THE FREE COMMUNE OF SILVANA by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2006 writen on March 7, 1995 translated by the Author English text kindly revised by Bill
USUAL DISCLAIMER
"THE FREE COMMUNE OF SILVANA" is a gay story, with some parts containing graphic scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion, family, opinion and so on this is not good for you, it will be better not to read this story. But if you really want, or because YOU don't care, or because you think you really want to read it, please be my welcomed guest.
CHAPTER 2 - The first Temple. The story of Joyous, Silvan's successor, and of his companion Silent.
An interesting document is the letter sent to Joyous, one of the first successors to Silvan, by the Great Priest of Powerton, on the first year of the Flower of the tenth generation (361). From this letter it is apparent that Joyous asked the Great Priest for authorization to build, then that he would come to consecrate, the first temple of the community. Where this first temple was built, is just conjecture, as many think it was on the place where now stands Temple Castle, even though the actual building being inside its walls was built several generations later.
Anyway, the Great Priest Wellborn answers he would willingly go, because,
"... I know the piety of the community of the Blazing Mountain that you so wisely preside over. I am moreover glad to make a gift to your community, for this occasion, of all the territory going from your mount to the White River, a land that up to now has belonged to our temple. It will be under your total jurisdiction, including all our servants and slaves who are now cultivating this land..."
It was a narrow slip of land and it contituted the first enlargement of the territory of the Commune. The letter moreover ends with the words:
"... and I will pray for you, for your beloved companion Silent, for your community and for all the commoners working in your territory. May the Awakened protect you and keep you free and united as you have always been."
This letter shows that Wellborn had enough clear ideas about the community organization and about the values of freedom and unity they professed. Moreover it uses the term "jurisdiction", and this, if not yet a real acknowledgement of independence of the territory, is at least the acknowledgement of his autonomy from other powers.
This letter, together with other documents, would be used later by the community as a proof in the proceedings brought by their powerful neighbours opposing them. It is also clear that Wellborn perfectly knew that this community was practicing love between men, as the expression "your beloved companion" shows.
About Joyous and Silent we have a delightful tale, written possibly during the XII generation that, besides telling us how they met and fell in love and finally united, shows us what was the relation between the Companions and the Friends.
"A young Companion called Joyous, almost every day after the morning lauds, descended to the Livewaters spring to take water for the community. Near the spring stood five Friends' houses. When Joyous went there, they prayed him to stay a while with them to tell the stories about the earliest times. Joyous then sat on a stone and told them stories. Always the children gathered around him and often one or another of them climbed on his legs and Joyous, lightly caressing his or her hair, started his new narration.
Amongst them there was the little Silent, the son of Good and Lilflower. He was a really beautiful child, sweet and quiet, who just entered the Flower age (10 years); he had black hair, smooth as silk and eyes the color of a summer sky. When he could go to sit on Joyous' legs, he put his head on his shoulder and remained still until Joyous ended his narration. Then he thanked him with a sweet smile, kissed the brim of his habit and looked at him going to fill his two buckets at the spring.
On a day when Joyous was about to take the road back to the Cliff with his buckets filled with water, Lilflower and Good, keeping their three children by the hand said to Joyous, "Our son wants to become a Companion. Can we entrust him to you?"
"To me? I am one of the youngest Companions, why don't you entrust him to somebody wiser than me?"
"Our son is affectionate toward you and he wants you as his guide."
"Take him to our Rector and he, in his wisdom, will decide who will be the best guide to make him a Companion." Joyous answered.
"We know you and entrust him to you. What you will do, will be well done."
Joyous, taking Silent's hand, went up to the Cliff. "Why do you want to become a Companion, my little friend?"
"I want to become your companion." Silent answered.
"You are still a child." Joyous said.
"But I will grow up. Will you wait for me?"
"We will see. First you have to become a really good Companion. You know that two Companions can't unite before the Fruit age, don't you?"
"That means less than five years." Silent serenely answered squeezing Joyous' hand affectionately.
Joyous took him to the Rector who examined him for a long time, then enrusted him to Wolf and his companion Elm asking them to insruct him. Silent slept in the novices' house and diligently applied himself to all his tasks. Every day he picked a flower and deposited it on the threshold of Joyous' house and each time he met him he greeted him with a warm smile.
Joyous was watching the boy grow up, and the more he was growing up, the more beautiful he seemed to become. When in the Great Cave they sang the lauds to the Awakened and to the Master, three times per day, their eyes often met and those of Silent became bright, those of Joyous wer filled with sweetness.
