For this year's A-Z Challenge I have selected a word from the dictionary for each day and written a story around it with a 100 word limit. For extra interest I have chosen words that are unknown or unfamiliar to me. All definitions are from the Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus 2007 Edition. Today's word is Irenic.
Irenic: Intended or intending to maintain or bring about peace.
Vantu’s
irenic mission was to bring peace to warring tribes throughout Africa, a
mission he believed ordained by the gods. But he had never seen anything like
this.
The
Tokono tribe were split by their dispute over the origin of rice. One side
believed it originated from the toenail clippings of the great God Onardor. The
other side held that it embodied the souls of maggots which had died before
becoming flies.
Vantu
resolved the issue by telling all parties they were lucky to have rice to eat,
but if they kept killing each other, rival tribes would steal it.
35 comments:
This is a great drabble! A fully incapsulated story is hard to achieve in such a low word count limit, but you pulled it off. Loved the imagery of the toenail clippings.
Alex Hurst, A Fantasy Author in Kyoto
A-Z Blogging in April Participant
Toenail clippings? Really!? LOL.
Great word. Ewww at the origins.
Another day, another new word--I'm learning a lot!
It's amazing what some people fight about. Just quit arguing and eat the rice:)
A very practical fellow, your Vantu :)
Sophie
Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles
FB3X
Wittegen Press
LOL, love it! Vantu sounds very wise... :P
Loved the post and learn't a new word. Thank you :)
I think if rice was descended from either of those things, I'd happily abstain!
Annalisa, writing A-Z vignettes, at Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep
Good strategy. ;-)
Now this I like! I really must try to use it.
Haha! Those origins don't make rice sound very appetizing...
Toenail clippings vs. maggots. I think Vantu had the right idea on not focussing on the origin at all. Yech!
LOL - well that is a very practical solution :)
Tasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
Maggots have souls before becoming flies? Great post. Love the new word, too.
I need to use "irenic" in my writing!
Toe nail clippings, eh? I hope they were properly washed first.
Stephen Tremp
A to Z Co-host
Twitter: @StephenTremp
LOL I love rice but now I'm afraid I won't be able to get toenail clippings out of my mind when eating it. Not that maggots would be any better. Gross LOL.
Maggot souls... Hmmm. Vantu sounds like a wise man.
Where DO you find these words? The dictionary? Really? I think I'd better start reading that book again. Loved the origin of rice dispute. Not sure I'll eat rice again, however.
I think Vantu had great wisdom that he dispensed to these two tribes; I hope his mission did prove to be peaceful down the road.
betty
LOL. You might have just ruined rice for me. Dead maggots?
Neither of those beliefs make me more inclined to eat more rice! LOL
~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Member of C. Lee's Muffin Commando Squad
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
I wouldn't want to eat either...
Hi Nick - that's not an enticing story line ... but I do like rice on occasions .. if I can forget this post - I'll carry on that way!!
However Irenic is a good word to know about .. cheers Hilary
Ick. That may just put my off rice permanently.
Liz A. from Laws of Gravity
Irenic is an interesting word. I wonder what it's origins are.
Wow. That's fascinating. Legend?
You make me laugh. Ick! But hilarious at the same time.
Ditto to Jean's comment - I laughed. Yes, I yucked, and ewwed… but I laughed nonetheless - great little story.
Sent with smiles, Jenny, Pearson Report
2015 A to Z Challenge Ambassador
@PearsonReport
Well done, and you managed to make me giggle, too.
It is such a weird word, you are a true wordsmith for figuring out a story.
What a great theme for the challenge! I'm going to have to try to work that word into everyday conversation--imagine the looks on people's faces! :)
'Tis amusing. I grin at thee.
Good drabble!
(Toe clippings?)
Post a Comment