[Fic] "Finding Marea," excerpt -- original
This is a small piece of an original story I've been writing. It's a terribly irritating story, all layers upon layers, but I kind of like it. See, we have one woman (Harai Inosike) telling the story of another woman (Laila Tolemeus) who was inspired by a third woman (Marea Shouja). And the first woman repeats three versions of the third woman's story, as told to her by women four (Ifira Burosca), five (Somae Taucannig), and six (Larachine Enu). With much religious philosophy mixed in, and a vague pretense of the whole thing being a sort of sociological paper. It's enough to give me a headache.
Anyway, this is version one of woman three's story, as told to woman one by woman four.
Say that three times fast. :-p
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Finding Marea: Truth in the Circle of Kemar
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When I first decided to study the Circle of Kemar, I went to the local meeting house and asked to see a priestess. The young woman dusting the wall-hangings smiled and said that Mother Ifira was at the market, but I could wait at her house if I wanted. She then gave me directions to the street of the weavers.
Ifira Burosca was perhaps thirty years old, mother of two and wife of a dyer. Until she walked in the door, it had not fully struck me that the Circle has no institutionalized clergy. This was an alien concept to me. Who will mediate between the sacred and the profane if not one who has dedicated his or her life to God? Surely not a woman caught up in the business of life.
Ifira told me stories.
I asked her what the Circle believed and she laughed. "Belief is only one face of the world," she told me. "Kemar doesn't need your faith. She needs nothing from us. We're her children; she wants us to be happy, to live right. What you do is the important thing, not what dead words you hold onto."
Ifira showed me some of the rituals of the Circle: group dances, single dances, hand games, candles, clothing. She told me about their missionary efforts, which had helped her Circle grow from three families to over two hundred people, enough that they needed two meeting houses. And she told me the history of the Circle.
"Back when the Circle was young, in the days of the Emperor Rumis Iorigaleus, King Mechved ruled in Ochre Varos," she said. "He was a strong king and kept good order in his lands, but he had one great problem. He couldn't keep the many faiths from clashing, and much blood was spilled on the sand.
"Finally he threw up his hands and declared that unless the priests could make peace and keep peace in seven months, he would choose one faith and drive the others from the city. But none of the priests could bear to speak with their rivals, so the deaths continued for the seven months. At the end of the seventh month, Mechved called all the priests to his palace and spoke with each about his faith. Then he withdrew to his rooms for three days.
"When he came out again, he spoke this law: the only true faith in Ochre Varos would be the Church, and all other faiths were banned. Anyone caught practicing a pagan faith must convert, leave, or die. Since the Church was the largest faith in the city, it seemed to be the least costly way to bring peace to Ochre Varos.
"Naturally many people were upset, but so long as they practiced their faiths in secret, the King made no great effort to discover them and turn them out. And so the peace was kept, with grumbling, for nearly twelve years, until the arrest of Marea.
"Now Marea was a woman raised in the Church, who found the Circle and Kemar and stepped into the light. She felt Kemar in her heart, and she danced one of the Great Rites. In those days, the Rites were danced in secret, in cellars and on rooftops, not in meeting houses or in the city squares, so her Circle thought they were safe. But a neighbor heard the music and the clapping, and reported them to the soldiers, who came before Marea could finish the Rite.
"In those days, you see, anyone who danced a Great Rite was sent on to Kemar, since she had called the Goddess into her soul and it would be cruel to make her live without the Goddess. This is the chief reason the Church hated and feared the Circle. And they took Marea to prison before she could kill herself.
"Now normally there were three options for someone caught practicing a faith banned in Ochre Varos. She could convert, she could leave the city, or she could die. Marea would not convert -- why should she, since she had carried the Goddess in her soul? -- she would not leave, and she wanted to die. If the King killed her, he would only be completing the Rite. And even more than upholding the letter of the law, the priests of the Church wanted to stamp out the other faiths. So they wanted to shut Marea up in a convent, under the watch of nuns.
"The nuns cared for her for seven months, always watching her so she couldn't die. They wanted to save her life, you see; they didn't understand about the Goddess in her soul. They also tried to convert her to the Church. At the end of every month, the priests examined her, to see if she had turned her back on Kemar.
"After seven months, the king had Marea brought to his palace, to ask why she would not convert or leave -- she was causing unrest in the city and people were grumbling again about the laws.
"'I won't convert because the Goddess has lived in me and I know the Church is a lie,' she said. 'I won't leave because Ochre Varos is my home and your law is unjust. And if you wish to kill me, I welcome death; the Goddess has touched my soul and I know she awaits me past the end of this circle.'
"King Mechved put his head in his hands. 'Is there any way I can change you mind?' he asked. 'The people are restless, and I don't want to keep you locked up for the rest of your life.'
"'I won't change my mind,' Marea told him. 'All you can do is lock me up or let me die.'
"So the king took her by the arm and led her to his balcony. 'Look at the city,' he said, waving his hand. 'My laws keep order here, keep these people alive and at peace. I have to punish you to keep that order. But I am not God, and I can't control everything. So I will send for only one guard, and when I leave, I wash my hands of whatever you might do. Do you understand, my lady?'
"Marea bowed to the king and thanked him. And when he left, she kicked the guard aside and jumped from the balcony, plunging to her death from the palace walls.
"The Circle were happy for she had gone to the Goddess. The people were happy since she was dead, either punished for dancing the Great Rite or no longer a burden on their taxes. The priests grumbled that she had escaped, but since they thought her gone to hell, they soon forgot. But we in the Circle remember Marea Who Flew, who won her death from the king of Ochre Varos."
