Earlier today, I was forwarded an email that I found to be very inspiring. I couldn’t help but smile as I read it. It was about an old Cherokee legend – the boy’s rite of passage:
The boy’s father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is told to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a man.
He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each individual must come into manhood on his own.
As the night progresses, the boy naturally becomes more terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Possible among these beasts could be some human wanting to harm him. The wind blows the grass and earth, and shakes his stump, but he sits stoically and unwavering, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man.
Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appears and shines through the blindfold. The boy removes his blindfold, relieved that he made it through the night.
It was then that the boy discovers his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.
Such is true with our relationship with our own family, friends and even God.
Although we may be the ones that have to perform a certain task or overcome an obstacle by ourselves, like the young man, we must wait and perform our duty to the best of our abilities until the sun shines through. The most difficult task is to not remove the blindfold before dawn and give into our fears. What we can do is to do our best and have faith in ourselves, our family, our friends and in God. Once dawn approaches and we remove that blindfold, we will see them all sitting on the stumps next to us, having been at watch for the entire night, ensuring that we were safe.
A relevant message this legend has to offer is that none of us is ever alone. Our God, our friends and our family will always be watching over us, just as they do every day, guiding us and protecting us, to help us safely make our way through the night.
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2 Comments
How true. How real. Thanks for this post!
Nice story – but not accurate:
Christians revised the story so they could equate the protection of the boy by the father with the protection one receives from God.
“The vision quest is a turning point in life taken before puberty to find oneself and the intended spiritual and life direction. When an older child is ready, he or she will go on a personal, spiritual quest alone in the wilderness, often in conjunction with a period of fasting. This usually lasts for a number of days while the child is attuned to the spirit world. Usually, a Guardian animal will come in a vision or dream, and the child’s life direction will appear at some point. The child returns to the tribe, and once the child has grown, will pursue that direction in life. After a vision quest, the child may apprentice an adult in the tribe of the shown direction”
“First off you need to do what is called a Smudge. And for that you need certain ingredients, you need Sage, Cedar, Tobacco,and Sweet Grass, now with these ingredients a Holy Person, Spirit Person, Medicine Person or Elder, conducts the smudging of each person involved in the ceremony, by taking a container (either a turtle shell or an abalone seashell) that has the blended ingredients of sage, cedar, tobacco, and Sweet Grass. Then light the mixture so that it starts to burn, then lightly blow the flame out so it will just smoke. They usually have a fan that is of a left wing(Heart-Side) of a Eagle, Hawk or Pheasant or whatever winged one they used for a “Prayer Fan”, to “Fan” the smoke toward an individual to purify them (inside and out).
The coming-of-age ceremony is also called the rite of passage ceremony.
If compared to other cultures, we would have many similar beliefs and ways of conducting these. There is “Four Cycles” of life in every Human Being.. Infant, Youth, Adult and Elder.
When a young boy comes of age, around 12 or 13 years of age, a very special ceremony within the Nation or tribe is conducted.
First and foremost, the young boy was taken aside with the Elder men.
The young adult man, would be taken aside by the Father, Grandfathers, Uncles, and Elder men. Also, if possible, the Main Medicine man/Holy man of the Nation or Tribe. The young adult is told of his new responsibilities and what is expected of him as a young Adult male among his people and peers.
He would be instructed in the ways of being a provider and protector of his immediate family and of all his people. The Elder men would pledge to teach him of the “Ways” of his Ancestors and Fathers that walk before him. Then, he would be taken through to this first sweat lodge ceremony, and presented to the people. Given a “New Name” by which all would know him as and call him by from that day forward.
The Holy Man/Medicine Man, would work with the young Adult man throughout his entire life, instructing and giving “Spiritual” advice as how to stay on the Red-Road for his sake, his family and his people.
The Young Adult Man, would be given presence at this ceremony to show love and support on his new journey in the “Second Cycle of Life”.
This is the Traditional Cherokee (Tsalagi) Rite of Passage.”
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