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Once there was a youth born among the Mulu Izi, he was a dark and brooding youth.
Even though he lived
amongst a happy people, he found great difficulty being happy, for at an early age he came to understand that death was an
inevitable part of life. It seemed that life was pain, and at times the effort of living was more pain than he could bear.
He spent his time rehearsing what he would say when the day came that he stood before the throne of Ereshkigal in the
cold dark underworld. His awareness of death entered into all that he did, all his vestments were black and he chalked his
skin white like a corpse. He wore ashes upon his face like one who mourns the passing of another, and he seemed like one who
had lost something within himself.
When people would inquire why he dressed like this, the youth would tell them that
the black was the color of his spirit and the ashes were to mourn his own death because he was a dead man walking. When they
would say that he was not yet dead, he would give them no answer, rather he would sigh as one hard pressed by suffering, and
turn his back to them.
The youth liked to wander in the dark after all others had fallen to rest. At that time, he did
not have to explain his vestments and the chalk and ashes upon his face
There came a night that he walked the streets
alone and in silence, as the youth passed the places of burial he saw a slight figure crouching in the shadows of a grave.
By the darkness of its form, and the paleness of its skin, the youth judged it to be a demon, a lurker from the below, or
perhaps a ghost of some forlorn departed being. Full of curiosity, he stepped towards it.
Just as he did so, the figure
spoke saying, why do you wander the streets oh' ghost? Why are you not at rest?
He replied saying, I would ask you the
same question, for I have not seen a ghost before
The pale figure came forward, the youth saw that it was a young woman
and not a ghost at all. She was vested all in black, and she wore ashes and chalk upon her face. She was beautiful to look
upon and he was sorely smitten in his desolate heart.
She said, It would seem that you are no ghost, why do you wander
the streets made up as a corpse? He told her of his view of death, and she told him that she felt the same. They talked, and
as they talked they wandered.
They wandered together long through the night and talked and talked, and just before the
coming of dawn, she departed saying that she would meet him again that night.
The youth slept through the day dreaming
of the beautiful girl. He awoke just after sunset and rushed to the tombs, the girl awaited him there, and she smiled at his
hurried approach. The youth calmed himself and became dignified and offered her his arm.
They walked under the moon and
talked of life and death and the inevitability of it all. This went on for many nights, and they wandered to places they had
never been. When a year and a day had passed the girl told the youth a secret.
She began pensively, "My father is an Ankharru,
a drinker of blood. My mother is human. From my mother I derive my beauty, but from my father I received the need for blood
and a loathing of the light. I need but a little blood, only seven drops every three months, but I must have it none the less.
I may not walk the day without chalk and oil upon my face, else my skin would slowly burn and fall away. But, I may walk
in the sun light and that is to my advantage. sunlight numbs my fathers kind, in its touch, they fall dizzily and lie still,
some simply stop as they are . If they are not well covered, they burn and fall apart."
"Mu ashta za e (my heart is yours),
nourish it but once upon the solstices and equinoxes and I am yours for life. I do not have the immortality of my father's
kind, thus I will walk my path with you and perhaps we shall quit this world together when we have come through the aged years.
Should we part I will know pain that is long and dull. to be alone is not enough"
The youth knew is his desolate heart
that he could not be without her and so he said, "Mu ashta za e, I am a dead man walking. I am not afraid to speak to your
father." sarcastically he added, What is he going to do, kill me? The girl interrupted, "My father is not an Ankharru, my
father is 'The Ankharru' lord over all his kind. I fear that he will not accept you because you are human and then I will
be unable to see you again. And yes, he may kill you, or drink your spirit and make you subject to him."
The boy said,
"I have been waiting to die my whole life. I am not afraid. Tell me what I must do and I will do it."
The girl explained
that he would have to go to the lair of the Ankharru. Once he was there he would go to her father's chamber to speak of the
engagement. The Ankharru would pose a riddle, if the boy answered well, the Ankharru would speak to him. If he answered wrong,
the Ankharru would set upon him and consume him.
The boy parted from her just as the dawn began to creep over the horizon,
and he went home and slept fitfully.
The Boy rose that night, and he entered the earth through a cave and descended into
the lair of the Ankharru He slipped quietly past the creeping shadows and followed the path to the girls father.
The Ankharru
were tall and thin, they were gaunt faced and had long razor claws, some were winged and others were half serpent, all of
them were beasts, but the youth did not fear them. After four hours of slipping through the darkness, the boy finally came
to the mouth of The Ankharru's chamber.
