The Shaman and the Cult of Ogham

By Ray Urbaniak

Great Eagle, an Ancestral Puebloan Shaman, follows the bread crumbs(corn crumbs), to unravel the story of a Celtic visitation in the distant past. His adventures explore the history of the visitors as well as the mystery of life itself.

The story starts in the year 1257 ce.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: May 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781365090707

Book preview

The Shaman and the Cult of Ogham

The Shaman and the Cult of Ogham

Ray Urbaniak

DSCN75882007-06-20-0001 Untitled-1 copy

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Natural Frequency

Hurricane, Utah USA

Copyright © 2015

Ray Urbaniak

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in review, without permission in writing from the author/publisher.

To my wife, partner, and best friend

(Enilse Sehuanes-Urbaniak)

who would support me

no matter what I chose to do.

Introduction

Great Eagle, an Ancestral Puebloan Shaman note 1, follows the bread crumbs (corn crumbs), to unravel the story of a Celtic Missionary visitation in the distant past. His adventures explore the history of the visitors as well as the mystery of life itself.

The story starts in the year 1257 ce.

{Lnp}Links, notes and photos of more detail

and other supporting documents available at:

http://www.naturalfrequency.net/Shaman/

Note 1: Formerly referred to as the Anasazi. Hisatsinom to the Hopi.

Contents

The Shaman and the Cult of Ogham

Copyright © 2015

Prologue

Chapter 1: The Omen

Chapter 2: Awakening

Chapter 3: The Journey

Chapter 4: Exploration

Chapter 5: Expeditions

Chapter 6: Discovery

Chapter 7: Goodbye

Chapter 8: The Migration

Chapter 9: The Storm

Chapter 10: Destination

Chapter 11: New Destiny

12: Afterword-The Cult of Ogham

http://www.naturalfrequency.net/Shaman/

13:{Lnp}Links, notes and photos of more detail

14: Acknowledgements

15:  About the Author

Prologue

(Prehistoric fiction)

Events have been set in motion. This young shaman is not aware that in addition to the Sun going dark, a major volcanic eruption took place recently, half way around his world. That eruption along with two others, one a three day walk to the South, as well as one near a sacred mountain to the Southeast should trigger the move. {Lnp 1}

How long do you think it will be before he pays us a visit?

Not too long now.

Chapter 1: The Omen

Great Eagle, the young Shaman for the sparsely populated tribe woke with an explosion of fear. He could see his nightmare so vividly his whole body trembled and sweat profusely. This can’t be how it has to be! he stammered, then realized he was also choking and having difficulty breathing. Instinctively he reached in the dark for his small pot of water covered with hide. Hurriedly he rinsed his mouth and spit it out, followed by another sip, swallowing muddy water. Next, he splashed water in his eyes, nose, and ears. As the violent shaking in his young body subsided, with images from the nightmare still swirling in his head, and his thoughts solidifying, he realized he had slept through a small dust storm. I never sleep through a dust storm! he thought, as he moved wearily to the doorway and pulled back the elk skin pelt which covered the entrance to his wattle and daub home. It was still dark, as he peered at the sky, his sharp-visioned gritty eyes could still make out the murky shape of the Great Ladle in the sky. By the position of the group of stars in the Northern night sky he knew only one half of the night had passed. As the flap dropped, the light of the dying embers of his fire silhouetted the vague outline of his six fingered hand and he recalled that that was why his Shamanic teacher, Hania (Spirit Warrior) had chosen him as an apprentice. He recalled his teacher taking him to pecked image panels of shamanic figures and the majority of them had six fingers. Having six fingers had always made him feel special, not odd.

Shifting his gaze, he mumbled, "I need some rest. That must be why I slept through the dust storm. I will need all of my strength tomorrow.

As he tried to seduce his body into relaxing he found it nearly impossible. He carried a heavy burden being a Shaman and Medicine Man for the tribe at such a young age when he hadn’t even reached his twenty fifth Sun cycle of age yet. In addition, in the absence of a Chief, he assumed those responsibilities as well.

