The Soul Energy
Akashic Records. Energy Healing. Soul Writing
The Forest Deity
Shom and Rajam were brothers, sons of the chief in a little tribal village in southern India. Their tribe of Ahamors, like most indigenous communities, laid a strong focus on their identity. A distinctive feature of their tribe was, decoration of their faces and arms with tiny white dots, made with sandalwood paste. The Ahamors believed that they beautified themselves as a form of worship to the greatest beauty in the whole world, Athama, the forest deity, whose whole body was covered with white dots.
She had appeared down the ages to the lineage of chiefs and whoever saw her was mesmerised by her unearthly beauty. The last to have seen her was Shom’s great grandfather, who said that Athama seemed like a human but was not. Nobody had seen her for many decades after that, though sometimes they did hear her voice in the forest. While outsiders would call it the wailing of the wind, for the Ahamors, it was their revered Athama singing in ecstasy.
The boys believed all the stories told to them by their parents and village elders, but they hated being decorated with the white dots every morning. It was a challenge for their mother to make them sit quietly while she completed the task of beautifying them.
One morning, after another heated argument with their mother, the boys took their best friend, Kromja the buffalo, inside the forest. They had no plans to return home anytime soon, so they kept going. As the forest started becoming denser and darker, they got a little apprehensive and were thinking of turning back when they noticed a green shimmering glow. They walked towards it and saw someone sitting beneath it caressing her arms. They observed she had a third arm behind her, or maybe a tail, which was so long that it went almost above her head. She was covered with dots, almost similar to theirs, but whiter. At first she did not seem to notice them, but then looked up. She was so fascinating and beautiful that the boys forgot to feel afraid, even when she stood up and showed them her very tall form.
Then she spoke looking directly at Shom, “Some years from now you will be the chief of your village so it is necessary for you to understand the great responsibility your tribe carries.” She continued, “The marks that you see on my body are not of beauty but of disease and pain. I am the mother of the forest. All the trees and plants are my children. I absorb all their pain and afflictions on my body and that is how the dots appear.”
What she went on to reveal was contrary to what they had always believed. Athama said, “You are all so dear to me, not because you emulate my beauty, but because you share my pain.” She added that she had explained the same to their great grandfather. That she appeared to every fourth generation in the chief’s family to reaffirm their faith and make them understand their responsibility.
Shom was young, but he understood very well what the forest deity had communicated. He took his brother’s hand and walked home with Kromja. They did not tell anyone of the encounter in the forest, but from the next day onwards sat down quietly to get the dots made. Beauty might not be a badge of honour, but sharing someone’s pain surely is. In time, Shom became a great chief and ensured that for the next few generations they continued the tradition.
Beautiful story
Thank you.
This was such an incredible story to read. You did an amazing job with writing it.
As usual lovely. You never fail to amaze me.
I love this kind of stories as they make me have goose bumps all over my body. It must have been a great experience for the boys to listen to the forest deity. Traditions are really important! 🙂
I love the part for “Beauty might not be a badge of honour, but sharing someone’s pain surely is”. Sometimes we do tend to forget what someone has gone through by masking it with what we think others want to hear or feel.
This is beautifully written! Very well done!
Mothers can relate to this wonderful story. All the major physical changes they had in bearing a child was a beauty their children can appreciate. For others they seem awful. But in their children’s eyes they are beautiful.
This is a very touching story. Althougg it sounded to me like a folklore. There are still some lessons I can learn- to appreciate beauty of different aspects.
I also believe in continuing one’s tradition. It helps preserve the culture and at the same time, it shows respect to those who have come before us. Thanks for sharing this story. It’s beautifully written.
What a beautiful story and definitely well written, it has so many lessons to teach us
Great story. It is not easy to be responsible.
What a lovely story. You managed to give me goose bumps 🙂
I love this story and anything mythological like this. Well written!
What a beautiful story, it is so well written. So many lessons to be learnt x
I love the story. Beautiful and crafty.
That is beautiful! I love the reaffirmation of faith and your responsibility!
I love how the forest deity taught the boys about beauty and pain. Shom learned an important lesson that eventually led him to being a good chief.
What a beautiful story! Have you ever thought of publishing your own book?
Thank you. Yes, I will probably bring out an ebook.
You are an amazing writer, This read like the beginning of a very interesting novel, I hope you turn your talent in this direction some day.
Is this your own piece? What a nice story.
Yes, it is my own story. Thank you for commenting.
Been quite addicted to reading online novels lately and this one is quite refreshing. I love tales of mystery and magic, something enchanting. 😀 Keep writing .
It was a nice read again. Beautiful narration.
Thank you Sunith.