Post by wildrunner on Jul 12, 2007 23:24:09 GMT -5
Yesterday my anthropology professor told us a story about a colleague of his that did his fieldwork with a group of people called the Arapesh of New Guinea, who were known for there ferocity and aggressive nature. The men were extremely intense about their bravery and being able to prove themselves as men.
In the village where this anthropologist lived, and in the villages in the territories surrounding it, there was always the threat of raids. These raids were held by 10-20 men, and always at night when they could sneak into another village and take women and children.
So one night, one of the anthropologist's informants of the tribe asks him if he wants to go on one of these raids to see what they are like. And he says, "Well, you see I don't know that I could kill anyone or take someone's wife and children. That is against my beliefs."
The man laughs. "No, we don't expect YOU to kill anyone. But you can witness it, and see what they are like."
The anthropologist chews the offer around. It was not ethical, but it would help his ethnography quite a bit. "Okay, well when are we going?"
"Right now!" says the tribesman.
The anthropologist is startled at hearing this, "Now?
"Now! Let's go!"
So the group of tribesman plus the anthropologist set off into the night, setting a pace of running, and then walking, jogging, then running-- whatever the terrain they follow demands. The anthropologist, after many, many, many hours of this is exhausted.
He says, "Are we almost there?"
The tribe informant looks at him with a serious face, and says, "We are two days off."
"Well, when will we rest, and eat," says the anthropologist, now very concerned.
"We will not," the tribesman says. That was all.
They continued on and on, never stopping at all. The endurance on these men was undeniable.
The anthropologist however was nearing absolute fatigue, becoming dizzy and slurring. So his tribesman informant throws him over his shoulders and procedes to carry him, passing him off to his first cousin when he needs a break. Finally after two days of making their way through the forest they arrive.
The anthropologist doesn't notice that the men, except his informant, have gone off the trail. His informant looks at the anthropologist's pathetic state: lying on the forest floor, mumbling that they should go on without him, give him to the village, they won't kill him becomes he's an anthropologist!
"Are you ready?" the tribesman asks, "You must be ready! Are you a man or not!?! They will kill you! ........ I am sorry I brought you!"
The man continues to mumble and cry.
Finally, not being able to wait any longer, the tribesman swings his arm back and with amazing force, slaps him in the face. The anthropologist looks stunned.
The tribesman picks him up and throws him over his shoulders. He carries him down to rivers edge, where the rest of the group is readying themselves for the raid. They are rolling, running, and wrestling in large patch of Stinging Nettle. The tribesman throws the anthropologist into the nettle and the men rub his body, his face, his everything with the stinging nettle.
Later, the anthropologist describes it as if his entire body was saturated with gasoline and then lit on fire! But through this intense pain, where he could feel absolutely nothing else besides it, he was elevated into a spiritual craze--- no longer dizzy or mumbling, but highly alert and aware thanks to god knows how much adrenaline and endorphins.
"Now. Are you ready?" the tribesman asks again.
"YES!" he says.
And they go to the village and raid. Not only do they raid the village, but they ran back directly after the raiding, having been chased for nearly a day.
These men ran for four days straight with no food, no proper rests, and under the gnarly stress of the circumstances.
Now THAT is a serious run.
Needless to say, I tapped into a raw, animalistic, survival-mode running trance on my run that afternoon-- one of the best I've had in a while.
Best, Libby
In the village where this anthropologist lived, and in the villages in the territories surrounding it, there was always the threat of raids. These raids were held by 10-20 men, and always at night when they could sneak into another village and take women and children.
So one night, one of the anthropologist's informants of the tribe asks him if he wants to go on one of these raids to see what they are like. And he says, "Well, you see I don't know that I could kill anyone or take someone's wife and children. That is against my beliefs."
The man laughs. "No, we don't expect YOU to kill anyone. But you can witness it, and see what they are like."
The anthropologist chews the offer around. It was not ethical, but it would help his ethnography quite a bit. "Okay, well when are we going?"
"Right now!" says the tribesman.
The anthropologist is startled at hearing this, "Now?
"Now! Let's go!"
So the group of tribesman plus the anthropologist set off into the night, setting a pace of running, and then walking, jogging, then running-- whatever the terrain they follow demands. The anthropologist, after many, many, many hours of this is exhausted.
He says, "Are we almost there?"
The tribe informant looks at him with a serious face, and says, "We are two days off."
"Well, when will we rest, and eat," says the anthropologist, now very concerned.
"We will not," the tribesman says. That was all.
They continued on and on, never stopping at all. The endurance on these men was undeniable.
The anthropologist however was nearing absolute fatigue, becoming dizzy and slurring. So his tribesman informant throws him over his shoulders and procedes to carry him, passing him off to his first cousin when he needs a break. Finally after two days of making their way through the forest they arrive.
The anthropologist doesn't notice that the men, except his informant, have gone off the trail. His informant looks at the anthropologist's pathetic state: lying on the forest floor, mumbling that they should go on without him, give him to the village, they won't kill him becomes he's an anthropologist!
"Are you ready?" the tribesman asks, "You must be ready! Are you a man or not!?! They will kill you! ........ I am sorry I brought you!"
The man continues to mumble and cry.
Finally, not being able to wait any longer, the tribesman swings his arm back and with amazing force, slaps him in the face. The anthropologist looks stunned.
The tribesman picks him up and throws him over his shoulders. He carries him down to rivers edge, where the rest of the group is readying themselves for the raid. They are rolling, running, and wrestling in large patch of Stinging Nettle. The tribesman throws the anthropologist into the nettle and the men rub his body, his face, his everything with the stinging nettle.
Later, the anthropologist describes it as if his entire body was saturated with gasoline and then lit on fire! But through this intense pain, where he could feel absolutely nothing else besides it, he was elevated into a spiritual craze--- no longer dizzy or mumbling, but highly alert and aware thanks to god knows how much adrenaline and endorphins.
"Now. Are you ready?" the tribesman asks again.
"YES!" he says.
And they go to the village and raid. Not only do they raid the village, but they ran back directly after the raiding, having been chased for nearly a day.
These men ran for four days straight with no food, no proper rests, and under the gnarly stress of the circumstances.
Now THAT is a serious run.
Needless to say, I tapped into a raw, animalistic, survival-mode running trance on my run that afternoon-- one of the best I've had in a while.
Best, Libby
