tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9682328448390757492024-03-19T19:58:35.211+08:00Within the VeilThis is the diary of Varyd Kohl, anthropologist and naturalist from the city of Garuga, visiting the Arrakesh Forest to study the Arrakeshi people. Here I will make notes on their habits and customs in a bid to learn how they live and build a better understanding between them and the people of Carlika.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968232844839075749.post-80928478177668520402011-10-30T21:12:00.000+08:002011-10-30T21:12:27.530+08:00Day 18<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-AU</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6NQ447m39md24tudyi3NEoQ4CAS_34xsNEgKz2I56iiM4KJ-z-rLIB64pTN44PepkMJWw2G2gLhishaYBQXDce3txWgPvnd_FpngVqNEpcubHcei1nXGoWTOiNVCfj5SipOlKPxp3vE/s1600/Arrakeshi+clothing2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6NQ447m39md24tudyi3NEoQ4CAS_34xsNEgKz2I56iiM4KJ-z-rLIB64pTN44PepkMJWw2G2gLhishaYBQXDce3txWgPvnd_FpngVqNEpcubHcei1nXGoWTOiNVCfj5SipOlKPxp3vE/s400/Arrakeshi+clothing2.jpg" width="245" /></a>I have not written for a few days as I have been away. I was invited to observe a hunt and thought it too good an opportunity to miss. Being urged to travel light, I did not take my diary with me, but I shall endeavour now to give as much detail as I can from memory.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Before we left, the hunting party leader, Potok, insisted that I be dressed in the same manner as the rest of the hunters. This was in no part easy as I stand a good head taller than the tallest Arrakeshi man in the village. Nevertheless, leather trousers and tunic were found for me, as well as a hooded fur cape, for which I was very grateful at night. They even managed to adapt a pair of shoes for my large feet. This was no whim on the part of Potok. The hunters need to blend into the forest and my Carlikan clothing would not have done that. Nor would it have been as waterproof or hard-wearing as the leather clothing. The shoes, with their soft leather soles, allow the hunters to tread their way through the trees without a sound and give them greater grip for climbing trees, which they do with astonishing agility.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">The ten in the party, including myself and two young boys of ten or eleven, left at dawn. The hunters carried bows, about five feet in length, slung over their shoulders. They carried an assortment of arrows in fur-lined quivers on their backs, mostly heavier weighted ones made for the red deer they hunted. The first day, though we saw plenty of wildlife, we did not hunt except to feed ourselves that night, but walked in silence, all communication done through hand signals. The Arrakeshi are informed each Spring and Autumn, through communication between their Treespeaker and Arrakesh, the spirit of the forest, what they may and may not hunt. They believe this advice without question, so though ducks seemed plentiful to me, I was told they were not to be eaten this season nor their eggs harvested.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the evening of that first day, we camped in a glade by a stream and ate, the men having shot five rabbits during the late afternoon. These were skinned, cleaned and stuffed with herbs found by the stream, before being roasted on makeshift spits over the fires. Quick shelters were built using branches and leaves and the men took turns to keep watch during the night. They kindly allowed me to share first watch so that I could sleep through the rest of the night, though I have to admit that sleeping on the forest floor was not conducive to that, at least in my own case. By the time we rose at the first hint of sunlight, I was stiff and sore and wishing Jakan was amongst the party so that he could have eased my muscles with his healing skills.</div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968232844839075749.post-3597238495838552802011-07-10T14:44:00.000+08:002011-07-10T14:44:54.928+08:00Day 14<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-AU</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">The village meeting I mentioned in my last entry was a quiet affair. Everyone who was able, from children to the old, gathered in the meeting house soon after sunrise. The floor is wooden, raised a little off the ground and the people sat cross-legged listening to Kattan as he ran through the tasks that needed to be undertaken in the next ‘moon’, as the Arrakeshi call a month. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am struck by the way the people in this village work together as one. Everyone works at something, and the fruits of that labour are shared amongst each other. Though they have their Chief and Elders to oversee the work, there is no real social hierarchy when it comes to housing and food – the Elders work as hard as everyone else and expect no more than their fair share. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">These people have no concept of money or possession. Everything belongs to the village as a whole and what the village doesn’t have, is bartered for in the next village. Only yesterday, a cartload of pots was taken away to exchange for woven material. The potter of this village is apparently renowned for the strength of his pots and the Second Tribe owns a small flock of goats, the wool from which is spun and woven into quite fine cloth. A worthy exchange.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After the meeting, I took a stroll around the village and came across some of the older children (boys and girls) practising with their slings. They were knocking pine cones from a tree stump with remarkable ease. The slings are made from string (itself made from the fibres of a jute-like plant that grows nearby) and a piece of leather which forms a pocket for a rock projectile. A loop at one end of the string fits over the wrist and a knot at the other sits in the palm, held by the thumb. The sling is then swung around the head and the knot loosed from the thumb at just the right moment.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fgiM65QaIoX66fvlj5TQrJP4fEbQEVMNHtMcCoxfj4UGHJYpverHKacw4xmttqur3cQiS5gixzahifKwnLhACTAkOSieqbE31Jd7uOFj2DRm2FSRwfjSQukBdV71TRwWkVKXtl30ocY/s1600/sling3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fgiM65QaIoX66fvlj5TQrJP4fEbQEVMNHtMcCoxfj4UGHJYpverHKacw4xmttqur3cQiS5gixzahifKwnLhACTAkOSieqbE31Jd7uOFj2DRm2FSRwfjSQukBdV71TRwWkVKXtl30ocY/s320/sling3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">One of the boys, Migok, allowed me to use his own sling to test my accuracy. There was great hilarity when the rock I let fly, rather than hitting a pine cone or even the stump, flew to thud against the wall of Kattan’s cottage, fifty feet behind me. Obviously I will need a lot more practice before I can join in hunting rabbits or birds, but at least I amused the children.