Story of the First Ruler
The Story
The village knew the storm was coming. All of the people could feel it and see it in the distant sky and in the behaviour of the animals. There were those who felt that the people of the village should put all of their energy into reinforcing the buildings which were most in danger from the storm. Some of the buildings were old and if the storm knocked them down it would ruin everything inside them and would be a lot more work to rebuild. We will call this group the Grifters. Others wanted to focus everyone's energy on gathering food. They knew that their supplies were running low and they didn't know how long the storm would last. Buildings and their contents could be replaced but lives could not. We will call this group the Providers. The two groups argued about where the energy should be placed but couldn't agree. They tried to vote, but it was always an even split. In the time they spent having these conversations, the storm came even closer. Some of the Grifters reinforced one building, and some of the Providers gathered a small amount of food. The people of the village huddled together in the reinforced building with the small amount of food and as they ate through their stores and the storm continued to rage outside, they agreed they needed one person to make decisions. This person would be responsible for listening and deciding, they would carry the weight of the village and would be the person to make decisions like this in future. No one wanted this position at first. It was a much larger responsibility than anyone had experienced before and it was daunting. Eventually, one person reluctantly stepped forward. They called themselves a Ruler, to remind them that they had to measure up to the expectations of their community. The next time a storm came, the Ruler made sure the village was ready, and the people of the village were pleased with their new decision-maker.Summary
This is one of several stories which Storytellers tell to the children of a community when they are learning about Vellich Profession Paths. This one is about the Ruler pathway and is designed to show the responsibility and weight of being a Ruler.
It's not clear where the story is set, but as the location is undefined it is likely a fictional story designed to communicate an idea rather than based on true events. Some versions of the story do specify the location, but they vary too much for any of them to be considered reliable.
Related Articles
| Culture | Vellich Profession Paths, Vellich World View, Place of Spirits, Rulers |
|---|---|
| Traditions | Path Choosing, Spirit Speaking |
| Locations | Vellikka |
| Stories | Where The Spirits Come From, The Great Flood, Return of the Great Spirit |
Date of First Recording
unknown
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Excellent story!
Thank you! <3