God Wears Many Skins: Sami Myth and Folklore in a New Poetic Interpretation

By: Jabez L. Van Cleef

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Traditional indigenous cultures in many parts of the world have displayed a profound appreciation of the relationship between human and ecosystem health, something global culture is trying to rediscover under the label of sustainability. A spiritual resource for sustainable living, this poem records the creation story of the Sami, a nomadic people of Northern Europe, and then retells several Scandinavian folk-tales derived from their playfully animistic world view. Their deep kinship with the wild is shown in their awe for bears: The bear is more like people are Than any other thinking creature: He stands up on two legs to strike, With eyes that skewer like a spike, And when we cut away his skin He looks like a great bloody man. Jabez L. Van Cleef takes foundational texts from many oral traditions and religions and creates a common poetic format to preserve, promote and disseminate the values of these cultures. Find out more at www.sustainyourspirit.com