</div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968232844839075749.post-88519217244691533562011-05-29T14:11:00.000+08:002011-05-29T14:11:55.708+08:00Day 13<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-AU</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">A meeting of the Elders of the village was held today. This happens on the morn after every full moon and is held in the Meeting House, a large open shelter with wooden floor, just next to the storehouse. This building is large enough to seat the whole tribe, but meetings of the Elders are generally private. I would have loved to observe, but as a new visitor, did not feel it my place to ask. Maybe in the coming months, I will have built enough trust amongst these people to be invited to attend for the sake of my research.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Apart from Kattan, the Chief Elder, there are seven other Elders, both men and women. I have asked Kattan about how the Elders are selected. The Elders themselves, it seems, are chosen by the tribe – all those old enough to have taken their ‘sharesh’ (a journey outside the Veil protecting the forest). <span> </span>The Chief Elder, however, is chosen by Arrakesh, the Spirit of the forest. The people believe that the Treespeaker alone will hear the name Arrakesh chooses and announce it to his people. So the role of Chief Elder is inherently a religious one, founded on faith; an interesting way to choose a leader, but one which, at least in Kattan’s case, seems to work well. The Chief Elder is able to choose his own Deputy from amongst the Elders.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Treespeaker also attended the meeting of the Elders, a normal occurrence apparently. According to Kattan, he is there as a guide to the Will of Arrakesh in all decisions. That the tribe places such trust in one so young does not seem to affect Jakan in any way. He displays no pretentiousness, just a serious consciousness of his role. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Little attention was given to the meeting by the other villagers. They went about their daily tasks without so much as glancing at the Meeting House. Tomorrow, one villager told me, any decisions affecting them will be discussed at a general meeting, along with any problems that any one may wish to bring up for discussion. I look forward to seeing how this meeting is run.</div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968232844839075749.post-43289770123661802802011-04-26T15:11:00.001+08:002011-04-26T15:12:49.250+08:00Day 12<div class="MsoNormal">I slept well last night and was awoken this morning by the sound of children laughing and calling. When I went out, I found them playing a game they call ‘Chase the Boar’. One child plays the boar, and the rest of the children are the hunters. One child carries a ball made of knotted rags or strips of leather. The idea of the game is that the children chasing have to corner the boar by surrounding him. Then the child with the ball throws it at the boar. If they hit him, he (or she, for boys and girls often play together) becomes the boar and everyone starts to chase him. The one who was boar joins the fray. It’s a wild, riotous game with much puffing and laughter. I have yet to see a real boar hunt, but I suspect a lot of this play is based on real hunting skills.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another game I have seen the children play is a form of skittles. Five short lengths of hollow branch are set up in a row, generally on top of a rock or a thick log. The children take turns to throw the ball at the skittles and they tally their scores with piles of stones or nuts. Older and younger children play together, with the younger children allowed to stand closer than the older ones. Again, it is great training for the hand-eye coordination that will later be needed in hunting.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Something at which Arrakeshi children are very adept and which Carlikan children could never match is tree-climbing. I have seen little ones as young as three-years-old sitting in the branches of trees I could not begin to climb. They find hand and toe holds where I can see none at all. Older children take care of the younger ones, discouraging them from climbing too high, but even so I marvel at their agility. Their suppleness and strength makes Carlikan children look lazy, but it has to be admitted that Carlikan children do not have these opportunities.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968232844839075749.post-47912791642482940992011-04-10T17:33:00.000+08:002011-04-10T17:33:23.907+08:00PreviewAs I have just announced in my other blog, <a href="http://kates-scribbles.blogspot.com/">Trees Are Not Lollipops</a>, I am planning to publish "Treespeaker" to Kindle in the very near future. So for those of you who are interested, here's a preview -<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">TREESPEAKER </div><div style="text-align: center;">by Katie W Stewart </div><div style="text-align: center;"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-AU</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">©2011</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Chapter 1</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The worried face of the moon, high in the branches of the great oak, mirrored the apprehension in Jakan’s mind. <span> </span>He shuddered and pulled his deerskin cloak closer about his shoulders. It made no difference. The cold he felt had nothing to do with the night air.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Ahead of him, a column of men, women and children trod their way up the moonlit path in solemn silence. The only sound came from their soft shoes amongst the leaves and the scuffling of small animals hurrying away to hide in the darkness. A thin mist settled on the ground, swirling in the torchlight, and the scent of damp earth wafted on the breeze. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Gritting his teeth, Jakan tried to centre his mind on the ritual to come. At the front of the procession, frail Kattanbek, Chief Elder of the Fifth Tribe of Arrakesh, swayed in a sedan chair. Beyond him, further up the hill, three fires burned in the glade in front of Padhag Klen, promising the villagers warmth and light as they attended the SpringSpeak.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Jakan fixed his gaze on the sedan chair and sighed to himself. He had little doubt that this would be the last Speak for Kattanbek. The old man’s poor, tired soul would not last another season. Who would succeed him? It was a question that had plagued Jakan for many months now. Amongst all the Elders, there was no one he could discern who had the strength, determination or leadership that had characterised Kattan. The tribe had run smoothly under his care, without ill will or strife. Jakan could not imagine anyone else managing affairs so well. He hoped that tonight Arrakesh would name a successor, for he alone could know the true heart of his people. