Keepers of the Peacefire

Keepers of the Peacefire

There was a fire, long time ago.

People could speak to that fire and the fire spoke back to them.

They did not speak from their minds but from their hearts.

They  connected with that fire. And the fire connected with them. The fire kept them warm, nurtured them and much more. It truly was a sacred fire.

It burnt in the hearts of the communities all over the world. This sacred fire was connected with Wakan Tanka, Tunkashila, Great Spirit, Creator. 

It truly burns in Creator’s heart. And if you sit by that fire you will feel His love his care and the great peace radiating from this fire, from Creator’s heart. 

The people lived in peace with that fire, with themselves, eachother, with the Eart Mother for thousands of years.

There were special women trained to be the firekeepers of that sacred fire. It acquired many years of training, many years of listening to the fire and listening to the stories of the elders. It took a brave heart, it took a lot of patience to become a true firekeeper.

A young lady by the name of Minds-the-Fire learning to become a firekeeper was sitting by the fire with her new born babyboy. Carries-the-Fire, an old grandmother of the village had taught her not long before how to make a fire with a firebow, a firedrill. The young lady was good in that. 

The wind blew through the little lodge where she was sitting in. The men were out hunting. The fire cracked. A little spack of fire jumped out of the fire on a foot of the babyboy. The baby started crying. And instead of nurturing the boy the young woman got angry. She had the heart of a warrior. The baby kept on crying. Now Minds-the-Fire got mad and shouted bad names to the fire, words that have never been heared before, bad words that never had been spoken before. All was changing in a split second. The woman got in a rage and the babyboy was crying out loud. The woman shouted, trew water in the fire and attacked the fire with an axe. 

The fire went out. And it got real cold. Minds-the-Fire calmed down a little and kind-a realised what she had done. The baby was still crying becoming rather cold and getting hungry. So Minds-the-Fire took a warm blanket and wrapped her babyboy in it and walked out of her lodge. She needed fire so she went to another lodge to get some fire overthere. But as soon as she walked in the next lodge the fire went out. She went to the next lodge. And also there the fire went out. She went from one lodge to the next and everywhere she came the fire died. There was only fire burning in one lodge still. This was the lodge of Carries-the-Fire. The young lady hesitated cause she new what she had done was wrong. The best thing to do now was going back to her own lodge and make a fire with her firedrill and wait patiencely on the old wise lady to come. But no, Minds-the-Fire was unpatience and she wanted the fire for her and her son now! So she walked in the lodge of Carries-the-Fire. Minds-the-Fire saw the old lady sitting behind the fireplace. There was no fire in the firepit. Carries-the-Fire had the fire in the palms of her hands, staring in the flames and said: “I know what you have done. And you will find out. You took away the sacred fire from your heart and by doing that you took it away from the people. You’ve learned to make fire. But that fire has no heart. You have chosen to learn the hard way. And we have to respect that. Even Wakan Tanka, Tunkashila, Great Spirit, Creator has to respect that. Hard times will come to you and the people. Now the fire is no longer in your hands and it is up to Creator, Great Spirit to give it back to you. I know in my heart He once will return this sacred fire to the people, once the lessons are learned and the people are yearning for peace, love and understanding’. After saying these words the old lady took a deep breath and with her breath she sucked in the fire from her hands and took it to her heart. The old lady stood up and now her body became all light and transparent. Whole the lodge lighted up from her radiance. Minds-the-Fire took a step back. She saw  Carries-the-Fire walk towards the door so she stepped aside. Carries-the-Fire walked outside and in the light of day she became invisible. There was this sound, a kind of whistle sound that fire can make when the wind blows through it. This sound was heared and the Carries-the-Fire was gone.

Minds-the-Fire went back to her fireplace and started a fire there. She did not pray before she started this fire. She shared this fire with the others. But this was a fire without a heart. The people started to quarrel more and more and lost their peaceful ways. They did not speak with the fire anymore and when they did the fire did not answere. Hard times came and because of the people became selfish they learned to know poverty and became in need. The son of Minds-the-Fire grew up to be one of the first strong and powerful warchiefs. 

The rest of the story we all know. It is the story we are living in today. Many lessons are learned. Not all the warchiefs were bad. Some had real good hearts and did everything to protect their people. Storytellers were telling their stories by the fires. Sometimes it was like even the fire was listening. Some storytellers remembered the story of Carries-the-Fire and the story survived. Over the years the story changed somewhat. The lessons learned where sometimes added to the story. Some people sometimes heard a sound of fire going around in their camps at night. Some went outside of their homes to look cause they heared this cracking sound all over. And yet there was no fire, only a Spirit. 

This was the spirit of Carries-the-Fire. 

And here we share her story. This story is going all over the world now. Together with this fire. Wakan Tanka, Tunkashila, Great Spirit wants the people to find their peace in their hearts again. And over the years, over thousands of years there have been wise man and wise women keeping this fire alive. Many times hidden away far from the world that has gone crazy. 

And this is not just a story. And if you ask me : “Is it a true story?” I will answere: “There’s a lot of truth in this story” 

Now it’s for you to listen to your heart and listen to this sacred fire here. 

It will speak to you and much more.

It truly is a sacred Fire.

This fire is lit with a prayer and a coal coming from the ancient peacefire that has been burning over a thousand years