The Ankharru sat upon a throne of jet, he stood taller than was possible, even
sitting he was taller than the boy. The Ankharru was jet black with red burning eyes, his wings were long as an ox cart. By
his side sat a mace, it's head was as large as an ox's, and it's handle was tall as a man. The young man did not fear death
so he walked directly in.
When the boy entered, The Ankharru sat upright in his throne and looked upon him intently.
You
must be the whelp that has been seeing my daughter, I would commonly give you a riddle to answer, but I crave to see why my
daughter has said Mu ashta za e to you. You are not hansom, you are not rich, you hold no position of authority, and are a
misanthrope. what is within you that she so loves? Answer this well, and I will consider your union.
The youth was thoughtful
for a moment and then spoke thusly.
"Life is an excruciating pain, I feel each little part of it as intensely as a dagger,
I suck the life from it like the marrow from a bone, I am addicted to it and cannot break free. I am full of lifes obsessions
and dwell on death.
Life is a farcical ceremony, a pageant that is haunted by it's own ending. I would free myself from
it but the addiction holds me fast. People live their mundane lives that are full of pain, and depression, they fear the inevitable
end, they fear the darkness. They do not reach for things because they are afraid to move closer to death. This paralyzes
them, it cuts them off at the roots. They stagnate and do not try to live. They become dead men walking about,
I am Undead
because I have chosen to wear my death like a cherished robe. I no longer fear death, and with that fear gone, only the Inevitability
remains, I cannot change the Inevitable. so I face it with Tranquility and consume my pain like wine. This tranquility transcends
the living death and thus I am Undead. I feed on Life itself, I am Ankharru."
The Ankharru thought for a moment and then
answered him. "I give her to you. Go and share your suffering and face the inevitable together, consume your angst like wine
and wait for deaths drunken repose. Go to her, and let nothing take her from you ."
The Ankharru gave the boy a silver
bottle, "My daughter will understand it's purpose. Keep it from her till you are wed. Drink it on your wedding night in remembrance
or our talk. Now get you gone, I hear the silent whispers of the blood within you and I thirst."
The youth slipped away
into the darkness and wove his way back past the gibbering shadows. He joined with the girl. With their faces chalked white
and ashes on their lips and around their eyes, they were wed in the field of tombs
On their wedding night the youth brought
forth the bottle and uncapped it before the girl.
"This was given to me by your father, he said that we should drink it
in remembrance of the words we spoke between us."
The girl sniffed the bottle and exclaimed in wonder, "This is my fathers
blood! If we add our blood to it and drink, we will become immortal, but know that if we do, we will need blood even as he
does. What say you? Do we drink?"
The youth thought long and hard, at last he spoke, "To be alone is not enough, to be
alone is to be a dead man walking, and fall prey to the Inevitability of it all. I have you, we are Ankharru, I am not alone.
I think this is your father's riddle. It is dedicated to the remembrance of the words we spoke. I remember those words, he
said ;
"I give her to you. Go and share your suffering and face the inevitable together, consume your angst like wine
and wait for deaths drunken repose. Go to her, and let nothing take her from you .... He is correct, Let us consume our angst
like wine and face the Inevitable together. If we drank from the bottle, we would be under his power, even it's existence
made me keep a secret from you. We would serve the despair and have no will of our own. I would loose you and become a dead
man walking."
They set aside the bottle and slept with their arms crossed peacefully across their chests. They woke in
the sunset and were one, The silver bottle was not to be found, It was gone and only it's silver chain remained.
Commentary
Once there was a child of the Mulu Izi that was born into the house of kings.
He was raised in the House
of succession, and he was taught all that a king should know. The child was not the heir to the throne and his brother who
was a treacherous fellow, kept the boys name from the people, and he made the youth his Cup Bearer. in hopes that one day
poison would be in the cup and the youth would perish.
The older brother did not rule well, but the members of the royal
court dared not speak against him for fear of punishment.
One day the youth tasted the king's cup and fell violently ill,
it took many days for him to recover. While he slept fitfully and hovered between life and death he saw the gods gathered
in council.
The sun, Shammash, the great Utu, the lamp of the gods, god of the individual spoke. He said that had looked
upon the people, and saw that they suffered hunger and deprivation.
The serpent of sorcery, Ninib, the scribe of the gods
said that the king ruled poorly and had over taxed his people.
The Ishtar queen of the gods, goddess of love and need
spoke. She said that the king did not love his people, rather he loved gold, lapis and silver.
The moon, great Zuenzu
priest of the gods, light of change and want spoke up, Zuenzu said that the offerings of the temple were meager and that the
priests went hungry.
