Tales of Africa

TAILS OF AFRICA


Murder, mayhem and sex in darkest Africa; also with some ‘Black’ humour



Compiled By John Lunn












CONTENTS

Chapter One: THE LION 5

Chapter Two: THE APE 11

Chapter Three: THE ELEPHANT 15

Chapter Four: THE HYENA 17

Chapter Five THE CIVET 23

Chapter Six THE RAVEN 28

Chapter Seven THE ORYX 36

These stories have been collected from a number of different sources; some just whispered around campfires, others broadcast on the bush telegraph, a few from biblical sources, and some have their basis in scientific research.
CHAPTER ONE

THE LION

‘In the beginning’

Al Haidara, the rugged old lion (Panthera leo) had only encountered one human as far as he could remember. It was a long time ago when he was in his prime. A time when his muscles rippled across his shoulders as he turned his head to survey his domain, and test the air for any scent of game. There were no scars then, and his bones did not ache.
There had been a long dry period, and much of his normal prey had moved on, in search of better grazing and water. The lion had survived on the occasional small animal, which had not been quick enough to escape his powerful paws. As the drought extended, and he could not smell any on-coming rain, his ribs started to show through his skin, and the normal honey sheen of his coat was lost to dirty mustard. He knew that he would have to move out to the boundaries of his normal range, in search of food.
The first indication of the human was the scent. It was different to any smell that he had experienced before. There was only the faintest of a breeze towards the lion, as he crouched a little lower in the long dry grass. But as he tilted his head up slightly he could confirm that the human was heading his way, and because the lion was down wind from the human, the human would have no warning of his presence.
The second indication was the sound of the approaching human, it was very slow and noisy compared to the lion’s usual prey, and the lion found this a little unsettling.
The lion crouched lower in the dry grass, satisfied that the human was heading straight towards him, and the human had no idea that a large lion, in its prime, was directly twenty metres in front. The lion moved its hips slowly from side to side, pushing his hind legs a little deeper into the sandy soil between the tussocks of grass. The main thrust of his pounce would come from his stronger front legs. But he wanted to be sure that the push off from his back legs would be from a stable foundation, and not make his leap unbalanced. The lion had learned this and other lessons from previous hunts.
The lion flattened his ears, and lowered his head; he did not need to see the human. The sound and smell were clear evidence that the human was then directly ten metres in front. The lion suppressed a low roar in its throat as the excitement of his senses pumped adrenalin into his muscles. All of the lion’s muscles became hard as he compressed them; coiled like tight springs, waiting for the release of the trigger that would fire them into action.

The lion was a little uneasy, the human was now only two metres away, and still showed no indication that the human was aware of the lion.
The lion slowly raised its head, with each movement of the long grass caused by the slight breeze. The lion’s eyes narrowed as the human came clearly into sight. The human was about the size of an antelope with no horns, but it carried a large stick with a sharp point. Now the human saw the lion, and as much as the lion’s eyes narrowed, the human’s eyes expanded with the white surrounds more apparent. The human stopped and slowly pointed the sharp pointed stick at the lion. This was a new experience for the lion. But what was not new was the scent of fear that the human gave off. This was a familiar scent to the lion, and confirmed his intent. The human pushed the long pointed stick towards the lions face. This irritation was quickly removed with one quick swipe of his powerful paw with the large claws unsheathed. The long sharp pointed stick disappeared into the grasses. The lions tail flicked from side to side, he was waiting for the human to move.
This movement would be the trigger for his muscles. The scent of the fear of the human became more intense, as it soiled itself with urine. The human made three quarters of a turn, and launched itself into flight.
The trigger had been pulled, and the lion hit the human in the middle of its back, and the lion’s jaws engulfed the human’s head and right shoulder.
The weight of the lion pushed the human straight to the ground; the lion tightened its’ jaw, the human skull cracked, and the limbs convulsed.
The lion shook the human from side to side until the tremors of the body ceased. He dropped the kill to the grass, and placed his right paw across the legs as he ripped into the chest and stomach. It was not a large meal, but sufficient for a few days. The hyenas, wild pigs, hornets and ants enjoyed their turn and the residue, until no trace was left.
The rains had come, the grazing in his home range had improved, the river flowed near his cave and the lion returned to his home.
‘The reawakening’

