Old Tree Hears the Women

Although everyone who is in a village at the time of a full moon participates in the moon wishing ceremony, only the women and mature girls know why. Among their secret lore is a legend that tells the story of how this core tradition of their lunar worship came to be.  

Summary

When Old Tree put her blood into the trees and made them into women, she cared for them as a woman does the girls of her blood. She took away bad spirits and brought good ones, and she gave them things to fill their need. Old Tree spoke to the women and they spoke to her, and they shared joy.   These women made girls from their blood who also became women, each with her own voice. The new voices and the old spoke all at once, and Old Tree had no peace. She spread clouds between herself and the women to hide their voices from her. At last she could turn her face away and rest.   For a time this silence was good, but as it lasted long and longer Old Tree liked it little and less. She put her face to the land to see what the women were doing. She moved apart the clouds so that she could hear thir voices. The women sat with their heads bent, and they cried of sorrow. Ill spirits afflicted them, good spirits abandoned them, their fires were cold, their fruit was rotten, and they were in anger with each other.   Old Tree scattered the spirits with a harsh voice, and invited good spirits with a gentle voice. She led the women to stir up their fires and gather ripe fruit. She listened to their anger which faded in their speaking it. Soon all was well, and women once more had joy. But all their voices again plagued Old Tree, and she could not share their joy. She spread the clouds together, but the women begged her not to leave them again, or they would again come to sorrow.   Old Tree called two women to her and gave each of them a name and a gift. The first name was Spirit-talker, and the first gift was a clay bowl. Spirit-talker would be Old Tree's voice to spirits, and she would bring the good spirits and send the bad ones away. The second name was Woman Woman, and the second gift was a moon talisman. Woman Woman would be Old Tree's voice to women, and she would keep wood and fruit for women who needed it.   Still the women asked Old Tree if she would stay and listen to them, so that their anger should not grow again. But there were even more women now, and their voices made a great unending noise. Old Tree called to Woman Woman and Spirit-talker again. She told Woman Woman to listen to the other women for her. She filled Spirit-talker's bowl with a warm broth that would allow women's voices to travel through the clouds.   Old Tree promised that on one night of the month, she would turn her face to the land. Woman Woman must gather the women to a place where the sky was open, Spirit-talker must give them the moon-listen broth, and when the women spoke Old Tree would hear. In that way the women would have their joy and Old Tree would have her rest.