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Ker and Sidur (A Myth of the Nehar-Shanar)

September 23, 2008 at 1:17 am by mahud

Long ago a great ram-headed serpent began to devour the hunters of a tribe. The great shaman-hunter Ker was brought before the chief of the people, who asked him why such terrible misfortune had befallen the people. Even his daughter Nunas, who was also Ker’s apprentice in the arts of the shaman, had been eaten by the monstrous beast, to which, Ker replied:

“According to the legend, the ram-headed serpent was once a beautiful young woman called Sidur, a member of our tribe. She was falsely accused of using the shaman’s art to bring illness upon people and was banished to live in the deep forest. In her anger and wrath she transformed herself into the monstrous ram-headed serpent, and vowed to one day take revenge upon our people.”

The chief lowered his head and spoke: “Even though you are now an old man and because of the loss of my only child you are without a successor to continue your work. I ask you Ker to find this ram-headed serpent and defeat it, for soon our entire people will be no more. Already, many of us have fled to the neighbouring cities to escape this tragedy. Many more are sure to follow and our way of life will be no more.”

“I will, of course, do as you ask, my chief,” said Ker. And he left the tent of the chief and began to make preparations for the journey.

Ker travelled deep into the forest for many weeks and had not so much as a glimpse of the ram-headed serpent. One morning he awoke with a rumbling in his belly and proceeded to perform the shaman’s steps of the deer to lure a creature into his presence, so he could kill it.

After a while he spotted an unusual looking stag walking through the forest. With his spear he hurled it towards the stag, but the arrow passed right though the animal’s body.

“It must be a spirit,” Ker thought to himself. “Have I somehow entered the Otherworld?”

And so he tracked the spirit stag for many miles back to a pool of water, where he found it to be populated by all kinds of spirit animals. When he beheld them he was filled with joy, and all thoughts of killing the ram-headed serpent left his mind.

He emerged from the trees to join them, but as soon as they caught sight of the hunter, they all fled. Feelings of joy turned to sadness, and thoughts of killing the monstrous serpent were again in his thoughts

Ker knelt down beside the pool and cupping his hands he tried to draw some water for his thirst, but before one drop reached his lips, the water slipped through his fingers. He tried a second time but again the water slipped away. On his third attempt, he concentrated all his thoughts upon the water in his hands and just as he was about to taste it, he heard a loud shout.

“Wait!”

Startled, he dropped the water and it fell back into the pool.

Ker looked up and saw a young woman sitting on the other side. Furious, he grabbed his spear and was about to hurl it at the woman, when she held up a ladle with two living snakes coiled around its long silver handle.

“If you must drink from the pool,” she said, “you must drink from this.”

Ker approached the woman. “If that is so,” he said, “give it to me!”

“First, old man,” she said, “tell me your name and why you have travelled so deep into the forest?”

“My name is Ker, and I am looking for a terrible ram-headed serpent who is devouring my fellow hunters. When I find the monster I will kill it.”

The woman laughed, “How do you expect to overcome Sidur if you do not know the dance of nine coils which she uses to hypnotise her prey? Go home old hunter, for she will destroy you and all your people.”

“I have travelled far and wide,” replied Ker, “and have learned many powerful dances. There is not a creature in this forest and beyond whose dance I do not know. If necessary I will summon a great army of creatures and together we will destroy the beast! Now, give me the ladle, for I am tired and dying of thirst!”

“First, perform for me your many dances,” said the woman, “and if you are as powerful as you think you are, not only will I let you drink from this ladle as much as you like, but I will teach you Sidur’s dance, myself.”

“How do you know the serpent’s dance,” Ker scoffed, “and how do you know its name?”

“I would not dare to come here if I did not know both her name and her dance, for this spring is home to Sidur the ‘terrible’ ram-headed serpent of whom you and your people are so afraid. It won’t be long before the light of the waning moon brings Sidur back, and when she finds you here, she will have you for a bedtime snack!”

Ker saw that he had little choice, and so, exhausted as he was, he began to dance around the circle of the pool.

First he performed the steps of the deer, and soon enough the spirit stag that Ker had followed to the pool, entered the clearing and laid down to watch the hunter. Next he performed the lion dance, and soon enough a lion spirit emerged from the trees, and lay down beside the deer. He then performed the goose steps and a goose spirit flew down came to rest on the surface of the pool. One by one, as Ker passed from dance to dance, all the animal spirits of the forest and beyond came to rest beside the pool, as the woman looked on in amazement.

“You truly are powerful,” she said.

Ker danced until all the strength had left his body and he collapsed next to the edge of the pool. The woman stood up and walked over to where he lay and helped him to sit up.

“Now,” Ker said, “will you give me something to drink and teach me Sidur’s dance?”

“I’m sorry,” she replied, “but I cannot do that. If I let you drink from this pool you will become young again, and if I teach you her dance, you might defeat her, and then who would protect my people?”

The woman smiled and kissed Ker on the lips.

“Goodbye old man and sleep well.”

And with that she walked off into the forest.

Ker fell into a hypnotic sleep. However, a tiny drop of water from the pool remained upon his mouth when the young woman kissed him. In the distance could be heard a heavy rumble that grew louder as Sidur approached her lair, and the spirit creatures fled into the depths of the forest.

The ground started to pulsate like the skin of a drum, causing the drop of water on Ker’s lips to trickle into his mouth and down his throat, and slowly the old hunter’s appearance began to change to that of a young man. Strength returned to his body and he awoke in time to see the gigantic ram-headed serpent Sidur enter the forest clearing.

