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Camp Internet's Global Gardening Studies are open to all Camp Expedition Teams. RAIN's Youth Technology Corps members are Expedition Team Leaders for Communities taking part. The Origin of Corn Note: The text in italics is not part of the original legend. It contains background and implied information intended to assist the reader in understanding the legend. So now people were making fires all the time. This story is a continuation of the Origin of Fire. Having discovered fire, they are now finding new ways to benefit from it. But they still weren't cooking anything with it. Then a woman (who had been to the men's "wai'a" ceremony, and had received special powers) encountered something. This Xavante woman was taken to a "wai'a" ceremony traditionally off limits to women, where men acquire special powers. She somehow was given the special powers normally available only to men. What did she find? She discovered corn. In this case, the multi-colored indigenous corn. So she discovered this corn that belonged to the parakeet. Just as the jaguar man possessed fire before the Xavante, the parakeet had possession of corn. Then she went to where she could hear the parakeets making noise (squawking). She thought to herself, "What are they making all that noise about? Then I'll just go see what it is." Then when she went to see what it was, she saw the corn. But first of all she and the parakeet, the owner of the corn, met and got to know each other a little. They became familiar with each other. Then this lady, she was a wonder doer; she had special powers. Then she broke off some corn. She took it home. When she brought it home, she ate it in secret with only her husband and children. It all happened in secrecy. It was done in secret. At first she was being selfish, knowing their wasn't enough to go around. Then every day she went and picked some corn. The corn was located near where the parakeets lived. She kept picking the parakeet's corn that was kept at the palm trees (where the parakeets lived). Then when her house was full (of corn), she thought about it. She thought to herself, "The baskets are all full (closed/covered because they are so full). The little baskets are all stuffed." Then she made some corn bread. It hardened. Then her husband made some wrist and ankle bands for his son, to get him painted up to go around with (the corn). They decided to reveal their secret to the others in the village, but in a dramatic fashion, dressing up their son in ceremonial style to draw attention. Then he painted up his son, who had the corn. He put body paint on his son. When he painted him, he said to him, "Here, take this and shoot it in front of all the houses around the village. His instructions were to tie pieces of the hard corn bread onto arrows and shoot them in front of the houses in the village. Shoot them around to all the houses. Eat this also as you go." As he went from house to house shooting, he was to stop and take a bite out of a piece as he went. After you are done taking a bite of the corn, put it down on the ground (so you can shoot the bow and arrow well). Keep putting the corn down for yourself. When someone calls to you wanting some, you will take it to him. You will take some to him." So then he started shooting the arrows (with pieces of corn on them). He shot the arrows around in front of the houses. He ate it as he went. As he went he put the corn down on the ground (to shoot). Then the recently iniciated boys called for a meeting in the center of the village, to sing to each other. How did they call out to each other? They called for each other like this, "Kai, kai, kai, kai, kai!" This is a distinct call, used only by males in that age group. There are many different kinds of calls used, depending on the age of the caller, and the function of the calling. This is how the young men called out to each other to have a meeting. Then they saw him (and the corn). They just happened to have called a meeting at the time the boy was dispersing the corn, so naturally they spotted him as they came out of their houses. Then they called out to the boy's uncle, "What is that over there that your nephew is eating?" Then he put (the corn) down in front of himself. They said to each other, "Why don't you call him then, so we can see it!" They are still talking to the boy's uncle, who doesn't know what is going on either. Then he called him, "My nephew, what is