Encore: Creatures of the Sky

This is your bird story. A broadcast of bird stories told by everyday people about their interactions and relationships with wild birds and cities. This season is funded by the Voice for Nature Foundation. I'm your host, Georgia Solvera Simeon. [Music] Which is vampire spirits, characters of Halloween, right? Yes, and also avian mythological creatures. We're re-earing the creatures of the sky episode in which Ken Oye shares stories of birds in the folklore of the African diaspora. Enjoy the re-broadcast and happy bird finding this October. [Music] Hello, welcome to another episode of your bird story. Today our guest is a type of guest we haven't had on the show before. Never had a podcaster on this podcast and if you love podcasts like I do, you are going to want to subscribe to this podcast. So I'm going to let our guests introduce themselves. Hello, hello. My name is Ken. My pronouns are she/her and I am the host of By the Fire Podcast. And that's so cool to hear that you ever had a podcaster on the podcast. Ken, can you tell us about the name of your podcast and what it's about? Yes, so like I said, my podcast is By the Fire Podcast and it's about mythology and folklore from across the Black diaspora and I ended up by The Fire because it just reminds me of campfire experiences where you just tell scary stories around The Fire and that was essentially the promise of the name. I have like a backstory of when I was in Nigeria and I was a child, we had no light and then some area boys which are like sort of men who are on the road young men and they came in and brought in a generator and that generated light and I remember just being like me and my cousin running around the garden being like, oh my gosh, we can see everything. So I think just the whole idea of like light bringing community and like happiness and that was definitely the theme of like the podcast being that storytelling isn't just about you know, being able to impress someone by what you know but also allowing conversation, allowing community, allowing things to be passed on. So that's where By the Fire comes from. And how long have you been on air? I'd say two and a half years now, the first episode dropped August 2020, so during the first lockdown and it's definitely been a really great experience at these past two and a half years, just been able to work with different people from around the world and just learn more. So yeah, I'm just so ready for however many more years I do this for. Can you recall what your first episode was about? Oh yes, definitely. It was the intro episode was about silk cotton tree which I've had a more recent updated version of the episode but essentially that's a tree that is the home of many spirits, particularly in Jamaica but also in Ghana. And it's an amazing tree because it's basically the home of all these spirits and it's thought that if you cut it down then you'll be killed or haunted because again of these malevolent spirits. And it was really interesting to research about how people were trying to build a road through this tree. I believe it wasn't Tobago, one of the islands in the Caribbean. Again, there was just problems that they had to like build around that tree. So that was my first one. That was my first like a little mini episode. What's your process for putting together an episode like I suppose how do you come to find your stories? The way I would do it is I have two different ways but the way I used to do it was basically given out information that I find to the way it starts is okay, have an episode I want to talk about creatures of the sky for example, given your podcast. And I want to find different sky creatures from different parts of the diaspora. So I'm Nigerian but I was born in the UK so I'd want to find something from back home in Africa or you know the Caribbean islands or African American culture. And then I look online back when I was able to have online resources to like free libraries through university. And it'd be so easy to find like so many articles about these like cryptids, these hybrids, mythology that's been written down. And then I just put it together based on themes of you know what does it look like? Where is it from? What's the origin story of this creature? What is it and how to escape it? Because I think in every horror story, even like in the films there's always this element of okay but how do we overcome this challenge? You know also an example, how do we be like Voldemort for example? How do we, you know how do we destroy each whole crook? Like there's always something that's like there's this really difficult task or really difficult creature villain but there's always a way to overcome it. It's just really difficult. You have to be really smart, really cunning, really brave. And that's like also the most favourite thing for me to learn as well. I think another thing that I'd quite like to research is any like appearances in person to actually relate to it to real life, real history. So the Kongamato which is supposedly a serosaur from Zambia, it was actually supposedly discovered recently in 1925 in a swamp. So like these things aren't just sawries or fairy tales that we hear from centuries ago but they're also supposedly being spotted in the last century as well. So I quite like relating it to the actual real life phenomenon that supposedly exists as well. Yeah. That's one creature of the air, can you share some others with us? Yeah, so we have the impondolu who is, I believe from South Africa, yes, right. And it's a lightning bird. So it's a wind creature that supposedly can emit lightning from its talons and it's supposedly actually a familiar of a witch. So it does the bidding of a witch against the witch's enemies. And because it's immortal, it's actually then passed on to the witch's daughter and then offspring forever. And the only way you can