Ker sprang to his feet. Fearlessly, he began to perform the steps of the deer and the stag spirit appeared and stood by him. Sidur laughed.

“Two can play at that game,” she hissed.

And she also danced the steps of the deer until a living doe appeared at her side. When the stag spirit saw the doe it jumped inside her body and the doe became pregnant.

Next, Ker performed the lion dance, and soon enough the lion spirit stood beside him. Sidur began to dance until a great lioness appeared. Like the spirit of the stag, the lion spirit jumped inside the lioness and she also became pregnant.

Each and every dance that Ker performed was matched by Sidur in the same way. Every animal spirit Ker summoned jumped inside the creatures summoned by Sidur, impregnating them. Eventually, Ker stopped dancing. He had performed his last dance and every creature in the forest and the whole world stood beside Sidur.

“Now it’s your turn,” Sidur hissed!

And she began to perform the dance of nine coils. Powerless against the ram-headed serpent’s magic, Ker felt all the remaining strength in his body flood out of him and he stood there paralysed and helpless before her. Sidur drew close and sinking her teeth into Ker’s thigh, she tossed him up into the starry sky and devoured him.

“Now, my children,” she said, “it is time for us to get some rest.”

And all the mother creatures lay down beside Sidur and they slept.

Ker groaned in agony. He lay for some time in the blackness of the Serpent’s belly, waiting for death to come upon him. Somewhere in the darkness he thought he heard someone weeping, and opening his eyes he saw his brother’s daughter sitting beside him.

“Nunas, you are still alive,” he exclaimed!

“Uncle …is that you,” Nunas asked? “I would never of recognized you but for your voice. ”

“I tasted the water from a magical pool that bestows youth,” explained Ker, “It was the only way I was able to make a stand against the ram-headed serpent. …But to no avail.”

“Tell me Nunas, why were you weeping?”

“These tears are not for myself, but for the young hunters, both the woman and the men. Despite all you’ve taught me, I was unable to heal them. The innards of the great serpent are littered with the bones of the dead.”

“How did you survive,” asked Ker?

“Being devoured by a gigantic serpent is nothing in comparison to the ordeals I passed through to become a shaman,” She said. “Perhaps if we combine our strengths, we can overcome the ram-headed creature together?”

“I’m afraid, I’m not much use to you, my niece,” Ker said. “She sank her teeth deep into my thigh. I feel her poison already flowing through my veins. And without the knowledge of the dance of nine coils, it would be hopeless to try and escape.”

Nunas smiled, “But Uncle, I have learned the dance of nine coils right here inside the serpent’s belly! See those strange carvings upon the serpent’s ribs. They represent the magic steps of the serpent. I thought I had mastered them, but to no avail. We need your skill uncle. Despite your wounds, you are our only hope.”

“Teach them to me,” said Ker.

Ignoring the pain, he stood up and watched Nunas perform the complex dance. He then tried to perform the steps himself. It was agony, and all he could do was drag the injured leg behind him.

However, as he performed the nine movements, he felt the body of Sidur stir.

“I think it’s working,” exclaimed Nunas!

Again, Ker performed the ram-headed serpent’s dance, this time awakening Sidur.

Sidur hissed. “What is happening to me? My innards feel like they are burning.”

“Keep dancing, Uncle,” implored Nunas.

“The pain is unbearable,” he groaned. “But I will keep going.”

Around and around he danced within Sidur’s belly, ever increasing in speed, until Sidur could bare it no longer, and she regurgitated all the bones of the dead and instantaneously as the bones hit the water of the magical pool they became transformed into fish. Still the wounded Ker danced, faster than before, until Sidur spewed out Nunas, who fell upon the edge of the pool.

The pain was unbearable, both for Ker and Sidur, and when she could endure the agony no longer, she bit herself and the poison flooded into her belly. After completing the dance of nine coils one last time, Both Ker and Sidur fell down dead into the pool. Sidur’s terrible poison dried up the waters of rejuvenation and rebirth. And all the fish died too.

The creatures surrounded the pool, looking down in horror upon the body of their dead mistress, who granted them passage back into the world. Without her and the pool of rejuvenation, all the slain creatures of the world would be condemned to remain in the form of spirits.

Together they buried her gigantic serpentine body, As they lamented the loss of their beloved goddess, they watering the ground with streams of endless tears.

And then a miracle happened.

The grounded opened up and an enormous tree suddenly sprang up from Sidur’s and Ker’s grave. The animals looked on in wonder and approached the wondrous tree and sniffed its fruit.

“Even in death the goddess has made provision for us,” they cried!

“Do not forget that this tree is born from the unified bodies of both Sidur and Ker,” said Nunas. “Together in death, they have brought forth this wondrous tree. It’s fruits and leaves are for the healing of all creatures, including humans. And look,” she pointed, “your tears have formed another pool and the fish have been restored to life!”

Again the creatures started to cry. But this time they were tears of joy.

“Well, it is time to return to my people,” said Nunas.

“Please,” the creatures pleaded, “tell no humans about the location of this tree. In time they may understand, and when that time comes they also may eat its fruit. In return, we will teach you all our dances, so your people will not starve. Gladly we give ourselves as food as long as this tree remains and we can reborn back into the world.”

Nunas agreed, and that night all the animals taught her their magical dances.

The following morning Nunas set off on the long journey back home.

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