it you are eating? Bring it here then, so I can see it." Then he took it (to him). He obeyed (listened to) his uncle, in accordance with what his father had advised him to do. He gave it to him. "What is it?" "It's corn bread." "What is it really?" "Corn." "Where did it come from?" This is what his uncle asked him. "It was mom that brought it." Then they all saw it. Then all of the recent iniciates ate it together. Then her brother got up from there. The boy's uncle (his mother's brother) got up to go question the family. They all went to his sister's house. They all went. (Meanwhile) she had divided up the corn bread into piles for all of her brothers. She gave some to every one of them. Then people from all over made their way over to her. They followed each other over to her. Then they called for a meeting with everyone, with the old people. They called for each other to meet in the center of the village. Until now only the youth were gathered in the social hub of the village. Now that this was determined to be something of great importance, the leaders (older generations) called everyone for a meeting. Then they questioned the woman. They asked her, "Where is the corn, where is the corn?" This is how the people questioned her thoroughly, a long time ago. It was a thorough interrogation. "They are singing and squawking from right over there, from right over there nearby." This is what the woman told them about. Then they said to her, "Ask them about it, ask them about it, to grant us (our request)." Then the woman went to ask (the parakeets) about it, to get permission for the people to come pick the corn. Then the parakeets gave up their corn (grain) immediately. They gave in right away. This is what the parakeets said to each other, "Have the people pick the corn, have the people pick the corn. Now we are going to eat only fruit, (even though) it hurts our mouths, although it hurts our mouths." This is how the Xavante explain that despite the fact that parakeets have hard beaks (like other parrots), they eat only soft fruit. This is how the parakeets informed the woman. Then the woman went back home. When she went, she told the people, "They gave the command, they gave the command, for everyone to pick the corn, for everyone to pick the corn." This is what the woman told them. Then everybody got painted up for the occasion. This was quite an event, one to be celebrated like a dance. All the old people painted themselves up for it, and took deer skins with them. Everyone carried a deer skin for the purpose of (collecting the corn). Then they didn't run on their way. This is an impressive statement. Despite the fact that there was plentiful food to be had, they managed to stay organized and orderly. Everybody lined up calmly. Then the people headed out to get the corn. They went there after the corn. Then the woman greeted the parakeets once again. Once again she inquired of the corn. But their word was the same, and they consented right away. The woman was concerned that they might have changed their mind in the interim. Then the parakeets all flew away. They all left. They went off. They flew away from them. Now the parakeet (habitually) eats fruit. Now parakeets hurt the inside of their mouths with (acidy?) fruit. Now they are going to be hurting inside their mouths from eating fruit. Then everyone picked the corn. They all went over to the palm tree for the corn. The old people piled up the corn mixed with droppings in their deer skins. The parakeets lived in the palm trees above the corn, so there were droppings everywhere. But the old people didn't care. They picked it up along with the corn, and didn't bother to separate it. They made big piles of it. And so they picked the corn. At this time a long time ago people had no (real) food. Before crops like corn, they were strickly hunters and gatherers. They didn't have food. So then corn became available. People did not have crops of their own accord. The corn belonged to the parakeet. That is what the people now plant. That is what people plant together all the time. That is what people eat now all the time. So people are not hungry now. There is no hunger now. This is how a long time ago the wonder-doer discovered the parakeets grain (corn). She discovered it. This is how the woman's wonder working was; the woman that obtained the powers of the "wai'a", and discovered this thing. This is the story of corn. And now this corn is what people eat all the time. 'Råre Nhimro, Nonhama Wasu'u(Origins Part II.
