to be Kindred, but could not guess how old or of what clan she was. She came to me and showed me a book bound in silver and holding a complete translation of the Cycle of Lilith. She silenced me immediately, commanding me not to ask anything as long as she stood there. I had to obey.
I was able to look at the tome and read it while she smiled at me in the light of a candle. Then she took the book, kissed me once on the forehead, and was gone into the night before I could ask her another question. I can't imagine who this mysterious woman was, but I do think that she is in some way connected with the spirit-form of Lilith, for her powers of command were great, and she had a presence about her that was ancient. I can only thank her for the opportunity to glance at that fabled volume, and I think that this translation benefits singularly from her intervention.
19. It might be noted that Genesis speaks not at all of Lilith. the first wife of Adam. She is a creature of the Midrashim. the Hebrew parables. She is depicted as a demoness, cursed by God Himself because she would not be subservient to Adam. Lilith has apparently, at least in this narrative, spent some time in the Land of Nod, and has built up her own power in this place. She apparently has comfort where no one else could take it. This doesn't speak well for her being a demoness, and thus confined to Hell. but then again Hell wasn't a very populous place around this time in history.
20. Here is a major inconsistency in the narrative, and I have fought for many years to retain it, for I feel that it points at the fundamental flaw of the Book of Nod translations to date: where did the blood tears of Caine come from, if not from the original Curse? Was he then a vampire at that point? When did he exactly begin crying blood? When did he become a vampire? This is a nebulous point still. But I leave the inconsistency because I do not want this point to remain "glossed over" into history. My childe Beckett uses this point to bolster his allegorical fancies. Even now, he travels to Harvard college, there to study some ancient texts discovered in a well in the Sudan. He keeps hoping to discover some more of what he calls "antediluvian" mural works, the poor boy.
21. There has been argument on both sides of the following issue: Was Caine imprisoned in Lilith's house, under her control, or did Caine stay there as an honored guest? This question is never fully answered, but might lend an interesting perspective if it could be proved one way or the other. Perhaps, as some have suggested, the situation involved a little of both.
22. I have translated these words specifically in this fashion out of the advice of one Haphacstus, a friend of mine who was once a part of the mystical Tradition known as the Order of Hermes. He maintains that Lilith was no woman, nor demonness, but rather an original mage, and that she used her own particular magickal qualities to "Awaken" Caine's magickal potential as well. This is the story of that awakening. I believe that what he says has merit, and it certainly fits in the translation of the story. If it is true that Caine was a wizard as well as Lilith, then the Tremere may indeed be "closest to Caine": - a theory to which Beckett violently objects.
23. Hephaestus indicates that this stanza may point to Lilith being perhaps the founder or one of the first supplicants in the magick Tradition know as Verbena, which uses blood in its rituals.
24. This is often translated as "And then I fell into Hell." I did not feel that the original text was attempting to say this, and I felt that Abyss seemed to indicate a less Judeo-Christian sort of place of torture.
25. Once again, not to cross-mythologize too much. but I could do nothing else but translate the Angels into Angels and Michael into Michael, even though the "shining ones" mentioned in the original text do not specifically seem to be angels. I was unable to come up with a cognate that would fit. Still, I feel that they do not hamper the overall "feel" of the narrative, and so they remain. Their traditional Cabalistic correspondences also remain as they were originally written.
26. This is perhaps a strong rebuff of the "One Above." Caine seems to still be angry about his exile.
27. This is the legendary "Curse of Fire." It is perhaps among the strongest curses of the day. It set up an eternal enmity between the Kindred and the singular source of life in the world: the fire. Fire was the mortals' way of keeping out the darkness, the wolves. It provided a center of community and allowed them to create new technologies. This put us out of that light forever, and was designed to make us outcast forever. It is perhaps this particular curse with, also made hospitality so important among the Kindred.
28. Raphael being the Archangel of the Dawn.
29. An early survival instinct, obviously. Caine instinctively seeks the earth.
30. Uriel's role as the Angel of Death would place him in the ultimate position to be the vessel of God's judgment on Caine. Only through Uriel would God Himself choose to punish our Father.
31. Note here that Uriel is offering not to preserve Caine, but rather to "take him to his reward." i.e. death.
32. Is this a mockery of the more traditional "I am that I am" phrase of the Bible?
33. The first use of the freely translated words, "God Almighty."
34. "Eating ashes" is thought to be a metaphor for the tragic vampire existence. I can find no other reference to "eating ashes." and can only assume it is an idiom which cannot be translated. Other versions of the Book of Nod have translated "eating ashes" into "knowing only sadness."
35. This is perhaps a poetic statement, it certainly emphasizes that Caine is consuming his own sadness.
36. The fact that there is an important diamond city in India also called Golconda may or may not have bearing to this particular stanza. I am beginning to think that the term was originally coined by Saulot, who was known to travel to the Far and Middle East on quests of enlightenment.
37. I have heard of additional sections here describing more of the powers Caine developed. According to my old friend Malk, the original version of this went on for 1,001 stanzas. Malk also claims his left pinkie is made out of chocolate mousse and answers to the name Harold, so I will stand by the version I have here.
38. Zillah, sometimes translated as "Sylah.' This Tale is translated from a much more folklore-influenced original text. A version of this tale is told by some of the oldest of the Russian Kindred, and I have reason to believe it has roots in Russian folktales.
39. Remember that, among Kindred, there is no "incest" taboo in lusting after the blood of your childe. Indeed, this is perhaps indicative of the Methuselahs attitudes: they often create childer to feed upon.
40. A flagrant transliterative idiom, but one that I felt had literary importance. Imagine Caine with a full, long beard, tugging on it! This is perhaps the only descriptive feature of Caine that we have on record, and its provenance is impure.
41. This Crone remains a mystery to archaeologists trying to locate the source of this story. I believe that the Crone is a shaman/ witch/priestess who perhaps knew a bit about Caine from relations with a demon or some kind of familiar spirit. In sticking with his allegorical paradigm, Beckett suggests that she may be a metaphor for the lust we have for blood and the control it has over us.
42. Another clue: she is affiliated with the Moon. I originally believed this pointed to her origins as a Lupine shaman, but I learned from my Gangrel friends that they do not twist their spells in such fashion.
43. Others have translated Caine's title as "Master of the Blood Fury" in this instance.
44. In Enoch, marriage between Kindred was common. I have read fragments of the "Love Hymn to Zillah" which has led me to believe that it carried with it specific ownership of all house slaves and property, as well as special privileges such as the ability to temporarily invoke one's spouses' power.
45. The traditional Lunar year. It is such a mythological cliche, especially among the "Wise Woman" traditions of the pagan folk. that I must count it as a purely symbolic period of time.
46. A traditional material. Strong, sturdy. The Ark of Noah was built of it.
47. This is perhaps the best-known part of the Book of Nod. Because of the frequent copying by the Tremere and Ventrue Clans of this fragment, there are many colloquial versions of it. My first task was to totally disregard these "popular" versions, and go on to tackle the truth of the matter. Thus, you see my translations of the "non-traditional" verses in brackets.