Brannon’s Great Adventure BY BILL DALY Back in 2018 when I was researching an archaeological presentation on the Irish Mesolithic (8000-4000 BC), I wrote a little coming of age story for schoolchildren centring around a 12 year old boy called Brannon to emphasize the qualities of generosity, kindness, compassion and bravery. It was just after dawn during the Summer of 5,021 BC (7,000 years ago), and the warm summer sunshine was creeping into his house. Brannon woke up quickly and thought of the exciting day that was ahead of him. He loved the summertime and he loved his house. His house, where he lived with his Father, Mother and younger brother and sister was very cosy. His Father had built the house when they were younger from wooden poles. Smaller sticks called saplings were wound around the poles and then everything was covered with rushes. In the wintertime, animal skins were also used as a covering to keep in the heat. The main fire was outside the hut, but a smaller fire was also built inside the hut to keep them warm and the smoke escaped out through the top. The name ‘Brannon’ means ‘little crow’. He was now 12 years old and dark skinned. His skin soaked in the summer sunshine and it always made him look healthy and alive. Today was a very special day for Brannon. When a boy and a girl reached 12 years of age they were taken hunting and fishing with their parents to see if they could capture a wild pig and a salmon. Today was Brannon’s day to show how skillful he was, and also to prepare him for adulthood in a few years time. This was a very important ritual in the Mesolithic village of Oughterard, and he was nervous but also confident.
PART ONE: HUNTING IN THE WOODS After a quick breakfast of fruit and berries, Brannon and his Dad set off from the river to make the journey into the deep forest. They had to leave as early as possible in the morning as the wild pig is a noctural animal which hunts during the night and sleeps by day. It didn’t take long to reach the woods as there 60 | THE IRISH SCENE
were trees everywhere. They are also accompanied by Brannon’s black and white collie called Fia. Brannon loves all animals but he adores Fia and they are always together. It wasn’t long before they were in the deeper part of the woods. Brannon was armed with a bow and arrow and his Dad carried a spear and a sharp knife. Suddenly, Brannon saw a young pig in the clearing, he was all alone and eating some plants from the forest floor. Brannon paused for a few seconds, and then quietly said to his Father, ‘Dad, that little pig is young like me, and I want to give him a chance to grow up like me also. Can I do that?’, he whispers. ‘Of course you can’, said his Father. ‘We do not kill animals for pleasure, we only do it so that the family can eat.’ ‘You will make a great hunter Brannon’, his Dad said proudly, because you understand already that there is more to hunting than killing animals. We only take what we need, and all living things should get a chance to live their lives’. His Dad walked on ahead, with Brannon and Fia a little further behind. Suddenly and without warning, a large and ferocious looking wild pig darts out of the undergrowth in the forest. Instinctively, Fia rushes towards the wild pig to protect Brannon, but he is thrown into the air with the impact of the wild pig’s tusks. Brannon sees Fia lying on the ground with some blood flowing from his wound and the wild pig is standing over him. Brannon takes an arrow from his pouch, places it in the string of the bow, and with a calmness, unusual for a boy so young, fires the arrow straight and direct into the throat of the wild pig. Sweating, he hopes that his aim will be good or the wild pig is going to
