Harmony First, Logistics Later-The Common Thread; Episode 9
The F-G Makes a Plan for Moving
LINKS to all Episodes:
Previously in Episode-8:
The passage depicts a Stone Age family gathering at a cave entrance where chores are finished and some people have gone to the WE. Everyone comes together around a fire for a new story-song that begins with a shared “Summoning the Circle” hum, gradually building into coordinated drumming and synchronized participation. The younger children sit close to family members while elders position themselves in the circle, and the drummers help ensure a steady beat for the mood of the songs.
As the story-song starts, the elders recount how a night hyena sneaked into camp, tried to steal drying fish, and how the elders defended the food—watching, signaling others, using tools and tactics, and ultimately driving the hyena away. The song repeats in structured verses, ending with a reminder that the elders’ courage protected the family’s food and the community sings to remember the hyena’s defeat.
Activities Happening between Episodes 8 and 9
TW: some vague references to couples physical expression of love.
Merca’s Mate Edy Returns from Week-Long Attendance at Annual Men’s Gathering
The morning following the New Song Fire Circle, Merca was up earlier than her usual wakening. She found herself stirring in the night more often than ordinary. When Lapal appeared by her side as she shifted the embers, reviving the constant cave-entrance fire, she expressed her unrest, “Sister, I hope my restlessness in the night did not disturb you.”
“Oh no,” denied Lapal. “I did sense you moving about a bit more than normal. I think you might be looking forward to Edy’s return soon.”
“Exactly right. I do sense that he’ll be back today from the men’s gathering. I will be glad to have him back. Though, I was very glad to have him take the opportunity to gather with others from the far-reaching F-G’s. The men who come back return with so much news and information.”
“It’s helpful in so many ways,” agreed Lapal. “Maybe he met or learned about a possible mate for Mela. I also know the break in the routine is refreshing for both body and spirit for those who go.”
“It will be good to have his return for participation in the F-G meeting about what to do about our need to move camp again soon.”
Lapal nodded, “Yes, his wisdom on that front will aid in making decisions.”
“Speaking of which, shall we get ready for the gathering-foraging rounds so we can finish earlier today to prepare for the fire-circle discussion tonight,” suggested Merca?
Episode 9—Edy’s return. When to Move Basecamp? Altogether? Split the F-G? Considerations?
Merca and Edy, taking on the responsibility to lead the “moving” discussion, come out from their afternoon time in the cave with their children. Mila grasps her father’s hand as if she’ll never let it go. Kala, strapped as always to her mother’s back, smiles winningly at him as the parents motion to all the other members to gather for the evening meal to be followed by the group conversation.
Most everyone already greeted Edy when he came striding into camp after the foragers returned from rounds and were processing and storing items or readying to cook the evening meal. He willingly received more hugs and shoulder pats as the entire F-G came to the circle now.
Besides the staples of greens and tubers, the gatherers had caught some guinea fowl in the traps they kept positioned near the regular roosting areas of the birds.1The fowl had been stewing with greens and herbs all afternoon. The aroma of them cooking lured hungry members to the circle as much as the return of Edy.
“I’m hungry,” Edy proclaimed, “I’ll bet all of you are, too.”
“I am,” announced normally shy Madred, emboldened by joy at Edy’s return.
“Let us go ahead and feed ourselves to fill, then,” declared Ara and Lily, again echoing each other as so often happened among the elders.
“Maybe we can eat and listen to some of the stories Edy has brought to us from the gathering,” proposed Herb.
“Only if he’s ready to tell some tales, and it doesn’t keep him from eating his own food,” reminded bossy, but kindly, Avey.
“You know,” hesitated Edy, “we have so much to talk about tonight, I think it’s best we just eat together first. I’ll be here every day and night now, with many stories to tell. I’ll likely even want to teach you some singing from the gathering. I need some time to pick and choose what activities will aid the F-G the most. I also have some incidents to relate about my travels to and from the conclave. I vote we focus here on the approaching move.”
Nods of accord passed around the circle with everyone turning their attention to the food. Even Baby Kala sat bright-eyed and accepted some mushy tubers offered from her mother’s mouth.2 3 4
The Evening Meal Is Finished, Cleaning Up Is Done
“That was very, very good. I’m as filled up as I can be,” beamed Edy as he assisted with the final clearing away.
“And, wonderful to have your return to share it with us,” assented Merca, gazing fondly at her mate.