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As the procession entered the glade, the sedan was set upon flat ground between two of the big fires. Jakan pushed back the hood of his cloak to rest on his shoulders and stood beside the Chief Elder. The other villagers edged around the fires and faced Padhag Klen, The Tree, a huge, dark shadow in the firelight. The moon peeked between the still-bare branches, lending a silver glow to one side of the gnarled trunk. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">With everyone settled, Kattan signalled that he wanted to stand. Jakan eased him forward and around to face the people. The old man managed a weak smile at Jakan then, with difficulty, raised his grey head to speak.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“People of the Fifth Tribe of Arrakesh,” he said, his face ashen, his voice shaky and thin, “we’ve survived another winter without hunger, for which we must all give thanks.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There were mumblings of “Arrakesh be praised,” and Kattan waited for them to stop before continuing. “Indeed, Arrakesh be praised and thanks, also, to all of you for your hard work and dedication in preparing for the winter. Though we’ve just endured one of the coldest winters in living memory, as Arrakesh foretold, our storehouses are still partly stocked and the woodpile is not fully depleted. You can all be proud.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There was a polite applause. At the front of the group, Kattan’s wife stood, her hands clasped in front of her, sadness glowing in her brown eyes. <i>She knows, too, </i>thought Jakan as he helped the Chief Elder to sit once more. Then, with a respectful nod, he turned on his heel and strode towards Padhag Klen. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">He climbed over the thick roots at the base of The Tree and made his way into a hollow between two huge roots that rose to two feet above the ground. There, he swung around to face the people. Focusing his mind on his role as Treespeaker, he raised his arms above his head and spoke, his rich, deep voice echoing against the trees on the far side of the glade.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“We seek the Will of Arrakesh.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As one, the people replied, “We seek the insight of Arrakesh.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span> </span><span> </span>“We will do the Will of Arrakesh.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“By moon’s silver water and sun’s golden fire, we will do as he wills. He is our strength and we his.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span> </span>Jakan gave a solemn nod. He lowered his arms and faced The Tree. Already his heart thudded in anticipation. Making an effort to show more calmness than he felt, he reached out his hands and placed them on the trunk. Then, putting his head back a little, he shut his eyes and waited. Not a sound came from the people around him, nor from the forest. Everyone and everything awaited the knowledge, the will of Arrakesh.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Forcing himself to take slow breaths, Jakan concentrated on the silence, waiting for the voice in his mind to tell him of the coming season.<span> </span>Arrakesh did not reside here in The Tree as many believed. As Treespeaker, Jakan could pick up a fresh fallen leaf and know the weather for the next day or turn a stone and know which animal had passed near it in the last hour. It was an intuitive knowledge from Arrakesh that he could not explain. Here at Padhag Klen though, the voice of Arrakesh came stronger. To the people, it was a focal point on which to centre belief. It held them together, reminding them of who they were.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Jakan had taken over this ritual as Treespeaker from his own father when he was sixteen years old. Over time he had learned to completely relax, to let the soft murmuring and gentle images wash over him, without trying to understand them. When it was all over, he found that he understood without thinking.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tonight, though, he approached the ritual with unusual apprehension. He felt an uneasiness that he couldn’t explain. There was no clear premonition in his mind. Yet he felt afraid for the people of Arrakesh. He had tried to tell himself that it was his preoccupation with the problem of leadership that bothered him, but no matter how much he had subdued his thoughts, the niggling fear persisted. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">He could hear the thumping of his own heart and fought to calm himself, to let the images start. He sank further and further into himself until at last he found the soft, quiet centre he sought.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The images came, fuzzy at first, as if he were seeing them through a mist. He fought against the mist and it began to clear. His throat constricted in fear. He saw the village of his people. Darkness had fallen, but the whole village was aglow with fire. Every building burned, flames like ravenous wolves rising amongst the trees. He could feel the raging heat on his skin; hear the crackling of flaming timber. Then he became aware of the sounds. Not the usual soft murmuring of Arrakesh, but screams and wails so loud he reeled mentally away. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">He resisted the urge to try to understand and the image faded. In its place he saw Padhag Klen. It stood in the sunlight, black and spectre-like. Its branches were bare, though the rest of the forest wore its summer greenery. As he watched, two of the branches reached out to him like huge hands held out in supplication. He watched in horror as the trunk of the tree split and bright red liquid poured from its centre onto the earth below. The liquid flowed away into the forest. Everything it touched turned black and withered away to dust.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">On impulse, Jakan closed his eyes tighter, clutching so hard at the tree that the rough bark grazed his hands. Behind him, he heard the uneasy shuffling and murmuring of the villagers. He could do nothing to reassure them. <b><span> </span></b>Arrakesh held him. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The image of Padhag Klen faded once more and Jakan found himself in a forest meadow. It was summer and deer filled the meadow. They appeared unaware of his presence, but stood chewing at the long, green grass. Jakan relaxed. This was more like the usual visions. Suddenly he cringed. A dark shadow, like a cloud passing over the sun, crept across the meadow. As the deer were overshadowed, they disappeared as if an invisible hand had wiped them from the scene. The lush grass turned brown and shrivelled away, leaving nothing but a patch of barren earth. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span> </span>A noise like wind came from above him. Jakan looked up and cowered away from the ferocious talons of a gigantic black hawk. It turned one huge yellow eye on him and screeched as it veered away and flew off into the distance.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span> </span><i>Please, Arrakesh, I can’t bear any more.</i> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span> </span>Arrakesh had more to show. The image faded and another took its place. Now Jakan sat in his own home. It was evening and he and his family had settled for dinner. Jalena smiled as she handed their son, Dovan, a bowl of roasted yams. Jakan couldn’t relax. He knew that something was going to happen. The shaking of his body had become uncontrollable and he rested his head on the trunk of Padhag Klen for support. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The image turned to chaos. The house disappeared into blackness and the huge talons of the hawk descended. With a mind-rending scream, it scooped up both Jalena and Dovan and reared away. At that moment, Jakan became aware of another scream, his own, as the bird disappeared, dropping his son with a sickening thud to the ground and taking his wife with it into the night. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Jakan reeled as his mind plummeted into a circling darkness, surrounded by the most horrendous noise he had ever heard. An imploring, mournful cry seemed to shatter every fibre of his body and carried him away into the emptiness.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">He clutched his bloodied hands to his head and collapsed amongst the roots of Padhag Klen.<span> </span></span></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968232844839075749.post-44010748552987550152011-03-25T18:14:00.000+08:002011-03-25T18:14:19.620+08:00Day 11<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-AU</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span>The Dedication Ceremony took place at dawn. I would say that most of the villagers (around 150 or so) were present, except the very old. To the Arrakeshi, children are a cherished and valued part of the tribe and they are cared for by all, though their parents are the primary nurturers. </span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span>The baby, only a few weeks old, was wrapped in a rabbit fur and carried in the arms of his mother and accompanied by his father, to ‘Padhag Klen’, the huge oak tree on the outskirts of the village. This tree is the centre of worship for the tribe, akin to an altar in other religions. It was there that I saw Jakan the day I went with the women to gather yams. The rest of the villagers, led by Jakan, followed them. All sat as Jakan the Treespeaker took the child and held him up before them. They each held out their arms as if reaching for the baby and Jakan announced the child’s name “Aglik”, meaning “branch of joy”, and called to Arrakesh to accept the child as part of himself, to give him health, strength and happiness and a sure knowledge of his own belonging. </span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span>The child was then given back to his mother and she took him amongst the villagers. Each stroked the boy’s head and said a blessing. Even the smallest children were encouraged to touch his head. Then Kattan, the Chief Elder, handed the father a small bow and a tiny bone broach for fixing a cloak, presents to the child from the village.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span>At the communal breakfast afterwards, there was a keen atmosphere of caring for the new parents and their child. I do not think I saw the child in his parents’ arms for the rest of the morning except when he was feeding, for he was passed around and admired by all.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span>I have noticed that very few families here have more than one or two children. How this is, I do not know. The children as a whole seem healthy and strong. I suppose there may be some deaths through illness or accident, but with Jakan’s healing skills and the care taken of the children, I still cannot imagine it keeping the population growth so low. As it stands, the population seems to be in perfect balance with the resources available, but how this balance is achieved, I do not feel comfortable in asking at this stage. Maybe at a later date, I will ask Jakan.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968232844839075749.post-60087974598907532022011-03-11T11:54:00.002+08:002011-03-11T12:01:21.713+08:00Day 10<div class="MsoNormal">A word about names amongst the people of Arrakesh. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">From what I understand, first names have meanings, but from an old language no longer used or understood in any depth by the people. In the same way that stories are passed down from generation to generation, so are the names and their meanings, though there seems no tradition of passing names from father to son, mother to daughter or even from grandparent to grandchild. When the language itself was lost, I have not been able to discover, but the Arrakeshi speak Carlikan now, albeit with a strong lilt. Some words are entirely their own. I will write more on this at a later date.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kattan’s name, he tells me, means “Bear’s gift” – ‘<i>kat</i>’(bear) and ‘<i>tan</i>’ (gift). Jakan’s name is harder to translate, as the Arrakeshi have many words for things that we do not, but it refers to the light that comes through the trees in the early morning. Not the light itself, but the way it breaks to filter through through the trunks, something that cannot really be understood in Carlika where there are few trees at all.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Megda’s name also comes from a concept not named in Carlika – the moment a leaf, falling from a tree, touches the earth. These people have such a reverence for nature that even such an event has a name. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The forest Arrakesh itself has a meaning in the old language – “<i>arr</i>” means forest, “<i>kesh</i>” means “soul” or “spirit”. The “a” as far as I can tell is simply there for ease of pronunciation.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Other names I have been able to have translated -</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Grifad (m) = <i>grif </i>(boulder)<i> ad</i> (man) </div><div class="MsoNormal">Padmak (m) = <i>pad</i> (oak) <i>mak</i> (shade)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Felka (f) = <i>fel </i>(pebble) <i>ka</i> (shine)</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hagshu (f) =<i> hag</i> (great) <i>shu</i> (water)<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Family names are passed through the father’s side. So Kattanbek comes from the family of ‘Bek’, Jakanash comes from the family of ‘Ash’. Females, when referred to in the formal way, put the name of their family first. When she marries, she takes the name of her husband’s family. So Megda, when she is referred to formally, is Bekmegda. No one seems to have an explanation for this difference in naming between genders. It is simply something they have always done. It certainly does not seem to imply male dominance, as women are just as likely to be elders or even Treespeakers. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tomorrow there will a ‘dedication’ ceremony, a welcoming of a new baby into the tribe. I look forward to observing this ritual. </div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968232844839075749.post-25714316485545622072011-02-27T11:27:00.002+08:002011-02-27T22:26:03.300+08:00Day 9<div class="MsoBodyText2"> An interesting day. As I feared, I awoke this morning as stiff as one of the planks on the wall of my cottage. Thinking it might help to move about, I set off for a stroll around the village, but by the time I reached the Meeting House, my neck and shoulders ached unbearably and I had to sit. I never dreamed that I was so unfit. Muscles hurt that I didn’t even know I had.</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2">Kattan came along while I was sitting and asked if I was unwell. Maybe it was the way I was sitting, maybe I looked pale, I don’t know. I’ve noticed his keen perception on a number of occasions. It was more than a little embarrassing to tell him my trouble, but he showed only concern and immediately sent a young boy off to fetch the Treespeaker. </div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2">I had heard tales of the healing skills of the Arrakeshi Treespeakers, but now I have experienced them first hand. Jakan simply placed a hand on my shoulder and it was as if he had given me a deep pain-killing draught. I could feel the stiffness ebbing and within a minute my muscles returned to their normal laxness. He did not massage or manipulate my shoulder in any way. It was a simple, gentle touch. At the same time, Jakan seemed to stiffen as if taking my pain into himself. Yet when he’d finished, he looked as relaxed as before. Had I simply observed this procedure, I would probably have concluded that the cure was of a psychological nature - the patient's belief in the Treespeaker's power allowing his muscles to relax. But having experienced it myself, I can only say that there was definitely a force outside myself bringing about relief. </div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2">I tried to thank him, but he shook his head and advised me with a smile to admit to my limitations next time I was invited to help. As with Kattan, there was no judgement in his words, only kindness. </div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2">Later in the day, Jakan came to check on me, to ensure that the pains had not returned. I was busy at the time, writing notes on some fungi I had found on a tree trunk just outside the village. He seemed fascinated by the drawings and writing alike, never having seen anything like them in his life before. </div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2">For the rest of the afternoon, we talked – of the uses of fungi amongst the Arrakeshi, but also of more personal matters. After much encouragement from me, he tried to explain how his healing powers work, but as it is an intuitive thing for him, he had difficulty in putting it into words. The healing, he says, comes from his close connection to Arrakesh, the spirit of the forest (I find this interchangeable use of the name for the physical forest and the spirit very interesting). It is Arrakesh, he says, who gives him the power to heal. He has had the ‘gift’, as he called it, since he was 16 years old and took over after the death of his father, also a Treespeaker, when he was 17. </div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2">He is still hesitant to tell me much about the role of Treespeaker, but I sense a relaxing of his initial distrust. Maybe during his healing, he was able to sense my good intentions? Whatever the case, I did feel that we will be able to converse more deeply in future. I hope so.</div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968232844839075749.post-42138821171592111992011-02-25T17:03:00.001+08:002011-02-25T19:09:31.032+08:00Day 8<div class="MsoNormal">I am exhausted. I don’t know if I’ve ever done so much physical work in my life. For too long I have sat at my desk studying, without ever testing my physical powers. Kattan asked me yesterday, if I would like to help with wood-gathering and I agreed, thinking it would give me further chance to study the forest and learn more of the Arrakeshi ways. Had I realised that the wood-gathering would go from dawn until dusk, I might have made an excuse. Yet the Arrakeshi men and boys involved didn’t seem troubled by the work. They dragged, chopped and stacked with energy, working together to get the job done without sign of tiring.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With winter only moons away, a stockpile of wood is needed close to the cottages. Gatherers went out of the village in all directions, collecting the wood into small handcarts and trundling it back to stack it in the pile on the east side. We had to walk quite a way before we found a fallen tree ready for gathering. The wood stack is far away enough from the village not to present a hazard should it catch alight, yet close enough to be easily reached for household use. So, much energy was spent in walking to and fro as well as chopping.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Something I have observed since I came is the use of metal axes, knives and, to a lesser extent, pots amongst these people, yet I have seen no sign of the working of metal anywhere in the village. Kattan tells me that these things are brought back as gifts by those taking their sharesh in Carlika and are highly valued. Knife and axe handles are carved with interesting designs, each unique to its owner, an Arrakeshi stamp on Carlikan metalwork.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">I must sleep. Somewhere on the other side of the village, the sound of a wooden flute carries on the breeze. It’s a plaintive tune that seems to hold the forest within itself. A soothing background for my aching limbs. I wonder if I will be able to move at all at sunrise? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="MsoBodyText2">I have been here less than a week and yet I feel at home. The communal feast last night helped me to get to know a lot more of the villagers, and my summation of them as a gentle, generous people is confirmed. As soon as my plate emptied, there was someone at hand offering me more. When my mead needed replenishing, it was done before I could ask (and a lovely drink it is, I must say). </div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2">When the feasting was over, the villagers – around 150 in all, I would guess – sat around and listened as Jakan, the Treespeaker, told a story. At least, to me it was a story. To the people of the Fifth Tribe of Arrakesh, it is part of their history. I will attempt to tell it here, as best I can remember it. The Arrakeshi use no form of writing. All history is passed down from generation to generation orally, as it was last night.