basically kill it, how you can escape it is by setting it a light. So it's a very interesting bird because it's powerful but it's still under the bondage of its own. Oh, that's so interesting. Fire coming from the talons, it makes me think of, there was a story, a signed story before the pandemic, I think that talked about raptors in maybe it was New Zealand or Australia or maybe Savannah type ecosystems. And these birds would break off lit twigs and then carry them at a distance to spread fire. And I'll have to verify this but it was seemed to be like a hunting tactic. So when the grass is what a light, then the smaller creatures living in the grasses would run out and then the raptor could hunt them. And I'm wondering then if that story is a story of that particular species. So the way that story and science are often really integral to each other. Oh, yes. I mean, another feature of the impundulu is the fact that it's thought to be a vampire bird as well. So it can also feed off like blood of its fellow birds, which is similar to the vampire ground finch, which is a bird that feeds off a blood of like booby birds. So again, and also the vampire bat. So the finch lives in Galapagos. Yeah. Oh my goodness. Yeah. Vampire ground finch. Yeah. They feed off their fellow birds if they don't have exceeds or something big enough nutrients in the blood. Oh, that's so wild. Yes. Yes. This lightning bird does that as well. So again, like the whole link in between what exists and what could be encrypted is like so interesting to like learn about. Any other creatures of the air in mythology? Yes. So we have something called Yombo's and they are from Synagogue and they are these little fairies that gray and they are thought to be the spirits of those who have passed away. So they tend to come together and have parties when everyone is asleep. It actually is quite nice and wholesome. So they have these little parties and they are served by waiters who. don't have feet or hands somehow and then they literally just have a feast every night and then they supposedly work with the humans so they never take too much food from the humans, it's always enough for what they need. They're really cute and wholesome and there's not really like much about them but they are quite small, they live off the capital of synagogue which is a Dakar and yeah they're just known as the Baknowaknow which means good people so they are actually one of the few benevolent creatures I talk about. Yeah one of the early episodes that we did was about the Cardinal in North America and both guests who spoke of the Cardinal actually a third guest spoke about the Cardinal as having the role of bodying a relative, a family member who had passed and if one saw a Cardinal that was that family member coming to visit. I quite like the idea of one's family member, one's loved one coming back and visiting you in the form of a bird, there's something really tender and sweet about that. You know you think about birds and how like you know they are freed to fly and it sounds cheesy but I do think it's a huge contrast to how you might see a loved one before they die especially if they're sick so knowing that they have this like a vast earth to explore and the fact that they come back as well like supposedly it's something just to think about and think oh that's so lovely like even with the yomboes like they're departed spirits but it's never anything that's sad it's something that they they love plum wine they love to drink they love to party and enjoy drums and they listen to this lovely percussion so it's something that's just endearing to think about when you lose a lot of fun that it's not the end. There's this paradise not far away it's still home but it's when we're all asleep it was really good to like read about and ponder as well. You know there are many ways that you could think about how birds fit into life and the sort of way they fit into culture is really important and I'm just now on my own exploring that aspect of them and it's fascinating and it's joyful and these stories make me smile. Do you have a favorite creatures of the air story? I think I would say it's the yomboes to be honest because the reason I was just talking about the fact that it's just really a cosm and endearing and they just want to enjoy. They also dance on the grave of their past self is definitely like exploring that relationship with the departed with death but turning it into a positive light I think that would be my favorite. Yeah dancing on the grave of your past self the memory of the person gets to be one of happiness not always sadness. Yes. Do you have a favorite bird Ken? Yes the owl. Ah any particular owl or just owls in general. I was in general I remember from young like they were just my favorite I think it's just because they're just so mysterious. I feel like I'm saying this as a normie you definitely know more about them and maybe they're actually really like nice and just normal but for me they're just like wow you don't really see them around from I think because I'm from the city I don't really see them a lot so they've always just been a bird that has like intrigued me a lot. In New York right you have pigeons don't you? Yes there are a lot of pigeons and are there different kinds of pigeons and I know because I see white pigeons as well they all start about. So they do have different color morphs the white ones are not as common so many cool things about pigeons. I love the way that they love being around people. We can talk about at bird feeding but they certainly just love like being around people who just have McDonald's and might drop a chip or two and then it's just a buffet from there. They're definitely thriving there's kind of busy areas for sure. I go and get bird food which is actually quite accessible. You can go to your local supermarket and get like a bird feeding pack. It