Old Gaiad/36

Among the sons of Molluscus there were the twisted sons of Gastropus

Gastropus twisted each of his sons so that their anus be next to their heads

And so by this the sons of Gastropus could pull completely within their shell

A greatly coiled son of Gastropus The sons of Gastropus outnumbered all other classes, in all of history only the Insects would grow greater

The Priests of Gastropus wear regal robes of Tyrian purple to represent the regal mucus of Gastropus and his kingdom. In the year of 8430 the Phoenician Empire conquered the great Gastropod Empire and laid claim to the sacred priestly dye. From them it came to the Romans and to this day when we think of Purple we think of Majesty.

Tyrian Purple Priestly Robes

Tyrian Purple molecule Just as the majesty of Gastropus was purple, his faith was blue. In the time of Moses Prince Hexaplex would bless him with the great blessing of the tassels. To this day many devotees of Moses and Hexaplex wear tassels blue with faith

Limpus was the firstborn son of Gastropus. His sons became known as the Limpets and his daughters as the Limpettes

The Limpets are the keepers of tradition.

Limpus said to his Myriad children

Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.

The Limpets build their houses on rocks, not sand. As the waves bellowed and beat at them the Limpets firmly stand their ground

When a limpet moves they always go home to their rock

As their father before them did the Limpets merge their shells to the rock, growing them as intricate fits to their rocky foundations

A young Limpette holding fast to her traditions And so we tell the Hymn of Limpus whenever we feel lost. So we may always return home

My hope is built on nothing less Than Limpus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly trust in Limpus’ Name.

Limpus the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand; All other ground is sinking sand.

Snellon the youngest son of Gastropus stood not for tradition but for innovation. Snellon bore two sons: Vetigas and Escargon

Vetigas bore two sons: Trochus and Avalon

Trochus became the ancestor of the Turban Snails and Trochus snails. Dutiful cleaners of aquaria and ecosystems alike

Trochus Avalon became the ancestor of the Abalones

The sons of Avalon are great and hardy, with pores in their shells for breathing they look rough on the outside, but have great beauty on the inside

Escargon coiled his shell more and bore two sons whose shells coiled even more: Neritus and Conchus

Neritus became the ancestor of the snails with lids, impenetrable shells that close when they hide

Neritus Conchus bore two sons: Marius of the Sea, and Heterobran of the Skies

Marius of the Sea became the ancestor of the many little snails across the seas periwinkles, cowries, wentletraps, moon snails, murexes, cone snails, and turrids.

Periwinkle Moon Snail Murex Cone Snail Violet Float Snail Turrid Cowry Rabbit Snail Surfing Snails, Assasin Snails, Swimming snails

The surfing snails move at breakneck speed across the shores of the seas. Here is the story of Olivella and Agaronia daughters of Olivius the surfer.

The cone snails are deceptively named, for they really are assassin snails. Otherworldly beauty emanates from them for they live between life and death. With poison so strong nothing can survive

Cowries are great devotees of the goddess Cupria. By her blessing they invented money. And so their shells became the first money

In China their great shells are immortalized in the character for money

The murexes were the hedgehog snails with beautiful colors

The great Conches were beautiful and adorable

Conches Heterobran of the skies was a swimmer par excellence

Heterobran begat Nudos and Aeros

Nudos shed his shell and untwisted himself. He became ancestor to the nudibranches. Colorful sea slugs with poison to kill Leviathan

Aeros swam in the water free from all care

Aeros bore a son and a daughter: Pulmon and Angelica

Angelica was the ancestress of the sea butterflies: beautiful swimming snails whose ethereal existence eludes most

Pulmon the great revered ancestor did something none else could dream of

He inhaled a breath of fresh air and built for himself a lung, and so he could survive the tide pools like none of his brethren before him