</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><i>"In the days before Man walked the earth, or birds flew in the air, or trees shaded the ground, Arrakesh the Creator had a brother,<span> </span>Maganark the Destroyer. Everything Arrakesh made, his brother would destroy. The world was a barren, joyless place because of it. Arrakesh pleaded with him, but it was Maganark’s nature to pull things apart, to uncreate.<span> </span>He felt no guilt at the distress his actions caused.</i></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><i>At last, Arrakesh could bear it no longer. He devised a plan. During a long period of darkness caused by Maganark, he secretly created seven types of creature, which he named collectively<span> </span>the 'jikhoshi'. These creatures obeyed only him and were able to make themselves invisible. Each creature of the jikhoshi owned a sound, a note that it could sing with such purity and clarity that when the creatures sang their notes in harmony, they created a solid, clear wall of music. Drawn to their song in his yearning to destroy it, Maganark became trapped by it. Together, the jikhoshi took him in this prison to Neteknesh, The Place of Darkness. There, they forced him into a hole in the ground that Arrakesh had created, pushing him deep down into the bowels of the earth. Arrakesh sealed the hole, imprisoning his brother forever. Over the top, he formed a deep lake. </i></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><i>Then Arrakesh created a forest to cover the land, with men and plants and animals living in balance with one another. But around Neteknesh, which became known as the Black Lake, not a plant or animal would grow. Still Maganark attempts to free himself, shaking the earth and raging through the rocks. Never has he managed to free himself, but Man must take care to do as Arrakesh wills, not to lose his temper or wish ill on others. For such destructive thoughts give strength to Maganark."</i></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2">Though the villagers must have heard this story many times before, their attention didn’t stray from their Treespeaker’s face as he told it. Even the children, who would normally have been sleeping, stayed awake, wide-eyed and curious. When he finished, they stood and returned to their cottages without a sound. I looked out of my cottage window a good time later and only Jakan remained, still seated, staring into the dying embers of the fire.</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968232844839075749.post-12645337266575104042011-02-09T14:25:00.000+08:002011-02-09T14:25:34.442+08:00Day 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">I have moved into my own cottage. Though small, it has all I could need; a fire for warmth, a shingled roof, dirt floors, a small table with cushions for seating, a wooden chest in which to stow my belongings and a mattress with furs for sleeping. It will allow me to write without disturbing anyone, while at the same time relieving others of the ‘need’ to accommodate me. Megda insists that she will see to it that I am fed, but I hope that I can soon persuade her of my ability to look after myself.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iqc0xY3dvHIq2wVeBIvWNcWYZP4bQmXQPyzleUo0dfLJVj77HuVTbxBQFLVU-flXuH1a_paL3bH09UECovFWTKRJZCDm-pCmJnFWjqtoKcMS7_HDf_gkrIY-HoHLnRiDSDOBMelJDW0/s1600/Treespeakertatt+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iqc0xY3dvHIq2wVeBIvWNcWYZP4bQmXQPyzleUo0dfLJVj77HuVTbxBQFLVU-flXuH1a_paL3bH09UECovFWTKRJZCDm-pCmJnFWjqtoKcMS7_HDf_gkrIY-HoHLnRiDSDOBMelJDW0/s320/Treespeakertatt+copy.jpg" width="293" /></a><span lang="EN-AU">The cottage is right next door to that of the Treespeaker, Jakan. I knew it to be his even before I saw him there, for there is a carving on the door of a tree, exactly like the tattoo he bears on his wrist. He remains aloof, but Kattan tells me this is probably because as Treespeaker, Jakan could never take his sharesh and so knows nothing of Carlika as the others do. The Arrakeshi believe that should a Treespeaker leave the forest, he would die within a very short time. As soon as he stepped through the Veil, his spiritual tie with Arrakesh would break, a loss he could not survive. I hope that I can befriend this man, for he is the holder of the lore of these people and belief systems are of particular interest to me. </span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">These villagers are such a gentle, giving people that they seem childlike. Their small stature adds to this image. Yet they’re not weak. The children argue and play rough and tumble, just as our own young do. The adults have disagreements and I have heard raised voices from across the village. Such arguments though, are resolved without resort to real violence. There is a certain strength in their ability to resolve issues amicably. Whether this is something to do with Kattan’s gentle leadership or the spiritual guidance of Jakan, or whether it is a general Arrakeshi trait, I have yet to determine.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">A boar was captured yesterday and all day today it has been roasting over a fire in a clearing at the centre of the village. Tonight everyone will gather to feast on it. My mouth already waters at the smell wafting in through the window. </span></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968232844839075749.post-21832662160501141102011-02-04T14:08:00.000+08:002011-02-04T14:08:25.013+08:00Day 5<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU"> </span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">The women went out first thing after breakfast, ten of them in all, with a few young girls and smaller children in tow. Each carried a woven shoulder bag and a sharpened stick about two fingers in thickness. Megda seemed to be in charge of the group, but each knew what she was doing without being told.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">We followed a path leading away from the village to the south of the Meeting Hall. Not far along it we reached a glade where there stood an enormous oak tree. The young man I met last night, Jakan, stood beneath it, obviously deep in thought. He didn’t seem to notice us passing by and none of the women or children disturbed him. In fact, they seemed to be doing their utmost not to disturb him. </span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">Past the tree, we took another path more to the south west until we reached a place Megda told me is called Triffin Glok. There they laid down their baskets and began to dig beneath a vine that grew quite prolifically there. It not only covered the ground, but trailed over trunks and branches making it quite difficult to find a place to kneel.