Know her tides young man
See her rise and fall
Ware the waters
That 'rode your soul
Know the waves
That ever repeat
Bringing us back
To times of old

Nadyk fisherman's hymn

Known History

The known history of Ellil is divided into three eras: Abzu-Kur, Ninurta and the present era, Io's Awakening (or simply The Awakening). It is believed that these periods cover a span of between 15,000 and 16,000 years. The uncertainty is mainly due to the lack of verifiable records during the Ninurtan period, and the absence of any records dating before Abzu-Kur.

Abzu-Kur
Ninurta
Io's Awakening

Time of the Gods

No physical records dating before Abzu-Kur have been found, and even the oldest Skeksis records make little mention of the time before their First Empire. As such, it is generally believed that this time-before-time belonged to the gods, and that it was during this period that the world was created. Some scholars1 believe that the Skeksis do in fact possess artifacts and other records from this time, and that they have chosen not to share these with other peoples.

1. See Tractate on Abzu-Kur and Relics of the Dragonborn - Cognitus Ferdallen (1635-98 IO)