The Ninurta the Chemosh, god of hate and vengeance warlord of the gods said rebellion was stirred
in the hearts of the people, and enemies mounted the borders.
The Enlil, king of the gods, lord of the four winds and
master of sky decreed that the king should fall, but asked ,who will we set upon the throne?
The Adar the unmaker, wielder
of lightning and storm, the hand of the reaching shadow spoke, Adar said that even such a king looked upon them from a death
bed.
The youth recovered from the poison, but the fever dream was constantly upon his mind. he wondered of whom the Adar
had spoken. The child wondered if this true king existed, and if all was as he had seen.
He asked leave to go to a place
of solitude to recover his health. His request was granted and the king sent him to a meager country house to rest.
The
youth did not rest in the country home, rather he dressed as a commoner and went forth to look upon the people.
The people
were not happy, the king drafted their sons to fight against the enemies of the kingdom, and then he used them foolishly and
saw many of them slain in vain. The tax collectors took a heavy toll from the people and the people hungered. The cost of
goods had swollen too large and the people could not buy wheat for bread.
The youth went to the temple of the Zuenzu and
looked about, the priests were ill clad, and the offering to the gods were poorly. The gold was stripped from the alter that
it could be given to the king for his rings and ornaments, and all about, the temple bricks were shoddy and cracked.
The
youth was shocked, all that he had learned in the House of Succession was wronged by what he saw.
The youth returned to
the country home and gathered all the things of value that he could find there. He went to the temple and placed the valuables
before the altar of Zuen.
He prayed fervently for the hunger of the people to be stilled, he prayed fervently for the
safety of the the sons that had been drafted for foolish battles, he prayed fervently that the temple trappings be restored
and the bricks repaired, and he prayed fervently that the true king should rise from his death bed and lead the people to
a better day.
When he rose to leave, he saw that a priestess looked upon him. She was dressed simply and he took her to
be a neophyte of the temple. He hurried to depart before she could tell the high priestess of the offerings he had laid before
the altar.
As he passed by her, she reached out and took him by the arm and said, "Come, you must speak to the high priestess.
She will bless you for the offerings that you have made to Zuenzu."
The young man said, "Forgive me, but my face must
not be known to her for I sit at the king's feet and taste his cup. If he knew of this deed he would be sore wroth, and take
these things from before the altar."
The priestess, smiled and said, "It is to late for that, I am the high priestess,
come sit with me in the inner sanctum, I will interpret a dream for you in thanks for your offerings"
He went with her
and sat piously before the god of the inner sanctum.
The high priestess prayed to the gods for a short while and then
exclaimed in wonder, "It is you! Look and see the meaning of your fever dream. You saw the vision from your death bed! You
are the Sharrukin (true king) appointed by Ninlil and sanctioned by Enlil, you are the healer of the land,
The young man
shook his head and said, "What?, I couldn't! I do not have the needed might, nor the wisdom to sit upon the throne."
The
priestess smiled and said, "You have all that you need. You have compassion and humbleness in your spirit, kindness is within
your heart, wisdom is within your thoughts and might is in your right hand, you are raised in the House of Ascension, and
have seen the needs of the land. You prayed for the land to be delivered too humble to even see that gods spoke of you."
The
young man thought deep and long, at last he said, "I have no army, the people do not know my name, and I fear I do not have
the wisdom to heal the land, how would I become king? I can barely rule my self, how may I rule the many?
The priestess
smiled, "All that we need, has been given to us."
The priestess conferred with him long into the night, they sent a messenger
on an errand. When they were finished making their plan, he left the temple and went back to the country house.
When he
arrived there, a cadre of guards awaited him with spears in their hands and sadness upon their faces. "Come," they said, "the
king has heard of the offering you have made, and he has sent for you crying, "That one is a traitor to my name, bring him
to me for justice.", We must take you before him."
The young man nodded his head and said, "Do as you must, for you are
faithful servants all."
The soldiers took him before the king. The king had assembled all the lords and ladies of the
court before him, for he wished by example to show them what happened to a traitor to his name.
"Look you!, he cried,
"This one is a traitor to my name see my justice and be fearful! Bring him forth that he may drink from my cup and fall dead
before me. Let Justice be done"
The youth went before the king and took the cup in his hands, he turned to the assembled
people and spoke.
"I have looked upon the pained land and the hungry people. I have looked upon the shoddy bricks and
bare altar of the temple. I have looked upon the shoddy heart and bare soul of the king, gladly I will drink of this cup,
that this cup pass from me. My heart dies with the land." the youth blessed them all with a smile of peace, he raised the
cup to his lips and drank.