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">The holes they dug went quite deep before they began to pull out small tubors, varying in size from a child’s fist to that of a grown man. The women banged them on the side of the rough shoulder bag to remove most of the dirt before placing them inside the bags. As they dug, they sang a song with a regular beat to aid their digging. The words were, as far as I could tell, without meaning – a series of sounds, rather like a lullaby. Megda tells me it is one that has been handed down from generation to generation and it’s not unusual for someone to change a ‘word’ for the fun of it. Any original meaning has, therefore, been lost.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">From memory, the ‘words’ went something like this:</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">Kabi, kabi, kabina</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">Sooji, sooji soorum</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">Hopi, hopi, hopina</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">Baji, baji, boorum</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">Chiki, chiki chikina</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">Pati pati poorum</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">Nipi, nipi, nipina</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">Joti, joti, joorum</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">After two hours, with the bags full, the party returned to the village. Each woman poured her bag into a large, communal tub of water and they sang again as they scrubbed the yams clean and laid them on a woven mat to dry.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">Before the sun got too high (but the yams had dried from their washing), the women stowed what they had gathered and washed, into open baskets and took all but a few (for their own meal tonight) into the storehouse.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">Unlike the tubors gathered by the Kutira people of the far western island of Gyri, the yams in Arrakesh contain no poisons and require no special treatment before being cooked – boiled, baked or roasted. They are sweeter than potato, though a little more powdery on the palate.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">Tomorrow, I am to see the cottage that has been prepared for me. I am a little embarrassed at how much effort has been put into seeing that I am comfortable in my new surroundings. Even when I have my own place to stay, Megda tells me that I am to be fed by the villagers. I must watch for a way that I can repay their kindness without going against their traditions in any way.</span></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968232844839075749.post-11181170586032065282011-01-27T20:38:00.000+08:002011-01-27T20:38:17.637+08:00Day 4<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">The day starts early in Arrakesh. At first hint of sunrise this morning, Megda rose and stirred the fire. Kattan rose too and had filled the water butt outside the cottage before I had wiped the sleep from my eyes. I slept remarkably well considering the thinness of the mattress.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">After breakfast of toast (again made with almond flour) and tea, I wandered out into the village to observe the villagers going about their daily business. Just down the hill from Kattan’s cottage lies the Meeting Hall, a large building, not fully enclosed. Behind that lies the storehouse. I peeked inside and was astonished at how well stocked it is. The villagers seem to work together in all things. Meat caught while hunting, food gathered by the women, all goes into the storehouse. Even excess produce from each cottage’s garden is brought to the storehouse to be shared out by Pikat, the storeman.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">To the north of the Meeting Hall lies a woodpile that would make any Carlikan weep. Again, it is the result of communal gathering, and will be shared throughout the winter.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">The villagers are very friendly, eager to show me around. Many are also eager to ask me about Carlika or to tell me about their own experiences there. I must ask more about the Sharesh. It seems that very few Arrakeshi ever choose to stay in Carlika when their Sharesh is over, and even fewer ever return there afterwards. I am interested to find out why this is so.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">I am still with Kattan and Megda. Apparently there is a spare cottage that I may have for the duration of my stay, but it needs maintenance before they deem it suitable for habitation. </span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">Another villager shared a meal with us tonight, a young man named Jakan. He is relatively tall for an Arrakeshi, though still at least a foot shorter than me. I had guessed him to be about my own age, but Kattan tells me he is, in fact, only twenty, a good ten years younger. He was introduced as ‘The Treespeaker’, a title which intrigues me. He seemed reticent to speak about his role, however, and I have not yet had chance to question Kattan. I do know from talking to Arrakeshi visitors in Carlika, that there is a deeply held belief in the spirit of the forest itself. I presume this man is some sort of priest or seer, but I do not want to seem too greedy for information. I’m sure I will get a chance to learn more in time, if I can win Jakan’s confidence. </span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">One thing that was clear was the obvious affection he had for Kattan and Megda. He apparently has no family of his own and lives alone in a cottage on the far side of the village. From what I saw in the village today, he is well respected by the other villagers, despite his young age. I look forward to getting to know him better, for I suspect he is the key to learning how Arrakeshi society functions.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Now to bed. I have been invited to go gathering yams with the women tomorrow. I am not sure whether to be pleased or insulted.</span>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968232844839075749.post-66728934141391360442011-01-25T20:41:00.001+08:002011-01-25T20:45:59.579+08:00Day 3<span lang="EN-AU">I arrived at the village mid morning, having left my camp at sunrise. It wasn’t an easy walk. The terrain in the forest undulates even more than in Carlika, and the recent rain on the leafy floor made it slippery. I would probably have made quicker progress if I hadn't spent so much time taking in my surroundings. The animal life here within the Veil is astounding and almost every plant is new to me. </span><br />
