The Story of Weeping Camel

Kareem Wilson

“Cultures grow on the vine of tradition” Jonah Goldberg

The Story of the Weeping Camel shows the tradition of a close knit family, bound together by the traditions that they keep and the love of the camels that they herd. The movie begins with background information about the camel and how the camel was given antlers because of the goodness and tranquility it possessed. The camel was then approached by the deer and gave the antlers to the deer; the deer ran off with the antlers and the camel still looks to the horizon for the deer to return. While there are other family traditions that are on display, such as the men eating first in the family, or the youngest child being in the house tied down, etc. the most important and pivotal story is that of the white colt and it’s mother.

The story of the mother and her white colt calf is an intriguing one; it is not only a story that shows the struggles between the two animals but also what  it takes for the family to come together and how their close knit configuration brings the mother and colt back together. The mother goes through a tough two day labor and it is revealed that she is having a rare, white colt. But there is a problem after she gives birth; she will not allow the colt to drink her milk. After realizing what is happening, the family must come up with a plan to unite the two animals or allow the colt to suffer the consequences and ultimately die. What ensues shows how integral the structure and order of the family is necessary to their success. Two of the sons set out on a journey to bring back a violinist to perform a specific ritual to bring the animals together. The trust bestowed upon the two sons shows that the other families are comfortable leaning on the two boys to get the job done. I found it interesting that the younger of the two sons was given so much responsibility and that he had no problem completing the tasks;it was amazing to see someone his age command and ride the camel the way he did. It was also interesting to see that a lot of the traditions and ways the family practiced were so much different from how we as Americans grow up. The main one had to be the television; the fact that the family did not own a television was weird because here we place a premium on entertainment and sometimes have more than one television in our households. I believe that watching this movie unfold gives much perspective to different cultural backgrounds and traditions, and how we as human beings are different in our ways.

The Story of the Weeping Camel

“Camels were given antlers for the goodness they possessed.

The Deer asked to borrow the antlers for a celebration in the West.

The Camel agreed, but the Deer never returned them.

The Camel continues to look to the horizon, in wait for the Deer.”

The Story of the Weeping Camel had many different traditions and customs than us Americans. A few that stood out, to me, were: the Grandmother cooked all day, the men ate first, they put the youngest child on a leash, of sorts, inside the tent, and the Grandmother braided camel hair to make a bridal for the new colts. These seemed strange to a foreigner, like me, but were everyday, normal things for them.

The main point I gleaned from the movie was the relationship between one mother camel and it’s colt. After the mother had a brutal, two day birth, she rejected her white colt as a result. She wouldn’t let it drink her milk or even stay near her. The human family realized their relationship wasn’t going to work without a ritual. They then sent for a talented violin player to perform the ritual, to give the mother peace, and therefore let her accept her colt. It worked and the movie ended with a happy ending.

The whole movie showed an entirely different culture and how they solved their problems. It’s not so different from other cultures, if you really think about it. Christian’s pray about problems, much like the Native Americans in “Vision Keepers.” Though the Native Americans also do rituals, it could be argued that some Holidays could be considered a ritual of sorts. Most religions do the same traditions and ceremonies/services for Holidays like Christmas and Easter. So, in a way, it is kind of like a ritual–though not in the same respect as the Native American rituals.

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