Buzzards, Hawks and Ravens

(Account of Six Friend’s Life in the “Dark” Age)

by

Ruwen Rouhs 

Chapter 5.2

Going Through the Rites of Passage

- The Challenge -

On St. John's day, Bastian woke up before dawn. He felt absolutely wiped. He had tossed and turned the whole night. This was his big day, the day of his rite of passage. From midnight on he would be a man, not a boy anymore; he wouldn't be a shepherd boy, he would be a herdsman. From midnight on he could spend the whole summer alone at a mountain pasture responsible for a big herd of valuable animals. He would have new obligations and responsibilities. He would be responsible for the safety of the village. He would have to guard the village with the other adults and defend it if necessary. Also, he was expected to date girls and get married.

He was neither afraid to stay alone for days and weeks at the mountain pastures, nor to do his duty as village guard. He was good in wrestling, fighting with sword and truncheon, and using an axe and bow. There was only one matter that bothered him. Unlike his twin brothers and his peers, he had never fancied girls. He had his new brother, the one he had adopted and cared for since he arrived in the village seven years ago. The dark haired Ruwen was all he needed for happiness. They were spending every free moment together, at day and at night. Where Bastian was, Ruwen was too.

He was restless, and he needed Ruwen's advice. He punched him lightly in the back "Hey little bro, do you think I have to get a girlfriend if I win the contest tonight? Would you still be my best boy, like now? Would you still hold me tight after I come back from a date?"

"Hey big bro, it isn’t even dawn, please let me sleep!"…then, a little later…"Don't worry about girls now, Bastian. Your chances of becoming the Midsummer Night Prince are one to seven. And if you succeed in getting the Sun-Stone I will outrace you to the Holy Tree! Then you will have to fulfil all my wishes!"

In late afternoon the whole village gathered in the clearing in front of the Big Wheel. A feast of bread, sausages and meat had been prepared by the women and girls. The men took care of the beer. A small band was playing merry tunes. The sounds of a hurdy-gurdy, a psaltery, a bombard, and of flutes and drums filled the air, blending with the happy chatter of people. As the sun touched the horizon, and fireflies studded the bushes at the edge of the clearing like tiny jewels, a big bonfire was ignited in front of the Altar, and the villagers waited in excitement for the ceremony to start.

Small girls clad in white robes entered the circle while reciting a poem to a tune played by the hurdy-gurdy. They carefully placed the covered white and black wicker baskets on the Altar. The music stopped suddenly and the excitement of the audience rose. In the tense silence, Aliah, the midwife, called forward the six blindfolded girls to be initiated, and Klas, the provost, called forward the seven boys.

Each of the girls first picked a stone from the white basket, then three of the girls lined up on the right and three on the left side of the Altar. Then it was the boys’ turn. The first one selected a stone from the black basket. He then removed the blindfold and called out the mark he saw on the stone, "Star!"

One of the girls answered, "Star" and he went over and took her hand. Then the next boy did the same, but called out, "Earth" and he moved to the girl with the "Earth-Stone"; and then followed "Moon", "Water" and "Wind".

Now only two pebbles and two boys were left; Benno, the miller's son, Eileen's new brother, and Bastian. Both lads were tense. Which of them would be the lucky one to pick the Sun-Stone? Benno had to draw the first. He searched the basket nervously and finally selected a pebble. He took it out and called out, "Fire", but he was obviously frustrated.

Bastian trembled. He was excited and frightened at the same time. He was the winner of the first part of the game of chance. He was proud, and happy! Bastian removed the last pebble from the basket and showed the Sun-Stone to the audience. Applause arose, at first tentatively, then the cheers got much louder as the twins, Bastian's sisters and their friends took the lead. Three of the white clad young maidens approached him and decorated his head with a wreath of yellow flowers.

Klas addressed the folk, full of pride "Is there anyone to challenge this aspirant for the title of Midsummer Night Prince? Who wants to test his abilities? Who will pass the second test by providing a stone that equals the Sun-Stone! The challenger should advance into the circle and place his stone into the left pan of the beam balance on the Altar!"