<div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">A group of children met me outside the village. They were playing some game, involving running in and out of the trees (the seemed unhindered by the slippery ground). When they saw me, they all stopped at once, their mouths open. I must have seemed like a giant to them, for the Arrakeshi people are small in stature. Eventually, one of the older children came forward and asked if he could help me. They led me then, to the village and introduced me to the Chief Elder. Quite a crowd built up around me as we walked to his cottage. A stranger in the village, especially a Carlikan visitor, is obviously quite an event.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">The Chief Elder, a man approaching fifty years of age, whose formal name is Kattanbek, welcomed me into his cottage. His wife, Megda, served me a tea, a strange concoction made with camomile and other herbs I couldn’t recognise, as well as some quite bitter tasting biscuits which she told me were made with almond flour. The two were not at all awkward about welcoming a stranger, explaining to me that anyone whom Arrakesh allows within the Veil is considered a friend and offered due hospitality, though they can be sent on their way if they don't obey the rules of the village. The explanation was given very politely, but the implication was clear.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">There is nothing about Kattanbek to show his status as Chief Elder, but he has a tattoo at his wrist, a stylised bear design which I haven’t seen on others. He also has a tattoo below his throat, an eagle-like creature, but I noticed this design on others too, later in the day, so I can only presume it is a mark of the tribe, a totem of some kind. His wife, however, had a tattoo of different design. I will ask them about it at a later date.</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">Kattanbek’s cottage, which from what I could see is typical of the housing in the village, is small, constructed of slabs of roughly hewn wood, with a shingled roof. It consists of two rooms; a living area, sparsely furnished, with a stone fireplace on which the cooking is done; and a sleeping area. Bed rolls, thin leather mattresses stuffed with what smells like pine needles and lavender, are stored in one corner along with fur coverings. The living area has a floor of flat stones, but the other room has a dirt floor, cleanly swept. At the far end of the cottage is a stone byre. Most of the cottages seem to have a small vegetable garden and a few have goats tethered nearby. </span></div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText2"><span lang="EN-AU">I am to sleep here tonight and other accommodation will be found for me in days to come. Kattanbek, or Kattan as he's usually called by young and old alike, seems keen to talk with me of the places he visited on his ‘sharesh’ as a youth and Megda promises me the best roast rabbit I have ever tasted. They are a most hospitable people.</span></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968232844839075749.post-6297076726032143332011-01-23T14:14:00.003+08:002011-01-27T19:10:41.475+08:00Day 2<div class="MsoBodyText" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-AU">I<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">'m in the forest. No one can know the thrill of being allowed into the shelter of this place, unless they have experienced it themselves. There's no fanfare, no ceremony. I simply walked in, and except for a slight tingling sensation on my skin, may never have noticed that I had passed through the Veil. Though completely invisible, it has protected the Arrakesh Forest from the depredation of those outside for thousands of years. Had I been found to have destructive plans for this place, the Veil would have turned to something like thick canvas, impenetrable and impossible to tear, and my trip would have been wasted. So many meet that wall and so few have come this far. That's how the forest has survived so long.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-AU">I didn't anticipate failure, yet still it's a relief. My intention, as I’ve said, is to study the ways of the Arrakeshi people. Nowhere else in the world do I know of any people whose connection with the land is so close that the land itself protects them. I wish to delve into the mechanics of this relationship, to unearth the stories connected with it, for I suspect there is much that Carlika can learn from these people.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">The path to the village is clear as the boys promised it would be, but I don't intend to venture further today. My mind is overwhelmed by the strangeness of this place. The closeness of these trees is somewhat claustrophobic as well as exhilarating. I want to study the plant and animal life before I venture further, get used to the lack of horizon. I shall camp here tonight, in this glade protected on all sides by the sloping forest floor. Tomorrow, I'll make my way east along the path. I look forward to meeting the Arrakeshi in their own place</span>.</span></span></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968232844839075749.post-6270198555418885252011-01-21T16:08:00.003+08:002011-01-21T21:59:56.858+08:00Day 1<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-AU">My camp tonight lies close to the escarpment below the Arrakesh Forest. It’s a balmy night and I can smell the leaves on the breeze. It's such a strange smell, almost surreal to a Carlikan like me. Tomorrow, I'll climb the path and test whether or not I can enter into the trees, for no one can travel beyond the Veil that protects the forest unless the forest itself decides they present no danger.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-AU">Last night, I camped alongside two Arrakeshi youths on the first leg of their ‘sharesh’, a year out of the forest that almost every Arrakeshi (male and female) undertakes at the age of eighteen. They were excited about their journey, yet seemed overwhelmed by the enormity of Carlika and the relative absence of trees in this country. They had few plans, content apparently to simply wander at will, explorers like me in a completely new world.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-AU">The two boys advised me to come this way. The path from here will lead me to their home. They promised me that should Arrakesh will my entry, their people, the Fifth Tribe of Arrakesh, will greet me with kindness. Their village lies some distance into the forest, but the path, they said, is clear and easy to follow. I look forward to making friends with these people and learning their ways. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In this diary, I will record all I see, hear, feel, taste and smell; for only by experiencing the life of another person can we appreciate why they behave as they do.</span></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949383007237428146noreply@blogger.com2