Dear Terry,

Thank you so much for sharing "The Weeping Camel" story. I found Deeply moving
and reinforcing.

Terry Millard <terryjm@...> wrote:
Hello Group

Recently I watched a fascinating documentary on public television entitled,
"The Weeping Camel". I thought you all might be interested in its content.
The program showed several generations of a Mongolian family who were camel
and sheep breeders. They showed the successful birth of a baby camel and
then the two day struggle of a first time mother camel. After the eventual
birth of her colt, the mother would have absolutely nothing to do with her
baby. The owners tried every way of coaxing her, even tying her back legs
together in order for the baby to nurse. Each time the mother would spit
and kick at the youngster and run off to be on her own. The little white
colt cried out hour after hour but to no avail. The owners milked the
mother camel and tried to feed the baby but it was very difficult and it
grew weaker and weaker.

In the meantime, the film makers showed young, frisky baby lambs being given
to their mothers who happily stood to give up their milk while the great
grandmother sat on a stool and rubbed one of the sheep's necks and sang to
them all. The whole family did a ritual of thanks for the breeding season
conducted by a local Buddhist monk.

The father, grand father and great grand father all consulted with each
other regarding the problem with the 'detached' mother camel and agreed that
they need do a, 'violin' ceremony. The two young boys were sent off on the
backs of two camels to the nearby village with a note. They went from
school room to school room until they found music teachers to whom they
showed the note. After their return home, the violin teacher arrived on the
back of a motor cycle. Preliminary greetings were exchanged over drinks of
warm milk in the main family yurt and then everyone congregated outside.
The mother camel was brought to stand beside her baby but she spat and
kicked him away once more. Here the interesting part of the story begins.

While the father stood at the mother camel's head, his wife, the main camel
caretaker, hung the violin over the first hump of the camel, so it was
resting on its side. The violin was not like our traditional violin, it
looked more like a square guitar. Then they let the breeze blow gently
through the instrument, making low, melodic tones. Suddenly, the camel
started making low tones. This went on for a while and then the wife, gave
the violin to the teacher who began to play the most beautiful music while
she stood gently stroking the camel on its neck while harmonizing with the
violin. After a short while, she sat down and just the violin was playing.
The camel then started to weep floods of tears while making long, base
tones. After the teacher stopped playing, they brought the colt to its
mother who finally nuzzled and rubbed him with her mouth and lovingly
allowed him to nurse. The elders announced in a, 'matter of fact' fashion
that the mother was now, 'balanced' and they all went off to the yurt.

As a previous Sound Practitioner, I was reminded how the healing power of
sound has always been known and couldn't help but be totally moved with this
confirmation by an ancient culture.

Kind regards to you all,

Jane Millard

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