ABSTRACT
Note: I have cheated here since Shanidar dates from approximately sixty-thou-sand years ago and the young man in question could not therefore have seen Ur or any of the early neolithic towns. But it is the contrast that matters, and that is still valid. Fables do not have to respect chronology. 24Last run last rains last hunt kin dead leg useless blood dried days gone pain loss rains no stars rains then heat scorch lost more pain How could they? Girls like unblooded boys How could they be so slender? Buttocks shrunk smooth no use for child work not the making or releasing hips chipped down like flints brittle sounds like falling ice at ankles and wrists pieces of shining ice Men and girls slender like gazelles All senses leap now tell urge get up-wind keep low let Morg and Gmask creep creep deep in dust behind then rise and yell and watch the sentinel stot stot his up-and-down useless brave signal Then throw stop the grace dead there in dust grace into meat young fed mate pleased night good All lost Morg to the tusks Gmask in the rain These human graciles laugh move hand in hand half naked yes skins not wearing skins cobwebs from spider giant in their cave spinning out the purple violet cobwebs And the ice that tinkled tinkled how did it stay whole in heat of summer how? Laughter like breaking ice and song and bird sounds mating bird calls coming from beaks of males but not like beaks moved from mouths to laugh and kiss the slender girls Moving now towards their cliff square regular with square holes in its sides and trees regular trees two-sided linking branches leaning against cliff 25Moving slowly through high yellow grasses passing smaller heavier men and girls cutting stooping curved knives flint yes but curved like new moon useless for killing brittle for hunt break in flesh Why hunt the yellow tall seed-heavy waving grass? Stopping all stopping quiet eyes turned down presence of power sensed strain see a straggle no too regular lines and lines these graciles lines and lines song all regular all shaman chant but hundreds hundreds how to feed so many? Cobwebs white on old males of herd yellow glinting like the grasses round necks and foreheads Green yellow knives at waist Smooth lines not gut not creeper dragging beasts White bull black ram fat clumsy smooth easy kill one thrust Chant low long nearer now in circle at flat rock All eyes down the graciles kneel unknown fear bull ram but not of hills plains smooth fat people slender beasts smooth fat stupid Blurs now not clear sweat tiredness stay hidden hide spear leg dead body dying but the hunt hunt was good Morg died well Gmask lost in rains Women women heavy bellies long breasts huge buttocks good women waiting at cliff base wet afraid some others yes perhaps women fertile would be taken Mnag’s clan perhaps too late 26Look look again last look how did they stay so slender the young ones and their cliff blurring out there sticking like outcrop from dry plain regular like leaning trees like slender lines of water through the grass There were no lines like that but men made them yes and white beasts they made them yes and yellow grass they made it yes and cut it down and made what? what did it matter now world was theirs now Hills blur hills theirs too in time water for the grass comes from the hills White bull dies from yellow knife Fat ram dies from knife of ice Graciles sigh together like lovers mutter one response to bloody shaman’s cry Then the stench burning flesh burning blood not for food burn to burn blood flesh fire In all that death he felt his own began to sing his death song nasal high sending to hills sky plain herds all the listeners beyond beneath The graciles hear freeze horror surround horror hiss sacrilege surround Feral one hill brute filthy thing surround close stab crawl stab roll stab Blood closes eyes laughter clinking ice How could they be so slender still give birth? They left him for the buzzards but at dusk the women came and took him to the hills 27Human self awareness is unique in that we give voice to it through speech Animals communicate but not on existential questions Language is more than mere communication it admits of self reflection… not enough to be a creature conscious of one’s own existence one must be aware of one’s awareness and articulate the same