As dawn came, Great Eagle awoke groggily and remembered he was going to brew a large pot of Ootoop tea to give to his people who were having lung problems due to the dust and smoke they had inhaled the last few months. The Ootoop plant reminded him of a porcupine, every time he collected the plant or brewed the dried shoots.

As Tiponi, his apprentice (Child of Importance), entered his dwelling Great Eagle said, Things have to improve soon or many people will die, before he even greeted him. He continued preparing his large pot for tea. "For those who have the worst breathing problems we can also put a poultice on their chest made with dry warm Yutump leaves to relieve the pain and ease their breathing. I can only treat their symptoms, but I can't end this drought to cure the real problem." he shared his feelings of helplessness.

Tiponi was supportive, but didn’t know what to say, so he simply nodded. He was not only Great Eagle’s apprentice; he was also a close friend who understood Great Eagle’s apparent rudeness wasn’t normal and simply stemmed from his frustration surrounding the futility of trying to help others, when he really could do little.

Later on as the Sun pursued its perpetual dive toward the horizon, Great Eagle peered skyward. He reminded himself, it was just seven Sunsets before the longest period of Sunlight in the Sun cycle, while more than aware that the Sun was still glowing an eerie orange color with barely any change for nearly a moon cycle. He remembered such a glow when there had been fires and violent dust storms, but this was definitely different, there didn’t seem to be any smoke or dust in the air at the moment. Dust and smoke in the air never lasted this long. What can be causing this, he asked himself trying to ransack his memory one more time, hoping to recall something he heard from the elders as a child that may explain this?

Have I done something wrong? Was I wrong to stay here when most of the others left when the drought began? He privately inquired of the Great Spirit.

Great Eagle tripped over a rock as his eyes scanned the sky.  Those with him chuckled to themselves.  Four individuals were in the group.

Great Eagle, as Shaman, though not yet seasoned with Sun cycles, led Tiponi, his apprentice who neared his twentieth Sun cycle in age, and two younger helpers to finish the Sun Marker.

Tiponi who although not that much younger than Great Eagle respected him immensely for his wisdom and patience, and gladly followed him on their way to finish work on the Sun position marker which Great Eagle and Tiponi were pecking into a rock face to honor the Summer Sun’s farthest position North, and at the same time pray and make offerings to maintain balance hoping that the Sun didn’t go any further North. They all wore elk hide breechclouts secured with thin braided yucca fiber rope ties. Great Eagle looked down at his only other clothing, I made these sandals only one moon ago but they are already falling apart. Maybe the dry weather has made them prematurely brittle, he thought. His abraded and chipped clay canteen with a crude wooden stopper swung on his hip from another piece of braided yucca cordage which was strung through small holes on clay canteen extensions that served as stirrup handles. The spring water was rapidly warming beneath the brutal Sun.

Great Eagle’s skin appeared older than his age due to the constant exposure to the extremely hot dry environment, coupled with the constant stress imposed by his position. He carried his medicine pouch, and his tool kit bag. In addition, he carried the burden of always having to appear confident of his actions. Great Eagle knew things were bad, but he had a premonition that something else was going to happen, and soon!

Logically Great Eagle knew things had been very bad. A long drought had caused most of the tribal members to leave before the two young helpers were even born.  Now another drought with occasional fires and dust storms, and this new Sun/sky phenomenon, had him perplexed and worried, but he tried to act composed for the rest of the tribal members. Great Eagle looked around him at all the dry wilting plants and grasses. It was usually drier this time in the Sun cycle when the temperatures were at their hottest, but he had never seen it this dry in his short life at the village.

The angle of the Sun and the shadow it caste told him that it wouldn’t stay light too much longer. Just as he irrationally hoped things had to start getting better …what appeared to be a cloud started moving across the face of the Sun. Yet the sky was clear, just that lingering orange haze. The cloud moved slowly, but within a short time it started getting darker and darker. No one uttered a word; they just stopped and stared, unable to move. Eventually the light turned into what seemed like night. Great Eagle strained his eyes to see, but it was almost impossible. The only difference between this and night is that I can’t see the stars. Whatever is causing the Sun to be orange must also be obscuring the stars.