When at last Silent entered the Fruit age (15 years), he could leave the black habit and wear the light blue one of the Companions. With a ceremony he pronounced the vows of freedom, poverty and love, then went down to Livewaters for the thanksgiving song to his parents for having given him life.
Silent, after he became a Companion, each day deposited on Joyous' threshold a fruit. Until one evening, after the song of the lauds, Joyous went near him and said, "The flowers you gave me were perfumed, the fruits you are giving me are sweet."
"I am glad you appreciate them." The boy happily answered.
"But... there is another fruit that is now ripe and that I would like to taste. Why don't you deposit that one on my threshold?" Joyous asked with a smile.
Then Silent went up in front of the door of Joyous' house and sat down to wait. When Joyous retired for the night, he found him sitting there. So he took him in his arms, shifted the curtain and deposited him on his leaves pallet. Then lit the lantern, pulled off the boy's habit and, lying on him, savoured him all the night long.
They intensely loved each other, day after day, until Silent at last reached the age to ask the Rector to unite him with Joyous. Their love grew and stregthened so that soon they were held up as an example for the novices about how the true love uniting a couple of companions was to be."
Later, Joyous became the Rector and, as we have seen, he built the first Temple. The statue of Joyous and Silent in the Cave is the third on the right of that of the Founder. Silent is represented crouching down near Joyous, to remember when he was waiting for him at his door threshold, even though he is represented as a twenty-year-old boy. In his left hand he holds a flower and with his right one he offers a fruit to Joyous, symbolizing his total dedication. It is believed that this statue was carved at the beginning of the year 400, that is in the XII generation.
The Stronghold and the Fortress. The First Statute. The Forum of the Heads of Families. The story of Trusty and Severe
During the XXIX generation, when Primus was the Rector, the surrounding empire was scoured by raids of barbarians coming from the west. The Companions, fearing the incursors' ferocity, decided to fortify the top of the mountain and built the Stronghold that stands on the tallest point of the Blazing Mount, right above the Cliff, and that winds round it going down with its walls and also encircles the Great Cave with a powerful wall.
From the documents it is noted that also the families of Livewaters and of Temple participated in its construction, and for the first time are also named the families of Borough. In fact, in the archives there is a deed dated 3 Fl XXIX (393) with which the Gall family of Richton gives his farms in Plane to the community, and Borough stands almost at the center of Plane. It also states that the Companions were organized in ten working teams and the Friends in ten more, and as we know that each team was composed of eight men in total, including those that because of their age or because of other tasks could not work at the Stronghold building, the total population of the community must have been composed of about 200 Companions and 300 Friends.
There is also a note of Rector Primus where we can read that it was needed to keep on guard four shifts of twelve men; that is, he specifies, about one tenth of the total population. Also dating back to this period is the purchase, made in Powerton, of fifty swords, fifty lances, fifty bows and a thousand arrows with iron tips. To pay for all those weapons, the Companions bound themselves to carve the eighty statues for the tower of the Main Temple of Powertown. Unhappily, the tower crumbled in 1027 because of an earthquake and doesn't exist any more. It had to have been really beautiful, as is shown in some ancient drawings conserved in the State Archives.
In the upper part of the Stronghold there are twelve "houses" for the Companions. For those, that is, who worked two of the four shifts. The other two shifts were worked by the Friends. In a different writing by the Stronghold commander, witten a few years later, a ruling was imposed on the Companions being on duty that they be divided from their companion, working with other men, to avoid the possibility they could yield to the temptation to make love during their shifts. Evidently it happened because the Companions always were on duty during the night.
We have then a document of 20/2/1 Fr XXXVI (736) titled "Solution of the litigation between the Great Priest of Richton and the Rector of Blazing Mount". That year arose a dispute between Donated, Great Priest of the main temple of Richton and the community. Simple was the Rector. Donated held that Simple had encroached on the rights of some of Richton Temple's farms and lands on the western side of Blazing Mount. The decision of the lawsuit was entrusted to Joung, Great Priest of Breadmount, to Lion, Lord of Breadmount and to three eminent jurists called from Lilvalley, Kindton and Braveton. The litigation was resolved in favor of the community of the Companions of Blazing Mount and of Simple, who succeeded in demonstrating that Richton temple never possessed those farms and lands and that "nor for ten, or two and neither one generation" ever enjoyed of their fruits. It was hence recognized to be a tacit understanding that "now, for the past and forever", the estates of Bank, Plane, Cottages, Woods and Terraces belonged to Blazing Mount and to the community of the Companions.
We are by this time at the dawn of the unity and independence of the territory. A letter from King Daring dated 26/9/2 Se XL (852) bestows to the "free community" the privilege to build a second castle on the top of the mountain (the Fortress castle) and to surround with walls the built-up areas of Livewaters, Temple and Plane.
