Eka and the Genyornis: A Tale of Ancient Creativity
Join Jennifer Joy in this episode of the Jennifer Joy Podcast as she shares the captivating story of Eka and the Genyornis, set 40,000 years ago in ancient Australia. Eka, an early human artist, is inspired by the sight of the graceful, sky-blue Genyornis, a giant flightless bird thought to be extinct. Driven by a desire to share her experience and comfort her ill companion, Oog, Eka creates a striking cave painting of the bird.
Through dynamic storytelling and vivid descriptions, Jennifer brings to life the challenges and triumphs of Eka's creative process. As she sketches the bird's outline on the cave wall, Eka faces interruptions and confrontations, particularly from the burly Maktin. Despite these challenges, her determination to express herself and share her vision with Oog prevails.
This episode explores themes of self-expression, ancient artistry, and the significance of creativity in early human societies. Perfect for science enthusiasts and creative minds, the story of Eka and the Genyornis celebrates the resilience and innovation of early humans.
Tune in for an engaging and insightful journey into the heart of ancient artistry with Eka and the Genyornis. Discover how early humans used art not only for self-expression but also to connect with others and document their experiences.
Transcript
Welcome to the Jennifer Joy Podcast, where science meets art. So, I'm really fascinated by all aspects of evolution. As most of you know who have been listening, I'm especially fascinated by the evolution of the human mind. Creativity is one of those things that seemed to be unique to human beings. But of course, we've been seeing that it's possible that there's some form of creativity in many other animals.
[:But I'm particularly fascinated by human creativity and how the rise of abstract representation started. I did a little research. I found out that archaeologists found a cave in Africa that contained some fascinating objects which dated back 77,000 years. It seems this was a tool shop where tools were not only made, but they were improved upon. So the birth of human innovation.
[:The researchers also discovered figurines in this cave. So here we are with abstract representations that date back 77,000 years. Now, there's also cave art, also called cave paintings, which are extremely early examples of human abstract art that are representational and symbolic. At first, archaeologists actually thought that humans weren't creative until they got to Europe, because they had only discovered the caves in Spain and France. And also maybe because there was a little racism, maybe.
[:But the evidence is overwhelming now that when human beings left Africa, they were already creative. There are examples of this creativity in cave and rock art all over the world, Indonesia, Australia, Europe, and Africa. So, as an artist wanting to do stories about evolution, I took an imaginative turn with this. I thought, okay, why would those people make art? Well, why do we make art today?
[:I'm thinking there are three reasons why we make art. First, because we want to express something, we want to share something. Second, sometimes art is made for ritual purposes that might have been truer in the past, though Tibetan sand paintings today are an example of an art making ritual. And third, artistry is sometimes associated with neurodivergence or even mental illness. So I've written three stories playing with each of these themes regarding creativity, self-expression, ritual, and neurodivergence.
[:In this episode, I'm looking at making art out of a motive to express oneself and to share a thought or experience. For this, I'm playing with an image that dates back to 40,000 years ago. It was found on a rock wall in Australia. It's a picture of a bird that scientists thought went extinct prior to this time of 40,000 years ago. But now they're questioning that because of this picture.
[:This story is called Eka and the Genyornis. Eka stood in front of the cave wall. An ochre stick in her hand. She closed her eyes, bringing the Genyornis Newtoni to mind. She had seen the giant flightless bird, similar to an ostrich, only an hour before.
[:It had been pecking away at the moss growing on a tree. The creature was over 6ft tall and easily 250 pounds of for all that size, though, it was amazingly graceful. It gently bent its powerful legs to the ground to pull up a tuft of moss, then lifted its long neck smoothly with an economy of motion as it chewed thoughtfully on the moss. Its feathers were sky blue, with darker blue shades on its stubby, flightless wings. Eka knew that the creatures usually lived in a flock.
[:She’d seen them alone on only one or two occasions before. Each time she was impressed with the birds grace but found that it was extremely skittish and shy. If it noticed her approach at all, it would lose all serenity and run away in a panic. And it didn’t get any points for directional instinct. It would bolt off furiously in one direction, then suddenly switch directions once or even twice more, as if trying to remember where home was.
[:She’d even been quite startled when one ended up running straight back towards her. But even then shed known that the herbivorous bird would not hurt her. So she’d waved her arms around and shouted, and the bird screeched and changed directions again. She wanted to keep it somehow, the experience the bird and share it. She wanted Oog to see it.
[:Oh, he loved the flightless birds, but he had not been able to get up from his pallet today. He was very ill. He had lain in the back of the cave for days now. She was worried and wanted to comfort him.
[:She lifted her hand and drew a long, curving line. Oog grunted at her. “Gumph.” Roughly translated, he had said, “What?” or “What are you doing?” She answered. “Wait.
[:Wait and see what I do.” Oog grunted again, turned over, and fell asleep. Eka glanced at him, concerned, but continued her drawing. She slowly sketched the outline of the Genyornis. She frowned, trying to remember the exact curve of the birds neck.
[:She attempted a lying down, then shook her head. She brushed it away and tried again. Maktin walked up to their cave. He stood at the entrance. He was a burly male, more brawn than brain.
[:Eka didn't like him. She ignored him, continuing her drawing. He grunted at her, “Maktin.”
[:“Gumph.” What? She replied without looking at him. She replied without looking at him. He took a few steps into the cave and hovered over her, watching her draw. Her power to put animals on walls both scared and fascinated him. He felt pulled to her and didn't understand her refusals. Why should she like Oog better than him? The little tribe was starting to gather for the noon meal.
[:Maktin commanded Eka, “Eka. Ooon. Upin.” Eka, come and eat food.
[:“Nagst miep.” No, this. Eka hoped he would go away.
[:She was not hungry. She just wanted to keep drawing. Oog was awakened by their conversation. He knew Maktin could not see him in the shadowy recesses of the cave.
[:Oog felt so hot and a little dizzy. But seeing Maktin also made him very angry. Maktin was always trying to take Eka from him. Oog sat up slowly and reached for a nearby rock. Maktin kept hovering over Eka.
[:She continued her drawing. Maktin shouted suddenly, “Maktin!” Startled, Eka jumped and dropped her ochre stick.. Oog gathered his energy and roared. “Maktin! Nawkst!”
[:He threw the rock at Maktin’s head and hit him right on his ear. Maktin, completely surprised, yelped. He stumbled backward, spotting Oog. He hurried out of the cave, cradling his ear. Eka, trembling a little, turned to Oog.
[:She smiled tentatively and Oog guffawed. She burst out laughing and walked over to him. He settled back onto his palate, chuckling. Soon his smile faded, though, as his fever and exhaustion took over. She covered him with rushes.
[:She held his hand and stroked his hot forehead for a while. Finally, he said, “Zikong.” Genyornis. “Dace! Dace!” Yes, Yes. She smiled and chattered on. “Genyornis grazing on tree moss. Graceful! Beautiful. Oog see.” He smiled a little and squeezed her hand. His heavy eyes began to close. “Oog see,” he agreed, and fell asleep.
[:Thank you so much for listening. I am Jennifer Joy. I wrote and performed this piece and saga legend was the sound engineer. You can listen to more episodes of the Jennifer Joy podcast on any podcast platform. Sign up for exclusive content from us, including behind the scenes conversations with the team at jenniferjoypodcast.com.
[:where you can also link to more content, including written stories, videos and performances where science meets art.