*.*.*

Following tradition, a ruckus arose. Seven challengers stepped into the circle, four girls and three boys, all of them younger than Bastian. Winning this part of the game of chance allowed for the possibility of a winner being initiated prematurely, before they were sixteen. Even more important though, was the need to beat the aspirant for the title, in a race through the Big Wheel. If a girl won this third challenge, she became the Princess and the Midsummer Night Prince had to serve her. If she lost, she became his first maiden. If the challenger was a boy and he lost to the aspirant, he became his knave. However, if the aspirant lost the race, the challenging boy became his master, and became the new Midsummer Night Prince. The chance for such an outcome was unlikely. As far back as the villagers could remember, the aspirant had never lost the competition.

Ruwen had pondered for days and weeks whether he should join the challengers, if Bastian became the winner of the first part of game of chance. In the morning of St John's day he was in deep thought while he was in Aliah's medical cabinet, preparing a potion against milk crust for a baby.

"Ruwen watch out! You almost used the wrong herb for the cure. You have to mix pansy powder into the potion, and not arnica. What's wrong with you? It's a happy day today, a big feast!"

After a while…"Oh no, Aunty, not for me!

"You should be happy, because Bastian will be an adult tomorrow!"

"But not me!", stomping with his foot. "I am sure he will never be the same again! All these new commitments of his… and little later…"There is only one possibility for me to stay with him. I have to compete against him in the race through the labyrinth, if he wins the Sun-Stone."

"Ruwen, remember you will get a chance to win only if the Norns decide to let it be so!"

"Aunty, I don't even have to be the winner; even as the looser of the race I can stay with him as his knave! But I have to pick the proper stone first, the one with the same weight as the Sun-Stone. Please Auntie, help. You are the Wise Woman; you know everything!"

"Trust your heart! You have to gamble with high stakes! Remember, you have to risk the treasure that's closest to your heart to win a treasure."

Looking through all his hoarded treasures he decided that only the golden stone was a worthy counterpart for the Sun-Stone. His golden stone was Bastian’s present to celebrate the ‘birth’ of his new brother, seven years ago. It was the first present in his new life. If there was any stone to match to the Sun-Stone, it must be the stone with its golden flakes.

The seven challengers lined up in front of the Altar; first the boys, then the girls. The girls, all dressed in white, with flowers in the hair, were whispering excitedly. They giggled and were jostling each other. Everyone tried to get the first place in the line. The two boys participating against Ruwen were sturdy lads, known to be real jerks and trouble makers. They despised Ruwen as being an outsider, and he disdained them because of they were always bullying weaker kids.

"Hey Ruwen-Baby, do you dare to compete with your brother? Are you kidding? He can chew you up for breakfast. He is man enough and doesn't need a smart ass like you for a knave!"

"He needs a real fighter as support, not a frail kiddie!"

"You better throw away your poor stone and piss off. At least line up at the end, or we’ll beat you up later."

Ruwen didn't want to cause trouble so he changed to end of the line, behind the fourth girl.

The decisive moment was close. The first jerk placed his stone onto the balance pan. Too heavy, it outweighed by the Sun-Stone by far. Then the second jerk gave it his try. His stone was also too heavy. Then it was the first girl’s turn. Her stone was far too light; as were the stones of the next two girls. There was only one girl left. She was a girlfriend of Ruwen's sister and had admired Bastian ever since both were small kids. She had no luck either.

Waiting for his turn, Bastion planted a wet kiss upon the stone and prayed to the Wyrd Sisters, "Please, make my stone equal to the Sun-Stone. You are weaving the tapestry of fate. Please help!"

Ruwen stepped forward. He didn't dare look up at Bastian. Slowly he placed his golden stone onto the pan. The needle of the balance moved back and forth, and slowly, ever so slowly, it came to rest. Both pans were in equilibrium. The Sun-Stone and the golden stone were in perfect balance. He relaxed.

