The Mikara people faced a threat from The Big Bad Bug. Desperate to escape its wrath, some villagers ventured into the dark forest to find a new place to live, but they never returned. The remaining villagers cleaned the land, hoping to find their lost loved ones, but to no avail. The great shaman asked Mother Earth and Father Sky for help, and they gave their children a way to always find their way home.
Guilding star
(just-so story type text sample by Taisiia Smirnova)
Once upon a time, long ago, under the first sun, lived the Mikara people. They lived in peace and harmony, bound with their land and sky. They were blessed with bountiful harvests, thanks to the druids who helped their crops and the shamans who called the rains.
But one year, during the Harvest Festival, as the settlers danced around a fire, a big shadow appeared. It was The Big Bad Bug, attracted by the feast. The druids spoke to it and offered food, but its hunger was insatiable. It devoured all of the settlers’ food. Then the shamans summoned spirits and thorns to drive the bug away, but its shell was too tough and no weapon could harm it. The Big Bad Bug declared: “I shall return and take more.”
The settlers knew that if it returned, they would die of hunger.
Desperate to escape the bug’s hunger and wrath, the strongest men and women of the village ventured into the outer forest, the dark forest that surrounded the world at that ancient time. They said: “We shall find a new place to live, a secret place where no bug can find us.” And so they left.
But as days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, the villagers grew worried. The searchers had not returned, and the village was plagued by fear and grief.
The villagers decided to clean the dark forest, fighting the monsters and chopping the cursed trees, in the hope of finding their lost loved ones. They cleaned all the land, and thus the other races came to the continent. But their people were still gone.
The great shaman asked Mother Earth herself for help and said: “We changed the land and thus they can’t find the way. Give them a sign.” Mother Earth grew the biggest mushroom whose cap was higher than any tree. It was seen from every part of the land. But day after day came and went, and the searchers didn’t return.
The dog couldn’t bear the parting first. The dog said: “It’s not enough.” It jumped on the mushroom cap and then jumped again pushing as hard as it could, to the sky itself. And it became a bright star near the horizon. But day after day came and went, and the searchers didn’t return. Then the cat said: “It’s still not enough. I can jump much higher than the dog.” It jumped on the mushroom cap and then jumped again pushing as hard as it could, to the sky itself. And it became another bright star. This star was smaller, but it was even higher. But day after day came and went, and the searchers didn’t return.
Then the great shaman said: “It’s still not enough.” And then the great shaman asked Father Sky himself and said: “They still can’t find their way. Give them a sign they can’t miss.” And Father Sky picked the great shaman on the palm of his hand and lifted them up to the very center of the world. And so the great shaman became a star. That was the brightest star and all other stars circled around it.
The Dog, the Cat and the Great Shaman stars form a Flax Blade constellation.
And from that time whoever lost and gone should raise their right palm to the sky and shape the Flax Blade, and they will find their way home. What happened to the searchers? That is another tale.