Photo: Palaeolithic art at Foz Côa’s Archaeological Park, Portugal
“Why do you hit the rock with sharpened stones?”
Golin quaked under The Elder’s frown. It was forbidden to harm The Rocks That Shelter. The big stones protected them from biting teeth and snarling maws. They stopped the wind. They held back scorching sun. They reflected heat from fires.
And let flames paint shadows, Golin thought.
“He will drive away Horse Spirit and we will starve,” Morsen scowled predictably.
“Let him answer,” The Elder said.
Morsen seethed. The old man always favored Golin.
“The Rocks That Shelter do not anger when the fire lives in them,” Golin pointed at the dancing reflection on the wall.
“He makes no sense,” Morsen pouted. A few others nodded but The Elder’s stony gaze did not leave Golin’s face.
“They draw the fire near,” Golin stressed. Couldn’t they see? “Perhaps The Rocks That Shelter will welcome Horse Spirit and call it here.”
For What Pegman Saw: Douro, Portugal
Na'ama Yehuda 
I love this, Na’ama! I can imagine the first who decided to “draw” on the rocks would be looked at as “wrong”…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Humanity isn’t known for embracing change, is it? 😉 Thank you for commenting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even back in the “caveman” era…
LikeLiked by 1 person
We still got their DNA … 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ain’t that the truth..
LikeLike
I looked at those rocks too, but couldn’t come up with a story. You did the rock art justice! Very nice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Alicia! Perhaps I was channeling LONG LONG LONG AGO ancestors of my toddlerhood-draw-on-walls history 😉
LikeLike
I like the voice in this piece.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! 🙂
LikeLike
Amazing how you take us into the world of the ancient past in a handful of words. Looks like you’ve got the first artist and the first critic there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Critic and jealous rival, it seems … But yeah, I certainly at least one artist there … 🙂
LikeLike
Na’ama Y’karah,
Early critique group? No one appreciates the heart of the artist. The voice is terrific and helps set the stage. Applause!
Mine is here. 😀 😀 😀 https://rochellewisoff.com/2018/09/30/flight-through-hell/
Shalom and happy Sunday,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Rochelle! 🙂 VERY early (and not at all objective … ) critique group … 😉 Will be goin’ over to check yours out now! It is a little like visiting with friends, these blog hops, isn’t it? 🙂 Chag Same’ach,
Na’ama
LikeLike
That’s why I keep blogging. 😉 Chag Same’ach. 😘
LikeLiked by 1 person
You do such a compelling job of portraying their mysticism and fear of change — love the use of mythology here. I’m always a sucker for stories about how rituals change and legends start.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Joy! What a lovely comment! 🙂 Isn’t it fascinating how humanity–in all its millennia and changes–was and remains wary of change? Of course, I wasn’t there at the time (or if I was, in some former reincarnation … I do not consciously recall it … 😉 ), but I really do believe that the relationship complexities we face today are the same early humans had faced. And that we all — from the time language emerged — tell stories and make legends … 🙂 Na’ama
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel the same way, that there is an essence of human psychology and sociology that really hasn’t changed over all these years, so it’s not that ridiculous to speculate about how our distant ancestors might have reacted to various new ideas and issues.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And even if it is ridiculous to some … no one’s gonna stop me (or many other creative souls) from taking some creative license, eh? 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s why I like “speculative” fiction, after all!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great take on the prompt! I love the arguments you have Golin propose to the others. Even if he didn’t succeed on that occasion, somebody, sometime must have persuaded the others leading to the wonderful rock drawings that we can still admire today.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank, Penny. I would think that perhaps he did succeed, as the horse, even if incomplete (by order of The Elder or by other circumstance that left in unfinished), did seem to make it onto The Rocks That Shelter … 😉 And … yes, rock art is absolutely humbling!
LikeLike
The logic that they use in your cave scene is very believable and the same type of interaction could take place at a City Council or PTA meeting. I always like when an artist stands up for the value of his art!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly!! You totally got it! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love that idea of the artist seeing the shadows dancing on the walls and feeling the spirits will welcome other decorations to their surfaces. Love the tone and the voice – nicely written throught
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Lynn! 🙂 There are native tribes where to capture one’s image (i.e. photograph) was akin to capturing one’s spirit … And who knows what the ancients had tried to depict in their art … perhaps, indeed, beyond the aesthetic of replicating nature in some way, there was also an aspect of ‘holding near’ the world around them through the pictorial or sculpted representation? 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely ideas and well expressed too
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike