Apr 11, 2005 01:05 PM
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(Updated Apr 11, 2005 10:20 PM)
Chapter One
Time & Place - Appx. 35000 years ago, the Dawn of Human Civilisation, just before the advent of Ice Age, somewhere in southern Europe.
Five year old Ayla could take it no more. The last 3-4 days had been the worst of her life - she was bleeding and was very exhausted, thirsty and hungry. She had seen the earth open up and gobble her family; she had walked along the river bank for days; she had survived a Lion attack & was bleeding. With no strength left in her body she tried to get up but she collapsed.
A clan of Neanderthals passing thru the same way see the girl but decide to ignore her. The medicine woman by the name Iza could not take her eyes off the injured child and after initial argument with the Clan Chief decides to take care of the child. Her clan is very defiant and angry with her - after all THE GIRL BELONGED TO THE OTHERS. HER BLONDE HAIR AND BLUE EYES WERE VERY UGLY UNLIKE THEIRS.
Introduction
Ayla was a Cro-Magnon and the Clan was Neanderthal !!
During the evolution of mankind there was a moment in time when Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons (close to Homo Sapiens) coexisted. Yes two different spieces of humans fighting for survival at the same moment of history.
The story is of Ayla adapting to a new spieces and finding her place in the ancient world. And for us the saga is more of how they (our ancestors) lived and survived and found warmth in those ruthless times.
§ Neanderthal's as per Encylopaedia-Britannica §
Species of the genus Homo that inhabited much of Europe and the Mediterranean lands in the late Pleistocene Epoch, c. 100,000–35,000 years ago. The name derives from the discovery in 1856 of remains in a cave in Germany''''''''s Neander Valley. Some scholars do not consider them direct human ancestors. Neanderthals were short, stout, and powerful. Cranial capacity equaled or surpassed that of modern humans, though their braincases were long, low, and wide. Their limbs were heavy, but they seem to have walked fully erect and had hands as capable as those of modern humans. They were cave dwellers who used fire, wielded stone tools and wooden spears to hunt animals, buried their dead, and cared for their sick or injured. They probably used language and practiced a primitive form of religion.
§ Cro magnon's as per Encylcopaedia-Britannica §
Population of anatomically modern Homo sapiens dating from the Upper Paleolithic Period (c. 35,000–10,000 BC). First discovered in 1868 at the Cro-Magnon rock shelter in the Dordogne region in southern France, the human skeletons that came to be called Cro-Magnon are now considered representative of humans at that time.
Cro-Magnons were relatively more robust and powerful than today''''''''s humans, with a somewhat larger brain capacity. Cro-Magnons seem to have been a settled people, living in caves or primitive huts, moving only when necessary to find new hunting or because of environmental changes. It is difficult to determine how long the Cro-Magnons lasted and what happened to them; presumably they were gradually absorbed into the European populations that came later.
How they lived ?
In a cave, with seperate spaces for families each space marked with a boundary of stones. With an implied code of conduct that no one would trespass into others area. The men hunted and the women tended the home - it was forbidden for women to hunt. Skills like carpentry, medicine and weaponry were practiced and passed on down to generations.
They hunted in packs of a few men with spears and after the kill, the women would clean, dry and pack the meat for future use. Small animals were killed with slings - the meat was shared. A selected member of the clan carried fire with him. Each birth, death or occasion was marked with religious practices.
The regular get-together of various Neanderthal Clans, their customs & practices, the settings will leave you breathless. The various clans used to meet once in a year or two at a predecided location to exchange news, share medicine knowledge, participate in bloody sports, look for suitors etc - it was a like a summit. The language was more of a whispher and was still in developing stage.
The Other Chapters
Iza, the medicine woman takes charge of Ayla and teaches her medicine. Creb, the socerer/wise man takes a liking to her after initial hesitation. As she grows she surprises the clan with her behaviour and acts but does learn the ways and customs of the Cave Bear clan. She helps them find the new cave and assists the clan in all ways possible.
Few members grow to resent her for her sheer guts - she can hunt better and hunt in a clan where women are forbidden to hunt. She makes a bitter enemy of the group''''''''s future leader, Broud, mainly due to her slinging skills which she can do better because of her superior bone structure. Broud sees her as a threat to his authority and humilates & punishes her often.
The prehistoric times men literally command over women (They still try to do the same - its a mirage they live in) and so it was for Ayla - she had to follow all the instructions of Broud who kept on seeking his revenge, making her stronger. Rapes between the 2 spieces of Humans(?) are common resulting in hybrid children who perhaps held the key to the future. Ayla suffers a similar humilation at the hands of Broud resulting in a Hybrid baby. The more important thing to note is that there is no such thing as rape - it is more of a man relieving his natural urge with a woman. It is not sex or passion - Love is rudimentary and still evolving to reach a stage where emotions & passions get involved.
The book has awesome raw power and assaults your mind as you journey with the characters across the dawn of time towards the beginning of the ice age. Just figuring how a spieces similar to ours existed is exhilirating. The detailed research done by the author makes this a bible for pre-historic book lovers.
The excellent chapter dedicated on the MAMMOTH HUNT is magnificient in terms of the preparation, the team, the skinning and storing of the meat, the journey, the weapons & strategy. As time passes by Iza and Creb die and the transition of the Leader also happens compounding problems for Ayla.
What is her future in a Neanderthal clan? What would happen if she saw a Cro-Magnon? The story is of survival, of acceptance, of finding ones place in the world.
CONTD IN COMMENTS ..