“We all agree, Edy. We missed you and are elated at your return to our collective arms as a beloved family member,” pronounced Sletin. Several of the group looked at him amazed since Sletin seldom expressed himself in speeches. Instead his demonstration of care and concern lay in acts of service more than oral expression.
His partner, Eiten, spoke up quickly to praise her mate, hoping to encourage such expression in all the men and boys in the F-G, “I’m impressed that you would speak up for all of us, Sletin, that you had the confidence of knowing all our feelings and decided to voice them for us,” she grinned through her words.
Sletin, his face turning pinkish, acknowledged approving nods from round the full circle.
Addressing the Coming Move.
“Let’s start with a hum of harmony. The drummers may want to keep a steady beat to bring our heartbeats together, too. Once hearts beat together, we find, minds coordinate as well,” Merca and Edy speak the opening together. Past meetings where all the members joined voices and resonance proved to run more smoothly than when initial joining was ignored.
All, young and old, even the three-year-old, understood the assignment and took up humming at Merca and Edy’s example. The drummers with their drums ready to hand initiated a steady pulsing, matching strong heartbeats. Such synchronizing beats and voices allowed bodies to follow along, not with grand gestures as in dance, but subtle movements indicating communal resonance.
The F-G Joins in Vibration, Then Sort Out the Issues to Be Addressed.
Voices remain in vibrato for some beats then slowly fade to silence with drumming ending last. Everyone releases a common sigh of relaxation and alignment.
“Ahhhh, we are joined now in harmony for our community decision-making time,” breathed out Merca, a blissful expression upon her face.
“Yes,” Edy responded with quiet joy. “Who will start with the biggest issues they think we must handle first? Have the elders met to to come up with suggestions for us all?”
All four of the elders, purposely speak at once, “We have, Good Leader!”
The entire company chuckled at their playfulness, glad to have the seriousness of the subject be lightened by their elder antics.
Merca shakes her head in fond mock frustration, “Don’t make us expel you from the circle,” she teases. She is obviously delighted by their joke and knows they have come up with good ideas. “Good, go ahead. One at at time,” she warns light-heartedly.
The elders comply and indicate that Lila will speak first for the foursome.
Lila stands, projects her voice, “We are in complete accord that the first issue to be decided is: Shall we split up into two groups, leaving Ayla and Itim in the staying-until-her-baby-is-delivered-group?
“A selection of others would also stay—sharing between the divisions, our strengths—young strong muscles, child-birthing experience, gathering, foraging, gleaning, and trapping skills,” Lila holds up her hands, enumerating issues as if she has a well-organized outline in her mind’s eye.
“We actually believe this would be the best course of action for a number of reasons,” Using her fingers, Lila proceeds to count out the items to consider:
“We think the ones who go should be those capable of traveling quickly as well as our most experienced hunters since they may well be there for some time before the others follow. They could make some kills and dry the meat before the second group arrives.”
Lila stops speaking. she looks at the other elders, questioning without words if she has represented the small groups thinking.
The other elders, speak out, “Yesssss”
“Tha’s it.”
“Our voice is shared!”
The rest of the members take up the praise with applause and nods, and seeming consensus around the circle.
Edy and Merca stand back up as Lila takes her seat, “Wow, that was spoken so clearly. Thank you, Lila, and Herb, Ara, and Avey,” Edy pronounces.
Merca, taking her mother’s hand, pulls Lila back up in front of the group, saying, “You’ve done a major task for us, all four of you, and my mother speaks so distinctly and succinctly even the smallest child is assured of careful planning for their young lives.”
“Of course, specific details need to be worked out in the next few days. Each F-G member should discuss with other members whether they want to go in the first-leaving group. I think Lila outlined it so well, each person will likely make the perfect decision about whether to be in the first or second group,” Eiten opined.
Edy indicated definitive agreement, “Yes, Elders, are you willing to assume the responsibility of helping younger members figure out the best options for themselves and those closest to them? We know you will guide them well should anyone be indecisive of their most helpful role in staying or going first.”
Elders Agree to Advise Younger Members
Each of the older ones expressed consent to confer and advise any member who wished them to do so.
Ara addresses one last organizing principle before the F-G depart the circle for further deliberation with closest loved ones, final evening duties, and closing down their evening entirely to go to sleep.
“My Loved Ones,” he calls to them, “Please keep in deepest account: Our most important aim is for all members to be safe, healthy, and content. For that to be accomplished every individual’s need is no more important than another’s. Even the very youngest count the same as the eldest and every age in between.
“One person’s skill may be such that it needs prioritization. That does not mean the person gets a level of concern any greater than any one else. It simply means the necessities to perform the skill must be provided.