Before it got really dark the Shaman noticed the night hawks come out, then the bats, while the other birds began roosting for the night. Great Eagle had innate heightened senses and also noticed a jack rabbit that had been oblivious to their passing suddenly stand perfectly still as if confused. Then he spied a lizard chasing a bug, the lizard stopped just before he caught it and remained motionless. Even the flies and gnats stopped their buzzing and humming.

But it wasn’t night, and it shouldn’t be dark. Is it the end of the world, have I done something so terribly wrong that our world is coming to an end? Great Eagle privately feared. Trying to think positively, Maybe some tribal members who had left when he was younger, had seen this before and know what this is.

Now it was looking more like another Sun, a Black Sun swallowing the Sun, or more like a hand over the Sun with fingers of light projecting out.... The Hand of the Great Spirit, he blurted out.

Is this a vision?

The silence continued. Should we continue to the Sun Marker, or return to the village, he tried to decide.

Each one privately prayed to the Great Spirit to intercede.

After several moments of total darkness, which seemed like an eternity a muted glimmer of Sunlight emerged from the other side of the Sun. They all breathed a little more normally; the relief was contagious. Great Eagle noticed the lizard wake up from his motionless state and it proceeded to grab the insect. The jack rabbit resumed grazing, as Great Eagle swatted a fly that was about to bite his leg.

As more subdued Sunlight emerged from behind the Dark Sun, he watched as the ravens and hummingbirds woke from their brief nap and the bats disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. The Great Spirit has spared us this time. Great Eagle said with relief.

The young Shaman, insisted they proceed to the Longest talla (day) of the Sun cycle Marker location and add this occurrence to the new marker panel.

This celestial event was obviously an omen, a spiritual message, which he must record on the rock face.

With Great Eagle and Tiponi leading them they continued rapidly to the base of the cliff face where they were finalizing the marker panel to record the Sun’s farthest Sunset position North on the horizon. Great Eagle had traveled to this location many times, but with the diminished sunlight coupled with the muting effect of the orange haze he wasn’t sure of the path, it looked different and he was slightly confused by the unfamiliar lighting on the normally familiar landscape. Am I going the right way? he thought, but dared not share his uncertainty. Normal waypoints no longer stood out for him, while obscure landscape features were now enhanced.

The Sun had almost reached its Northern most point and it was painfully hot. The West facing cliff face acted like a heat sink collecting and storing the Sun’s energy. Great Eagle felt a drop of sweat form on his forehead, but noticed that it evaporated before it could even drip off.

Despite Great Eagle’s slight disorientation and some spiritual reservations he led the strenuous climb to the marker panel. The climb was as high as a Grandmother Pine Tree was tall. The Shaman picked up a walking stick so he didn’t have to put his hands on the hot rocks for support. That didn’t help his feet though; the extremely hot sand spilled over his yucca sandals burning his feet. He had an image to uphold, so he didn’t yell out in pain as he felt like doing. These were weathered tough feet yet the contact with the sand was still nearly unbearable. Gradually, carefully they worked their way to the ledge area where the panel was located. They slipped into the meager shade of one of the few stunted, wind battered juniper trees along the ledge. Even this small amount of shade made them feel euphoric after the extreme heat of the cliff face, and this feeling was amplified by the relief which had followed the return of the Sun. Great Eagle realized that the absence of pain was definitely pleasure.

The Shaman reached into his tool bag and pulled out two stone chisels. The first was made of clear quartz, his favorite. He often used the quartz crystal to peck at night and create a light show when he was just doing empowerment pecking, since it was difficult to see well enough to create a crisp image at night unless there was a bright full moon. The quartz crystal would make flashes of light with each impact due to its shamanic properties. The second chisel was made of a reddish-orange stone material. Great Eagle was certain that the material came from a very old tree that had turned to stone.  He had noticed brightly colored growth rings on a large piece of the material as well as stone bark. He selected the latter since it resembled the color of the Sun and therefore seemed like the appropriate choice. Next he pulled out his hammer stone and checked it for wear to see how much longer he could use it.