On year 3 Se LI (1023) the council of the Great Priests of Braveton and Kindton authorizes walls to surround the friends' houses in the Cottages estate, and so was built Serene Castle. From the documents of this epoch it results that the total population of the territory amounted to about 1800 inhabitants, of which 500 were Companions and the others Friends.
Serene Castle was so named because from Cottages families came Serene, a Companion to whom is given the task of drafting the first "Statute" of the community of Companions and Friends. Here for the first time is used the term "The Commune" to designate all the territory under the jurisdiction of the Blazing Mount and of the community.
For the first time is formed the Forum, that is the assembly of all the heads of Friend's families. It is defined as a "family", with all the group of people having in common a living forefather. In this period, the families started the use of the family names. At the death of the commom forefather, the family splits in as many new families as there are his sons - only the family of the elder son keeps the name of the deceased father, the others take new family names. The Forum elects a Captain, having responsibility with the Rector for all the decisions.
The Statute established the compulsory military service for all the males between fifteen and sixty years of age. The Custodians of Stronghold and Fortress had to live inside the castle. They were still ready to host the victims of persecution but these had to surrender all their goods, gold, money, weapons, tools and any other object to the Custodians, remaining with only the clothes they were wearing, and had to work with the others. If they asked to remain, all their belongings became common property, if instead they asked to leave the territory, they were accompanied to the boundary and here they would get back all they had when they arrived.
Nobody could go around at night time without carrying a lighted lamp and were forbidden to carry weapons in all the Commune territory - the night guards had the order to immediately arrest whoever didn't obey his order, to include even the Captain or the Rector. No stranger could buy houses or land in the territory of the Commune. Homicide and treason were punished with beheading. Whoever didn't pray three times each day could be punished up to 150 prison days. The gamblers were also punished with 150 prison days. Whoever threw dirty water or garbage on the street and squares, was punished with 30 days of prison.
Also the sexual life was regulated by precise laws, not making any difference between Friends or Companions. Absolutely nobody could have sexual intercourse with a child of the Seed age (0 to 4 years); in the age of the Leaf (5 to 9 years) it was allowed only if the two had no more than two years of age difference and if it was voluntary; in the age of the Flower (10 to 14 years) only if voluntary and no more than three years of age difference; from the Fruit age up (15 years or more) it was free. Those who didn't observe these rules, or whoever, at any age, forced another to have sex with any means, was punished with as many years of prison as the difference of age between them, and not less than one year (if both were of the same age). Nobody could be united as a steady couple before being twenty years old, but after the age of fifteen they could be "promised".
The promised couples could not yet live together, but could freely unite at the elder's house. The sexual relations with a united person was punished, if reported by the companion, with a prison period equal to the length of the illicit relationship.
No family could rear more than one small animal (chickens, rabbits, sheep) for each member and no more than one big animal (pig, cow) for each three members or fraction.
And last, in the Forum nobody could speak until the one who was allowed to speak had finished. To avoid speeches being too long, a water-clock was used that emptied in about one hour.
Regarding the laws about sexual intercourse, there is a text relating the story of Trusty Sweets of Livewaters. He was an artisan of a potters family. He first felt sexual urges as young as twelve years old, therefore he was going to spy on some of the elder boys at the confluence of the Livewaters River with the Silvan River. Trusty became fond of a seventeen-year-old boy called Severe. Therefore, one day when he had the opportunity to meet him alone, he asked him to teach him to make love.
Severe answered, "I cannot do it with you, we have five years of difference."
"But I want you to be the one teaching me."
"I cannot, you know well that. Why don't you ask Kind? He is fifteen, the right age for you, and he knows well how to make love, I can assure you of that."
"I saw you naked and what I saw pleased me. Kind's body is not so much different from mine, I'm not interested in him." Trusty answered.
"Even though he is not yet well developed, he is good at making love, believe me... Ask him..." Severe insisted.
Trusty then asked him how Kind made love, since he could say that he was skilled and Severe explained it to the boy. But Trusty wanted Severe and not Kind. He spied on them and saw that Severe at times made a sign to let Kind know that he would be waiting for him, and Kind, in night time slipped inside Severe's hayloft where he was waiting and, in the dark, they made love. Trusty hid himself nearby, heard their pleasure moans and was excited. The two boys almost never talked and this gave him an idea.
