Buddy
The Living Force
obyvatel said:Laura suggested a movie called "Fast Runner" in this thread . This is based on the Inuits whom Clarissa Pinkola Estes calls the second most ancient surviving hunter-gatherer tribes of the world. The movie is about a situation which shows the infiltration of pathology in the tribe and how it affects them. One person coming from a family composed of individuals with pathological traits did get to a position of leadership in the tribe but these members were removed (banished) in the end.
Just for the benefit of anyone unfamiliar with the term, the Inuits are less correctly known by the name "Eskimo".
Assuming the Wikipedia article is an accurate description of the movie; and the movie is an accurate characterization of the legend; and the legend is an accurate representation of an actual ancient happening, it is interesting that the pathology was introduced from outside the group. Introduced by someone whose role, authority and/or 'spiritual power' places him out of reach of anyone too content with their own assumptions about the man, or too fearful to ask the ordinary questions about his wants, desires, motives and 'doings' that might preempt disaster.
Judging by this description, the 'evil' came via "a strange shaman by the name of Tungajuaq" who is described as a visitor from up North.
As the story opens,
The 'visitor' and the camp leader Kumaglak are in a "friendly" spiritual duel involving binding in leather thongs.
But among those present as spectators, "there are some mistrustful faces", suggesting that some people can feel that something is just not right here.
But Panikpak is startled when the stone lamp in front of her breaks in half, and, to the horror of those present, Kumaglak falls over dead. The visitor removes the leader's walrus-tooth necklace from Kumaglak's body, and, passing by Tulimaq [my note: who, judging by a later comment from Qulitalik, I assume is the rightful next leader], he puts the necklace around the neck of Sauri, the son of the murdered leader Kumaglak, saying, "Be careful what you wish for" (suggesting that Sauri's ambition had a part to play in events). Tulimaq leaves, shouting at Sauri "You helped him murder your own father!"
The shaman took it on himself to put the necklace around Sauri's neck and to poison everyone's minds with the suggestion that Sauri's "ambition" was to blame. At this point, any tiniest amount of early infant or toddler feelings of 'finiteness frustration', or 'me vs environment', or 'me vs others', can be linked up with, causing further and deeper splits within individuals and between members of the camp.
Which, according to the story, is basically what happened, both through Sauri's continued acceptance of the position of camp leader and through the obvious 'entitlement' issues, obnoxiousness and cruelty of his son, Oki, as seen by the story developing over time.
Time passes; the shaman's curse has poisoned the camp. Tulimaq, now the local laughing stock, is having trouble feeding his family because of "bad luck" hunting. But Panikpak secretly brings meat for Tulimaq's children, Amaqjuaq and Atanarjuat, hoping that one day they will grow strong and be able to make things right.
Source: _http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atanarjuat
According to the article: "One of the lessons of the legend of Atanarjuat is the evil that can occur when personal ambition (Sauri's and Oki's, in the film) is put before the needs of the community."
But I also wonder if any such 'ambition' would actually have developed and materialized in the absence of the shaman who seems to have acted as the catalyst? Just speculation, but maybe not. It seems to me that there should be nobody, anywhere, who is above questioning and/or reproach (if necessary), and the group context should always be one where no one is ever afraid to ask questions and get the kind of honest answers needed to foresee and deal with problems.
Such a situation seems to actually have existed, as the "first condition", before the "evil shaman" was introduced.
Just my thoughts, fwiw.
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Edit: clarity