Lord Dunsany, The Gods of Pegāna (1911 illustrated edition)
Mana-Yood-Sushai
Mana-Yood-Sushai stands behind the smaller gods of Pegāna in Lord Dunsany’s imagined creation story. An unknown winner of a contest between Fate and Chance asks him to make gods. He does so, then rests, while the gods make other things. Skarl’s drumming keeps him asleep. The opening chapter says that his eventual awakening will end the gods and worlds he has allowed to exist. The later chapter on Skarl leaves competing explanations of the cosmos unresolved: the worlds may be musical echoes or dreams in Mana’s mind. These details belong to Dunsany’s literary mythology.
Also known as Māna-Yood-Sushāi · Mana
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In the sources
Maker of the gods
DocumentedThe opening distinguishes Mana, who makes the gods, from the smaller gods responsible for other things in the imagined world.
Fate or Chance
DocumentedThe narrative does not reveal which contender wins the initial contest and asks for gods to be made.
Context & interpretation
The entry describes Mana-Yood-Sushai as portrayed in the opening passages of the 1911 illustrated edition. It does not identify him with a deity from a historical religious tradition.
Original passages
Source 1
The Gods of Pegāna
Fate and Chance cast lotsOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Gods of Pegāna, unnumbered opening before printed p. 1
Actual 1911 Pegana Press Reader image inspected; printed text checked directly. Literary narrative, not testimony about historical supernatural events.
- Edition
- IMJ-0254-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0254-E001-P0006
- Original scan leaf
- 13
- Recorded leaf number
- 13
- Current Reader position
- 7
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 2
The Gods of Pegāna
who made the gods, and hath thereafter restedOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Gods of Pegāna, opening chapter, printed p. 1
Actual 1911 Pegana Press Reader image inspected; printed text checked directly. Literary narrative, not testimony about historical supernatural events.
- Edition
- IMJ-0254-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0254-E001-P0007
- Original scan leaf
- 15
- Recorded leaf number
- 15
- Current Reader position
- 8
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 3
The Gods of Pegāna
but none knowethOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Gods of Pegāna, “Of Skarl the Drummer”, printed p. 2
Actual 1911 Pegana Press Reader image inspected; printed text checked directly. Literary narrative, not testimony about historical supernatural events.
- Edition
- IMJ-0254-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0254-E001-P0008
- Original scan leaf
- 16
- Recorded leaf number
- 16
- Current Reader position
- 9
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