Bastian turned to Ruwen and smiled. He turned to his father, then to the audience, and announced, beaming, "Ruwen and I will race for the victory!" He embraced Ruwen.

The World Tree

(by H. Deinhard)

The villagers closed around the Big Wheel. The shrubs and the weeds of the labyrinth were now trimmed low, so everyone could see the layout of the courses, the short track running at the outer edge of the labyrinth and thence to the tree, and the long path meandering in nine coiling loops up to the tree. The full midsummer night moon was high in the sky and its silvery light illuminated the scene. After a short hug, Bastian went to the starting point at the right and Ruwen to the one at the left.

The music stopped suddenly and Klas recited a long passed down prayer, "Holy sisters, Urd, Verdani and Skuld, you are waving the tapestry of fate; be gracious and help these two chosen youngsters to master this run with honour, as well as their further lives, and escort them to their pre-ordained goal. Amen!"

A loud drum roll broke the silence and the unequal race started. Bastian began to hurry in reverse along the outer path, while Ruwen rushed forward into the meandering track. The onlookers started cheering, most of them for Bastian, the anticipated winner, but some for Ruwen, whose chance of winning seemed nearly zero. Bastian had already passed one third of the distance to the tree as the boys encountered each other for the first time. But suddenly something weird happened. The Big Wheel started to pulse. While the outer path, the course Bastian was taking, extended, the inner path contracted. The closer Bastian advanced to the Holy Tree, the shorter seemed to be the distance Ruwen needed to travel to arrive at the destination. Ruwen seemed to fly through the track, whereas Bastian hardly advanced, despite his fast moving legs. The loud cheers began to fade, silence prevailed over the clearing. Only the panting of the two competitors was heard.

Bastian’s head start was nearly gone as Ruwen sped along the last turn before the tree. Bastian emerged in front of the World Tree just a short moment before his challenger. Ruwen, still running at full speed, saw Bastian approaching the tree. He was not able to slow down fast enough and bumped into his friend and both touched the World Tree, the Yggdrasil, at the same moment. At the foot of the tree they collapsed, face to face, Bastian holding Ruwen in his arms.

No cheers were heard from the villagers. Wonder-struck silence froze them all for long moments.

Finally, Aliah’s faint voice was heard, "Come closer my dear nephews, come closer, my dear princes. The Norns have granted us a great miracle. They have awarded the village a great blessing!" and now addressing the stunned villagers in a piercing voice, "The Norns have bestowed us with two winners! This year we have two Midsummer Night Princes, an outcome nobody has ever heard of before! Let us express our thanks to our Lord and to the three Wyrd Sisters! Celebrate this miracle like we have never celebrated a midsummer night feast before!"

Then cheers broke out loudly; the bonfire was fueled till its flames illuminated the whole clearing, and the music commenced, as people ate, drank and danced the rest of the night. When the flames were lower, the initiated boys were ready to jump over the still blazing bonfire. Traditionally the honour of the first jump belonged to the Midsummer Night Prince. This night Bastian took Ruwen's hand and both flew high above the fire, like birds released from a cage. Then the other newly initiated villagers jumped over the blazing bonfire. They jumped in pairs , always a girl and a boy holding hands, just like they had been matched by the game of chance. Later all the other young people joined in. Still later, as the flames slowly extinguished, the newly formed pairs retreated into the underbrush to experience the pleasures of their newly gained adulthood.

Ruwen and Bastian however stayed at the bonfire with Aliah and Klas, discussing their past and future lives. As the sun rose above the horizon the two young adults took the Sun-Stone and the golden stone, carried both to the Urdborn, and let them sink to the bottom of the wellspring as an offering to the three Wyrd Sisters.

*.*.*

AUTHOR NOTE

I would like to express a special thank to Anthony and Paul for doing a great job by correcting all the wrong expressions and especially to B. who revised the language used by a non native English writer.

Comments, reviews, questions and complaints are welcomed. Please send them to ruwenrouhs@hotmail.de or use the feedback form. And I would like to add, thanks for reading.

Copyright Notice - Copyright © 2007

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Ruwen Rouhs

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