Chapter Two: On the way to knowledge
Eight days later Guanarigato spent some time with Khodota, when the King of Vyatichs told him that the people in Canarias did not seem to have much knowledge about warfare, agriculture and trade Guanarigato told him that he was sadly well aware of that, the few men who had ever heard about the Guanches referred to them as primitive savages. His house was made of wood on the top of a small hill, they had hunting bows and they wore leather garments. They could defend themselves with wooden lances with sharp obsidian tips but otherwise they could not hope to win a war against any other nation in the area.
Guanarigato had asked his wisest men to focus their researches on the way they could take a fortress quickly. They should also be able to hand down their know-how and find how he could rule his kingdom with more efficiency. He had also sent some of his sailors to the main lands in the east. One of them had told him that things were not too bad for the Berbers who kept on worshipping the old gods in Tangiers or in Fes, most of the people now had the Muslim faith but some of them swore by “the old gods and the new”. However in the lands ruled by the Almoravids the pagans suffered. They had a more stringent religion. So Guanarigato decided to offer safety, wealth and honour to the men who would bring with them new devices or knowledge.
Then Guanarigato told him: “As we said earlier, I shall provide the crew and the ships to ferry you home, I will also send a shaman with you, so that the wind spirits will not harm you on your return. You asked me what I wanted for this service. I needed a wife and a steward, I have both now. I also need someone who will inherit the chiefdom but the gods will see to this.” Khodota replied: “They have already, I feel a new spirit is born today, your wife is pregnant.” Guanarigato’s heart was filled with joy: “Then I will ask you this: If there are some farmers, craftsmen, lore masters you could spare please send them to me.” Khodota agreed though he warned him that they may not be here before at least a year. And when the tide allowed it the King of Vyatichs sailed away.
During the next month, one man from Ifni came and he was willing to teach them how they could have a better income. Business contracts were widely used afterwards. Another month later a priest from Infa, the only other place in the area where the people were still worshipping the old gods ,came and he was bringing the relics of godly men, as a consequence the loyalty of the religious men in Canarias increased. During the fruits month, the twelfth of the lunar year, a farmer from Tangiers made a demonstration of how they could prevent the seed from being eaten by birds by using wood ploughs before sowing.
During the pasture month (the fourth one), a Faykan (religious and spiritual leader) arrived from Infa, he reminded the working class people that they had a divine duty, the loyalty of the peasants was improved. In the tenth month, one of the wisest Sigoñes (captains) discovered that a fortress could be broken with a battering ram, the time required for the sieges would be greatly decreased. Two months later he taught his Cichiciquitzos (warriors) how they could make a good use of the terrain to defend themselves. Then during the next week, a farmer from Massat told the Achicaxna that they could use one field for the culture and the other would be a fallow and they should change each year. By doing this they would have a better production. Only a few suns were dead and reborn when one great warrior discovered that if they threw javelins on their enemies fewer would be able to reach them.
One month later a mason from Cebta came, he was an expert in the construction and the basilican structures. Two years after Guanarigato’s coronation, the wise men had finished their researches on the seven liberal arts. And at last during this same month, a lord from Russia settled in Canarias, he taught the Achimenceys the rights the gods had granted them. His smith arrived only six months later, bringing with him the know-how needed to make shortswords.
This night as he went to sleep, Guanarigato sang these words:
“You live, you learn.
You love, you learn.
You cry, you learn.
You lose, you learn.
You bleed, you learn.
You scream, you learn.
You grieve, you learn.
You choke, you learn.
You laugh, you learn.
You choose, you learn.
You pray, you learn.
You ask, you learn.
You live, you learn…”
Super, just super!
