The Tale of Tanuki
Here at Tanuki Cider we are exploring the memory of our dead ancestors while creating new stories for our kids. Cider is our chosen medium.
There was a family of Tanuki who lived in a cave next to a stream at the bottom of Bird Valley. In the family there was a mom, a dad and two brothers. Their favorite things to do were swim, dance and eat. Their favorite food was probably apples. There were hundreds of tall, ancient apple trees that grew up and down the Valley. The Tanuki had no idea what variety they were or how the trees got there, but they considered them sacred and gifts from the gods. The family was fast and funny but were very short and didn’t know how to climb. Sadly the only apples they could eat were the overly ripened ones, the ones which fell to the ground. Funny thing was that the over ripened fruit was actually fermenting and if you consumed enough, you could catch a great buzz. Being buzzed (in combination with song and dance) was good for the Tanuki family because they felt like it helped them communicate with their dead ancestors. Connecting to their dead ancestors was considered the most important experience for a Tanuki to have. Connection and deep belly laughs :-)
The Tanuki lived a good life full of wonder and humor but it was not absent from hardship, pain or loss. This is why they valued the connection to their ancestors so deeply. As bountiful as a harvest was, they remembered that there would also be years of scarcity. In times of uncertainty, heartbreak or chaos; the Tanuki would consult their ancestors for confidence and guidance to get through difficult times.