SCATTERED FEATHERS AND THE FOOLISH BAT
Apache Knife Fighting & Battle Tactic 2
By Snake
Blocker, Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas
Scattered Feathers
and the Foolish Bat
After the daring kill of the Thunderbirds, the Apache
warrior needed help getting down the large precipice, where the Thunderbird
family nested. The Apache had killed the
whole family of Thunderbirds and threw their bodies off the cliff. There was no way for the Apache to climb
down, and any mistake in trying to descend would surely be the death of him,
from such heights. He pondered for
awhile, but then he saw the old bat flying above him. He called out to her, “Old Woman Bat, come
down here.” The old bat came to his
call. “Let’s make a basket from the
Thunderbird’s nest and I will climb inside it so you can fly me down to the
bottom of this precipice,” said the Apache.
“What would I receive in return for such work?” asked the bat. “You will get to fill the basket afterwards with
as many feathers as you can carry to keep your family warm and add to your thin
feathers,” said the Apache. The old bat
agreed and after the Apache constructed a sturdy basket, he climbed inside and
the old bat flew him down, below the cliff.
They gathered beautiful large feathers from the dead Thunderbirds and
the basket was full. Then the old bat
flew away. The bat was very tired and
sat on a tree branch and took a nap, without covering the basket with her wings. Cross Wind came along and scattered all the
feathers away. When the old bat woke up,
she noticed that she had lost all the beautiful feathers to Cross Wind. She flew back to the Apache warrior who was
giving thanks to The Creator for his success, as he was cutting meat from the
Thunderbirds to take back to his tribe.
The old bat said, “I need more feathers, since Cross Wind came by when I
was napping and scattered them all away.” The Apache said, “Okay, I will give you more
feathers but do not be so foolish to let Cross Wind scattered them away
again.” After the Apache filled her
basket again, the old bat flew away. Sometime
later, she grew tired again and rested in a great tree filled with many
birds. She closed her eyes and took a
long nap. When she awoke, she noticed
her basket was empty and the birds had scattered all her feathers. She flew back to the Apache, who was packing
up the Thunderbird meat. She said, “I
need more feathers; for the birds of the great tree had scattered then, while I
slept.” The Apache said, “Alright, once
more I will give you more feathers but you must not be so foolish in letting
the small birds scattered your feathers.
Go straight home and secure your feathers.” The old bat agreed. The Apache unpacked the Thunderbird’s wings
and gave old bat more feathers. The old
bat took her feathers and flew away.
Once more the old bat flew away and she rested at a small cave on a
cliff, away from trees, birds, and Cross Wind.
She thought, “I will rest a bit before my journey home.” As she rested, Upward
Wind came up the canyon and blew into the cave and scattered the feathers out
of the cave and up the mountain. When
Old Woman Bat woke up, she saw that her feathers were no more. She flew back to the Apache, who was
traveling back to his tribe, along the Pathfinder’s ridge. She said, “Give me more feathers for Upward
Wind scattered my feathers, when I was resting in the cave.” The Apache said, “No!
You have been foolish these three time and you do not deserve any feathers
now.” The Apache took out his knife and
cut all of old bat’s thin feathers and kept them. The
Apache warrior said, “Because you are so foolish, you will fly without feathers,
and you will no longer rest in nests.
You will remain in caves and have to sleep upside down to keep watch for
other birds, Cross Wind and Upward Wind.
You will live in darkness the rest of your days to think about your
foolishness and laziness.” That is why bats today have no feathers and live
upside down in caves.
When in battle, an Apache warrior uses his open hand and
fingers (like feathers) to go across the eyes (Cross Wind) or go up the eyes of
their opponent (Upward Wind). This
tactics is used to distract an opponent with the Apache’s finger going to their
opponent’s eyes, as the Apache’s other hand attacks with a weapon or empty hand
strike. This action emulates the scattered
features that the birds, Cross Wind and Upward Wind took away from Old Woman
Bat. The Apaches call this tactic “Scattered Feathers.”
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