“Are the best hunters’ spears as functional as they can be? Are gatherers’ traps in good repair? Is there enough food for everyone to nourish all to their ultimate level of performance?
“We must remember nursing mothers and pregnant women are not feeding just their own bodies. This may also cause us to take into account the need of some for more or less sleep than others.
“Thus, we ask you to show concern for every member of our family, even those who are not in our immediate vicinity. The advance clan members ought to be constantly aware that some members stayed behind to tend to new arrivals and those who will nurture them through the years of infancy.
“All should also be alert to the idea that those who go ahead of the rest of us, go to prepare a way for us. That is a great responsibility. Such members need our constant encouragement and gratitude for locating the safest positioning relative to access to our camp from predators, outsiders, the impact of wind, rain, weather.
“We will likely need them to be spending time away from camp for hunting so that some stores are ready for when the second group arrives.
Those people will be tired. They may have difficulty with weather and predators themselves as they travel later from cave to less substantial dwellings.
“So too, must we be mindful that one never knows when tragedy may strike one or more Loved Ones of our group. We have experienced such tragedy not that long ago when we lost Minno, Lapal’s beloved partner, father to Josen and Balay.
Please forgive me for bringing up some difficult happenings for the F-G. It never hurts to keep priorities at top of mind. Remember our cautionary tale we just learned again a few nights, ago, ‘First things First.’”
Members Express Gratitude to Ara for His Long Speech
“Dearest Grandpa Ara,” Arya addresses him with the honorific name often reserved for elders, “We thank you for such important reminders. I know that I would tend to forget the Loved Ones who aren’t sleeping in the same sleep circle as me every night. I have a habit of ‘Out of sight. Out of Mind.’ Your loving, thoughtful admonitions will assist me to not be the young, forgetful girl I once was.”
“I so agree with Arya, Elder Ara,” spoke out Itim as he stood beside Arya, having taken in the wisdom of the mother-to-be of his child. “I thank you, too, for taking the time to impart such wise advice.”
Other members, even young Madred, Josen, and Mila ran up to Ara, grabbing his hand and kissing its wrinkled back.
“What a terrific way to end a lovely evening of taking time together to address every person’s needs,” Avey extemporized. “Shall we all take our sleep now and see what sage visions our dreams will bring us, too? I know I will be glad to accept more wisdom to add to my ready store. I also promise to tell my dreams tomorrow to anyone who wants to hear about them.”
“Several of the young adults, cried, “Oh yes, I want to hear!”
Meeting Ended, Campsite Settled for the Night, A Few Members Still Wakeful, Take the Role of First Watchers
Following the meeting, intense feelings remained aroused among the F-G. Anxiety and anticipation, the negative and positive of looking forward to big changes, sent many of the coupled folk to their places in the sleeping circle to whisper away their concerns and expectations. Ayla and Itim had much to discuss knowing they for sure would be staying back.
Merca and Edy had very tired children, and though tired themselves had not talked through the week of his absence. They felt a need, too, to cement their loving bond with physical demonstration. The children being exhausted afforded them that opportunity. They said “goodnights,” snuggled the children down into the pelts that made their mats warm, secure, and comfortable. Then, scooted their bodies down low upon their own double mat to murmur, “I missed you so.”
“Me too, my loving mate.”
The Sleeping Circle Settles for the Dark of Night
Hushed voices sounded quietly around the sleeping circle. Some soft sighs and quiet breathing, rustling of mats and grasses beneath the pelts continued, then slowly desisted as young and old and middle-aged fell into slumber.
Some folks slid quietly from their spots in the circle, shouldered a pelt for keeping warm as they went out to relieve themselves and to fill in the watch positions so first watch could go to sleep. The exchanges were made silently outside, and the first watchers came in to turn in to their own waiting mats.
Like every night the circle made its normal noises as couples expressed their bond with each other; children snuffled as children always have; people tossed a bit and turned over easing weight on hips and shoulders and heads. Everyone who waked in the night was sure to check the center fire so that it stayed glowing, had not been invaded by a stick or hide that could catch aflame.
If distant howls of predators wakened anyone, they’d be sure the entrance fire was stoked, watchers remained alert, noone needed assistance for any reason before they nestled back into their spots.