After a short recuperation and ingesting some much needed, almost hot, water from his chipped clay canteen, he regained some strength, and the Shaman began his climb up a North South vertical crack in the rock adjacent to the panel.

Eclipse panel for book copy2

The crack did not receive the direct Sun and was cooler to the touch. He worked his way up to the ledge beneath the panel by slowly navigating the rocks jammed in the crack and cautiously tested each, avoiding loose ones. He knew not to put any pressure on rocks which were not securely wedged in the crack. If he were to dislodge a loose stone he knew his body could easily get pinned in the crack.

Once on the ledge he felt secure and asked one of the helpers to climb part way up and hand him his tool bag.

He reached in and pulled out the selected punch and hammer stone and gently laid them on the ledge. Next, he pulled out some of his special ground corn he grew for ceremonial purposes and proceeded to bless the tools and made an offering to the six directions. North, South, East, West, Up to Father Sky, and Down to Mother Earth, in addition to an offering made to thank the Great Spirit for the return of the muted Sun.

Last Sun cycle, around the Longest Talla (day) of the Sun cycle, he had come for several Sunsets to study the light and shadow on the rock surface. It was then that he first scratched the outline of his proposed glyphs onto the surface of the rock with charcoal. He had previously asked and received permission from the Spirit of the rock panel before he made any marks on the surface of the rock face. However, he was now making an addition so he asked permission from the rock once again.

Last Sun cycle, with permission granted from the rock face, and when he was certain that the charcoal sketch was what he wanted he went over the design with a thin line of red ochre to use as a guide the next Sun cycle when he returned to actually peck the images into the rock unless he felt the need to make changes.

He had almost completed the actual pecking of the glyphs but today’s events made it necessary to alter his plans and to record the Great Spirit’s hand over the Sun before finishing the Longest talla of the Sun cycle glyphs. With permission granted he took out a piece of charcoal and drew the image of the Red Sun with the witnessed hand over it. The image had to look just like the image etched in his mind from the surreal experiences earlier in the cycle of the Sun across the sky.

After sketching the glyph with the charred end of a small stick he roughed in another mirroring glyph out of an upside down sacred T symbol that was intended to mark the exact moment to read the Sunlight on the panel. He copied the T going up to represent the fact that the darkened Sun was mirrored on Earth.

Great Eagle meditated on the many meanings for the T symbol his teacher had taught him. In this case it was used as the portal for the Longest talla of the Sun cycle. The primary use of the symbol, he recalled, was that it represented the inner gateway. It represented the gateway to shamanic travel.

However, with all the recalled teachings, his teacher implied there was an even deeper meaning. "What could be deeper than the inner gateway." he pondered once again?

His mind came back to the present moment. When he was satisfied with his outlined images he picked up the red petrified wood chisel in his left hand and the hammer stone in his right and began the long tedious process of carefully pecking the glyphs one peck at a time of the hammer stone on the stone chisel{Lnp 2}

spiralpanel

Chapter 2: Awakening

It was only four Sunrises later and word of the Shaman’s recording of the celestial event had already spread to other villages. Great Eagle was a respected Shaman with other bands as well. When his teacher left he had assumed the role of Shaman at a much younger age than usual. He looked the part; tall, muscular, with piercing eyes and an authoritative air about him. Yet he seemed humble at the same time, which enhanced his popularity.

That morning he received a message that an old man, from a village approximately one full sunlight period away, needed to speak to him. Great Eagle said. I’m too busy to go running off to another village at the request of some old man. The stress had overwhelmed him, but he realized immediately after uttering those angry words that this was out of character. He took a few breaths, and thought about his reply, before speaking again.

The message sounded important and Great Eagle respected his elders, therefore he apologized to the messenger for his impatience and told him he would visit the old man tomorrow.