used to be something that I would do during lockdown where you couldn't really go out in a group so my university has a lake on campus and they'd have ducks I think geese as well and it was just a nice pastime to just get the food and then throw it out and then they'd all just flock towards the edge. I used to see so many people being like oh my gosh and I would just think wow this is all because of me and it's so cute to see them just being attentive at first. I can see a bit and then once one bird goes to start feeding then others come like okay no it's all good guys come on yeah I think for the soul for the fields it was very very nice to watch and just reminded me of like because I'm Christian how important it is as humans to take care of other animals and not to do it for any benefit. Of course there is that intrinsic benefit of you feel good about helping another creature but you know I spent money and time to do that and it just felt like nice that yeah you're doing something to be the bird then it's just really cool it's not something that I did before so I definitely like do enjoy it. So you've continued to do it post the quarantine? I did but I'm not in that like city anymore so it's definitely about like looking for like places where I can do it but it definitely was like a really nice when I was do you not have to like feed them to entice them to come closer so you can then like watch and observe. You know I have a pair of binoculars and if I can't see them up close I use my binoculars to see them. Look on the ground in shrubs in small trees up into the canopy of taller trees in the sky and also listen there maybe a handful of birds that I know their vocalizations so if I hear them then I'll start looking around for them. Certain birds like the blue jay for example if the blue jays making a lot of calls then I might think oh maybe there's a Cooper's Hawk or a Redtail Hawk around if the pigeons suddenly flush which means they're purged and then suddenly they're swooping quickly circling in the air then I might think well oh maybe there's someone who is throwing down seed so they're sort of flying to that part of the park or maybe there's a raptor around so I should be looking around for that. You know I know my local park really well so they're also certain locations in the park and it's not a big park it's 10 acres but there's certain spots that I go to to see if there's certain kinds of birds there depending on the season so because I know that park so well that's usually where I go to look for birds that's something that's known that process is known as patch birding. If I go to a new location then maybe the tips I use for my park I try to use them there but you just have to kind of get to know the new place and the more time you spend in it the more you know where you can look for certain kinds of birds it's really nice and my park still and it's not really my park but the park I go to a lot you know they're still surprises there so I don't think you get to totally know a place through and through 100%. I love people you have like hobbies and things again and things yes so that is an amazing thing do you know much about the the so called entry have you heard of that before? That episode of your podcast was the first time and then I heard a story about this tree on a different podcast and that was the second time I'd heard about this cell con tree so you introduced me to this tree and I have to say I mean the stories you share with people are incredible and they're just so many and I love the fact that it's the not the conventional mythology that some people might be used to I love that it's from the African diaspora I love that perspective it's refreshing I think it's just what we need you know western white Europeans don't have the handle on mythology and folklore so really kudos to you and I hope there are many more years of this podcast thank you yeah I mean the reason why like I made it was because you know I was listening to another podcast which I wrote name but you know it was completely erased the whole diaspora stories literature and I just thought Well, that's crazy because there's so many superstitions that we do today that is related back to ancestral practices in African-American culture, which is vast in itself in the south with the blue ceilings that have painted blue in the south homes above the porches. That's done because spirits can't cross water. So they will see the blue ceiling and think that's water, so they won't go into the house. And you know, if you go to the south, you see a lot of the houses like that. And again, that's just African-American law that is now put into architecture. Near to me and I'm going to look this up because I want to learn more. Definitely do. I mean, you guys have like so much and you know, it differs based on like region and what might have migrated based on those who moved themselves to the northern states. And a lot of it just needs to be told. And there's like an issue with gatekeeping as well. But I think there is so much that you can learn about your own culture that I can learn as well. And then same as me, I can learn about Nigerian things that I didn't know because I've been in England this whole time that someone else can then learn. So it's really like a two way how many millions ways of conversation with people. So I do enjoy it. I do. I hope that this year will bring lots of owls into your life. And I'm so glad that we got to talk about creatures of the sky and lots of other things related to birds. Yes. Thank you so much for having me. Oh my goodness. I really wish the best for yourself and your podcast. And yeah, I really hope. Really nice birds. Look to you. Thank you, Ken. Thank you. Thank you, Joder. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of your bird story. Like, share, subscribe. And we'll see you back here next month. [BLANK_AUDIO]