He downed the cup fully and then turned to the king saying, "It is done, my thirst is quenched.
Your thirst for vengeance will be quenched soon, Vengeance is a dish that spoils quickly in the heat, but Justice endures
the furnace. The land still hungers. Know you that I will carry your name to the underworld with me. I will whisper it into
the ear of Ereshkigal to remember. All men must die in time." Then the young man stood proudly and waited to die.
Time
passed yet the youth lived on. The king rose up in wrath and shouted, "Who has done this!?! Who has taken the poison from
his cup!?! Who is the traitor!?!I will slay them with my own hands!.
The king took his mace from the arm of his throne
and stepped down to smite the youth. Just then a voice rang out pure and loud, "I have taken the poison from his cup!
The
king turned and there stood the high priestess of the moon.
"What treachery is this? he cried, "why have you done this
thing? Now I see you as a traitor, you will surely perish by my own hand! The king reared back the mace and swung at the priestess
full force.
Even as the king swung, the Sharrukin (the true king) gripped the Lulukin's (the false king's) wrist in his
mighty right hand, and cast him to the floor like a doll.
He looked upon his older brother and said, "To slay me is one
thing, but to put hands upon the sanctified lady of the moon is not right."
The high priestess turned to the people and
said, "It is decreed Ninlil and sanctioned by the Enlil! He is the Sharrukin! Tell me! Is he a king with no kingdom, or is
he father to you all?"
The people cried,"Sharrukin! Sharrukin! Sharrukin is father to us al!!", and bowed low to him.
Sharrukin spared his brother and sent him forth to serve as a field hand for the temple of the moon, he worked many years
and grew humble Sharrukin freed the people of the taxes and the drafting of their sons for war, he smote the enemies at the
walls and cast them back. He rebuilt the temples, and made the Datu and the people prospered.
He was a mighty king and
his house ruled one hundred years.
Once there was a child of the Mulu Izi that was born into a house of warriors.
His brothers were strapping
brutes that picked on him incessantly and the child's father frowned over this and thought the child was weak.
The child
grew strong and fast but he was never as large as his brothers and when his brothers learned to fight with swords and maces
he was given a hoe and sent to work the garden. It came to pass that the child's brothers became great swordsmen and masters
of the mace, but the child was never taught to use the weapons even though he earnestly desired to learn.
one day he chanced
upon a retired soldier who was said to be a master of the sword and mace. The young man begged the old man to teach him, and
after a long hard look, the grizzled old soldier agreed to teach him.
When the youth arrived to begin his lessons, the
old soldier awaited him with a wooden sword and a great boundary stone, The old man told the youth that his training was to
begin small, first would strengthen his limbs by working with the stone, then he would learn the secrets of the sword.
The
old soldier had the youth pick up the mighty stone and carry from one corner of the field to the next.
The youth could
barely lift the stone and the soldier's daughter laughed at his efforts. It was bad enough that he could barely lift the stone,
but each time he focused his mind on the stone and the burden grew a little lighter, the old man would strike at him with
the wooden sword. Day after day it went on, but the youth tried not to be discouraged over his aching muscles and many bruises.
One day the youth reached down and heaved up the stone, he had taken only a step or two, when all of a sudden he leapt
to the side and felt the wooden sword swish past him. The soldier's daughters laughed but this time with delight! The youth
turned to the old man and saw that the sword in the soldiers hand was as real as the soldiers smile of approval.
That
day the soldier invited him into his home, and his daughters gave the youth refreshments and smiled behind their hands at
him. From that day on he carried the burden with ease and dodged the old man's blows with more and more skill.
Now it
came to pass that a Bully came to the village and became the cause of much trouble. Any man who raised their fists to the
Bully were flattened by a single blow, and the bully's skill with sword and mace was unmatched by any who stood against him.
Even the youth's strapping brothers were no match for the bully.
One day the youth walked to the old soldier's house for
his lesson and found a horrible sight awaiting him.
The old soldier lay wounded on the ground, and the bully, was set
to spirit away one of the old soldier's daughters. The youth shouted to the bully and demanded that he leave at once, and
the bully laughed at him is disdain.
"Come, little boy, he sneered, "Face me if you will, I am the greatest swordsman
in all the land." The bully drew his sword and advanced on the unarmed youth. The bully swung a deadly and skillful blow at
the young man, but the boy slipped it with ease, again the bully struck, and again the boy danced out of the swords path.
This went on for some time with the bully hacking and the boy dodging. At last their battle ranged into the field, and
the youth found himself backed up against the boundary stone.
The bully saw that the boy was trapped, and moved in to
deliver a fatal blow.
