The Clan of the Cave Bear (Earth's Children, #1)

by Jean M. Auel

Only rarely were women allowed to participate in the religious life of the clan, and they were banned from this ceremony entirely. No disaster could be so great as that of a woman seeing the men’s secret rites. It would not just bring bad luck, it would drive the protective spirits away. The whole clan would die. But there was little danger of that. It would never occur to a woman to venture anywhere near such an important ritual.

Foreshadowing

But a race with no room for learning, no room for growth, was no longer equipped for an inherently changing environment, and they had passed beyond the point of developing in a different way. That would be left for a newer form, a different experiment of nature.

Why should this small girl have need of such powerful protection?

If only you knew *sigh*

A man did not prove his manhood, in Brun’s opinion, by overcoming women.

It was unworthy of a man to pit himself against a lesser adversary, or to allow his emotions to be provoked by a woman. It was a man’s duty to command women, to maintain discipline, to hunt and provide, to control his emotions and to show no sign of pain when he was suffering.

‘Feet,’ she said, pointing down to hers. ‘Yes,’ he nodded, wondering. She turned and walked away and as she approached him again, she made the gesture and said the word, ‘Feet.’ ‘Yes, yes! That’s it! That’s the idea!’ he said. ‘She has it! I think she understands!’

And there it is. Human intuition and intelligence

As Creb looked at the peaceful, trusting face of the strange girl in his lap, he felt a deep love flowering in his soul for her. He couldn’t have loved her more if she were his own.

The battles waged by spirits within the bodies of women in the elemental struggle to produce life were deep mysteries to the men. While a woman bled, her totem’s essence was powerful; it was winning, defeating some male essential principle, casting out his impregnating essence.

Amazing they breed at all

She was one of the Others; a newer, younger breed, more vital, more dynamic, not controlled by hidebound traditions from a brain that was nearly all memory. Her brain followed different paths, her full, high forehead that housed forward thinking frontal lobes, gave her an understanding from a different view. She could accept the new, shape it to her will, forge it into ideas undreamed by the Clan, and, in nature’s way, her kind was destined to supplant the ancient, dying race.

The change in Ayla was unbelievable. She was a different person. She was contrite, she was docile, she raced to do Broud’s bidding. The men were convinced it was brought about by his tightened discipline. They nodded their heads knowingly, she was living proof of what they had always maintained: if men were too lenient, women became lazy and insolent. Women needed the firm guidance of a strong hand. They were weak, wilful creatures, unable to exert the self-control of men. They wanted men to command them, to keep them under control, so they would be productive members of the clan and contribute to its survival.

when you have a decision to make your totem will help you. If it’s the right decision, he will give you a sign. Creb said it would be something very unusual, and no one else can tell you if it’s a sign. You have to learn to listen with your heart and your mind and the spirit of your totem inside you will tell you.

Ayla was working nearby and repressed a desire to smile. So now I’m a spirit, but they can’t decide if I’m a good one or a bad one.

She was female, she should never have touched the sling – Clan tradition was absolutely clear on that – but she was good. She gave him credit for teaching her, whether he knew it or not. That double-stone technique, he thought, that’s a trick I’d like to learn. Zoug’s pride was the pride of a true teacher for a pupil who excelled; a student who paid attention, learned well, and then did the master one better. And she had proved him right.

‘It’s Ayla!’ he shouted and hobbled towards her; forgetting his staff, forgetting his dignity, and forgetting every custom against showing emotions outside one’s hearth, he threw his arm around the girl and hugged her to his breast.

‘This girl is glad to be back, Brun. More than once I was frightened, more than once I was sure I would never return.’ Brun grunted. I’m sure of that, he thought.

‘I wanted a baby so much, a baby of my own like other women. I never thought I’d have one. I was so happy. I didn’t care if I was sick, I just wanted my own baby. It was so hard, I didn’t think he’d ever come, but when you said he’d die, I had to. If he has to die anyway, why was it so hard? Mother, I want my baby, don’t make me get rid of him.’

