The Circle of Birth and Death

The Circle of Birth and Death

(A Legend from Papua New Guinea)

In Papua New Guinea, the tops of the mountains pierce a layer of clouds. As if they had eyes, the mountaintops quietly observe the sky spirits. Down below, the mountains’ rocky roots feel the yams growing. Their dusty sides echo with the sound of people stamp-stamping their dances.

Owen Stanley Range - Papua New Guinea

The people of the high mountains of Simbang say there was a time when all humans lived in the sky. This was because the earth was new and its surface was still very hot. The sleeping-platforms of all people were way up above the clouds. People lived forever. Time did not exist. Every day was the same as every other. Some of the people, especially the young, quick-footed ones, began to grow restless. "Please papa," begged a sky child. “Can’t we just do something?"

A huge lizard lived in the sky. It was said that he was wise. But it was also said that every so often he told big, fat lies. Most of the time he was helpful. Once in a while, he did something cruel. Because everyone lived forever, they needed to forgive when bad things happened.

When the earth had cooled and living things rooted and grew in its soil, the lizard told the sky people tales of amazing food and brilliant beauty. All this existed on earth! Earth’s land cradled all the colours of the rainbow. Sweet songs flowed from brooks, and wind shush-shushing through pine trees. Earth offered sweet coconuts to drink and plenty of tender coconut meat to eat. Even fire! How delicious it was to roast yams.

Pigs and dogs ran through the forests. Fat, sassy birds laid eggs. Flowers to tuck behind your ears blanketed the meadows. Slippery fish with glassy eyes swam in the streams. Earth's lakes were like mirrors. Even the caves echoed your name when you called out to them.

The lizard told how to visit earth: slide down a long, thin bamboo pole. Shinny, shinny, slide! Down to earth you slipped and slid. The people were so excited they could barely wait their turn to slide down the bamboo pole.

“But how do we get back home?" a man asked.

“Yes." said another. “We can't go unless we can come back home again.”

“Oh, that's easy," said the giant lizard, his mouth crooked open in a smile. “Just climb back up the pole. I’ll make it easy for you-I'll put notches in it like the steps of a ladder. See?" He slithered over and gnawed a perfect step into the pole.

“Thank you," said the sky people. Not everyone went. Some believed the lizard's words and some didn't. But many, oh so many, chose to go! One by one they wrapped their hands around the sturdy pole, jumped free of the clouds, and down they slid. They were so busy holding on tight they didn’t see the lizard laughing at them.

Earth was gorgeous. Fresh, cool water bubbled up out of the ground. Orange-red bird-of-paradise blossoms hobbled in the breeze. Everything the lizard had said was true! The people harvested yams and luscious red fruits hanging from trees. They lit a huge fire and watched it dance and wave like the arms of a hundred happy girls.

Later, when they had explored and were ready to rest, the sky people baked their yams in the glowing coals. In the shade of a silvery-green acacia tree, they feasted. The young people danced and sang while their parents warmed themselves before the fire. After the feast, they swam once more in the rivers. They took the burning sticks of fire into the caves and drew sooty pictures on the walls.

Yam

But then something terrible happened. One of the children stepped on an ant and crushed it. “Get up!" said the child to the ant.

The ant didn’t move. It lay in flat black pieces at the child's feet. “Papa," cried the child. “Why won't it get up?” She thought all living things lived forever like the sky people. The little creature should wake up and march across the sand.

Gently the father lifted the dead ant. Other ants scurried about, frightened by his huge human shadow. He reached down and smashed another ant between his fingers. All movement stopped. The man watched and waited. Suddenly he screamed a spine-curdling yell. The tribe came running.

“What’s the matter?” they yelled.

“This creature-” The boy’s father was panting now. “It-it-it won’t move. It is no more.” There was no word in their language for death, so he could not even say that it had died. The people began to tremble. What kind of world had they come to?

Together they carved spears and hunted a bird, a gecko, and a pig. “We honour your spirit, living creature. May you live forever." they chanted. Then they took a heavy rock and killed the bird, the gecko, and the pig. The pig's dark blood gushed from its neck into the sand. Prayers drifted away in the evening wind. Nothing could bring these creatures back to life.

This is not what the lizard had told them! Liar! Nothing lasted here. The bees made their honey and then they died. The flowers bloomed and their open faces shrivelled. Dogs and pigs and even wives grew old and died.

Too late for the people from heaven! They had eaten the food of the earth. Now they too would experience all of earth's gifts, even the bitter ones: birth, sickness, old age, and death.

The sky people huddled together and wept. One brave woman said. “Don't give up! We must climb back into the sky. We don't need these full bellies. It is better to live forever!" The people ran to where the bamboo pole had been stuck into the ground. It must still be there, waiting for them to slip their toes into the carved notches and climb hand over hand back to heaven.

But no! The evil lizard had bitten the bamboo pole clear through. It lay in pieces on the ground, splintered and still dripping with his saliva. Look!" cried the man who had asked the lizard how they would return to the sky. “He didn't even carve the notches! All the time he was planning to leave us here!"

Sadly, the people turned away. The sound of weeping grew dimmer and dimmer as small groups wandered off by themselves. One followed the snaky curves of the river bank. Another group walked under the canopy of broad-leafed trees. A third one climbed up into the hills that led to the mountains.

They were the ancestors of the people who live on earth today. Because of them, you were born. And because our home is the earth, living things will experience forever the great cycle of birth and death.

Source:

Pacific Island Legends: Tales from Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia and Australia.

Nancy Bo Flood, Beret E. Strong, William Flood

1991

Pages: 107 - 110