Suddenly the youth grabbed up the great boundary stone and blocked the bully's blow.
The bully's
sword was broken in two and his arm was numbed. Without hesitation, kicked him in the chest and knocked him flat, the youth
stepped forth and raised the stone on high to smash the bully's head!
The Bully wept for mercy, he groveled like a kicked
dog, and the youth could not strike the unarmed adversary. he demanded that the bully give his pouch full of gold to the old
soldier and the youth watched as the bully fled for the high road.
The youth went to the old man and helped him back to
his feet and then he brushed the dust from the old man's robe.
The soldier placed his hand upon the youth's shoulder and
asked, "Even unto my most precious things,, speak! Tell me how I may repay you!
And the youth laughed and said, "Get rid
of that rock and teach me to use a dammed sword!
Commentary
Disobedience is a form of negative obedience. Rebellion
is organized disobedience. Disobediance is an act of aggression. The disobedient man is obedient to his disobeidiance. All
aggression is a manifestation of the power to kill. All aggression is the result of fear. Animals fight when they are fearful,
when animals slay for food, they make a swift kill, the lion does not fight the antelope, but the antelope fights the lion.
All aggression will have a hero and a villian. If aggression is present, it will manifest itself actively or passively.. All
acts of aggression are designed to put the hero in a superior position over the villain. greed is an aggressive desire to
hold the most power. Competition is a form of socially accepted aggression One may trust only the motion, that which is produced.
Promises are broken by the living. Deeds cannot be broken. If the answer is 'yes' the body will say yes. If the answer is
"no" the body will say no. Yes approaches, no retreats
Once there was a little black cat.
She lived in a house, but wandered in the desert at night to chase mice.
She saw the lion of the desert and feared it, but she desperately desired to be the mighty lion and to feed upon the antelope.
So strong was her desire that she called to Ningal, mistress of the moon. "Oh Ningal!' she cried, "Look upon me, I am
but a little thing, but I have the heart of the lion in me, guide me please to the lioness of Ishtar that I might apply to
her to become a lion."
Though the cat was tiny, it had a true desire and so Ningal sent a messenger to the lioness of
Ishtar, queen of all lions. The little black cat sat and waited to be summoned and the Ningal sailed on and went to her dark
journey.
Shammash-Utu, the great sun, rose in the sky and still the little black cat waited. All through the morning and
long into the evening she sat. Utu settled toward his setting when he noticed the little black cat still waited, pacing back
and forth in frustration.
The sun spoke saying, "For what do you wait, little one?'
The little black cat licked it's
lips in thirst. "Lord", it croaked, "I have sat here all night shivering under the hair of Babilani, and I have sat here all
day drying my flesh under your mighty eye, but still I have not heard word from the lioness of Ishtar."
The sun looked
upon the little black cat and pitied her. He smiled and said, "I will send word to the lioness of Ishtar and bid her to receive
you. invoke the serpent Ninghizhida, he will take you.", and then the sun set.
When the sun had set Zuenzu, the moon,
husband to Ningal rose and saw the little black cat making ready for its rite. Zuenzu grew curious and asked, "Little one,
why do you make a rite of passage?"
The little black cat said, "I have requested of you wife, the Great Lady that I might
see Lioness. The Sun has blessed me to go forth to the lioness of Ishtar, thus I prepare to call Ninghizhida so that he may
conduct me there."
The moon said , "You are determined and have a true desire in your heart, so I too will bless you ."
The little black cat made the ritual to Ninghizhida, she caught a mouse and when she had told it her prayer to it, she
slew it. that it would take her prayer to Ninghizhida in the underworld.
Suddenly the little black cat's fur stood all
on end. She heard the sound of bells and a terrible hiss came out of the darkness, a pair of glowing eyes appeared soon after
and Ninghizhida stood before her. Ninghizhida was foul to behold, but the little black cat puffed herself up larger and spoke
saying, "Ninghizhida! Show your self for I know your name and I have sent for you!"
Ninghizhida rose up before her and
said, "Why have you summoned me?". The little black cat replied, "I demand in the name of Utu that you take me before queen
lioness. I have Ningal's sanction, Utu's blessing is upon me, and also the blessing of Zuen before me."
Ninghizhida saw
that it was so, and he led the little black cat to the throne of Lioness.
When the little black cat was brought before
Lioness, she bowed low and looked at the floor as was proper. Lioness looked long and hard at the little black cat before
she spoke.
" Why have you come before me? I am not the mother of your kind."
The little black cat looked boldly into
the eyes of Lioness and said, "My lady, I would be a lion such as you are, for I would roar with pride and feed upon the antelope.