She had a fleeting glimpse of the cave again, followed by a confusing kaleidoscope of landscapes, laid out not with the randomness of nature, but in regular patterns. Box-like structures reared up from the earth and long ribbons of stone spread out, along which strange animals crawled at great speeds; huge birds flew without flapping their wings. Then more scenes, so strange she couldn’t comprehend them. It happened in an instant.

buildings, cars and planes

What good would it do to kill her? Ayla was only one of her kind, and she was the one he loved.

The dry, brittle wood of the ancient relic had lost all its resilience after so many generations of use. A hairline crack had developed, but went unnoticed beneath the white coating. The shock of dropping from Ayla’s hand to the hard stone floor of the cave was more than it could take. It had split in two.

Symbolic

What can you do, Ayla, he thought? Can you change who you are? Can you take back the damage you did? The Clan will die, only you and your kind will be left. We are an ancient people. We have kept our traditions, honoured the spirits and Great Ursus, but it is over for us, finished. Maybe it was meant to be. Maybe it wasn’t you, Ayla, but your kind. Is that why you were brought to us? To tell me? The earth we leave is beautiful and rich; it gave us all we needed for all the generations we have lived. How will you leave it when it is your turn? What can you do?

He stood as tall as his one good leg would allow, trying not to lean too much on his staff. Then, with all the pride in himself and his People he could gather, he turned with stiff dignity and walked out of the cave.

Solemn and dignified to the very end

I don’t think you will pull her through this time, Ayla, Brun said to himself, watching the frail woman.

You are not Clan, Ayla. You were born to the Others, you belong with them. You must leave, child, find your own kind.’

Dam right!

‘You cannot stay here, Ayla. Go and find them, my child. Find your own people, find your own mate.’

Yea!

‘Iza! Iza!’ Ayla screamed. ‘Mother, don’t go, don’t leave me! Oh, mother, don’t go.’

don’t leave me

‘She’s right, Broud,’ Brun said with controlled calm. ‘You can’t stop her from nursing him. What baby a woman suckles is not a man’s concern, it has never been a man’s concern. He has more important things to worry about.’

Aka you should have more important things to worry about

‘That’s your choice, Broud. I assumed the responsibility for training him, I made that decision before I ever accepted him. But I did accept him. Durc is a member of this clan and he will be a hunter. I’ll make sure of it.’

Fuck yea!

She was unique. The name he had begun to call her, the name made with sounds, seemed to suit her best. She was Mama, and Mama, the golden-haired goddess he adored, did not nod approvingly when he attempted to boss her.

Haha we all gotta learn

‘No, he hasn’t bothered me much,’ Ayla motioned. She didn’t know how to explain the fear she felt every time he looked at her. She could even feel the hair rising on the back of her neck if he stared at her when she wasn’t looking.

He’s just biding his time. The bastard

‘I’m not dead, Broud,’ she gestured defiantly. ‘I won’t die. You can’t make me die. You can make me go away, you can take my son from me, but you can’t make me die!’

‘Don’t think I didn’t see you, Brun. You answered her when she was talking to you, before she went into the cave. She’s a spirit, you’ll bring bad luck,’ he denounced. ‘Only on myself, Broud, and what more could I have? But when did you see her talk to me? When did you see her go into the cave? Why did you threaten to strike a spirit? You still don’t understand, do you? You acknowledged her, Broud, she has beaten you. You did everything you could to her, you even cursed her. She’s dead, and still she won. She was a woman, and she had more courage than you, Broud, more determination, more self-control. She was more man than you are. Ayla should have been the son of my mate.’

Holy shit!

As she passed Brun, she bowed her head and made a gesture of gratitude. When she reached the ridge, she turned and looked back one more time. She saw Brun raise his hand as if to scratch his nose, but it looked as if he made a gesture, the same gesture Norg had made when they left the Clan Gathering. It looked as if Brun had said, ‘Walk with Ursus.’