Here is an origin story from the time of Joy-of-Things, when the world was still brand new. In this tale, man, body parts, and the feeling of hunger all have names, so they can be spoken of as spirits in their own right:
- the stomach becomes “Ewan-the-Belly”;
- hunger is called “Iwom-the-Hunger”;
- the body, “Esak-the-Body”;
- man, “Pémon-the-Man”;
- the heart, “Awan-the-Heart”.
The Tale of the Time of Joy-of-Things
“This took place in the forest of Brocéliande in very ancient times. The sun shone in the middle of the sky. Half the day weighed upon the forest, upon the village, and especially in Ewan-the-Belly of men, for the work was hard. The men, already returned from the hunt, had Iwom-the-Hunger in their bellies. Even the children were no longer playing! The women finally returned from the clearing with baskets full of roots to eat. The children ran to gather around the fires; there the great pots were heating, in which the women put cabbages and turnips to cook. Esak-the-Body does not like to wait. When he wants to eat, drink, or sleep, he is the one who commands and Pémon-the-Man obeys him. Grandmother was thinking all this while stirring the contents of her pot. Her grandson said to her: — I’m hungry and my belly hurts! — Wait a little, O my child. — It’s Ewan-my-belly that hurts! — Yes, I know, O my little one… Ewan-the-Belly commands Esak-your-Body. The Heart of your Body does not hear well the language of patience, it no longer understands the language of Men. And yet, it has not always been so! The Belly has not always been the master of Man! In the primordial Times, it was not like that!
While speaking, Grandmother stirred the contents of the pot. But already, the child wanted to know how things were in the First Times. — How was it, before? Could we play all the time? Could we cross the swift rivers? Could we not eat when we were hungry? Tell me, Grandmother, tell me about the primordial Times! — All right, but you will eat afterward…
The Tale says that in those days, when the world was still brand new, the Pémon-Men could change bodies with the Things-of-the-World. The Deer could become the Tree. The Woman could dress herself in the Waterfall or the Mountain. Pémon-the-Man could become the Boar or the Wind, or even the Butterfly! Since Men and Things could change shirts with one another, they could speak to each other and have little ones together. If everyone could change Bodies, it was because Esak-the-Body was not the chief, but obeyed Awan-the-Heart. He respected the desire that each Thing carries within itself… It was the Time of the Joy-of-Things, the Time of the Joy-of-Living! But the time came when the Pémon-Men no longer listened to the desires of their heart, but only to those of their body. The sadness and darkness of their desires frightened the Hearts-of-Things so much that they buried themselves deep, leaving Esak-the-Body to command forever… The time of the Misfortune-of-Man had come! Then, then… the body of the Deer no longer wanted to give itself to the Tree. It even began to eat its bark! Then, then… the Waterfall no longer wanted to dress the Woman. Sometimes it even took her children! Then, then… the Boar and the Wind no longer wanted to lend their shirt to Man! Only the Butterfly was a little less afraid; it still sometimes takes the body of the Caterpillar!
Esak-the-Body and his needs had taken, in Man and in the Things-of-the-World, the place of Awan-the-Heart and his desires. The Tale says that there are Men and Things who still manage to tell Awan-the-Heart not to be afraid anymore. Those can still make a little seed of tenderness sprout. Then, they eat and they sleep when they want and follow the orders of Esak-the-Body only if their heart tells them to! — O my little Grandmother, you know, I know a man who has a great Heart. He eats and he drinks only when he wants, and often he does not sleep. It’s Merlin who lives in the forest with the wild animals.
Do you love stories? Check out Anansi and the Sun, a tale about the creation of life.
If this topic resonates with you, discover the Soul Sanctuary retreat, a week blending handpan, shamanic practices, presence, and introspection.
We are One. One love.