Apsonsi, the lioness that lived in the land north of the border was from a proud heritage, and she did not feel at peace. The lions in her country watched her graceful movements, her flashing eyes, her lithe body and they hungered for her. But the lions in the land north of the border are scared of this lioness; Apsonsi is too clever for them. They do not understand her needs for a soul to mate with; she treats them with distain.
Apsonsi travelled far and wide, she sensed that somewhere in the world, on some veldt; there was a soul with whom she can mate; and feel the peace that her body and mind are hungry to find.
Apsonsi travelled to the Great Southern Plain, where she had heard of Al Haidara, a rugged lion who lived in a cave above the great river. Reputedly he was a lion whose eyes lit up like coals in a fire, and mention of his name caused fear across the plains.
The rugged lion had twice been gravely wounded, and he thought that he was in the winter of his life, his bones cold, passions a faded memory. The rugged lion emerged only occasionally from his cave to show the pride the wisdom that came with the years. He still dominated the young lions with his presence, but he knew that the wounds had taken their toll on him, and that although his spirit was strong his flesh was so weak he was embarrassed.
Al Haidara first saw Apsonsi as she emerged from the bush next to the fast flowing river that was still in flood. In one fluid movement she slipped into the torrent disappearing into the raging yellow, brown water. Al Haidara had his interest slightly piqued by this interloper. He wondered if she would get caught in the many snags, caused by the drowned trees and shared their fate, or would she emerge. He watched the various whirlpools that formed which were swept along by the fierce current. She did not appear, and he shook his head slightly at the foolishness of her quest. But her fate was of no concern to him, and at least the crocodiles further down the river would have something to occupy their meagre minds and large appetites.
But she surfaced at last, in a patch of still water, just up-river of a large tree that had fallen from the bank, half submerged with its root ball still entangled in the river edge. Apsonsi stretched up her front legs, grasped the tree, and with one powerful heave of her shoulders dragged all of her body up onto the fallen tree. She paused for a moment to catch her breath, then after a series of short jumps landed on the bank of the river just below the cave of Al Haidara.
Apsonsi looked around her, and raised her nose to check for any scents.
She was down wind from his cave, and did not get any hint of his immediate presence. But there was enough of his territory marking for her to know she was close to a powerful male lion.
Apsonsi shook her head from side to side to clear some of the water from her ears, the reflex continuing down her body, becoming more vigorous through her body to her tail, which whipped backwards and forwards to repel the evidence of her close encounter with the flooded river. She then rolled on her back, wriggling her body deep into the sand and then standing up shook off the sand that she had used to dry herself.
She again lifted her nose to the wind and checked for scents. The subtle breeze carried her perfume to Al Haidara. Apsonsi was in season; she needed a mate, but only one that was worthy of her, and her needs.
Before he realised, he announced his presence with a roar that belied his years, his hormones still had an influence over his behaviour. He had not mated for years, keeping his distance from the pride, as he cultivated his image as the lawgiver, and harsh statesman rather than a stud lion.
Apsonsi’s eyes narrowed and focussed on the source of the challenge. She did not hesitate, and moved slowly, but with confidence to the sandy platform in front of the cave of Al Haidara. She had strong muscles that rippled with each movement of her long limbs. Her coat was the colour of the lightest honey, and eyelashes veiled eyes of jet set in amber. She was about two-thirds his size, and as she approached he fixed his gaze on a point on the horizon, not bothering to stand or acknowledge her presence. Apsonsi walked across the front of where he lay, crouching on all fours. His eyes avoided her, not deigning to notice. She turned and crouched on all fours in the sand a few metres in front of him, smiling as she noticed the slight dilation of his nostrils from the scent of her season. He shook his head slightly to free his olfactory sense of this potent aphrodisiac. He tried to concentrate on the horizon of his domain. He was Al Haidara, the rugged lion that was feared from one horizon to the other, and with good reason. With one blow he could smash her spine, and leave her for the carrion birds to eradicate from his kingdom. Apsonsi also focussed her gaze on the horizon, remaining motionless except from subtle movements of her tail that allowed microscopic seasonal esters to be blown gently across the sandy platform and the nose of Al Haidara. He willed himself to breath only through his mouth, and closed his eyes wishing that in someway this would make her disappear. He was puzzled; what could this gorgeous young lioness want with this rugged old lion?
He opened his eyes, she was still there gazing off into the distance, a small smile on her face, that was so beautiful it caused him to breathe deeply through his nose his senses reeled, and he felt intoxicated.
He felt himself slowly smile as he acknowledged the game he was playing. He laughed very quietly at his juvenile attempts to ignore her presence and a vanity that wanted to capture her attentions.
Apsonsi turned her head towards him in response to his laugh, closing her eyes slowly as she smiled more. She pushed herself slowly up from the sand with her powerful front paws first, then her long elegant back legs. She shook her head slowly as if emerging from a sleep, walking slowly around him, getting closer each time. Apsonsi noted the deep scars on his sides and shoulder, but she did not see the imperfections in him that he did. Apsonsi saw the badges of honour, the scars of a warrior.
Her ears brushed lightly against his skin as it rippled at this most meagre of contacts. Apsonsi pushed her nose into the small depression under his ear and inhaled his scent. Al Haidara took one of her ears into his mouth, biting down gently, and shaking her very lightly, as if to tell her to come to her senses. He was a rugged old lion; she was perfect in form, and in her prime. He released his grip on her, and she continued to circle him rubbing her face into the muscles of his sides and shoulders. When she came to his scars she paused, gently running her tongue along each scar, pressing her soft lips to them as if to kiss away the hurt.
The lioness from north of the border flirted with him, she flicked her tail beneath the nose of the rugged lion, and he roared with laughter and at the impudence of this beautiful kitten. The rugged lion felt something that he had not felt before; her musky smell was exotic, she excited his senses and re-vitalised his body. Not only was this lioness from north of the border clever, beautiful and exciting she had the power to heal.
The warmth of her eyes, the warmth of her body as they caressed each others soul warmed the bones of the rugged lion and he felt the strength of years long gone. Al Haidara tried to maintain his dignified pose, and failed. Apsonsi was pressing her head against his lower ribs, and he moved slightly onto his side as she insinuated her lips and tongue to his lower loins, the warmth of her breath and moist lips exciting a passion that he thought a distant memory that would never be experienced again. The lioness rubbed her face up his stomach and his chest, and then caught his ear lightly with her teeth. She released his ear and crouched down on all fours just in front of her lion. Apsonsi remained motionless, apart from very slowly moving her tail from side to side to show her lion her inflamed passion. The lion raised himself slowly and walked forward until his head was above hers and his legs straddled her prone body. He opened his mouth wide and bit down into the muscle of the lioness that joined her shoulder to her neck. Apsonsi was in his power, she knew and she welcomed it.
Slowly they mated, the honey coated lioness from north of the border and the rugged lion from the Great Southern Plain. They were at peace and asleep with their limbs entwined, a deeper sleep than they had before.
They woke eager to look into each other’s eyes, seeing into the depths of their minds. They woke eager to feel their passion rise in their bodies, and to satisfy their hunger for each other.
They were at peace the lioness from north of the border and the rugged lion from the Great Southern Plain.
For many days and nights they roamed the plains, shared the cave and hunted together. Apsonsi knew that in many ways she was more powerful that Al Haidara, but she was careful not to show her superior speed and agility.
He was at peace, the winter of his years being banished and the autumn ones now as golden as the noonday sun.
There was complete fulfilment for this rugged lion and he thought the same for his lioness.
But Apsonsi was not his lioness; she was only of herself, beholden to no one and no thing. Al Haidara became aware of this one morning as he awoke and moved out of their cave. The prevailing winds from the West had changed. Replaced by a slight, but strengthening wind from the North.
Apsonsi was pacing backwards and forwards across the sand in front of their cave, her nose lifted into the wind to catch the messages from the North. Her lion walked towards her and with his eyes interrogated her soul. He knew then that it was not their cave it was his cave, she was not his lioness and he was not her lion. Al Haidara roared his pain once and then just watched as Apsonsi walked regally down to the river, jumping in, swimming swiftly to the other side. He saw a brief glimpse as she moved through the bush and headed towards the source of the north wind, never looking back carrying his seed to a fate that he would never know.
The rugged lion looks at the clouds and saw them change into the shape of the graceful lioness, and then the wind moved the shape into another place. Al Haidara stands, and allows the sun to warm his bones.
That day was no surprise to the rugged old lion he smiles a sad smile, looks to the clouds, taken by the fickle winds and feels the weak winter sun give little comfort to his bones, but he gives thanks to his Gods for the time that he shared with Apsonsi and has no regrets, he has to be Al Haidara.
CHAPTER TWO

THE APE

Gorilla gorilla, are found in the equatorial forests of Africa above an altitude of 500 metres. They live in groups consisting of one mature male and two or three females and their young. The dominant male, known as a silver back, is distinguished by the bony crest on top of his skull and the white hairs along his back. Living within a family group, there may also be one or two immature black-backed males. These males must leave the group on maturity unless one of them is successful in displacing the dominant male. They usually feed on a variety of plants and usually live in areas that have recently been cleared, where there is plenty of regrowth. In recent years some researchers have claimed evidence of cannibalism when food has become scarce. Up to six different groups may use the same area of forest at a time, in overlapping home ranges of between twenty-five and forty square kilometres in size. Gorilla groups move around their home range nomadically, remaining in particular areas from two to twenty-six days.

‘Murder in the jungle’

Emsea the paramount female was woken by the screeching alarm calls from the sentry. Shaking the sleep from her head she quickly adopted a defensive posture, ready to launch an attack, using teeth and nails to defend herself, and her family group. The dense treetops became a cacophony of shrieks, breaking branches and the roars of her mate Ohad, the silver back of the family. She saw only brief glimpses of his silver back as he rushed from one front to another, checking where the threat was greatest, smashing aside thick branches to allow him the space needed to fight off the attackers. Ohad was not the leader of the family for scant reasons, and the attackers quickly realised their choice of target was not the best. They started to withdraw carrying with them the marks of his strength and ferocity. As they retreated they howled challenges that they hoped would be ignored. They were not, he gathered the family to him, and they set off in pursuit. He was determined that the attackers would be driven far beyond the range of their current territory. All of the family followed where he led, all of them except two, the paramount female, and the newly born son of Ohad and his youngest consort, Jareel. The status and stature of the Emsea meant that she was left to guard the nursery, while the baby’s mother, father, aunts and cousins set off to counter attack.
The new son had been a source of great rejoicing in the family. It had been a long time since there had been any young in the family, and Emsea, although chosen by the leader had not mothered any of his progeny.
Emsea glanced down into the rude bed in which the young baby slept, apparently oblivious to all that had taken place. He slept with one of his fingers in his mouth, his face all wrinkled and pink. She reached into the nest that Jareel had built the day before, gently stroking the fine hair on his side. She looked around her putting her head on one side listening for any sound of the family. There was none, she firmly grasped the right leg of the baby, checking again for any sounds that might announce the return of the baby’s mother. Slowly Emsea pulled the baby towards her, easing her left hand under his upper body and head. He stirred slightly as she brought him close to her huge muscular chest. With the fingers of her right hand she pulled his finger from his mouth, his eyes flickering as he mewed this loss of succour. Again Emsea tilted her head to listening for the sounds of her family, sniffing the air to catch any hint of their return.
There was none, and she moved the baby’s mouth to her nipple and lightly pressed his head to her breast. His instinct took over and he gently mouthed her nipple trying to encourage the flow of milk. Emsea moved his head in gentle circles trying to help him encourage a flow from the well that was dry. His sucking became more urgent, as he pulled at her nipple, it felt as if he were pulling on a hot string that was connected from her nipple, though her reproductive organs down to her vagina. Each drawing of the string made all her female parts warm and sensitised, but at the same time playing a haunting empty tune in her soul.
She did not want to stop, but she also did not want to torture him with her dry breasts. She pulled him slowly and firmly from her nipple and laid him on the side of the nest. As Emsea pulled him away he seemed to take with him the essence of her femininity. With her teeth she quickly pulled large tufts of hair from her arms and spread them in the bottom of the nest before she laid him on her down and replaced his finger in his mouth.
The family was returning. Emsea turned away from the baby and took up a defensive posture nearby. The first to return was Jareel she quickly went to her nest picked her baby up bringing him to her nose and sniffing him all over. She looked quickly at Emsea her eyes opening wide for a second and then averting her gaze. Jareel cradled her baby to her breast, and as he fed she used her other hand to pick Emsea’s hair from the nest and dropped it to the ground.
The Ohad returned to the family and quickly scouted around for any sign of the attackers. Satisfied that they were all gone, he went slowly around each member of his clan and smelling their scents and checking their presence. He paused briefly by his son and roughly rolled him around the nest. Ohad’s son was a great source of pride to him, but he would not show any softness in his treatment of him in case this was interpreted as a sign of any weakness.
When he checked Emsea he smelled that she was in season and gave the sign and sounds for her to adopt the appropriate posture so that he would mate with her. She did quickly and willingly, pleased that he had noticed, and wanted to service her. She knew that part of the reason was a reaction to the attack and he needed to confirm his status as the silver back, but she was eager to serve him and embrace his seed deep within her. The mating did not last long, but Emsea was very satisfied that her status was reinforced, and that the family’s silver back had not denied her.
Attacks on the clan became more and more frequent, as food in the greater area became increasingly scarce, the drought sucking life out of all living things. Most often during the attacks, Emsea carried out the guarding duties for the nursery and its one baby.
Each time Emsea would cradle him to her breast and his suckling would cause her to lactate. She was mystified by these phenomena at first, but then just felt fulfilled at being able to satisfy his need for warmth and succour. Each time Jareel came back to the nest and reclaimed her baby, she would wipe her baby’s mouth and fill it with her own breast trying to eradicate the scent of Emsea. Whenever this happened Emsea would ignore the stares of Jareel and go in search of food.
The body of Emsea started to experience some other changes. She started to gain weight and the family became excited with the realisation that Emsea was pregnant. Their silver back had sired another baby.
The excitement was tempered by the concerns about the attacks on the family and, although no serious injuries had been inflicted there was increasing disquiet that was being compounded by the increasingly obvious effects of malnutrition on them all.
The next attack came just as daylight was fading, and from three directions. This time Emsea was directed to use her strength and experience to help repel and pursue the attackers. One of the youngest females was left to guard the nursery. The noise of the fights, the lack of light, and all the alien scents worried the young guard. She heard a very loud distress call asking for her help, and she rushed to where she thought she was needed.
She found no attackers, no members of her family needing urgent help. She slowly retraced her track to the nest.
Her horrified shrieks brought all the family back to the nest where they gathered around, joining in her distress. In the bottom of the nest lay their baby. The baby’s head had been smashed against a nearby tree and large bites made into his head and chest. Remnants of his brain and viscera stained the nest.
Jareel lifted him to her breast hoping that the warmth of her body and tears would heal his wounds, and that she would again feel him feeding from her breasts. It did not heal him; Jareel did not feel him feeding.



CHAPTER THREE

THE ELEPHANT

Bausi is a very large bull-elephant (Loxodonta Africana) that had inherited his large imposing physique from his father’s side of the gene pool. Sadly he had inherited his intelligence from his ‘blonde’ mother’s very shallow end. He is now the leader of the small herd, his father being an unwilling donator of his great ivory tusks to poachers, and his carcass to carrion. It was often said, by the matriarchs of the herd, that Bausi was a full acacia tree short of a picnic, as they stood and shook their heads slowly from side to side, pondering the future of the herd.
Bausi main pastime apart from eating was posing. He would select a hillock that would enable him to show his profile against the sky and allow the herd and others to admire him, and wonder at his philosophical pondering. The purpose of his cogitation was most often: “Do I eat grass or do I eat acacia trees, do I eat grass or do I eat acacia trees?” For Bausi this is the meaning of life and most often simply resolved by whatever was closest at the time.
Elephants have an extremely keen sense of smell that helps organize their society. When they mark their territories, the spoor that they leave provides sets of complex codes, that for each of them is unique, providing the ‘reader’ with details of the gender, age, status and abilities.
Elephants depend on their long, sensitive noses for clues about mating,
The male elephant uses its trunk to sniff the urine of females before touching the tip to the roof of his mouth, transferring a bit of the urine to the vomeronasal organ, a foot-long chemical-sensing organ that is distinct from the elephant's regular sense of smell. The vomeronasal organ almost always has to do with sexual arousal, whereas the normal sense of smell is for food finding, territorial marking and other social and environmental cues.
Bausi although very large was not intellectually gifted, and perhaps because of this, only has a vestigial sensitivity in his vomeronasal organ. This is significant for the cows in Bausi’s herd for a couple of reasons. There is a protein in elephants called "odorant binding protein" that is released by the female after mating has occurred, and is a signal that the male no longer needs to be stimulated and should disengage. This protein tells male elephants when it's time to stop so they don't injure themselves or their mates. With Bausi’s lack of sensitivity in his vomeronasal organ and very large size in all other aspects, mating was a real danger as he would remain coupled with the cow until he was distracted, by food usually, and his weight on the back of the cows was a huge burden that made it difficult to just ‘think beige’.
After mating, the odorant binding protein acts like a scavenger, mopping up excess pheromone and effectively says ‘I’ve a headache’.
Normally this was not a major concern as Bausi was also not very alert to the mating signals from the cows and the pheromones in their urine.
However, a nubile cow wandered in front of Bausi and as he had recently eaten he went into a stimulus response mode, and decided that he should ‘slip her a quick one’. So far so good, but given his full stomach, lack of distractions, and sensitivity in his vomeronasal organ it was not a ‘quick one’ and his huge bulk caused the legs of the cow to buckle. She collapsed onto the ground dragging Bausi’s penis down with her. Pain was something strange to Bausi, especially in his nether regions. Pain is also a motivator to the basic survival instinct of ‘fight or flight’. Sadly neither was appropriate in this case, Bausi was able to realise that there was nothing to fight. But Bausi did not have the brain to work out that flight was not appropriate either. As the cow collapsed, both his front legs slipped off her back to her right side, and he lifted his left hind leg over her body, pivoting on his right hind leg.
Bausi was now facing in the opposite direction to the cow, and the additional pain in his, still coupled penis told him to flee. The sight of Bausi trying to stampede away, dragging the young cow behind him by his penis featured long in the considerable memories of the herd.
Many years later a group of poachers decided that Bausi should follow in his father’s footsteps and donate his tusks to their welfare. The techniques of the poachers included a group of them distracting the elephant from the front while one of them rush in under the elephant’s legs and with a sharp knife quickly severed the Achilles tendons of the elephant’s front legs, preventing the elephant from moving. The poachers distracted Bausi by waving sticks and making loud noises. One of the poachers rushed in to cut his tendons. At the same time as the poacher drew back his knife to make the first deep cut, Bausi’s intelligence, or lack there of, came to his assistance. Puzzled by the waving sticks and loud noises Bausi decided that he needed time to think about what to do and stepped back, and barely noticing it stepped on the poacher and squashed him flat and juicy into the dirt. The remaining poachers decided that Bausi was too clever and too strong for them and ran away. It was about a week later that Bausi was feeling slight discomfort in his front foot, when he was walking. The diagnosis was only the small remains of a ‘black head’ on the bottom of his foot and after it was brushed out, it did not cause him any more pain.
CHAPTER FOUR

THE HYENA

The hyenas (family Hyaenidae) look more like dogs, but in fact are more closely related to the cats and belong to the super-family Feloidea. The Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena) of parts of Asia and Africa is about the same size as a wolf. The Brown Hyena (Hyaena brunnea) of southern Africa is larger. Hyenas have very long forelegs and powerful jaws that can crush large bones. Despite their reputation, they are anything but cowardly and although they eat carrion they will also hunt big game, such as wildebeest, zebra and antelope; sometimes competing for it with lions. They are by nature solitary animals and although a number may share a carcase, they do not collaborate in hunting as do dogs. Hyenas can congregate in clans of up to 100 animals, dominated by females and feeding mainly by scavenging during the daytime and hunting at night.

