IKONOKLAST: AFFINITY WITH ANIMAL WORLD: DUSUN/NORTH BORNEO TALE

AFFINITY WITH ANIMAL WORLD: DUSUN/NORTH BORNEO TALE

Erle Frayne D. Argonza / Ra

Source: http://www.oldandsold.com/articles29/mythology-14.shtml

Tales which involve themes of the "grateful animals" and the "impossible tasks" are quite common; and as an example of one type of these we may take a Dusun story from British North Borneo. Serungal was an ugly man, but he wished very much to marry a rajah's daughter. On his way to the village of the rajah he saw some men killing an ant, but when he remonstrated with them, they ran away and left the insect, which crawled off in safety. A little farther on Serungal heard some people shouting and found that they were trying to kill a fire-fly, whose life he saved in the same manner as he had that of the ant; and before he reached the rajah's gate he also rescued a squirrel. Arrived before the rajah, Serungal made known to him that he had come to ask for the hand of one of his daughters; but since the rajah did not want him for a son-in-law, he said to him, "If you can pick up the rice which is in this basket, after it has been scattered over the plain, you may have my daughter." Serungal thought that he could not succeed in this impossible task, for the rajah allowed him only a short time to complete it; but nevertheless he determined to try, only to find that achievement was hopeless. He began to weep, but soon an ant came to him, and learning the reason of his lamentation, said, "Well, stop crying, and I will help you, for you helped me when men wished to kill me," and accordingly the ant called his companions, who quickly sought and gathered the grains of rice, so that the basket soon was full once more. When Serungal carried the receptacle to the rajah and announced that he had accomplished the task, the latter said, "Well, you may have my daughter, but first you must climb my betel-nut tree and pluck all the nuts." Now this tree was so tall that its top was lost in the clouds, and Serungal, after several vain attempts, sat at the foot of the tree, weeping. To him then came the squirrel whom he had befriended, and in gratitude for the aid which Serungal had given him it climbed the tree for him and brought down all the nuts. The rajah had one more task, however, for Serungal to accomplish, telling him that he might have his youngest daughter if he could pick her out from among her six other sisters when all were shut up in a perfectly dark room. Serungal again was in despair when the fire-fly came to him and said, "I will search for you and I will settle on the nose of the seventh daughter; so wherever you see a light, that will be the place where the rajah's youngest daughter is." 22 Accordingly Serungal went into the darkened room, and seeing the fire-fly, carried away the woman on whom it had settled; whereupon the rajah admitted Serungal's success and thus was obliged to recognize him as his son-in-law 23 Tales of this type present such close analogies to Indian and wide-spread European types that it is probable that they are directly or indirectly due to Hindu contact.

REFLECTION

The lore projects two themes: (a) strong affinity and synergy with the animal world; and, (b) virtues arising from such affinity.

Early humans had the greatest affinity with the nature world and respected all of its endowments—mineral, vegetative, animal. Necessarily, they were also held strong affinity and synergy with the devic world, the world of devas and elementals who were tasked to aid in the growth & development of creatures of nature.

The cherished reward of marrying the daughter of a rajah is the goal. That goal is no simple aim to achieve, as it involves the demonstration of dharma or virtues. Surprisingly, a virtuous persons’ demonstration of dharma vis a vis the animal world can also have its corresponding reward of being aided by the animals whom the person helped.

The synergy with the animal world is still around with us—among peasants, fisherfolks, indigenous peoples most especially. Yet even at home we have this care for pets and greening of our homes. Both pets and gardens at home help to create the balance and harmony, the principles of which Theos Sophia fully support.

Our affinity with the animal world didn’t evolve in time, but on the contrary has been waning with time. Absolute Evil at the end phase of the 5^th root-race of Aryans holds sway so potently as to see humanity get alienated from the nature world, the ecological costs being the repercussions suffered by the entire planet.

[Philippines, 30 June 2011]

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PROF. ERLE FRAYNE ARGONZA WEBSITE: http://erleargonza.com

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