Ember of a New World

by Watson, Tom

  Midday of the fourth day, the two friends came into lands Brig'dha recognized. The scenery looked the same to Ember, but Brig'dha was sure she recognized the hills and coast line. Excitedly, Brig’dha pointed out landmarks to Ember. The more she looked at the hills, the more she seemed to recognize things. Ember was glad to see that they were on the right track. Ember was slightly apprehensive about what she would find in the village, but it was too late to turn back.

  As the sun set low in the sky, Ember noticed the first signs of a village. Near the water’s edge were drying racks left over from the cold season. Near the racks were wooden posts as tall as a man and with spiral carvings on them. Ember was unsure of their utility, but their proximity to the water suggested to her that they were used to secure boats. Brig’dha did not explain the posts at first, but Ember noticed that she spent many long moments simply looking at them.

  “They called Geru’nas. Tie boat,” Brig’dha said in a matter-of-factly way. Ember’s people mostly used small trees to secure boats. She assumed that the Isen’bryn had larger boats. This brought a little hope to Ember when she considered her eventual return voyage.

  By the early evening, they came upon the village of Isen'bryn. Not far from the beach sat the small village. The scene was not too far removed from Ember's own village. Women carried baskets of food from the beach while men worked on clearing brush growing in fields beside the village. Ember's people were much less interested in farming than these people, by the looks of it.

  The village proper was decent in size, housing perhaps two hundred people. The huts were built in a round fashion and made of dirt and wooden poles, with dirt and thatching over their tops or placed into the sides of the local hills which sat against the side of the village. Cooking fires spotted the village and meat could be seen drying. In the center of the village sat a large structure made of large wooden poles and dirt built-up over the sides. On the top of the structure, over the door, was a large pole with swirls carved into it and the face of a bird-like creature.

  As they approached, men and women ran forward to meet the travelers. The men and women wore more leather than Ember’s people. Their clothes were based mostly on scraped or tanned deer leather. What Ember did not see were the more exotic fabrics of the south, such as woven flax or dyed fabric. The difficulties with trade likely made these items too rare to be found in any quantity.

  Some of the men and women colored their faces with bright ocher swirls of paint. Swirling shapes seemed to be favored by Brig'dha's people. The men and women both wore these patterns as well as what looked like scarification and simple tattoos. Ember noticed that the men tended to tie their hair into multiple braids while the women opted to leave their hair long and unbraided. Around their necks, the people wore a multitude of necklaces of leather thong and large pendants, likely made of polished stones from the beach.

  Ember and Brig'dha stopped at the top of the hill just outside of the village as the people ran towards them waving. It was bad form to walk into a village until you had been seen by the inhabitants. The two women waited as the throng of people approached to see them. Ember was glad to see unarmed men and women with smiles approaching, rather than warriors or hunters. Ember was not sure what she would do next, but she had a feeling that she was going to be okay.

  “Ember, what your-name mean?” Brig'dha asked. Ember looked at Brig'dha for a moment.

  She has heard my name as I have heard hers. She knows the sound, but not the meaning. She doesn't know that Ember means “Ember from a fire,” she thought.

  “My-name, Ember, means-'Ember' [the trade word for the ember from a fire]. I-am, Ember, daughter-of Winterborn-of The-Great River-People, and-now Warrior,” Ember explained.

  “Ohhh, I-understand,” she said. Ember thought for a moment and asked the same question in return.

  “What-does Brig'dha mean?” Brig'dha looked at Ember with a smile and spoke.

  “Brig'dha from name-of Goddess, Brid'da. I-am Brig'dha, of Isen'bryn. This-is new-world for-Ember. Now-you Ember, of-a New-World,” she said smiling at her joke. Whatever was funny about the comment was lost on Ember. She was already too deep into thoughts of her future. She had braved the world and made it to the very end, somehow alive. Ember thought about what she would do next, where she might go. This was indeed a new world, and perhaps she would explore it. Gone were the notions of womanly chores. She was truly a hunter and a warrior and would most likely be afforded such rights, especially possessing bow, dagger, and rare piece of warm ice, or was it fallen sky? She never could decide. The two friends stood holding hands and watching as the people approached.

