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Back to Wesoomi's Archives The Legend of Wesoomi: Two, The Bandar: March 11, 2002: More that two days journey North and East of the village of the Husbandmen lay the village of the Bandar. This tribe had wandered to the northern part of Fertileland nearer to the Big Water. Unlike the Husbandmen, the Bandar did not till the earth. They took what the Great Spirit created without their nurturing it. They also hunted the forest and fished the flowing water. Because of their inattention to the Great Spirit's earth, the Bandar sometimes suffered. Especially in the winter seasons they were wont to suffer privations. Indeed, Fertileland is a land of seasons. The Great Spirit brings the long warm summer when all things grow and mature. He brings the harvest season for the gathering, storing and the celebration of plenty. The winter season he brings to rest the earth and replenish the waters. He then brings the spring wherein he renews all things. This is the way of things. In this he has not failed his people. Indeed, he has provide in plenty for those of thoughtfulness and diligence. For the Bandar, the winter season had become a long and cruel ordeal. They failed to heed the messages of the Great Spirit. They failed to till or even to gather and store. Thus, there was not plenty and their cubs were often unfed. In the bitterest of the winter season, when the creatures took to their dens there was even little meat. And with nothing laid up in store, there was want. In these times the spirits of discord visited the minds of the men. There were angry words and acts. Stronger men took from lesser ones, the little they had. The stronger survived, but with great loss of spirit. It was a time for evil spirits to invade the village and so they did. The Bandar turned their backs on the Great Spirit and welcomed an evil spirit of anger and lust into their hearts. Their inner guide was lost to them. Came to this tribe one day a traveler from the Southwest. He called himself Servant of the Great Spirit. He had given his life into the honoring of the Great Spirit and he traveled the earth to notice the wonders of life. He had nothing to give, but he came at a harvest season of plenty. The Bandar fed him, for, at the time, the earth was providing them plenty. Things would not be so in two more moons for the Bandar had lost the will for laying by stores. The traveler noticed the abundance and remarked on the abundance of the entire land. He spoke of the villages to the South and West and their joy of life. He had visited the village of the Husbandmen and spoke well of it. He particularly commented on the large stores which the Husbandmen laid up. The following day, he went his way, unaware of the seeds he had sown. These things occurred just four seasons before Snowflower's coming of age. The winter of this season promised to be longer and harder than any before. The Bandar situation became quite desperate. One man of the village called Strong Wolf was very forceful. He went about the village taking a share of whatever the hunt brought in. Even the strongest hunters feared him, for he was wild of look and manner. The villagers began to call him Crazy Wolf. One day a hunter came home with nothing but a small wild hare to feed his mate and cub. As he laid it on the hearth, Crazy Wolf loomed in the doorway. "Give me the hare," he demanded. "It is for my cub and mate," replied the hunter. "I will not yield it." Crazy Wolf stepped forward and grasped the hare but the hunter grasped it also. They struggled, but the hunter was as strong as Crazy Wolf and he had more will. He was struggling for his mate and cub. He pushed Crazy Wolf away and thrust him out. "We will keep the hare," he told Crazy Wolf. Crazy Wolf was in a great anger. He went rapidly to his lodge and retrieved his spear. When the hunter stepped from his lodge, Crazy Wolf was there with his spear. Several villagers had also gathered. "Now you will give me the hare," he hissed. Unaware of his danger, the hunter resisted. "We will keep the hare," he replied with firm voice. "You will not," roared Crazy Wolf, and he raised his spear. Too late, the hunter saw his danger. The spear went through his heart before he could move. He fell and perished on that spot. His mate could only look on in awed shock. The villagers stood about, frozen by what they had seen. They had all seen anger and violence in the village, but not the willful slaying of a man. Never before had they seen a tool of the hunt used to slay a man. It was to be a divining event for the Bandar. Crazy Wolf grew dark of face and looked about at the villagers. Many trembled under his stare as he strutted before them. Then he took the hunter's hare in one hand. He stood at the center of the group with fists and hare raised to the sky. He looked about him at the villagers and spoke. "All must do as I command. All people of the village must come to the longhouse now," he ordered. "All must come." Then he went from lodge to lodge. He struck. kicked, and pushed the people. By force of will he herded them into the longhouse for they were sore afraid. Many had seen what he had done and they cowed before him. In the longhouse, Crazy Wolf stood upon the speaking log at the front and spoke with fierce eyes and voice, gesturing angrily. "I will take what I wish," he said. "I am chief and all will serve me. I will take the first part of everything. From this day forth, I will be chief. From this day forth, all will serve me. All will call me Chief Crazy Wolf," he grinned