The Limits of Human Knowledge

Where it surfaces

• The Sayings of Kib

  The repeated command to 'believe' underscores the inaccessibility of divine truths to mortals, who must accept Kib's sayings without question.

• The Sayings of Slid

  Slid advises praying to small gods, acknowledging that even they may not restrain Time or show mercy, highlighting the uncertainty of divine response.

• The Sayings of Limpang-Tung

  Limpang-Tung admits he does not understand the deeper scheme of the gods regarding sorrow and death.

• Of Yoharneth-Lahai

  The uncertainty of whether dreams or daytime events are real underscores the limits of human understanding, known only to Māna-Yood-Sushāī.

• The Revolt of the Home Gods

  Men pray to the gods for deliverance, but the resolution comes through the gods' own power struggles, beyond human understanding or control.

• The Eye in the Waste

  Hoodrazai's wisdom brings sorrow, and the camel drivers choose ignorance and mirth over seeking the truth.

• Of the Thing That Is Neither God nor Beast

  Yadin's quest for wisdom leads him to Trogool, who reveals that the book of fate cannot be altered, underscoring the boundaries of what can be known or changed.

• Yonath the Prophet

  Yonath's entire prophecy centers on the assertion that 'Man Knoweth Not,' and he warns against the futility of seeking to understand the gods.

• Yug the Prophet

  Yug's claim to know all things is shattered by the mere sight of Mung's sign, revealing the boundaries of mortal understanding.

• Alhireth-Hotep the Prophet

  Alhireth-Hotep's claim to know all things is directly challenged and punished by Mung, emphasizing that true knowledge belongs to the gods.

• Kabok the Prophet

  Kabok claims to know all things but is terrified by Mung's presence, revealing his ignorance.

• Of How Imbaun Became High Prophet in Aradec of All the Gods Save One

  The Secret of Things is faintly writ in an unknown tongue, and even the High Prophets cannot read it; Imbaun learns that the end of the gods is hidden from man.

• Of How Imbaun Met Zodrak

  Zodrak, a mere shepherd, could not foresee the consequences of his divine gifts, and wisdom only reveals ignorance.

• Pegāna

  The gods refuse to divulge the secret of death to Imbaun, emphasizing that some knowledge is beyond mortal and even divine reach.

• The Sayings of Imbaun

  Imbaun admits that he and all men know nothing concerning the gods or men, highlighting the theme of epistemic limitation.

• Of Ood

  The hidden reasons for avoiding the smooth road and the forbidden nature of prayer highlight the boundaries of mortal understanding.