According to John Connolly in his book ‘Every Dead Thing’: ‘Hyenas frequently have twins. The cubs are extremely well developed at birth: they have fur and sharp incisor teeth. One cub will almost invariably attack the other, sometimes while still in the amniotic sac and typically to the death. The victor is also usually female and, if she is the daughter of a dominant female, will in turn become the dominant female in the pack. It’s a matriarchal culture. Female hyena foetuses have higher levels of testosterone than adult males and the females have masculine characteristics, even in the womb. In adulthood the sexes can still be difficult to differentiate.’
The hyena was also revered by the ancient Egyptians, because it was fabled that a certain stone, called the ‘hyaenia’, is found in the eye of the hyena, and Pliny asserted that, when that stone was placed under a person’s tongue it imparted the gift of prophecy. This claim was supported by German lapidarists cited in ‘Historie of foure-footed Beasts’ (1607).
(Prey of the hyenas normally are Gazelle, Zebra, Wildebeest)
Sheba, the dominant female in this clan of Brown Hyenas was particularly strong, as was the alpha male. Their mating in fact produced triplets rather than twins. There were two females and one male cub. The females were called Ayesha and Ustane; their brother had no name as he was killed and consumed by his sisters while still in the amniotic sac. Therefore he was not born; not being born meant no name. He did not exist, other than as additional sustenance for his sisters. And it appeared that each of the sisters must have eaten one eye each of their brother and enjoyed the gift of prophecy; this added a significant dimension to their relationship.
The ‘birth’ of Ayesha and Ustane was very traumatic and heavy with portend of future doom.
Their mother Sheba was the dominant female of the pack, not just because of her strength and power, but also her remarkable beauty. Sheba chose who would mate with her, and it was only allowed by her, if she thought the dog could donate seed that was worthy. Ayesha and Ustane’s father was a very large and powerful rogue male that belonged to no clan, and whose mating with Sheba was a single brief encounter. The power of his seed and the slim elegance of Sheba’s hips were to be components of an event that led to tragic consequences for all.
The African Hunting Dogs (Lyctaon pictus) are savage predators. As a pack they can bring down a wildebeest, but even as an individual is still a formidable hunter.
Sheba had come to full-term and knew that she would soon have to give birth and sought a solitary place where she could have some privacy for her time of great trial. Sheba knew that her confinement would not be easy, feeling very intimately the turmoil that had already take place in her womb, without knowing the full circumstances. Sheba found her spot near the base of a thorn bush and dug a shallow depression to give her some protection while she was at her most vulnerable. The pains became very intense and Sheba tried walking around to ease the pains and quicken the process. The cubs were ready to be born, her body wanted to expel them. But her pelvic girdle had not expanded enough to allow the passage of the very large amniotic sac, which contained Ayesha and Ustane. The minutes of agony turned into hours of torment and the growls of pain into howls of torture. These howls were heard by two different sets of ears. One set belonged to Estan, the leading male of the clan and the other to a pack of African Hunting dogs.
Estan had been given instructions by Sheba to protect her cub after birth, but to keep his distance while the birth was taking place.
Estan heard Sheba’s howls, but also knew that he must obey her instructions to stay away until summoned.
The pack of African Hunting dogs had no instructions, and they were not orders that they would have obeyed. The pack circled Sheba cautiously, aware of her powerful jaws, but also aware that her labour had already been long and hard. She was covered in froth and perspiration, and very weak. The first attack was a feint to see how quickly and strongly she could respond. Sheba was neither quick nor strong, but managed to crush the snout of the closest dog. His blood and pain served only to excite the rest of the pack, and they rushed in for the kill. Three tore at Sheba’s throat forcing her on her back while four more bit into her soft swollen unprotected belly. Two dogs died as Sheba fought for her and her babies’ lives, but three more took their place in rending her body.
The noise of the kill in progress reached Estan and he ran as fast as he could. Sheba was dying as he arrived, and her babies exposed to the mouths of the African Hunting dogs. Estan launched himself into the dogs and quickly killed four, with the remainder fleeing his onslaught. As Sheba died she named her cubs and reminded Estan of his obligation to care for her them. There was no time to mourn the death of Sheba, it was the way of things, and the cubs needed to be taken back to the clan away from the threat of the dogs returning. Estan picked up both cubs in his mouth, and carried them quickly back to the clan.
Navaite, was a female who also recently had a cub, that she was nursing when Estan arrived with Ayesha and Ustane. Estan dropped Ayesha and Ustane next to Navaite and gave her Sheba’s instructions for them to be cared for. Navaite, growled her disagreement, but was about to acquiesce when Estan crushed the head of her baby with his powerful jaws. Estan threw the body of her baby to one side and pushed Ayesha and Ustane to the nipples of Navaite.
Navaite suckled Ayesha and Ustane, but they were not her cubs, and although they used Navaite as a source of sustenance, she was never treated or respected as their mother by the twins.
Ayesha and Ustane grew quickly and treated with distain firstly the milk, and then the carrion that Navaite brought to them. Unlike the rest of the clan who would go on solitary hunts, Ayehsa and Ustane hunted together.
There appeared to be a telepathic connection between the two, each sensing the other’s moves. When they identified their prey, Ustane would move around and downwind, then slowly move towards their prey knowing that her scent would alert the prey, and in the majority of hunts cause it to flee away from her, directly into the waiting jaws of Ayesha.
Ustane was the slightly smaller of the two, and always did the stalking and driving.
Ayesha did the killing, and always ate first.
Sheba had been the matriarch of the clan and her death raised the issue of succession. Navaite as the surrogate mother to Ayesha and Ustane became de-facto the matriarch of the clan. But her status was neither acknowledged nor responded to by the clan, or her ‘daughters’. To the majority of the clan her claims to this position were treated mostly with indifference, and they just went on with their own solitary business. But for two clan members, as they approached late adolescence, it became a source of annoyance, embarrassment, and then anger. The position of matriarch of the clan, by birthright, was a claim that Ayesha and Ustane were determined to press. Survival of the fittest had always been the credo of the ‘laws of the jungle’.
The strongest would always be the leader. Navaite was a large, strong female, and judged by many to still be in her physical prime. Ayesha and Ustane, although younger than Navaite were nearly the same size, but lacked the strength that came with full maturity.
Ayesha and Ustane ‘knew’ that the clan would not interfere in any dispute about the succession of clan leaders, and in fact the status of the victor would be enhanced by their success.
Navaite became pregnant by Estan, this was perhaps his way of making some sort of restitution for her cub that he had killed to ensure Ayesha and Ustane would survive. It was also Navaite’s right as the ‘matriarch’ of the clan with Etsan the leading male. If Navaite gave birth to a daughter, she in turn would become the matriarch of the clan. But this sequence of events seemed to cause Ayesha and Ustane no concerns, and it did not appear to occupy their minds at all.
When her pains became regular and frequent, Navaite wandered away from the clan, to find a safe, solitary place where her cub could be born.
It was solitary, but was not safe.
As Navaite squirmed in a sand depression, her body going into spasm to expel her cub; she smelled a familiar scent, and then a second.
The first and strongest was that of Ustane, and as Ustane walked slowly into view, Navaite uttered a warning for Ustane to keep away. Ustane started to circle Navaite coming closer each time ignoring the warnings. Navaite’s body spasms did not make it easy for her to keep her eyes on Ustane, but Navaite knew that she needed to see what Ustane was doing as low hunting growls accompanied her ever closing presence. For a split second Ustane disappeared from her view behind her, and in that instant Ustane had pounced and fastened her jaws tightly on one of Navaite’s ears. Ustane dug her claws into the sand and was pulling Navaite towards her, exposing her throat. That was the signal for Ayesha, whose approach had not been noticed until she pounced, and crushed the throat of Navaite. The remains of Navaite and her cub were soon devoured by the scavengers and the rule Ayesha and Ustane began.
All hyenas are courageous, but Ayesha was completely without fear, she ‘knew’ that no animal ever born could harm her. Ayesha assumed the mantle of clan matriarch, but was content to let Ustane resolve any minor clan disputes. Most often Ayesha stayed apart from the clan until she wanted Ustane to hunt with her or Ayesha had a need to remind the clan of her position and her authority. Death was the instrument that Ayesha used, either swift and ‘merciful’ or slow and painful. Mercy was not an emotion that was any part of Ayesha’s psyche, and she crushed the snout of an errant so that they could not feed. They slowly died of starvation until they were released from their torment by the scavengers; their lingering death a reminder of the consequences of dissent to all others.
A swift execution was an option exercised by Ayesha, when she felt that the victim might garner some sympathy within the clan if she granted them a lengthy demise.
It would have been reasonable to conclude that under the regime of Ayesha and Ustane that the clan numbers would soon fall, and their reign would have no purpose. But Ayesha added to the clan numbers by seeking out the matriarchs of other clans and using Ustane as the foil destroyed these matriarchs and added these clans to her own.
Ayesha also changed an important aspect of clan behaviour. No longer were the clan members allowed to hunt on their own, the clan hunted as a pack. The impact of the organisation of these courageous solitary hunters into a unit meant that the hunts were more successful, and the size of the prey greater. This meant that the clan members grew physically stronger, and their presence on the veldt sought by other weaker clans desiring the benefits of an alliance. Each alliance was bought with the blood of the weaker clan’s matriarch, Ayesha would not allow any possible threat to her position. The execution of each matriarch was never a solitary event, as Ustane would smell out any cubs of the matriarch, and Ayesha would crush their spines with her powerful jaws. There would never be any future challenges to Ayesha based on any clan members claim to a birthright.
Wildebeest were now the most favoured pray of Ayesha’s clan, not the sick, lame or solitary. The mature well fed and well muscled were the meal of choice. Ayesha organised the hunt so that when a herd of wildebeest had been located she would send out the swiftest clan members to run parallel to the flanks of the herd, running with the herd, but not approaching too close at first. As the herd slowed the fastest clan members would run down-wind ahead of the wildebeest, and draw the two flanks together. The congregation of wildebeest into a smaller space meant they had less room to manoeuvre, and quickly bumped into each other slowing them even further. The wildebeest could smell the hyenas ahead of them, and they would stop running towards this clear and present danger. This halt would further concentrate the herd, and add to their confusion. The first assault on them from the fast running scouts of the clan would start and this terrified them. The wildebeest herd would wheel around, and head back to where their run had started, with their heels being nipped to add further urgency to their flight. Up- wind Ayesha with the strongest and heaviest clan members waited. The exhausted and terrified wildebeest staggered into the phalanx of Ayesha’s clan who were to do the killing. Often the traumatised wildebeest just stood and waited until Ayesha directed their demise by her well rested, well muscled coterie.
Ayesha ensured that the late arrival of the scouts did not mean that they ate any the less, their role in each hunt was well rewarded.
As the clan increased a few of the more confident males thought that they would mate with Ayesha and Ustane. A thought that died with each male that tried to change the thought to a deed.
It was not that Ayesha and Ustane did not hear the counsel of nature or dismiss the urge to procreate and ensure their successors. It was an even stronger desire to ensure that next leader of the clan was born of a seed that would ensure the appropriate levels of grace, beauty, strength, and power. Ayesha was also in no hurry to have any cubs born that might be a challenge to her, recognising what she had done to Navaite.
Ustane however did not have exactly the same level of paranoia as Ayesha, and Ustane became interested in the sighting of a very large and powerful rogue male that belonged to no clan.
This rogue male was called Eblis, the demon, he was without fear, other than what he created in those who earned his ire. Eblis had appeared in the clan’s hunting grounds, and carried out solitary hunts as his appetite and whim dictated, and he was challenged by no-one. Ayesha appeared to have no interest in this solitary male, and expressed indifference to his presence, and his behaviour. Ustane became intrigued by the insolence of Eblis who paid no due respect to Ayesha and Ustane. For days Eblis would vanish, and then reappear, and wander through the clan taking no notice of any clan members. Ustane tracked his Eblis one day, and contrived to cross his path with her scent, and leave evidence that she was in season. From her vantage point up-wind Ustane saw Eblis encounter her scent, wrinkle his nose, shake his head, and move away from her enticement. Ustane was angry, she had wanted the opportunity to accept of reject Eblis. On her return to Ayesha, the rogue behaviour was cited by Ustane as a reason for him to be punished, though his apparent rejection of Ustane was not in the citation of his crimes. But Ayesha already ‘knew’ all of what had transpired, and encouraged Ustane to lure Eblis towards Ayesha, so that she could see this very large and powerful demon hyena. Ustane’s feelings towards Eblis appeared to have blinded her ‘second sight’, or she would not have done the bidding of Ayesha. Over a number of weeks Ustane managed to get closer to Eblis, and managed to walk alongside him with their fur occasionally touching. Eblis did nothing to dissuade Ustane, and she took this to be encouragement. No longer did Ustane feel that she could ever command Eblis, and appeared very content to be in his thrall. Ayesha’s patience was rewarded, and she glimpsed Eblis passing with Ustane at his side like a playful kitten.
Ayesha was amazed at how much Eblis was handsome, large and powerful, but she felt no regret as she killed Ustane and her father Eblis.

