excerpt
Young braves must learn to hunt. They must learn the ways of
our people and to take care of the earth and all her creatures. Some will be chosen
by the council of elders to learn of the plants that heal. Others are shown the ways
of the spirit world. A special one will be chosen to learn with a shaman. That young
brave will live apart with a holy man. The holy man might be from another tribe.
Sometimes, the chosen one will be sent off alone to find his spirit guide. He will be
taught by the spirit creatures of the forest.”
While Finten, Keallach and Ailan were at evening prayer, Bjorn and Ari sat overlooking
the bay talking about the full lives the children of the First Light People
led. Bjorn, who had previously thought the children had little else to do but play
and guard the crops from time to time, was amazed at the training White Eagle had
described.
“You show great respect for your children by teaching them so much when they
are young. Now I see why they are all so happy.” Bjorn said. “Our own children at
home are sent to work as soon as they are strong enough to look after cattle and pigs.
At seven and eight, my brothers had to walk thirty head of cattle fourteen days to
Jutland, then stay with them another three weeks while they fattened in the marshlands
before the slaughter. When they returned home, it was time to butcher the pigs
before winter then smoke and dry the meat. When I was six, my father sent me to
dig for bog iron. The most I’ve seen these children do is chase birds from the corn
and bean fields.”
“I must have been lucky,” said Ari. “ In Thulé, my father took me hunting and
fishing. We had thralls to look after the sheep, pigs and horses.”
“My father once took me hunting for reindeer. But these children are being taught
more than hunting and fishing. They learn about healing plants and how to make
beautiful things. They learn about their gods and how to look after the land. They
even have time to play.”
“Well, Bjorn, for such a hard childhood, you have turned out very well. Someone
must have loved you.”
“I am not complaining. I do not think my childhood was any harder than that
of other children in Nörge. Most farmers at home are bondi and very few own their
own land. But I do admire the way these people treat their children.”
Keallach laughed with happiness to see a group of boys throwing and catching
a small leather ball with long sticks with woven pouches on the ends. Recalling the
games he had played as a boy, he wanted to teach them his game and learn theirs.
That evening, when everyone was in bed, he took a doe bladder, one he had kept
supple to hold water on long hikes through the woods. He tied one end of the bladder
and pulled it inside out. Keallach stuffed in moss and tied the other end tight
and tucked it into itself so that he had an oval ball the size of a large melon. The next
afternoon, he introduced his new ball to the boys, set up two goals and goalkeepers.
Two teams battled to run the ball into the opposing team’s goal. After many afternoon
games, the players grew skilled and invented rules of play. Sometimes the play
turned rough but as the boys learned about winning, losing, and sportsmanship, the
arguments were quickly settled.
Libros Libertad 