The next Sunrise, he started out with a little dried meat and some left over roasted agave and with his battered old clay canteen filled with water from the local spring.

His path was a regular trade route, which Great Eagle found to be an easy journey since it was nearly level ground. He made it to the sparsely populated village around mid-talla and easily located the old man who had summoned him. The old man looked tired and unkempt, he had dirt matted on his arms and legs, there were bits of weeds tangled in his hair as well as swollen insect bites on his arms and legs and in addition a cut on his right leg that looked infected, but Great Eagle could see great wisdom in his bloodshot eyes.

The old man said, "I am called Una, the keeper of the oral tradition for my band of people. I knew your teacher Hania and I have followed you closely since he left. You became well-known to our band a few Sun cycles ago when word arrived that you had created a Longest talla of the Sun cycle marker, where a large Shaman figure with his hands above his head, held back the Shadow Monster and prevented the Sun from going any higher in the sky. This depiction assured us that the world would stay in balance."

Una had been selected as a child for this sacred task, since he remembered everything he ever saw or heard (Una, means Memory).

Most of this band had also left the area. The old man informed the Shaman, There is no one left in my band, who is worthy enough, to whom I can pass on the oral tradition. He pleaded with Great Eagle to accept this transmission of knowledge before it was lost with his passing.

After some slow deliberation, the Shaman accepted, while wondering, "Why has Una been following my actions?"

Una began to spin a tale from countless generations ago. It was a story that no one remaining in his band had ever heard. A secret which the old man had been saving to share with the right person.

Una led the Young Shaman in silence along the cliff face a long distance then began... Many, many generations ago the band had been visited by five native strangers who had migrated a great distance up the rivers from the South. They came in peace, so they were received by our people and treated well. They bore gifts such as no one in the area had seen before. They carried bows and arrows, which they demonstrated and taught us to use and make, even before they could properly communicate in our language. Up until that time, we had only used spears and spear throwers.

Another gift they brought was the making of fired clay pots. Our local band had only made baskets up until that time.

This too they demonstrated before we learned to understand each other’s words.

The clay and temper they used was different from that which they had access to at their home, but it actually worked better and created very strong clay vessels.

Note: These Strangers were from the West coast of what is now Florida. They were from an island that is now called Pine Island, and they were from a tribe now known as the Calusa (Caloosa).

Una continued. After many moons, rudimentary verbal communication became possible, and the visitors explained that they too had received strange White Visitors, but that these Visitors had arrived in something that floated across a very large body of water. They had very white skin and some had long hair on their faces. It had also taken them a long time to learn the words of these Visitors.

The old man went on to explain. The five native people like us explained that their visitors had strange clothing and hats. One of them had a hat made out of material like the surface of this carved rock panel image with a bird on top. Una pointed to the cut image on the rock face that were cut thru the hard surface layer of the rock face. In fact, the old man continued. One of the native visitors carved some images on that rock surface a couple of Sun cycles after they arrived. These are his images over there!

Thead

(see Afterword pages 16-17)

The one with a ‘T’ shaped hat and the one with a spear. The old man continued as he shifted his body to relieve the cramp he was getting in his leg. The main reason I called you here is to show you that they too carved a Sun with five rays emanating from it, as well as one where the Sun was not fully covered and a ring of light shown around the Sun. The old man pointed out the glyphs he referred to. Great Eagle studied them for a long while in amazement.

The Old Man explained as his left hand scratched his groin, This event happens when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, and I have personally witnessed this many times. This is primarily why I summoned you. The Keeper explained. After I heard about your recording of the event I knew I had to show you this special carved rock surface. I also decided to share the oral tradition with you if you agree to be its keeper, Una clarified.

The Shaman blushed when he realized that his depiction was not the Hand of Great Spirit, it was the Moon passing in front of the Sun. He wondered what else he had gotten wrong without a teacher to guide him.

Then the Shaman noticed a glyph pecked into the rock face of a bird sleeping during the period of light, which is exactly what he had witnessed. There was a moon symbol connected to the bird indicating darkness. He also noticed a glyph of a similar bird but this one was awake and no moon glyph associated with it.