The Origin of Corn)
Airton Pini'awå
'Råre Nhimro, Nonhama Wasu'u Tawamhã uzâ te oto da te 're pré za'ra. Maræ da te ãma 're sebre za'ra mono õ di. Tawamhã oto duré, pi'õ hã wai'a sipi'õ ma tô maræ sõpåtå. E maræ ma sõpåtå. Nozâ, nozâ ma sõpåtå. Taha wa, ma tô sõpåtå nozâ hã, 'råre, 'råre ætede'wa. Tawamhã æsadawa situri u te mo. Te sima rosa'rata: — E tiha na te õ hã, sadawa hatu. Wa za pé sô mo. Tawamhã sô moræ wamhã, ma tô sabu, nozâ. Tazahã, ætede'wa hã 'råre, ta hã ma tô sisadaihu'u zahuré. Ma tô sisadaihu'u zahuré. Tawamhã ta hã, pi'õ hã romhõsi'wa duréi hã, romhõsi'wa. Tawamhã ma 'maiwa. 'Ritåme ma ãwisi. Te te ãwisi wamhã, pi'uriwi te ãma tisa, timro noræ me si, ti'ra noræ me si. Pi'uriwi te ãma hâimana. Tawamhã awå sidâpâsi te nasi 'maiwa. Te nasi 'maiwa nozâ hã, 'råre nhimnozâ hã, a'õi wede na, nozâ hã. Tawamhã ãma hâ'â wamhã, te oto rosa'rata: — Si'õtõre ma anhidâ. Tawamhã oto sada'ré te a'u'åtå. Te a'u'åtå oto. Tawamhã æmro hã ti'ra ma, te amnhorõ, ti'ra te te u'ré da, æré. Tawamhã ti'ra te u'ré, æré. Tawamhã te te u'réi wamhã, te tãma tinha: — Ã, 're romhâ mono, ãne 'ri nho're baba. 'Ri nho're baba, 're romhâ mono. Ã hã, 're asi mono. 'Re asi mono pari wamhã, asisa 're nomri mono, ãne. Asisa 're nomri mono. Tawamhã ni'wa aiwi sô hârâ wamhã, te za æ'â za, tãma. Te za tãma æ'â. Tawamhã te te 're romhâ. Te te 're romhâ, 'ri nho're baba. Te te 're asi. Te te sisa 're nomri. Tawamhã 'ritéi'wa te sisô warã, sima so're da. E niha te sisô warã. Te sisô warã ãne: — Kai, kai, kai, kai, kai! — Ãne te sisô warã za'ra, 'ritéi'wa hã. Tawamhã ma siwi tisã. Æmama wapté ma, te 'mahârâ za'ra: — E õhõ maræ, te te 're a'råne, ai'ra wapté hã. Tawamhã ma sisa tihi. Te sima nharæ za'ra: — Sô aihârâ pé, wa te sabu za'ra da! Tawamhã te sô hâ: — Ï'rapté, e maræ te 're æ'a'råne mo. We âri pé, te sabu da! Tawamhã te ti'â. Timama wapté ma wapa, æmama te te tãma æroti zarina. Ma tãma tisõ. — E maræ. — Sada'ré. — E maræ tô. — Nozâ. — E ma hawimhã. — Ãne æmama wapté te sadanha. — Ame te te æ'ãwi. Tawamhã te siwi sabu. Te siwi ti'rå, 'ritéi'wa hã. Tawamhã ta hawi ma oto wahudu, æhitébré hã. Te ai'aba'ré ætåme hã, tihidiba u. Te ai'aba'ré. Tawamhã tihitébré noræ zô, ma te te upsãtã, sada'ré hã. Æhâiba mono bâ, ma tô te te tãma sõmri. Tawamhã te oto ætåme asamaræ ni. Te ætåme asamaræ ni. Tawamhã te oto sisô warã, uburé aihæni noræ hã, æhi hã. Te sisô warã. Tawamhã te siwi sadanha oto, pi'õ hã: — E mamemhã, e mamemhã, nozâ, nozâ. — Ãne duréi hã, dasisadanharæ prédub di. Dasisadanharæ prédub di. — Ãhãta, ãhãta, te nasi dazadawa a'a te, te dazadawa a'a te, æhawimhã, æhawimhã. — Ãne pi'õ te dama rowasu'u. Tawamhã te tãma nharæ za'ra: — Ãma dazadanharæ, ãma dazadanharæ, da te sa'ré da, da te sa'ré da. Tawamhã pi'õ hã te mo, te te ãma sadanharæ da, te te a'uwå hã siwi å da. Tawamhã ma sa'réi waré za'ra, 'råre hã, tinho hã. Ma sa'réi waré za'ra. Ãne te 'råre nharæ za'ra: — Da te dasiwi å, da te dasiwi å! Rob'rã si, rob'rã si, za oto te te wazadai'ré zé te, za te te wazadai'ré zé te. — Ãne te 'råre hã pi'õi ma, roti za'ra. Tawamhã apâ te mo, pi'õ hã. Moræ wamhã, ma tô dama rowasu'u: — Te 'rui waré ni, te 'rui waré ni, da te dasiwi å da, da te dasiwi å da. — Ãne te pi'õ hã tãma rowasu'u. Tawamhã uburé ma sada dasi'u'ré. Ma sada dasi'u'ré æhire noræ hã, æhire noræ hã, pohâi ré. Pohâ hã nemo te 're 'wasari ni, sada. Tawamhã sô dasisa'réi mono õ di. Dawaimri te sada asõré ni. Tawamhã te oto tãma sô tamoræ ni. Te oto tãma sô tamoræ ni, nonhama zô. Tawamhã pi'õ hã ma duré sadaihu'u, duré. Ma duré ãma sadaihu'u. Tazahã, õne si æmreme hã, ma sa'réi waré. Tawamhã oto 'råre hã ma oto tiwahutu za'ra oto. Ma oto tiwahutu za'ra. Te oto sisa're oto. Te oto sisa're, æsiti. Tawamhã rob'rã te oto te te 're huri. Rob'rã te za oto te te 're sadai'ré zé za'ra. Te za oto te te 're sadai'ré zé za'ra. Tawamhã te oto siwi ti'å. Te siwi sô pahâ, a'õi wede hã. Nemo te pohâi wa, æsãna wazarimhã æhire te te ub'rã za'ra. Te te ub'rã za'ra. Taha wa, ma tô siwi ti'å. Ãhãta duréi hã dasai õ di. Dasai õ di. Taha wa, nozâ ma watobro. Dasi'uihâ na danho õ di. 'Råre nho, ta hã nozâ hã. Ta hã ma tô oto da te 're zuri. Ta hã te oto da te dasiwi 're 're za'ra. Ta hã te oto da te 're huri. Taha wa, oto mrab õ di. Mrab õ di. Ãne duréi hã, romhõsi'wa hã ma tô 'råre nho hã, sõpåtå. Ma tô sõpåtå. Ãne pi'õ nhimiromhõ hã, duréi hã wai'a sipi'õ hã te te æromhõ hã, maræ te te æsõpåne hã. Ãne nonhama wasu'u hã. Ã hã te oto da te 're huri, nozâ hã. |