Ifira sighed. "That's one of my favorite stories," she said. "I always like telling that one."
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Am nearly decided about my future (at least until the end of the year). It's kind of scary to throw yourself into the gulf of possibility and hope you can sail to a safe harbor. But still. All will be well, and all manner of things will be well.
Anyway, this is version one of woman three's story, as told to woman one by woman four.
Say that three times fast. :-p
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Finding Marea: Truth in the Circle of Kemar
---------------------------------------------
When I first decided to study the Circle of Kemar, I went to the local meeting house and asked to see a priestess. The young woman dusting the wall-hangings smiled and said that Mother Ifira was at the market, but I could wait at her house if I wanted. She then gave me directions to the street of the weavers.
Ifira Burosca was perhaps thirty years old, mother of two and wife of a dyer. Until she walked in the door, it had not fully struck me that the Circle has no institutionalized clergy. This was an alien concept to me. Who will mediate between the sacred and the profane if not one who has dedicated his or her life to God? Surely not a woman caught up in the business of life.
Ifira told me stories.
I asked her what the Circle believed and she laughed. "Belief is only one face of the world," she told me. "Kemar doesn't need your faith. She needs nothing from us. We're her children; she wants us to be happy, to live right. What you do is the important thing, not what dead words you hold onto."
Ifira showed me some of the rituals of the Circle: group dances, single dances, hand games, candles, clothing. She told me about their missionary efforts, which had helped her Circle grow from three families to over two hundred people, enough that they needed two meeting houses. And she told me the history of the Circle.
"Back when the Circle was young, in the days of the Emperor Rumis Iorigaleus, King Mechved ruled in Ochre Varos," she said. "He was a strong king and kept good order in his lands, but he had one great problem. He couldn't keep the many faiths from clashing, and much blood was spilled on the sand.
"Finally he threw up his hands and declared that unless the priests could make peace and keep peace in seven months, he would choose one faith and drive the others from the city. But none of the priests could bear to speak with their rivals, so the deaths continued for the seven months. At the end of the seventh month, Mechved called all the priests to his palace and spoke with each about his faith. Then he withdrew to his rooms for three days.
"When he came out again, he spoke this law: the only true faith in Ochre Varos would be the Church, and all other faiths were banned. Anyone caught practicing a pagan faith must convert, leave, or die. Since the Church was the largest faith in the city, it seemed to be the least costly way to bring peace to Ochre Varos.
"Naturally many people were upset, but so long as they practiced their faiths in secret, the King made no great effort to discover them and turn them out. And so the peace was kept, with grumbling, for nearly twelve years, until the arrest of Marea.
"Now Marea was a woman raised in the Church, who found the Circle and Kemar and stepped into the light. She felt Kemar in her heart, and she danced one of the Great Rites. In those days, the Rites were danced in secret, in cellars and on rooftops, not in meeting houses or in the city squares, so her Circle thought they were safe. But a neighbor heard the music and the clapping, and reported them to the soldiers, who came before Marea could finish the Rite.
"In those days, you see, anyone who danced a Great Rite was sent on to Kemar, since she had called the Goddess into her soul and it would be cruel to make her live without the Goddess. This is the chief reason the Church hated and feared the Circle. And they took Marea to prison before she could kill herself.
"Now normally there were three options for someone caught practicing a faith banned in Ochre Varos. She could convert, she could leave the city, or she could die. Marea would not convert -- why should she, since she had carried the Goddess in her soul? -- she would not leave, and she wanted to die. If the King killed her, he would only be completing the Rite. And even more than upholding the letter of the law, the priests of the Church wanted to stamp out the other faiths. So they wanted to shut Marea up in a convent, under the watch of nuns.
"The nuns cared for her for seven months, always watching her so she couldn't die. They wanted to save her life, you see; they didn't understand about the Goddess in her soul. They also tried to convert her to the Church. At the end of every month, the priests examined her, to see if she had turned her back on Kemar.
"After seven months, the king had Marea brought to his palace, to ask why she would not convert or leave -- she was causing unrest in the city and people were grumbling again about the laws.
"'I won't convert because the Goddess has lived in me and I know the Church is a lie,' she said. 'I won't leave because Ochre Varos is my home and your law is unjust. And if you wish to kill me, I welcome death; the Goddess has touched my soul and I know she awaits me past the end of this circle.'
"King Mechved put his head in his hands. 'Is there any way I can change you mind?' he asked. 'The people are restless, and I don't want to keep you locked up for the rest of your life.'
"'I won't change my mind,' Marea told him. 'All you can do is lock me up or let me die.'
"So the king took her by the arm and led her to his balcony. 'Look at the city,' he said, waving his hand. 'My laws keep order here, keep these people alive and at peace. I have to punish you to keep that order. But I am not God, and I can't control everything. So I will send for only one guard, and when I leave, I wash my hands of whatever you might do. Do you understand, my lady?'
"Marea bowed to the king and thanked him. And when he left, she kicked the guard aside and jumped from the balcony, plunging to her death from the palace walls.
"The Circle were happy for she had gone to the Goddess. The people were happy since she was dead, either punished for dancing the Great Rite or no longer a burden on their taxes. The priests grumbled that she had escaped, but since they thought her gone to hell, they soon forgot. But we in the Circle remember Marea Who Flew, who won her death from the king of Ochre Varos."
Ifira sighed. "That's one of my favorite stories," she said. "I always like telling that one."
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Am nearly decided about my future (at least until the end of the year). It's kind of scary to throw yourself into the gulf of possibility and hope you can sail to a safe harbor. But still. All will be well, and all manner of things will be well.