End of Episode 9
In the next Episode, 10: The Sleeping Circles Awakens; Dreamers Tell of Adventures, Advice, Premonitions, Had in Dreams; Moving Plans Finalized
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Turkey-sized (omedium-to-large ground birds, a few to ~10 kg range) in eastern sub‑Saharan rift-lake grassland/scrub would most likely be big walkers/foragers that either:
1) **Move in short bursts and run/flush** when surprised, and/or
2) **Roost/stop on the ground or low cover**, then slip away through scrub.
- **Bustards**: some species are very turkey-like in stature and are largely terrestrial. Behavior tends to be “walk, spot, then sprint/flush if threatened,” often relying on open-ground visibility.
- **Guinea fowl / francolins (ground game birds)**: typically lighter than the biggest bustards, but they are very “huntable” in scrub/grassland—fast on foot, hard to approach, often giving away location with calls.
- **Large rails/crevice-edge birds** (near wetter margins of rift lakes): less “turkey-shaped,” but some wetland-edge birds behave like cautious ground foragers that hide and scuttle.
In practice, humans hunting ground birds would get the most reward from birds that:
- forage predictably on the ground,
- feed near edges (scrub/grass transitions),
- and sometimes return to the same areas daily.
1) **Pit traps in likely travel/foraging paths**
- Humans would place concealment + a pit (or deep pit trap) along a route birds repeatedly use between cover and feeding/water areas.
- Works best for birds that **run straight through cover seams** rather than flying up immediately.
2) **Collapsible/“fall” snares (ground snare sets)**
- A noose or slip-knot set near where the bird lowers its head/steps—often a concealed noose tied to a trigger/weight or springing element.
- Effective against birds that **don’t immediately take off** and instead attempt to escape on foot.
3) **Noose lines in funneling cover**
- In scrub/grassland, you can build low fences/brush corridors to create a **single-file funnel**.
- Put the snare at the narrow end so the bird’s **forward movement** puts it into the mechanism.
- This is often more realistic than expecting a bird to walk into an open, obvious trap.
4) **Lever/kicker “trigger” sets at baited spots**
- Use bait (seeds/grain/insects, or carcass scraps) in a small cleared patch.
- Bird comes in to feed; a lever trips and tightens a snare or drops a restraining element.
- Most plausible when birds **linger to feed** rather than just pass through.
5) **Net traps in places birds regroup**
- More plausible near places birds come together: roosting areas, watering edges, or narrow “choke points.”
- Turkey-sized birds can be strong; a simple net might not hold them unless the set is designed to prevent escape (and is positioned in a way that they can’t just break free and run).
### What would matter most
- **Cover density**: more scrub means birds run/hide more; snares in funnels and path pits become more effective.
- **Flight distance**: if the species tends to **stay grounded until very close**, snaring becomes much easier; if it flushes early, trapping success drops.
- **Daily routes**: humans would gain by watching how birds move between feeding patches and safe cover.
…when premastication (also called pre-chewing or “kiss feeding”) is practiced, mothers/caregivers often chew food and then transfer the softened bolus directly into the infant’s mouth (mouth-to-mouth), rather than only preparing it via utensils or cooking afterward.
Research reviews describe premastication as the act of chewing food and transferring it from one person’s mouth to another incapacity infant/young child, “either directly mouth-to-mouth, via utensils, hands, or…further cooked or processed prior to feeding,” meaning mouth-to-mouth transfer is one documented route.
We don’t know for sure where “kissing” (as a social/romantic behavior) began, and there’s no direct evidence from mtMRCA’s time that lets us trace kissing’s origin to premastication.
But we can make a reasonable guess based on continuity of behavior across humans and other apes: premastication (chew-and-transfer feeding, sometimes mouth-to-mouth) is biologically plausible to have existed for a very long time, and it already involves directed oral–oral contact between caregiver and recipient. Some researchers/secondary sources explicitly propose that later forms of mouth-to-mouth contact used for bonding (and possibly eventually romance) could have been derived from (or co-opted) these feeding-related interactions—i.e., kissing as a “courtship/bonding” ritual evolving from earlier “parent–offspring (or couple) feeding” contact. Wikipedia
A related point: evolutionary analyses of “kissing” in the stricter sense of mouth-on-mouth contact without food transfer suggest the behavior is deep-rooted in great apes (and may have existed long before humans), which also supports the idea that mouth-to-mouth contact predates any cultural shift toward “romantic” kissing. BBC
So: we can’t prove premastication is the origin of kissing, but we can plausibly hypothesize that premastication-like oral contact provided the behavioral “raw material” that selection and culture later repurposed into kissing as we know it.
AI would not generate an image of a mother feeding her child mouth-to-mouth.
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