Over the course of the next few days of my recovery, I learned more about the culture of the Uchanti. Their culture was rich with an oral history of their people. The women all had “Jes” in their names, while the men had “Mil.” These were titles. Jes was a shortened version of “Jestariungo” which meant “daughter of the sea.” This was because the women of this tribe were beautiful but also dangerous, just as the sea was. The sea can be beautiful and full of life as well as danger. Like the sea, it was not wise to upset the women of the Uchanti, for they could be just as deadly as the ocean itself.
“Mil” by contrast was short for “Milkahlikata” which meant “Son of the mountain.” Men in the tribe had a great responsibility for their homes. They had to be the rock of their tribes. Men had their sacred duty to protect their families and their tribesmen to the death. The men of the tribe had to be as strong and as unmoving as a mountain. Their resilience was something to behold. In order for the boys to be considered men, they had to go through a trial. They would need to climb a long pole mounted to the top of the canyon walls where they had to balance themselves on one foot from sunrise to sunset —stopping only for rest— for the next three days.
If they could do that, then they were considered a man. It was an exercise of discipline, especially when sandstorms came through. Having been in a sandstorm since my arrival in the blasted lands, I knew well how difficult it was to stand up on two legs while in a storm with no protection. The wind cut into my wounds like flying daggers shredding my skin, and I felt like if the wind were just a little stronger, I would be carried off like a child’s kite. The thought of having to do that on one leg on top of a poll made it sound less favorable.
While recovering I was able to witness one of these trials. The determination on the boy's face was inspiring. No weakness, no faltering. Just sheer willpower. I saw myself in the boy and knew that these people would be a great asset to my forces. Mil’Tuk had a good point. The Uchanti would make fine allies.
One of the most interesting parts of their culture was a legend they told. There were once two brothers. Ashua, the sun, and Moshua, the moon. The Uchanti claim that in the beginning there was no night. The world was always lit up by the light of the two brothers, who always cared for one another. They did everything together: hunt, fish, forage, and lived in perfect harmony with one another. The brothers were great heroes and defended humanity from great beasts. Yet while they lived in a world without night, darkness was still ever present in caves and shadows. The darkness wanted to rule the world, yet the constant day kept it at bay.
If darkness wanted to rule the world, then the brothers needed to go away. The darkness had a clever idea. He crept under the shade of a mountain where a waterfall was placed, and disguised himself into a beautiful woman. There it waited until Ashua and Moshua arrived. The brothers saw the woman bathing in the water. Her hair was a shade of black they had never seen before. Her long hair wrapped around her body like a cloak as she bathed in the cool and refreshing waters. After that, the brothers began to argue with one another.
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Each brother professed his love for the woman, but she would toy with them. She proclaimed “If I am to belong to a man, then he must show me that he is worthy. Who is the richest and owns the largest house?”
The brothers who once lived in only a single home began to fight. Using their great strength, each brother built a house using nothing but the trees around them and the stones of the mountain. In what would take a long time to make, the brothers built magnificent homes in no time at all. Each brother showed the woman around their houses. They were no small huts but beautiful homes that were like palaces.
Of course, the woman refused yet again. She pretended to admire each of the homes. As magnificent as they were, none could match the prize that the darkness was after. And so, the woman said “I will only be with the one who forges the beast weapon.” The brothers then searched all over for the best metals one could find. With their bare hands they dug into the earth to find the purest metals. Each brother forged a great and terrible weapon the likes of which no man has seen before or since.
They returned —blades in hand— to the woman once again. Each blade was more beautiful than any other in the world. They were crafted to perfection. Yet as before, when the woman saw the blades, she refused them. The woman once again said “If I am to be claimed, then let the strongest man claim me.”
The brothers turned on one another and fought a bloody battle. It was brutal beyond comparison. The fight lasted for several days until finally, Moshua felt the sting of Ashua’s blade in his chest. Moshua clenched his fist and held the blade tightly. He fell backward into the dirt, stone dead. At the moment of his death, the sky grew black, and the woman transformed into darkness himself and named his new kingdom “night.” Realizing what he had done, Ashua fell to his knees and wept for his brother. He carried his brother's body to every medicine man he could find and begged to restore Moshua to life, yet none could. Ashua cried and pleaded. “Please! Anyone! Help my brother! I will give anything!”
Ashua then heard a strange sound coming from above. The great eagle, the avatar of the Sky God Emenuweh, came down. The eagle spoke to Ashua. “Why do you cry?”
“It is my brother!” cried Ashua while holding the body of his brother. “I have been tricked by darkness, and have killed my brother! I am lost without him. Please, help me!”
The great eagle took pity on Ashua and Moshua. Emenuweh made a pact with Ashua. He would restore Moshua, but he may only embrace him twice a year and only for a short time. Ashua agreed, and Emenuweh gave Moshua life again. Moshua turned white as a ghost, and became the light of night. Darkness consumed Moshua until he became nothing, but he would always return, becoming full again. Since the deal was made, Moshua may only embrace his brother twice a year. Once in the day, where Moshua covers up Ashua with his body, and then at night where Ashua embraces his brother, and the blood of Moshua runs along his body.
Of course, Roharim and my people have a different idea on what the sun and moon are, but I believe you get the gist about how unique the people of the Uchanti are.