Song of Siwa

Download or read book Song of Siwa written by Louis Grivetti and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2013 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Song of Siwa: Chapter Summaries Beginning (lines 1-65). Ethereal description of the hidden valley Siwa; Marzuk and his clan of Ice-Age hunters seek protection from environmental changes; Marzuk senses approaching ice will doom his people; Marzuk leads his clan to new caves near the Sea of Vanton; Pine-tree spirits speak to Marzuk that death awaits if his clan remains by the sea; Marzuk completes construction of pine-log rafts to cross the Sea of Vanton; Clan members debate whether or not to trust and follow Marzuk; Marzuk and followers depart while the others remain behind; Wind and waves batter the rafts as they cross the Sea of Vanton; Weakest clan members are swept overboard and disappear; Survivors reach the shore of what is now North Africa; Clan members who remained behind perish under layers of grinding glacial ice; The hidden valley Siwa awaits its first human occupants. Eastward (lines 66-149). The North African coastal lands breed illness and danger among Marzuk's clan; The clan splits: Marzuk leads his faction southward while others remain along the coast; The clan passes through high mountains into the vast Sahara region; Illness and danger continue to plague Marzuk's clan during their journey; Many clansmen lose hope and begin to murmur; God Zaghilie sends messenger bird and a life-saving spring is revealed; Gosla, Marzuk's mate, promises to erect a temple to god Zaghilie at journey's end; Feathers from the messenger bird float earth-ward as symbols of hope and safety; Renewed in spirit Marzuk's clan continue their eastward trek. Promise (lines 150-277). The long march continues as clan members fear god-sent promise was only a vision; Advance scouts cross the Great Sand Sea and view the Siwa for the first time; Scouts report that the Siwa is filled with wild game and springs of clear water; Marzuk's clan reaches the Siwa and establishes their settlement near Aghourmi hill; Clan members erect Zaghili's temple atop Aghourmi thus fulfilling Gosla's promise; Clan members offer sacred green stones as ritual offerings to god Zaghili; Zaghili descends and promises clan protection if his rules are followed; Rules for clan behavior, personal dress, and body ornamentation are identified; Mothers must display sunburst designs on their dress symbolic of Zaghili's feathers; Fathers must prepare silver disks for virgin daughters to wear; Daughters must wear their disks until marriage, then pass them to younger sisters; Sons must honor their fathers and mothers; Zaghili promises Gosla the line of Marzuk will flourish if his requirements are followed; Zaghili requires clan leaders to wear the horns of Gurzel [ram-god] as a symbol of power; Zaghili specifies rules for maintaining Aghourmi's temple flame; Zaghili promises that if rules are kept Marzuk's line will not experience strife; Zaghili blocks the sun's light; The clan agrees to honor Zaghili's requirements and sunlight returns to the Siwa; The grace of Zaghili now resides within the line of Marzuk. Manhood (lines 278-489). Relation on clan hunting and tracking skills; Relation on the valor and strength of Marzuk; Gosla becomes pregnant; Relation on clan birth practices; Gosla delivers twins as birth attendants watch in fear; Gosla rejects clan tradition that requires the death of one twin; Relation on the growth and maturation of the twins Zel and Zechen; Zel and Zechen mature and undergo initiation, scarification rituals, and fasting; Each twin required to prepare spear points, track, and kill a farna [leopard]; Zechen killed by a farna during his hunting initiation; Zel kills a farna, honors his father, and becomes a man. Death (lines 490-573). Marzuk anguishes over the death of his son Zechen; Glim's cautionary words uttered at the birthing time of the twins are recalled; Relation on the aging of Marzuk and Gosla; Relation on Gosla's illness and impending death; Death of Gosla; Rela