Only you can grant me this thing."
Lioness rose up fiercely and glared down at the little black cat, "You dare look into
my eyes? You dare ask such a thing of me? Each must float at their own level, even should I think that you could change your
level, I am not the mother of your kind, if you would be anything but a little black cat, you must visit the black panther
of Ereshkigal." and with that, Lioness leapt upon the little black cat and wrent her throat to death.
The little black
cat awoke before the gates of the underworld and Ninghizhida awaited her there with glee. He led her down through seven gates
and they entered the underworld. Ninghizhida did not bring her before the Black Panther of Ereshkigal. Instead he brought
her to a place of bondage and locked her there.
The little black cat was certain it would be just a little while, but
she remained locked up for ages, At first she waited well, but in time her frustration grew. It grew and grew till she thought
madness would take her. Her hunger grew so great that she yowled till she was hoarse and yammered till she was mute. She paced
till she was too starved to pace any longer and she at last lie down and gave up.
Stillness came upon her and suddenly
her frustration passed away and patience settled in. Then came Ninghizhida to the door and bore her in his hands before the
panther of Ereshkigal.
The panther of Ereshkigal look down upon the poor little black cat, and said "Daughter, why have
you come before me?"
The little black cat knew ecstasy to be before the Panther, but could not even raise her head. "Lady",
she whispered, " I had thought to avail myself of you that I might become a lion or a panther, now I would be happy just to
be a little black cat."
The panther of Ereshkigal said, " I will give you back to the world of the living." The panther
sprinkled the food of life upon the little black cat, then she sprinkled the water of life upon the the little black cat and
said, "Arise!"
The little black cat awoke before the throne of Lioness, she bowed her head humbly and said, "I have returned
that I might again to be a little black cat."
Lioness smiled and spoke, "I'm sorry but you cannot do that."
The little
black cat looked upon herself with wonder for she was no longer a little black cat. Instead she was a panther. The black panther
exclaimed in wonder, "What ever shall I do now?"
Lioness laughed said, "Go feed upon the antelope!"
Once there was a child of the Mulu Izi who was born into a house that served the kings.
she was taught
that duty was honor and that obedience brought fulfillment. She loved her father greatly and obeyed him well, she was the
apple of his eye and stood by him in all things.
As the girl reached puberty, she grew beautiful and bright, but as she
grew her father secretly desired her. He was jealous of the other males around him, and suspected them of desiring his daughter.
He was torn between desire and rigeousness and so became critical, dour and distant that he might be free of his burden.
The
poor girl thought that she had done something to offend her father and was sad and hurt. She would take no comfort from her
mother thinking My father loves none but my mother, I have lost him to her.
She treated her mother with resentment and
so incurred the wrath of her father. The girls mother was hurt by the child's rebukes and she was jealous of the daughters
beauty and the fathers side long glances. She treated the girl like a troublesome servant and so the girl became as a troublesome
servant.
The girl struck out upon her own by being wed to a man who was much like her father, she stayed by his side though
he shouted at her and beat her. He was not wise and she supported his ventures none the less.
Eventually he bored of her
and sought other women, When he had found one he thought prettier, he sent his wife out of his house that she might return
home to her parents in disgrace.
The girl refused to return home to her mother, and wandered instead. Many fed her because
of her beauty, many abused her and sought to possess her for her beauty. Often her wants went unfulfilled and in time she
learned to look to her needs instead, In time, she found the person she thought she needed and lived for him and for her love
of him.
In time his sense of freedom took him to wandering and he was gone many days.
The girl would not leave her
husband for days unless she was dead, and so she feared that he was dead. The girl decided to go to the temple of Ishtar that
she might gain permission to go to the underworld and retrieve him.
The girl entered the temple and was met by a priestess.
The priestess listened to her plight and then cast the girl's fortune in the sand and told her these things...
Young woman,
your man is not dead rather he sits in the beer hall and drinks with a woman on his knee. Knowing this, you may believe that
his love for you has died.
Know you that love never dies, this man never loved you, he only sought to possess you. You
think that you are out seeking your man, but truly you are out seeking yourself. You think that without him, your light is
lost.
Look you upon the golden statue and how it shines! Does the shine come from the gold? No it is the light of the
lamp. If the lamp is extinguished the golden idol losses its glamor, if the idol is not polished, its shine is diminished.
You have sought to be the golden Idol to your man because you have thought he is the light, but you are both golden images,
and love is the light.. If one image is place before the other image, then it receives the greatest light and the other one
is obscured. For each idol to shine, it must stand equally with the other. First you must love yourself, then you will be
an Idol that houses a lamp in its belly and you cannot be obscured.