evilly. "There is little meat," he continued. "To bring meat is the task of all men. You have failed. You have been weak of will. You have been faint of heart. You have been soft like cubs. This will change. "Come first light next, all men must hunt. At first light, I will call all men here. You will gather here. I will send you to the hunt. Go now. Prepare for the hunt." The people scattered quickly, going to their lodges. None wanted to be near him. None wanted to defy him. All knew of his deed of slaying the hunter. All were afraid. Crazy Wolf went next to the lodge of the slain hunter. He took the hunter's mate by the arm and began dragging her toward his own lodge. Then the hunter's cub of six summers attack him. The tiny cub ran at Crazy Wolf swinging a small club. It took Crazy Wolf in the leg bone before he knew the cub was there. Crazy Wolf release the woman and looked with large surprised eyes at the cub. Then he leaned back and roared with laughter. He grasped the cub by one arm. He lifted and held him a full arm away. The cub, though spitting, cursing, and swinging could do no further harm. "Ha!" roared Crazy Wolf, still laughing. "So you are as brave as your father. You are More brave and fierce than all of the rest. I like you. You will be in my lodge also. I will call you Little Warrior." He dropped the cub in a heap and turned on his heel. "Come," he said to the woman, and she followed to the Lodge of Crazy Wolf. She knew not else to do. The cub trailed along, following his mother. At his lodge, Crazy Wolf had three other mates. To them he said, "Go to the mound and build a burning bier for the hunter. We will honor the brave." Crazy Wolf knew to not let the sun set on a fallen man. The spirit must be freed, lest it stay on to forever visit grief upon the village. He went next to the elder and instructed him to attend. That eve, at dusk, the hunter's body was burned and the elder sang the song to the Great Spirit to release the spirit of the slain hunter. On the following morn, Crazy Wolf went to the village center. He stood outside the longhouse and called the hunters out. They came immediately. Crazy Wolf was more serene on this morn. He spoke with quiet confidence. "Now you must go to the hunt," he said. "I am weary of seeing hunger. I grow angry seeing the ribs of cubs. The mates do their duty. They keep the hearth for you. It is time for you to do your duty. Go to the hunt now. Go into the dens, if you must. Do what you must. Stay as long as you must. Bring meat to fatten the ribs of our cubs. Do not return without meat. "Bring the kill first to me, that I may have my share. Bring enough so that all may grow fat. Bring enough for the manless lodges. Bring enough for all of the people. Do not return until you do that." Crazy Wolf looked at each hunter as he spoke. He walked slowly and surely amongst them. He saw that they knew his will. He saw that they feared him. That was good. They would hunt well. "Go now," he order them, and they went to the hunt. The hunters went out. They were cowed by Crazy Wolf, but they were also shamed by his words. They went out and hunted with great resolve and skill. Some returned with meat before the sun had set. Crazy Wolf was proud and boastful. "Now you see," he said. "Now all know that you can find the beast and kill it. This is what you must do from this day forth." Others returned after the next sunrise. A few returned after three sunsets. One did not return. None returned without meat. At the last, Crazy Wolf refused his shares. Even he knew to shun waste. He assigned much to the Lodges without men. In the following moons the village people ate well. Crazy Wolf continued to send the hunters out and they ranged far to bring back the kill. The cubs grew fat and the women were contented. Crazy Wolf enjoyed his power. He strutted and boasted, but more as show than threat. He had made his point. The people still feared him but things were better for the people and they had accepted him as chief. What the elder of the Husbandmen had done by example, Crazy Wolf had done by force of will. Still, Crazy Wolf was not content. As the spring approached he wondered about what the traveler had revealed. He visioned the land of the Husbandmen and their plenty. He dreamed of how he could increase his power. He looked at the Bandar men. They were strong and skillful in the hunt. How, he wondered, would they be as warriors. Finally, he began to select special men which he assigned as warriors. These men did not hunt. They became his private guard. Then the villagers came to fear his warriors. They also resented them, for they took shares but did not hunt. Not all resented them. The younger men wanted to become warriors. They sought the attention of Crazy Wolf. Crazy wolf became more proud and also cunning. He was planning bold things. In the summer, he set some men to building a storehouse. There would be no more winters with no grains. Then he called in his closest under chiefs and told them of his plan. They would put by stores of their own, true. They would also bring home of the stores of other tribes. He spoke with glowing eye of the Husbandmen and their plenty as he visioned it from the traveler's words. Then he began teaching his warriors about being raiders. He built on their greed with tales of spoils to be had for taking. He spoke of maidens to be taken and used to pleasure the warrior. He sang to the evil spirits within them. He spoke not at all of the Great Spirit. Back to Wesoomi's Archives
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