  Epilog

  Ember decided to remain with the Isen'bryn, an indigenous group of people living near what would one day come to be known as Cromer, in present day Great Britain, until the warm season was in full. The Isen'bryn were actually from the north of Britain, what would one day be known as Scotland. Ember learned that Brig'dha's group had split off twenty years earlier to journey to the south and engage in trade with the mainland. After a time, the people of Isen'bryn were determined to return to the north. Brig'dha's people would one day become a member of an ancient and fierce people known as the Picts.

  Ember was accepted as a hunter and warrior, given Brig'dha's account of her battle with the men and her rescue, as well as a full recount of their journey. Ember was unsure of what she would do next. She needed to visit the good people of Tornhemal, as well as return to her mother, East. But that is a story for another day.

  Supplementary Notes

  Body Coloring – Throughout the book, many characters wear various paints and dyes. There is some evidence for the use of such coloring, and this is certainly the practice of historically recorded peoples. The exact coloring and designs were inspired by the pottery from the time period, and some imagination. Possible pigments include blackcurrant, raspberry, yarrow, ocher, and oil and ash. In chapter one, Ember applies ocher-colored paint to her face to hide pimples and imperfections. This scene represents and analog of humanities current use of make-up.

  Dark Skin – New research and recent finds have suggested that the switch from darker to lighter skin amongst European peoples may have occurred much later than previously suspected. Given the changes of skin color likely being connected to the advent of farming, if indirectly, the book supposes that more northern people had darker skin than southern people. The movement of Neolithic culture across Europe was from south and east to north and west.

  Female Warriors – Chapter twelve sees Ember recognized as a warrior by the people of Tornhemal. The leap is made that female warriors may have existed in prehistoric times. This is out of touch with the general lot of women throughout most of ancient history, so far as it is understood, but actually mirrors the later peoples of the area who afforded women such titles. Simply, ancient people had many notable female warriors, so it is possible prehistoric women occasionally did, as well. There is no diagnostic evidence for this speculation, but it is plausible.

  Gold Panning – In chapter eleven, the people of Tornhemal teach Ember to pan for gold. A stretch is made with this scene as there really isn't evidence for such early methods of extracting gold. The technique was known in the time of the Romans, and there isn't any technological reason it couldn't have occurred. The scene also allows for more interaction than merely walking about looking for gold. Plates are also a stretch, given the lack of diagnostic evidence of plate-like pottery from the time. Regardless, the scene stands as one of many possible techniques which may have been used, at least by this single group of people.

  Meteors – Meteors which burn with green colors generally contain copper while those which burn with red, often contain various silicates. Meteors often burn in multiple colors as they break apart. Meteors can even create sonic booms. This is why chapter three has such a meteor. The sound of a large meteor creating a sonic boom could frighten people even to this day. The 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor produced a clear example of just such
an object.

  Nudity – Nudity in the time of Ember was likely of less concern than it may now be. Looking at tribes from around the world today, we see that nudity exists and is not looked upon as a matter of sexuality or offence, but rather, a social norm given the clothing available. It is important to consider the time used to create clothing in Neolithic times and the simple benefit of not wearing it to bed or into the water, possibly destroying it.

  Tanning Leather – The leather tanning portrayed in the story is a far cry from the more advanced leather tanning found in the Bronze Age and later. Leather in Ember's world is more akin to refined and softened Raw Hide. The techniques may have been in the process of being developed at this time, but were far from complete. However, from Ember's point of view, the leather was tanned.

  The North Sea – The women brave the North Sea in a mere dugout boat. Two factors must be considered when determining the feasibility of such a trip. Firstly, the English Channel had only recently been formed. This meant that the water was shallower and the starting and ending points were closer than they are today. The distance was under 100 miles and perhaps as little as 80 miles. Secondly, being a story, the characters were lucky enough to encounter perfect conditions and a good spring tide thanks to the moon.

  Woad – The use of Woad in Europe was not wide-spread until nearly six thousand years after Ember. Woad does not naturally grow in the parts of Europe where Ember was born. However, constant and efficient trade with the south and east of Europe are facets of this book. As a result, it is supposed that Woad may have been imported on limited occasion. If this occurred, and there is little if any evidence for this, the occurrences would have been limited if not wholly isolated.