The woman left the temple and return to her home.
she cast the possessions of her brazen idol into the street and closed the door.
When her man came home he found the beggars
rummaging his goods and the door firmly bolted. He hammered on the door and shouted to her to let her in.
The woman opened
the door and looked upon him with disdain. Her husband demanded that she be his wife saying, Woman put my thing to right,
and then go to our bed as is your place!
The woman laughed and said, No thank you, I already have an ass under my dress.
and she shut the door in his face.
Potential Combinations
Once there was a child of the Mulu Izi that was abandoned at the cross roads.
He was found in the midst
of a serpents coils, fast asleep and unaware. Though the serpent had only sought comfort and warmth, the serpent was slain
and the child taken.
He was taken in by people who were not of his tribe, The people that took the child called the boy
Bashmu and many uttered ill omens about the child, they thought him strange, and in the end superstition won out and so Bashmu
was kept in a manger.
When he was grown some, Bashmu was made to work like a servant and he knew little, save uncertainty
and worry. He saw aversion and suspicion in the faces of the villagers, and also he saw doubt and disappointment in the faces
of the family that sheltered him.
The family dictated to him what his behavior should be, but Bashmu acted little like
them because he was of another tribe. He did not care for their ways and began to find ways of his own. He became cunning
and silent. he began to watch everything, and because he was unlike the people around him, he began to notice the things that
they did not seem to see.
Soon he learned to tell when anyone approached and to hide in plain site, he found he could
do things invisibly and in secret, he became a liar and a thief, he hid behind curtains and lay on the reed roof tops and
quietly learned all he could so that he could use it to his advantage, and he decided to try to be all but unseen till he
could leave the village and find his tribe.
At last one day he was caught spying upon a person of importance, when he
was searched he was found to be in possion of things that were not his. Bashmu was railed with accusations of theft and punished
horribly. All the people had secrets that were held dear to them, and they feared the boy had learned them. Despite the punishment,
Bashmu he would not give up the secrets of what he knew, and he held his tounge even though they beat him repeatedly.
The
boy slipped his shackles and fled.
When he ran away, he searched in vain for his people. He knew nothing of who they were
or where they could be found, and so he searched first in the direction from which he had been brought. At the cross roads
where he had been found, there were so many ways to go that he realized all he could do was wander in fearfulness.
When
questioned by persons of authority, he lied about the village he had come from. Sometimes he was let on his way, but sometimes
he was harassed because he chose the wrong village to claim kinship to.
As he wandered the roads he found himself to be
a stranger where ever he went. In some places he did not speak the local tounge, in some his means of dress showed him to
be a stranger or a vagabond and he was driven out.
He found he feared the Unknown and he sought knowledge that he would
face fewer unknowns on the road. He met many teachers. Some of them were wise men, but some were seeking Their own personal
hungers and sought to feed upon him. Some were wandering sorcerers or priests, some were con-men and thieves. Bashmu studied
their ways and used them when needed. Bashmu learned to read the secret signs left by other wanderers and so became accustomed
to the road and its dangers. He gained further skill at hideing and spying, he gained skill in healing and divination and
made money sometimes, other times he did work for food.
He gained control over worry, and fright and he taught those who
feared or suspected him to understand him,
When he learned of evils lurking on the road, he stood watch over strangers
at the cross roads even though they never knew he was there.
One day he met another traveler on the road. When he greeted
the traveler. The wander said. greetings Bashmu,
Bashmu looked upon the man but did not recognize him,and so he asked
Sir, how is it that you know my name?
The stranger raised his brows and said, Is that your name? Why how curious, I greeted
you thus because I saw that you have the look of the serpent tribe that lives over that ridge, it is how they greet one another.
Bashmu fled immediately over the hill. There before him he saw a village full of people that were like him in manner and
dress. As Bashmu entered the village, a man turned and saw him. He raised his hand and said, "greetings Bashmu. and went on
his way, a woman spinning yarn smiled and said, "Greetings Bashmu. If you hunger there is food down the way.
Bashmu asked
to see the headman of the village, he told the headman of his journey and how he was found. The headman called forth a man
and woman, they came forward in joy and took Bashmu by the arms crying, My son! My son!
The woman spoke saying, We are
a tribe of serpent handlers, I had taken you new born to my mothers village to be blessed. I have a weak bladder and so at
the cross roads I set you down so I could relieve myself in the bushes, I knew the serpent in your basket would not harm you
for he knew your smell, and not even the lion would poke his nose into your basket.
As I squatted, I fell down an embankment
and struck my head on a stone! When I awoke you were gone., I knew people had found you because only humans would face a serpent
over a babe, I tryed to follow them but there were too many tracks upon the road.
I have grieved many a year over a weak
bladder and a broken sandal strap! I have hoped to some day see you and recognize your eyes. I have wondered all these years
if you were like me at all.
Bashmu smiled and embraced her and whispered in her ear saying, I will answer all, but first
where is the toilet? I have a weak bladder.
Fear is the result of desire or exspectation, fear elicites the fight or flight
responce. if we do not flee, then we stand and exsperience agression. the only cure to all our ills is common sense.
rationalization
is counterfeit common sence.common sence exists at a non verbal level.commonsence is not practicality.practicality is a form
of social conformity, a desire to not make waves. worry and anxiety are results of exspectation, and both are forms of hidden
tyrany. serenity leads to a state in which we exist in a state of constant discovery and spontanious action. creativity is
based on a state devoid of exspectation and preconceaved notion.
Once there was a child of the Mulu Izi that was cherished and loved by his oh so proper parents.
The
childs talents were bright, and as he was raised he was taught many wonderful things.
Strangely, the child never saw the
faces of his parents for they were Sacred actors and wore masks at all times. The parents also insisted that the child always
wore masks and they made him many beautiful and witty faces to wear.
His parents did not associate with common unmasked
folk, and they warned the child to stay away from the unmasked people. They said, those who expose their faces freely, have
no self control. It is not Proper to demonstrate ones self so openly. It is better to wear a Happy mask, even when you are
sad. It is better to wear a mask of pleasantness if you are angry. It is not proper to go unmasked and show ones blemishes
When he was old enough, the child began to craft his own masks. He delighted in making masks that showed his individuality.
He delighted in wearing masks that frightened his enemies, and pleased his friends, but all of the masks that he made, were
masks none the less.
When he switched masks he did not need a mirror, and so he never saw his real face. But one day as
he changed masks, he caught a flash of his own face in a wash bowl of water. The strange face beneath the mask frightened
and fascinated him so he put on his mask and did not look too close, but each time he changed his mask he found he glanced
at the wash bowl and saw a flash of the strange face.
Soon his curiosity compelled him to pull off his mask and look in
the bowl in earnest. The youth was amazed because if he was sad, his secret face showed sorrow, if he was joyous, his secret
face smiled brightly. The youths real face was far more fascinating to him than the masks that he was told to wear, and he
looked on it with wonder. He looked each day upon his face in secret, and grew to know its lines.The child thought it wondrous!
The child looked upon the wondrous face every day in a mirror that he acquired for that purpose, for he found the wash bowl
to be insufficiant any longer.
One day he was caught with the mirror in his hand, and his mask set aside. His mother was
mortified, and his father was terribly angry. His mother cried and his father shouted and told him that he would wear his
masks or leave their home and live among the maskless barbarians. In anger, the youth grabbed his favorite masks and stalk
away.
He wandered alone and he was hungry and frightened. He quickly found that if he didn't wear his mask, some masked
people helped him, but more often he was tricked by the masks they wore. He was beguiled by their masks because he had been
raised to accept masks as signs of social responsibility, status, and self control.
He could have been helped by those
without masks, but even though he was fascinated by their real faces, he feared them, eventually he tired of being hungry,
and so he put his mask back on so that the masked people would accept him. The child was able to make a place for himself,
and he earned his living by performing the masked dramas in the market place.
One day as the youth stood in the market
place, the sun shone down on him and the heat under his mask was unbearable. The child took off the mask and mopped his brow.
The masked people looked upon him with distaste and went by quickly.
A child who wore no mask was passing by, and he stopped
and exclaimed in wonder at the beauty of the uncovered face, he pulled upon his mothers hand and she too was fascinated by
youths uncovered face.
Soon, a whole crowd of unmasked people gathered around him and exclaimed in wonder. A man shouted,
you are a sacred actor! Tell us a story!
The young man stood before the assembly in the market with uncertainty, he did
not know what to say, suddenly his stomach growled as loud as a puppy, and the absurdity of the situation made him laugh.
The child clapped his hands twice, and began to tell them a story about the hunger of the sun and how it had gone to the
underworld to find something to eat.. Though he did not have his masks, he performed better than he ever had, and one would
have sworn that he was the sun himself!
When he had finished his tale, the unmasked people applauded and said, You have
made us hungry! Come eat with us.
The boy's face shone brighter than the finest mask of gold, it shone with a light that
burned away any mask he put upon his face from that day forward.
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