Tell me more about these native visitors from the South, Great Eagle requested excitedly.

As Una led Great Eagle a short distance to the east along the cliff face, he said, "The visitors from the South also had their own form of writing they learned from the White people. It was a very sacred writing and no tribal members have ever written over it. The visitors told our people that their White Visitors had been spiritual people and that this writing, which they called Ogham, was used for sacred purposes. One of the five told our people that only one of their group of five actually understood what the writing said and could make the marks correctly."

Una then stopped in front of some of the supposedly correct writing and pointed to it.

canaanfilm grain

The other four just made lines in a sacred manner to imitate the writing; Una concluded. They made prayer grooves.

Great Eagle replied, I have seen such lines carved in the rock where I live, as he mentally pictured the unordered lines, most likely made by one of the other four.

Una then paused for a long while as if rewinding his memory to the correct spot to retrieve the next memory, then he went on to say that the visitors stayed for three full Sun cycles, before they split up and went in five different directions to spread the teachings of their White Visitors. Each one took one or two of our tribal members, who were best at remembering the details of their teachings, with them to help spread their beliefs. The keeper paused again, this time scratching his head, then continued. "They spent quite a while out where you live and were supposed to have recorded on the rocks things that their pale skinned ones practiced, as well as those writing lines. I was told that the White people who visited them down South used to carry long pieces of metal in their hand called swords which they used to cut small branches for fire wood but were primarily weapons. In fact, one of the five possessed one of the White Visitor’s swords. The water traveling visitors also taught our native Visitors how to train birds of prey to hunt for them and that they were supposed to have recorded both of those images on the rock faces in your area. (Note 4) Great Eagle’s mind immediately started wandering the canyons looking for those images and he had to use all of his training to bring his attention back to what Una was now saying. I will tell you more tomorrow, but I am old and tired and I now need to rest. I’ll meet you right here tomorrow morning at dawn. The old man told the Shaman where he could stay in the village and then wandered off mumbling, The Native visitors had wanted our entire tribe to follow their beliefs, but only a few accepted the foreign ways. Great Eagle ran after Una and insisted on treating the cut on the Old Man’s leg before he left.

Note 4: St. Brendan the Navigator and 14 other Celtic Monks are thought to have journeyed to North America from AD 512- 530. The Native American Celtic missionaries would have traveled up the rivers. If such a diffusion of Celtic style grooves, made by Native American Celtic Missionaries coming up the rivers from the South, actually took place, this would in fact tie in with diffusion of pottery making and the use of the bow and arrow that was taken up by the Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) Basketmakers about the time of St. Brendan’s Missionaries could have reached the Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi).(see Afterword)

St Brendan riversprimary

The Shaman slept lightly, in anticipation of the dawn. It seemed that suddenly a whole new world was opening up before him. As he dosed off, memories of his childhood surfaced. He saw the Shaman who had raised him from when he first went to live with him and his mind tried to picture the parents he could no longer remember.

At first light he rose, did his morning constitutional, said prayers, ate a little dried meat he retrieved from inside a piece of cotton cloth, and sipped some water from his chipped clay canteen. The water was still warm from the Sunset before. He then hurried to the rendezvous point knowing that his life was now taking a new path.

He was early, but to his amazement, he saw the old man walking in front of him.

Great Eagle hurried to catch up with him, they made a simple greeting, and the Shaman followed Una along the cliff face heading East again. The Old Man clarified what he had said the prior talla. He also said. The white visitors had brought an illness with them and many tribal members of the five visitors became ill and died. He went on to say that the people from this Southern tribe became missionaries because they felt that they too would die if they didn’t follow the beliefs of the white visitors.

It was only a short time before the Old Man stopped and pointed with a stained and gnarled finger to the same cliff face they had left the Sunset before.

Great Eagle’s attention was directed to a small, shallow cave with the line writing. The Shaman was not impressed. It didn’t look very powerful, just a bunch of lines, there were none of the power images he was familiar with.