BBOTSS Travel Logue - Part 4
At first light, we set out for Bonoba. Black Beard and company were in high spirits after sampling some of my master’s grog before embarking on this journey. As we made our way around Lake Tatus, Black Beard’s crew began to get unruly. It started with Black Beard cursing the servants for being “scurvy dogs”. This incident, along with the crew’s hangovers, forced us to stop our journey midday and rest.
We resumed our travels late in the afternoon and surprisingly made it to the Straight of Utoo by evenfall. We set up camp and spent the rest of the night listening to Black Beard’s adventures while he and his crew drank more grog. Luckily Missandei had given them a large cart full of the drink after she realized how much they enjoyed it.
The next morning, we crossed the Bonoban Bridge and began making our way to the heart of Bonoba where the diplomats should have found the high priest Amuhl. When we reached what Bonobans call “The Edge”, we expected to find Amuhl and the Valarian diplomats that had disappeared. Unfortunately, Amuhl was traveling the circumference of Bonoba as part of the Rattle and Hum festivities praising Bono. The Edge was also in the midst of celebration and Black Beard and his crew were taken in to the best lodging Bonoba offered, called the Zooropa Station. Here Black Beard began to ask one of the local priests about the festivities.
Black Beard asks, “So what the celebration be for, me lads?”
The second highest priest in Bonoba, Achtung, began to tell him of their religion:
Our people worship the great god Bono of the heavens called U2. This god has vowed that he will save us all from destroying ourselves through selfishness and Nuklyer wippons. Although we do not understand Nuklyer wippons, we do understand the dangerous of selfishness. Bono has commanded that we set aside a third of our grass harvests for a people called the Nigerians. Through this act of giving to Bono, we prove ourselves unselfish. Amuhl is now traveling Bonoba to give this proclamation directly to the people.
Bono has also decreed that we are to keep the wuhl from our eyes by practicing the burning ritual six times a daily. Through burning the grass and inhaling its fumes, we become free of the wuhl that blinds us to the injustice in the world. Our holy grasses also have many medicinal properties and help keep our people healthy, well-fed and strong. We are about to begin one of these smoke-fests, would you join us?
I could see that Black Beard was curious, so when he said, “We be tryin’ it with ye lad,” I wasn’t surprised. The Bonoban ritual begins with sacred boys retrieving their grasses from large containers. When the grass has been given to the masters, each sits forming a circular pattern, and all of the people join the formation. Then each person turns to the person on their left and asks if they will give them some holy grass. Each person says that they will, but first they must shape it into its most pious form. The masters take the Sacred Book of Bono out of their vestments, and open them and begin to sing. I cannot understand why they need the books for this, because none of the pages have any writing, and many of the pages appear to be missing.
As each master rips a page from the holy book and begins to form a log from the paper into which they stuff the grass, I begin to understand. When the request for grass is repeated by each person, the grass logs are passed around the circle until everyone has one. At this point, every person turns to the person on the left and asks them if they will split a flame with them. As the flames are split, each log ignites and the people begin smoking the logs. As I have been included in the circle, I also smoke one. The grass has a strong earthy smell and taste. The log’s smoke is unlike another tabbaca log I have ever smoked. When my log is finished, my mouth feels like it is full of sand and my beak begins to get stuck to my tongue. Vases of holy water and dew of the mountain are passed from hand to hand. I now feel an unusual tingling feeling all over my body including my brain, and my stomach feels empty. I look to Black Beard and his crew to see how they are reacting to the strange logs.
Imagine my surprise to hear Black Beard say, “Well lads, it’s time we get some breakfast together”. This was not the pirate I was expecting. No cursing, no fighting or jesting, and no attempts to remove the women’s clothing. I asked him, “When are you going to find out about the diplomats?” He replied, “I will inquire after them upon the return of Amuhl. For now we will relax and enjoy the hospitality provided by our hosts.”
After three days of these ceremonies, huge feasts, and uncontrollable laughing fits, I decided to abstain from the rituals. There is no sign of Amuhl returning anytime soon, and Black Beard does not seem concerned. I must report this to my master and ask her advice. Until Amuhl returns, I’m afraid we are all at the mercy of our hosts and their never-ending celebrations. I hope that the next entry into this logue will have some answers for the diplomats’ whereabouts, or my master may be forced to march on the Bonobans with her sucklings.
