Newsgroups: alt.surfing
Subject: Re: akasha
On Sun, 09 Mar 1997 16:05:49 -0800,
in alt.surfing dmc wrote:
Many thanks to all concerned for the illuminating thread concerning the
derivation of the ancient word "akasha," roughly translating to "space."
I went to the libary to research the topic and found this interesting
footnote:
"...contains references to an ancient mountain tribe, the Akasha, who
once lived in a remote region of the Himalaya. During the latter stages
of the last Ice Age, the Akasha were driven south across the Indian
sub-continent to the shores of the Indian Sea. They took readily to
their new environment, crafting primitive oblong-shaped watercraft upon
which, in a prone position, they paddled into the coastal waters to
gather fish. But the Akasha suffered from a previous adaptation to
the thin air of their former mountain home: their eardrums were soft and
porous. Gradually, salt water leaked into their brains and they lost
touch with reality (neighboring tribes referred to them as "kashas," an
ancient word for "cashews" or "nuts"). Instead of gathering fish, they
frolicked contentedly in the waves while composing endless messages
containing comical speculations on the nature of the universe. Needless
to say, they soon became extinct. All except one individual who was
caught in a typhoon and blown across the ocean to the shores of
Australia. When the locals there asked the man where he came from, he
could only remember his ancient mountain home. Thus the last of the
Akasha came to be called the Mountain Man. Some say he lives there
still."
Frankly, I found this story a little far-fetched.
Respectfully,
dmc
