what is the riverlands hymnal?
Ah, I was waiting for this question! And Iâm so very glad you asked it. ;u;
The Riverlands Hymnal is a book cataloging stories, prayers, poems, proverbs, etc. about the story of the Star and the Catfish. The overall synopsis, I supposed youâd say, is that the star and the catfish fell in love with each other and became men so they could be together. The Catfish, with its heavy heart, buried in the mud of the river, needed to be reminded that it was a man, that there was love and hope to be found in light. The Star came down to light the lantern on the riverbank in order to guide the Catfish and lift his heavy heart, and the Star hollowed itself so that the Catfish could fill it.
Hereâs a passage from The Gospel of Cassiopeia, II:
And the catfish who hadbeen a man cried out,
Let me have hands that Imay hold my love,let me feel the weight ofall the skies in my palms;let my love become light,let me catch him as he falls,let him be hollow; I willfill him.And the star wept; thestar pined for the arms ofthe man,for the red-clay arms,wide as rivers.Â
Itâs a story that was created by Hannah, with assistance of Askee, and itâs rooted in Supernatural. But I asked if the story felt older than that, and Askee agreed. She said that stories have always been, and we just have to interpret them. Click the links on their names above to read more about the Star and the Catfish.
They also wrote All Things Shining, which is a fic about the trip that Dean, Sam, and Cas take along the Mississippi River to discover what this story and the Riverlanders are all about.
The story touched me on a very personal level, and I connect to it very strongly. I feel as if I was meant to find it. Thatâs why I consider myself a Riverlander; I donât necessarily consider it a religion, but a metaphor for many things. Itâs renewed a certain faith in me, as well as helped me appreciate many things in life. I cross my palms with stars for love, and I remember that there are those always watching me. If you see my blog title, itâs âlowly catfish though I beâ, which comes from a childrenâs rhyme in the Hymnal.
âCross my palms and hope to fly
Send me stars before I die
If my love be red-clay deep
Send me dreams to guide my sleep
Give me sky-love here to stay
Lights by night and dust by day
Lowly catfish though I be
Send a star to treasure me.â
[oh! and if youâd like to listen to some music that reminds me about the story, rivers, rolling hills and prairies, etc  (one of my favorite playlists tbh), you can listen to my Riverlands playlist on spotify! c:]