He searched for clothes similar to those of Kind and, when Severe gave the sign to tell Kind that on that night he would be waiting for him, Trusty took it away before Kind saw it, and waited for the night. He then climbed up to Severe's family hayloft, and Severe welcomed him without suspecting anything, pulled him to himself and undressed him. Then Severe started making love to him. Trusty moaned his pleasure and did with passion all the other wanted.
When finally Severe started to take him, he said amazed, "Tonight you seem tighter than usual, don't squeeze so, Kind." But when he finally succeeded in penetrating him, he whispered, "You are more hot and agreeable then ever." And Trusty felt happy. Severe was strong and detemined, but also gentle and tender and Trusty moaned with pleasure under the firm strokes of the youth he loved.
"Kind, without me putting up the sign, will you come also tomorrow night?"
"Yes..." Trusty whispered, then dressed and went back to his home. They met for several nights, until a day Kind asked Severe why he didn't invite him to his hayloft any more.
Severe said, "What are you saying? We are meeting every night now!"
"Every night? It is almost ten days since you have made the sign."
Severe didn't insist - he guessed at once what could have happened. In fact for a number of days Trusty had stopped insisting that he wanted him to make love. So that night he hid a lantern under a bucket so that it didn't die out, but its light was not visible, and waited. When Trusty came, first he stripped him then uncovered the lantern, "Trusty!" he said with a stern expression.
The boy didn't get agitated, caressed him and said, "You like doing it with me, don't you? Let's do it again."
"You know it is forbidden!"
"If you continue doing it with me, I'll keep it secret. But if you refuse, I will tell that you forced me and fucked me, so you will go to jail. What do you choose?"
Severe was troubled, then Trusty started making love with him until he succeeded in arousing him and making him participate. In the light of the lantern, the boy saw the excited expression of the youth and was really pleased.
Severe was more and more troubled and insisted with Trusty, praying him to put an end to those encounters, but the boy refused resolutely. So then one day Severe went up to the Cliff and asked to talk with Companion Tiger and told him all that was happening, asking him help and advise. Tiger told him what they had to do. So that night, before Trusty arrived, three companions hid in the hayloft.
When Trusty came, Severe told him, "For the last time, I beg you, I don't want to have sex with you, it is forbidden by the law!"
Trusty answered, "But I want to make love with you, and you know very well that it will be better if I don't report you, because everybody would believe me and not you, and I will swear you forced me, and you will be sentenced to five years of prison. You like making love to me, don't you? I'm able to arouse you and give you pleasure, isn't that right?"
"Yes, I like you, but we are not allowed. Let's stop it, please."
"No. I want you!" the boy said and undressed.
At that point the three Companions showed up and Tiger said, "Now that's enough! Get dressed! We heard everything and we can testify that you forced Severe by fraud to have sex with you, therefore you can't blackmail him any more!"
Trusty didn't dress but said, "It is an unfair law. I like doing it, he likes doing it. How can you impose on us such a law? Is not our land the land of freedom and is it not called Very Right? What freedom and what Justice is there for me?"
"You still are just a boy, how can you judge our forefathers' laws? How can you say what is fair and what isn't?" Tiger sternly asked him.
"Our forefathers didn't have such laws, they were issued later. If there were not such a law, would you, Severe, have denied my offer? Be sincere, I beg you!" Trusty said.
"I like you very much, Trusty and I think that if the law didn't forbid us, I would have told you yes, and willingly."
"And I have to wait three more years to be allowed to make love with him when both of us desire it? This is not fair, Companions. If I am wrong, show it to me!"
The three Companions didn't know what to answer, therefore they said they would submit the query to the Rector and to the Captain, asking them to decide. Meanwhile Trusty had to swear he would try it no more with Severe. The boy swore. The three Companions submitted the query, but the Rector said that a law could not be changed only for the benefit of one person. Then the Captain summoned the Forum and, without telling the names, told the heads of families the problem. The Forum decided to add a clause to the law stating that if two people were decided to have sex in the forbidden period, they had to petition the Rector and the Captain, and if both of them, along with the head of the minor's family, after hearing them gave their consent, they would be allowed to have sex together.
So were summoned Sweets' head of family, then also Severe and Trusty. Trusty declared that if the cost would have been to serve him the five years of prison, he would have had sex again with Severe. Severe said that Trusty was well developed and that he liked him very much, so, if he was allowed, he would be glad to make love with the boy. Sweets' head of family gave his assent and also the Captain. Therefore also the Rector issued his consent and the two boys were allowed to continue their relationship. Anyway, to punish Trusty for his behaviour, he had to spend one month in prison every year until he became fifteen years old. Trusty accepted happily and so the two boys could love each other and all was quiet.
The clause added to the law is dated 20/8/4 Le LIV (1089).
CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 3
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