Religion

1 | land and women

KIWA POV

There are quite a few women bleeding tonight. I see them scattered across a barren field, made visible only by the light of the full moon. Some talk quietly in pairs whilst others have fallen asleep and snore softly into the warm night air. I make my way to an empty space, lift my cloak above my hips and expose my bottom half to the earth. A short prayer falls from my lips before I take a seat, shuffling my weight until the blades of grass no longer stick up and tickle my skin. Releasing my cloak, I allow it to fall around my crossed legs. My essence pours from me. Always heavier on the first day.

Nā te whenua, nā te wāhine, ka mate te tangata. There is only two reasons men die in war, because of land and because of women.

The two most important things for a tribes survival are women to birth a new generation, and land to grow crops. Both are essential and sacred. The women on this field honour the earth mother Papatūānuku with our blood, and in return the crops grow strong. I've been serving the gods in this way since my eleventh winter when they blessed me with the power to create life. It's been six solstice's since then and I have helped the most unforgivable soil turn into fruitful fields of sweet potato. 

"Can I sit with you?"

My heart skips a beat as I search for the source of the tiny voice. No movement comes from the sleeping women splayed in front of me so I twist my body towards the tree line. Squinting to focus on a small figure, I hope to the gods that it is human rather than spirit.

"Who's there?" Lately, we've received word of ghost sightings up and down the coastline. News travels fast amongst our neighbouring tribes and so does the anxiety that comes with it.

"S-sorry, it's Tui... can I sit with you?"

Releasing the breath I've been holding, I greet her with a warm smile. Tui is my best friend Pania's little sister, and by extension my kin. I'm surprised to see her here considering she's a tiny little thing that has only seen nine full winters. 

"You scared me Tui! What are you doing here?"

"Pania told me to find you out here. I had my first bleed..." she mumbled.

"Come sit, come." I speak quietly while patting the space beside me, "I'm glad she did, I've been lonely since she fell with child." 

She smiles sadly before taking a seat, which makes me wonder if she feels the same way. I usually spend nights like these talking into the early hours of the morning with Pans. We've been inseparable since infancy, so I'm grateful to have her mini-me for the time being. I watch Tui awkwardly pull the feathered cloak from beneath her. I take a mental note to teach her how to sit comfortably later. Let's not scare her away just yet. 

"The air is warm tonight, you should get some rest. At dawn I will take you to the long house where we can bathe." I say quietly.

"So we do this every night?" she peers over the dark field, no doubt anxious about the ritual.

"No, just on full moons." I begin, watching her visibly relax. I put my hand over hers and bring them to the cool ground in front of us, "When my mama was still alive, she taught me about the moon and how it pulls water from the deep earth. Rises it up to the surface, giving life to everything. The same happens in our bodies. If you really concentrate, you can feel the energy of it. It helps me feel connected, even in change." 

We stay like this for a while, with nothing but the sound of swaying trees and bird calls. I'm silently hoping she understands and finds comfort in the fact. It was the only thing that helped me through this stage in life. After a few minutes, I feel her press her palm further into the earth, a slight smile appear on her face. "See?"