CHAPTER FIVE

THE CIVET

‘The Geese That Lay The Golden Eggs’

The proverbial ‘geese’ may not exist, but there exists in the wild a close contender:
The civet, is a common name for about thirty species of somewhat catlike, carnivorous mammals, of the family Viverridae, which also includes mongooses, so already we are close to the goose. Civets are native to the warm regions of Southeast Asia, southern Europe, and Africa. They have a long body about the size of a domestic cat, short legs, a tapered head with small ears, and a long bushy tail. Generally they are yellowish-tan or grayish, with patterns of black spots or stripes or both. They are nocturnal hunters that prey on small animals, but they may also eat carrion and vegetable matter. Some have partly retractile claws, and two species are semiaquatic. The animals are captured, and sometimes raised for the substance, also called civet, that they secrete from their anal glands into a sac under their tail, and that substance humans use in making perfumes. The civets use it to mark their territory. This is not however the source of their ‘gold mine’.
In 2003/2004 many thousands of civets in southern China were captured and destroyed as they were suspected to be a source of the Severe Allergic Respiratory Syndrome that caused deaths in Asia and Canada. The civets were a popular food in rural China, and it was thought that S.A.R.S. was contracted after eating an infected civet and then passed on to other humans through respiratory discharge.
However I digress; the rarest and perhaps the most extraordinary coffee in the world has been selected by paradoxurus hermaphroditis, better know as the Common Palm Civet Cat. It prowls the Sumatran coffee plantations at night choosing to eat only the finest, ripest cherries (of the coffee tree. The stones (which eventually form coffee beans) are then collected by cleaning the droppings.
Kopi Luwak as it is known, is considered to be the finest coffee by native Sumatrans. Kopi Luwak has a rich chocolate like flavour and no aftertaste, which is unique. This flavour is due to the fact that the coffee has been partially fermented by passing through the digestive system of the Luwak or civet. Only about fifty kilos of this coffee is collected per year making it the ultimate in uniqueness and rarity. NewScientist.

