Why the Sky Is So Far Away (A West African Folklore)

Long ago, the sky was not as distant as it is today. It was so close that people could reach up and tear off a piece to eat. The sky was soft and tasted like delicious food – some say it was like yam, others like breadfruit, or even a sweet, milky porridge. Because of this, people never had to work hard for their meals; the sky provided everything they needed.

The Sky Being, who lived just above, was kind and generous. However, he had one strict rule: people could only take small pieces of the sky at a time, just enough for their immediate needs. They were never to be greedy or wasteful.

For a long time, the people obeyed this rule, living in ease and contentment. But eventually, their gratitude faded, and greed began to creep into their hearts. Some people started tearing off large chunks of the sky, more than they could eat. They hoarded it, letting it spoil, or used it carelessly.

One old woman was particularly greedy. She would take enormous portions of the sky every day. One day, while preparing a large feast for her family, she became annoyed that she had to keep reaching up for more sky. In her impatience, she used a long pestle from her mortar to pound at the sky, breaking off a huge amount all at once.

The Sky Being, witnessing this disrespect and the blatant disregard for his rule, became deeply saddened and angered by the people's greed. He had offered them sustenance and ease, but they had abused his generosity.

In his disappointment, the Sky Being decided that he could no longer remain so close to a people who had become so ungrateful. With a great sigh, he slowly began to rise. Higher and higher he went, until he was far beyond their reach.

The people watched in dismay as their easy source of food disappeared into the distance. From that day forward, they had to work hard to cultivate the land for their sustenance. They had to plant, tend, and harvest, learning the value of labor and the consequences of greed.

And that is why, according to this tale, the sky is so far away today – a constant reminder of a time when the world was different and the importance of respecting the gifts we are given.

Cultural Reflection

This origin story explains a fundamental aspect of the world – the distance of the sky – through a moral lesson about gratitude and the dangers of greed and wastefulness. It reflects a cultural value of respecting resources and the consequences of imbalance. The story also subtly highlights the shift from a state of effortless abundance to one requiring labor, a common theme in many creation myths that explain the hardships of the human condition.