Some times a story teller from my past, on the other side just takes over.
Chegga did that.
She wrote 'Clan of the Cave Bear'. Not I.
I could see her towering mountains and the deep, dark depths of the smoke darkened cave as she told her tale.
I seemed to hunt and travel right along with her.
Chegga is a very strong woman.
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Clan of the Cave Bear
In the day of the Giant Bears. They were much more terrible then any bears that live today, there was the Clan of the Cave Bear.
Ursus Terriblis, The short faced cave bear is what your scientists call them. Your great Kodiak does not even come close.
They were enormous, vicious, and one of our ancestors slew one with only a flint knife.
How, I do not know. I did not back then. But we had the skeletons in our initiation cave.
The 7' flint knife still was embedded within the bears rib cage. And it still held the man in it's mighty embrace. Both had died together.
They had fought for the cave they died in. The man surprised the bear.
We took our children deep into the cave past them for the manhood, and woman's first blood rites of initiation.
Our clan was very well known in our home area.
We were the Clan of the Cave Bear.
Our women fought and hunted right alongside our men. Other clans did not understand us.
Their women were gatherers who might snare a mouse, vole or rabbit. No Cave Bear woman would accept such lowly status as that.
We hunted the cave bear, the aurochs and the elk beside our men. They snared the mice, voles and such with us. All were equal. All worked together.
We had always been thus.
Our girls learned young. Yes, some died. But those who survived were strong.
No other clan would fight us. They knew we would fight till the very last young child died.
We were the Clan of the Cave Bear!
No one was better, wiser or stronger. Our Shamans led us deep into the big caves beneath the Mother Earth.
It is our paintings that you see. And our children who now cover the Earth.
I am Chegga of the Clan of the Cave Bear. I gave 5 children to the clan. All lived.
I was Shaman in my day. None were wiser, braver or stronger.
We braved the great caves, climbed up the steep mountains and crossed the big water while the others clung to their little patches of woods and meadows.
We grew strong on the meat f the great beasts.
We mostly let them eat the little weak beasts.
We are your ancestors. They remained behind, weak and afraid, and died.
I salute you, our children.
Now, go on, learn, grow, be wise, be strong.
Fight only your enemies, as we did.
The Clan of the Cave Bear did not fight among ourselves. We saved our spears for our true foes, those who attacked us. Those that harmed small children, or the elderly and sick.
We took care of them. They were our people.
We fought the oath breakers, evil ones who fell into darkness.
Sadly, we see them still rise among you, as they did among us.
One hopes that some day only those who love and respect others will remain.
The Clan of the Cave Bear began this journey.
May you be able to finish the trip we began, and find your way Home to the Land of the Light.
Sharon Pribble