When Kopi Luwak coffee bean, the world’s most expensive coffee, comes out of the other end of a large cat after it’s been eaten by the animal –called a civet or Luwak- the micro-structural properties of the beans are altered, according to new research by a University of Guelph scientist published in Food Research International.
The Kopi Luwak bean is harder, more brittle and darker in colour than the same type of bean that hasn’t ben eaten and digested by the three to ten pound tree-climbing animal found in Ethiopia and Indonesia. “The changes in the beans show that during the transit through the civet’s gastro-intestinal tract, various digestive biochemicals are actually penetrating the outer coffee cherry and reaching the actual bean surface, where a chemical colour change takes place,” said Massimo Marcone, author of ‘Composition and properties of Indonesian palm civet coffee (Kopi Luwak)and Ethiopian civet coffee.” Marcone is an adjunct professor in the Department of Food Sciences, University of Guelph, United States of America.
Marcone travelled to Ethiopia and Indonesia in2003 to collect the rare coffee beans that cost US600 a pound. “during the night, the civet uses its eyesight and smell to seek out and eat only the ripest coffee cherries,” he said. “the coffee cherry fruit is completely digested by the civet, but the whole bean are excreted in their faeces.” The internal fermentation by digestive enzymes adds a unique flavour to the beans, which Marcone ais has been described as “earthy, musty, syrupy, smooth and rich with jungle and chocolate undertones.”
Since people are paying US$50 for each cup of Kopi Luwak, he wanted to determine whether or not they are actually getting a different kind of coffee. In addition to the differences in size, colour and hardness of the bean, he foundthat the lack of protein in the bean results in a superior taste.
“The civet beans are lower in total protein, indicating that during digestion, proteins are being broken down, and are also leached out of the bean,”said Marcone. “Since proteins are what make coffee bitter during the raosting process, the lower levels of proteins decrease the bitterness of Kopi Luwak coffee.”
In the coffee industry, wet processed or fermented coffees are known to have superior flavour to dry-processed coffee, he said. “when coffee cherries are processed through the digestive tract they actually undergo a type of wet processing due to acidification in the stomach and fermentation due to the natural intestinal microflora. Lactic acid bacteria are preferred in ‘normal’ wet processing systems. Lactic acid bacteria happen to be major colonizing bacteria in the civet’s digestive tract.” The unique Kopi Luwak flavour could be due to the type of wet process the beans undergo in the animal’s digestive tracts, he said.
Although certified ‘blinded’ human tasters could find little difference in the overall flavour and aroma of the beans, an electronic nose machine could detect a difference in the aroma of the civet coffee beans.
So it tastes good, but is the coffee, having travelled through an animal’s digestive tract, safe to drink? Marcone found that although raw civet coffee beans are significantly more contaminated than regular beans, the civet beans on the market are actually quite clean. “Civet beans are typically extensively washed under running water after collection, which dislodges bacteria,” he said.
Marcone has also studied more common foods that have been processed through a living creature’s digestive tract, including, honey, edible bird’s nests and argan oil.
So when someone tells you that Kopi Luwak is the ‘best coffee in the world, no shit’ the phrase takes on a whole new meaning.
About a quarter of the population of Ethopia was engaged in the production of coffee, before the civil wars that has devastated the agriculture and economy of Ethiopia.
In the province of Gondar on the slopes of Ras Dashan (4620 metres) there are some coffee plantations of the Amhara people, which are the hunting range of a civet called Lalibela.
Lalibela, believes that he is king of all that he surveys, and at least in his mind for very good reasons, as he is a particularly fine specimen. Labibela has a long body, with well proportioned legs, and weighs about five kilos. He has a finely tapered head with medium sized sleek ears, and a long bushy tail. He has yellowish-tan fur, with patterns of black spots and stripes. His high opinion of himself is shared by many female civets, or was! Labibela would range far and wide in his favourite coffee plantations on the slopes of the Ras Dashan, and by the light of the full African moon eat the plumpest, and ripest cherries from the best coffee trees.
After eating his fill, Labibela would deposit his droppings (scat-turd) in strategic locations, and secrete his little love messages from a sac in the anal glands under his tail. This substance would let all the female civets know that he was around, and that he was a handsome virile ‘stud muffin’ who would give them some loving that they would long remember.
Sadly Labibela’s love life became what is euphemistically described by United States of America politicians as ‘collateral damage’ in the Ethiopian wars. The conflict meant that much of the countries agriculture was disrupted, and the lack of food meant that there was increasing pressure for ‘cash’ crops and the bigger the cash the better.
Apparently some research conducted by an American academic revealed to the Amhara people, that the civets who they considered a pest, and a threat to the cherries of their coffee trees, could add enormous value to their crops.
The Amhara were at first very sceptical, but when they saw the prices that were paid for Sumatran civet coffee, they decided it was worth trying.
The obvious place to start was on the slopes of the Ras Dashan where some of the best Ethiopian coffee was grown. A fact to which Labibela would have happily testified, if it had not been for the consequences. Because Labibela’s droppings were being collected, and the site of his droppings was contaminated by the collectors his love notes were erased by the overpowering scents left by the humans. The occasional ‘headaches’ of the female civets he could understand, not appreciate, but at least understand. The dramatic reduction in his harem called for dramatic measures. A change in diet would have been a simple solution, but to Labibela, the plumpest and ripest coffee tree cherries was something that he could not resist.
Labibela’s first response was to eat more and more cherries, with the hope that his production would exceed demand, and that enough sites would be left to allow his accompanying love mail to get through to their recipients. Labibela ate and ate, with his crap factory working overtime; much to the delight of the Amhara. The civits of Ras Dashan in general were proving to be very productive, and one in particular a real goldmine. Labibela’s first strategy had two drawbacks: the first was it encouraged the collectors; the second was that the flesh of the coffee trees cherries has a very positive laxative effect. In a very short time Labibela was crapping his little heart out, he was no longer long and sleek. Labibela became gaunt and ragged with a very smelly bum, and still the mail was not getting through. Any remnants of his messages that might have got through did not tell a very good story, and excited no interest in any lady civets. Drastic times call for drastic measures and Labibela put his next strategy into effect. If Labibela could not make supply exceed demand then perhaps if he could stop supply that would stop the demand and life could return to normal. Labibela could still not bring himself to stop eating the ripest, plumpest cherries from the coffee trees. But if he added pumice from the abundant volcanic lava, Labibela would become constipated and stop the gold mining at its source. It seemed to be a reasonable solution except plump, ripe cherries kept going in, but now nothing was coming out. Labibela was no longer long and sleek, nor was he gaunt and ragged Labibela quickly became long and round, very round. Labibela also became very lethargic and lost all interest in leaving little billet doux for the ladies. And although Labibela became lethargic, his jaws remained very active, as were his bowels.
But his sphincter was cemented shut, and the agonised cries of constipated Labibela disturbed the composure all the lady civets, and caused some mild concern to the Amhara collectors. The pressure continued to build and in the end something had to give, and in Labibela’s end the pumice plug finally gave way near-by, one of the Amhara collectors found out why it can be a real crap job.
Life on the slopes of Ras Dashan has never returned to normal, but Labibela has worked out a way of co-existence with the collectors. He leaves his droppings on the trails of the collectors, and deposits his love letters in the bushes, waiting for immediate replies to his mail (male).
Evolution at work can be wonderful.








CHAPTER SIX

RAVEN
(Corvidae Corvus corax)

Contemporary Issues
An article by Sandra Blakeslee, was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 2nd Februray 2005:
‘”Birdbrain” as a term of ridicule may be wide of the mark, with new research suggesting parrots, crows and other birds behave as intelligently as chimpanzees. The clash of simple brain and complex behaviour has led some neuroscientists to create a new map of the avian brain. In Nature Neuroscience Reviews, a group of bird experts argues that nearly everything written in anatomy textbooks about the brains of birds is wrong. The avian brain is a complex, flexible and inventive as any mammal brain, they argue. Twenty-nine scientists from six countries met for seven years to develop new, more accurate names for structures in avian and mammalian brains. Experts are split into two warring camps. One holds that bird’s brains make the same kind of internal connections as mammal brains. The other holds that bird intelligence developed through expanding an old part of the mammal brain, and using it in new ways and it questions how developed that intelligence is. “There are still puzzles to be solved,” said Peter Marler, an authority on bird behaviour at the University of California, Davis. The rethink on avian brains gives new credibility to behaviour that seems odd coming from presumably dumb birds. Not only do crows make hooks and spears of small sticks to carry on foraging expeditions, some have also learnt to put walnuts on roads for cars to crack. African grey parrots not only talk, they have a sense of humour and make up new words. Infant songbirds babble like human infants, using the left side of their brains.’
It is also worth considering how birds of each species are able to build nests that are particular and specific to their species, but they were not able to watch their parents build their nest, nor were they taught by their parents.
In a Nature article on ravens, in 2005, ‘Long recognised as one of the most intelligent birds, the raven also has a less than savoury image throughout history as a scavenger that does not discriminate between humans and animals. Ingenious and versatile, ravens are members of the crow family, which includes jays and magpies. They are found everywhere in the northern hemisphere and adapt to very different terrain, from deserts to mountains,…. a feat requiring high intelligence.
They learn to find food even in the harshest conditions, such as the dead of winter in Yellowstone National Park. As scavengers, ravens know how and when to take advantage of other animals to help cadge a meal they couldn’t otherwise reach. In Yellowstone, bison that don’t survive the harsh winter attract coyotes, whose sharp teeth and strong jaws rip open the tough, frozen hides…. making the meat accessible to watchful ravens. They also have been seen following wild wolf packs to a kill; some stories even have ravens flying ahead of the wolves to lead them to prey.’
In Funk and Wagnalls New Enclopedia, 1983, volume 22 Q to Russell Cave National Monument page 129; ‘The common raven, found in Europe, Asia, North America, and North Africa is the largest bird in the family, attaining a length of more than 60 cm….. variants of the Corvidae cryptoleucus, a smaller species found in Mexico and the southern U.S …. occur on the African continent.

Historical
In the 17th century King Charles II of England was told if the ever present ravens left the Tower of London, the Tower and the Kingdom would fall. To this day the ravens of the Tower of London are cared for by the keepers of the Tower of London. Similarly ravens, the largest and most impressive of the Corvidae that are kept in Gibralter, where their well-being is associated with that of the British monarchy and the Empire.

Legend and Myth
Odhinn, O.N; Woden, O.H.G. Wodan, woutan; Odin, king of the gods, had two black ravens, Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory), these ravens flew forth daily to gather tidings of all that was being done throughout the world. Odin was the god of wisdom, poetry, and magic, and he sacrificed an eye for the privilege of drinking from Mimir, the fountain of wisdom.
10th century Contemporaries of Odin, who also placed a high value on wisdom, were Makeda, Queen of Sheba and King Solomon.
Sheba was an ancient name for Abyssinia, a kingdom on the Red sea in the vicinity of modern Ethiopia and Yemen. The Queen of Sheba is best known for a story in the Bible’s book of Kings: at the head of a caravan of riches, she visits Israel’s King Solomon to test his legendary wisdom. After Solomon answered her riddles, the queen showers him with gifts and perhaps the location of the site that has become known as King Solomon’s mines. According to Ethiopian tradition the queen returned to Sheba and bore a son by Solomon, Menelik I, who was the beginning of the Ethiopian royal dynasty, that concluded with Haile Selassie I (1892-1975) the last emperor of Ethiopia who ruled from 1930 until being deposed in 1974.
The titles of Haile Selassie I, included: ‘Might of the Trinity’, ‘Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Elect of God, and King of Kings.
The country Sheba or Saba, whose name means ‘Host of Heavens’ and ‘Peace’ was Abyssinia. Located in southwest Arabia on the eastern tip of the Red Sea, Sheba occupied 483,000 square miles of mountains, valleys and deserts in the area of present day Yemen. Some historians claim that Ethiopia, on the western end of the Red Sea, was also part of Sheba’s territory. Sheba was a wealthy country, advanced in irrigation techniques and hydraulic power. Its people, the Sabaeans, built dams as high as 60 feet and large earthen wells which contributed to their thriving agriculture and beautiful gardens. Rich in gold and precious stones, as well as incense and exotic species sought by neighbouring kingdoms, Sheba engaged in a lucrative caravan trade. By 1000 B.C., camels frequently travelled the 1400 miles up the ‘Incense Road’ and along the Red sea to Israel and King Solomon.
The spices of Sheba were highly prized. Frankincense, an offering to the gods, was heaped on funeral pyres, and given as an antidote for poison, and a cure for chest pain, haemorrhoids and paralysis. Myrrh, an ingredient in fragrant oils and cosmetics, was used in preparing bodies for burial, for healing ear, eye and nose ailments. Interesting to note that a 1000 years later ‘Three Wise Men’ took gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to Bethlehem in Israel and that at least one of the Three Wise men, is often depicted has having ‘black skin’. The Sabaeans have been described as a tall and commanding people, both woolly-haired and straight-haired. Semitic in origin, they are believed to have been descendents of the Cush of the Bible. The sacred Ethiopian book which establishes the founder of the Ethiopian dynasty as the son of Solomon and Sheba, suggests that the Sabaeans were black. “Ye are black of face- but if God illumineth your hearts, nothing can injure you.” In Ethiopia, the ‘Kebra Negast refers to a law established in Sheba that only a woman could reign, and that she must be a virgin queen. Sheba was a centre of astronomical wisdom and the Queen was chief astronomer/astrologer, religious life involved worship of the sun and Moon. Ayesha was ‘She, who must be obeyed’, and the in the 1880’s the explorer Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904) ‘discovered’ the Ruwenzori Range, the Mountains of the Moon, just north of the equator near Lake Victoria, in what is known today as Uganda.
There are a long sequence of water sources from the Blue Nile 1100 miles north of the equator in Eithiopia to Lake Kariba 1100 miles south of the equator in Zimbabwe, these include: Lake Tana, Lake Langana, Lake Shala, Lake Awwaa, the large Lake Rudolf, Lake Salisbury, Lake Victoria named by David Livingston (1813-1873), which straddles the equator, the large Lake Tanganyika, Lake Mweru, the large Lake Nyas, Lake Lachilwa and Lake Kariba.
Ophir, in the Bible, designates a people and a country.
The place Ophir was that from which the Bible represents Solomon’s fleet bringing gold, silver, thyine or almug (probably sandal) wood, used to build Solomon’s temple, precious stones, ivory, apes and peacocks ( I Kings commonly known as III Kings, ix, 26-28;x,11,22: Par; viii,17-18;ix,10). Its location has been sought for many years, and the Bible does not give the geographical position of Ophir; it only says that the voyage out and back lasted three years ( I Kings commonly known as III Kings, x, 22). The Greek translators of the Bible, by rendering the Hebrew Ophir into Sophir, the Coptic name for India, would locate the Biblical El Dorado in India, according to others, on the coast of Malabar or at Ceylon, and according to other in the Malay Peninsula. The opinion that it was situated on the southern or south-eastern coast of Arabia has many advocates, who contend, from the text of Genesis; x 29,30, that Ophir must be located between Saba, (Sheba) and Hevilath. Another opinion says that it was not in Asia, but either on the south-eastern coast of Africa (Sofala) or inland in Mashonaland.
The Kingdom of Prester John.
In the 1130’s, under the leadership of Imad ad-din Zengi, Turkish powers became a serious threat to the Crusader kingdoms in the Holy land. This caused these kingdoms to seek aid from Western Europe, and around 1145, Hugh, Bishop of Jabala, was sent to meet Pope Eugenius to ask for help. Otto von Freisigen, Bishop of Freising, recorded in his Historia de Duabus Civitatibus (1158) that Hugh told the Pope about Prester John, a Christian priest and king whose kingdom was in the extreme Orient, beyond Persia and Armenia, (the back of beyond). Prester John was supposed to be a descendent of the Magi, (the Three Wise Men) and a possessor of great wealth. It appears that Hugh talked to the Pope about Prester John because rumours had been circulating in Europe that he was going to come to the rescue of the Crusader kingdoms. In 1165, a (forged) letter allegedly from Prester John was delivered to Emperor Manuel Comnenus of Byzantium. Manuel forwarded the letter to Emperor Frederic Babarous of the Holy Roman Empire.
The forgery was quite clever, for the forger had obviously read Otto von Freisingen’s report and he repeated many of the same stories and further played upon the hope and fears of the Europeans vis-a vis the infidel Turks, “I, Prester John, who reign supreme, surpass in wisdom, virtue, riches and power all creatures under heaven. Seventy kings are our tributaries. I am a zealous Christian and universally protect the Christians of our empire, supporting them by our alms. We have determined to visit the sepulchre of our Lord with a very large army, in accordance with the glory of our majesty to humble and chastise the enemies of the cross of Christ and to exalt his blessed name.”
The only official response to the letter was that Pope Alexander III sent out a Papal emissary in 1177 with a letter for Prester John, carried by his physician, Magister Philippos, but nothing was ever heard of what became of him. Years later, in the mid-thirteenth century when Asia was opened again to Europeans by the ascendency of the Tartars, the great search began to find this Prester John, a search which was very important opening up Asia and re-establishing ties with China.
By the 14th century, all searches for Prester John and his kingdom in Asia had turned up empty. Rather than give up on this hopeful and glamorous legend, however, Europeans decided that they must have been looking in the wrong region, and they turned their eyes on the interior of Africa. This was spurred by the fact that there was an actual Christian kingdom there, the Nestorian kingdom of Abyssinia or Ethiopia. Mysterious Abyssinian pilgrims sometimes visited the Holy land, though their kingdom was rumoured to be bordered by inaccessible mountains. The Portuguese sent several expeditions to make contact with this kingdom and the reports which came back further confirmed the belief that finally Prester John had been found. In the 1880’s there were reports of ‘native’ uprisings in central eastern Africa, led by a Reverend John Laputa whose influence was based on his ownership of the ‘Collar’ of Prester John, rumoured to be a necklet of very large rubies.
Zimbabwe, Africa’s Great Ruin.
Sheri Leigh (2003) published in, The Cultured Traveler, Volume 5, February 2003, the following account:
‘Sub-Saharan Africa probably has no greater monument to its pre-colonial past than the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, a massive stone city that impresses on so many counts: sophistication, mystery, wisdom, wealth and power. The monument is located in south-eastern Zimbabwe on a granite plain, near Masvingo, about 160 miles, as the raven flies, south of Harare, modern Zimbabwe’s capital city.
For 16th century Portuguese, the first Europeans to see the city, the ruins, strewn over almost 1,800 acres, had to have been the seat of some great power.
They theorised that the site might have been the capital of Makeda the Queen of Sheba or perhaps the legendary African Christian king, Prester John. Whoever Great Zimbabwe’s ancient monarch may have been, the Portuguese knew that they had come upon something grand. The site’s largest structure, later named the Elliptical Building or Great Enclosure, is a huge oval space formed by a mortarless granite wall up to 32 feet high, 17 feet thick and 800 feet in circumference. Its dimensions and massiveness reminded the Portuguese of the great castle walls of Europe.
The Great Enclosure was the second of Great Zimbabwe’s three major sites to be built. Preceding it was the nearby Hill Complex, constructed around 1250 AD; which included housing and religious structures.
A third element, the Valley Complex, was the smallest of the Great Zimbabwe’s precincts, and was probably built in the early 15th century. It is claimed that these Portuguese explorers arrived on the scene probably only a few decades after the city’s demise. It had been built by the Shona, ancestors to Zimbabwe’s Bantu-speaking tribes, between 1100 and 1400 A.D. When the Shona abandoned the site, sometime in the 15th century, they left behind no records. So nobody knows why the Shona built such a great structure at this particular site in an area that has poor soils and which can only support large-scale agriculture only through great efforts. Zimbabwe had a population of 18,000 people at its height – a huge number by historical Saharan African standards. Debate over why the city came to be, centres on religion and gold. Some claim, given connotations of its name, that Great Zimbabwe* was a religious centre, inspired by Mwari, the creator and sustainer of all things. For whatever reasons, very clear to their successors, Great Zimbabwe’s site made perfect sense despite its drawbacks. Other claim the Shona discovered a huge deposit of gold, and precious stones, and constructed Great Zimbabwe’s combination mine, smelter, treasury, fortress and temple.’ (King Solomon’s mines?)
* Zimbabwe is variously interpreted as “place of the king” or “sacred house.”
In the 19th century the renown German archaeologist Karl Mauch, claimed, “No black Africans, past or present, had built Great Zimbabwe”. Instead Mauch claimed, “its construction was the achievement of some Middle Eastern people, possibly descendents of the mythical ‘Queen of Sheba’;” though others contend that Mauch’s claim was more to do with prevailing European racism at the time.
‘The Zimbabwe Bird is a little over 30 cms high. It is sculpted in stone. A number of these elegant pieces are in possession of the Zimbabwe National Museum.
They are thought to have stood on the walls and possible pillars in the Great Ruin – the origins of which are linked with legendary names like King Solomon and Monomatapa, whose 11th century Empire once included all of today’s Zimbabwe, and also northern South Africa and considerable stretches of Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania. That this sculpture was of great significance to the inhabitants of that ancient city is shown by the large number of birds found. Their ‘purpose’, however, remains shrouded in mystery.’ The fact remains that the creation of an idol in any form is a human expression of the reverence with which they treat the subject.