We resumed our travels late in the afternoon and surprisingly made it to the Straight of Utoo by evenfall. We set up camp and spent the rest of the night listening to Black Beard’s adventures while he and his crew drank more grog. Luckily Missandei had given them a large cart full of the drink after she realized how much they enjoyed it.
The next morning, we crossed the Bonoban Bridge and began making our way to the heart of Bonoba where the diplomats should have found the high priest Amuhl. When we reached what Bonobans call “The Edge”, we expected to find Amuhl and the Valarian diplomats that had disappeared. Unfortunately, Amuhl was traveling the circumference of Bonoba as part of the Rattle and Hum festivities praising Bono. The Edge was also in the midst of celebration and Black Beard and his crew were taken in to the best lodging Bonoba offered, called the Zooropa Station. Here Black Beard began to ask one of the local priests about the festivities.
Black Beard asks, “So what the celebration be for, me lads?”
The second highest priest in Bonoba, Achtung, began to tell him of their religion:
Our people worship the great god Bono of the heavens called U2. This god has vowed that he will save us all from destroying ourselves through selfishness and Nuklyer wippons. Although we do not understand Nuklyer wippons, we do understand the dangerous of selfishness. Bono has commanded that we set aside a third of our grass harvests for a people called the Nigerians. Through this act of giving to Bono, we prove ourselves unselfish. Amuhl is now traveling Bonoba to give this proclamation directly to the people.
Bono has also decreed that we are to keep the wuhl from our eyes by practicing the burning ritual six times a daily. Through burning the grass and inhaling its fumes, we become free of the wuhl that blinds us to the injustice in the world. Our holy grasses also have many medicinal properties and help keep our people healthy, well-fed and strong. We are about to begin one of these smoke-fests, would you join us?
I could see that Black Beard was curious, so when he said, “We be tryin’ it with ye lad,” I wasn’t surprised. The Bonoban ritual begins with sacred boys retrieving their grasses from large containers. When the grass has been given to the masters, each sits forming a circular pattern, and all of the people join the formation. Then each person turns to the person on their left and asks if they will give them some holy grass. Each person says that they will, but first they must shape it into its most pious form. The masters take the Sacred Book of Bono out of their vestments, and open them and begin to sing. I cannot understand why they need the books for this, because none of the pages have any writing, and many of the pages appear to be missing.
As each master rips a page from the holy book and begins to form a log from the paper into which they stuff the grass, I begin to understand. When the request for grass is repeated by each person, the grass logs are passed around the circle until everyone has one. At this point, every person turns to the person on the left and asks them if they will split a flame with them. As the flames are split, each log ignites and the people begin smoking the logs. As I have been included in the circle, I also smoke one. The grass has a strong earthy smell and taste. The log’s smoke is unlike another tabbaca log I have ever smoked. When my log is finished, my mouth feels like it is full of sand and my beak begins to get stuck to my tongue. Vases of holy water and dew of the mountain are passed from hand to hand. I now feel an unusual tingling feeling all over my body including my brain, and my stomach feels empty. I look to Black Beard and his crew to see how they are reacting to the strange logs.
Imagine my surprise to hear Black Beard say, “Well lads, it’s time we get some breakfast together”. This was not the pirate I was expecting. No cursing, no fighting or jesting, and no attempts to remove the women’s clothing. I asked him, “When are you going to find out about the diplomats?” He replied, “I will inquire after them upon the return of Amuhl. For now we will relax and enjoy the hospitality provided by our hosts.”
After three days of these ceremonies, huge feasts, and uncontrollable laughing fits, I decided to abstain from the rituals. There is no sign of Amuhl returning anytime soon, and Black Beard does not seem concerned. I must report this to my master and ask her advice. Until Amuhl returns, I’m afraid we are all at the mercy of our hosts and their never-ending celebrations. I hope that the next entry into this logue will have some answers for the diplomats’ whereabouts, or my master may be forced to march on the Bonobans with her sucklings.
posted by BBOTSS at 7:26 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home