As Promised (I know you were excited)!

Here it is, my brief African myth. If you were present in Endicott's 3rd hour during the Feast of the New Yams, you may have heard it already, but here it is written:

The Origin of Palm Wine



     At the beginning of times, there lived a lonely palm tree named Egwebe. As of yet, he had no brethren and spent his days and nights alone. Frustrated with his loneliness, he left his home in search of other trees to talk to. After walking a long distance he met a young sugar tree named Adeola. She waved at him in the wind and he instantly fell in love. They lived happy lives and came to make young seedlings together. Their existence carried on this way for some time, raising seedlings and sending them across the countryside on their own journeys. One day, however, a strange man came around and violated their home, chopping down Adeola.

     Filled with sorrow and longing, Egwebe struggled to hold back tears from his children, instead allowing himself to become full of them. Just as normalcy seemed to return once again to Egwebe and his children, the same strange man returned again and began to chop down Egwebe. But as he chopped, he saw something. He stopped himself and examined the gashed bark. there was a sap the man noticed; they were Egwebe's tears. Feeling their father's death, all of Egwebe's seedlings also filled with tears. The man felt their sorrow, but enjoyed the taste of their tears. He then developed a humane way to tap palm tears and told all of his tribesmen of this method. A tradition was born.

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