Buddha ,Siddhartha Gautama (563 BC- 483 BC) and Confucius (551 BC- 479 BC) were contemporaries and still today revered by many millions of people as two of the wisest men in the history of the world. Confucius according to Lao-Tze in The Writings of Chuang Tzu: Book XIV: PartII, Section VII, gave credit to ravens for his discovery of the Tao, as in Taoism.
Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven (1845) sits eternally ‘On the pallid bust of Pallas’ – that is, a pale marble head-and –shoulders of Pallas Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom. The bird’s message, “Nevermore” is a powerful reminder of impermanence which motivates us to seek and attain wisdom.
The Bible (genesis, chapter 8: 6-13 of the Old Testament) tells how birds are sent by Noah to detect whether there is any dry land outside the ark that he had built to withstand the Flood:
At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made, and sent forth a raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth.
In Tibet, as among the aboriginal people of North America, the raven is seen as a most auspicious bird. A raven indicated to the Fourth Sangye Nyenpa the location for Benchen Monastry that is named for the protector, Mahakala Bernachen.
The hat of office of the Bhutanese high lama has the effigy of a raven at its crown.
Ngawang Thondup Narkyid in Life in the Potala says that the ravens “would gather together in assembly, almost like human beings, to talk and play and, like us, to compete in different kinds of sports!... We’d shape small balls of tsampa dough and toss them up in the air for the ravens to catch and eat……Though they didn’t actually let us touch them, we could get very close, and they would take food from our fingers. Most of the wise monks and students had a raven friend.

In ancient Zimbabwe, there were four ravens who were advisors to the rulers, there names were: Washe Bisisa (see no evil), Amandala (hear no evil), Othotse (speak no evil) and Othlafile (feel no evil); the wisdom that they gave was centred on four concepts: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil and feel no evil. The people of Zimbabwe started to neglect the teachings of their ravens especially the counsel of not feeling any enmity towards anyone or anything else. The people were warned that if they continued Zimbabwe would fall and the people would be considered to only have the ways and wisdom of monkeys.
The ravens left and in there place the people created and worshipped stone images of the ravens, but the statues were mute, the wisdom was gone and Zimbabwe fell.
CHAPTER SEVEN

The Oryx


Kalubi was an unremarkable looking oryx doe. Her sabre-like horns and markings were typical of the breed, and in fact her coat was a little more dusty and ungroomed compared to her contemporaries. Kalubi felt that she had good excuses if not valid reasons. Kalubi was older than many of the other does, but also she had been impregnated by Macumazana, the leader of their herd.Bibliography

Allaby.M.(1979) Animals That Hunt; The Hamlyn Publishing Group Astronaut House, Feltham, Middlesex, England
Baker. R (Chief Contributing Editor) (1980) The Mystery of Migration; Macdonald and Jane’s Publishing Group Ltd, Paulton House, 8 Shepherdess Walk, London N1 7LW
Funk & Wagnalls (1983) NewEncyclopedia Funk and Wagnalls United States of America
Marcone. M. (2004) New Research Explains Structure, Taste of Kopi Luwak Coffee Obtained from the web on 30th November 2004 at http://www.innovations-report.de/html/berichte/biowissenschaften_chemie/bericht-31 Other information may be obtained from www.uoguelph.ca and http://nomoresocks.newscientist.com/products/detail.aspx?productID=303
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/ravens/
http://www.who2.com/queenofsheba.html
http://www.windweaver.com/sheba/Sheba.htm
http://www.philaprintshop.com/presjohn.html
http://www.the culturedtraveler.com/Heritage/Archives/Zimbabwe.htm
Leigh. S; (2003) The Cultured Traveler, Volume 5, February 2003
http://www.khandro.net/animal_birds.htm