by Fireweed, for the Island Word, November 2014 edition
In Irish mythology there
are fantastic tales about salmon as the bearers of great wisdom.
Celtic deities, poets and other heroic characters were bestowed with
mystical powers such as salmon's ability to shape-shift and impart
the gift of inspiration. According to these stories, the knowledge
did not actually originate with the fish. Instead, the salmon
accessed it by eating the nuts of certain magical trees, when they
fell into rivers.
Just in time for salmon
returning to spawn on Vancouver Island, the low water flow resulting
from our dry summer was relieved by October's stormy weather. Samhain
(the Celtic New Year, Nov. 1st) arrived to the sound of rushing
rivers and the sight of swollen wetlands. Overshadowed here in the west
by a commercialized Hallowe'en, Samhain is celebrated as a time of both beginnings and
endings. It corresponds with the Mexican Day of the Dead as a
seasonal halfway point between the fall equinox and the winter
solstice. These holy days traditionally honoured death and descent
into the dark half of the year not as journeys to fear, but as sacred
rites of passage that lead eventually to rebirth and renewal - as
long as we live respectfully in balance with the natural world.
 |
| photo by Dave Ingram |
Oceanographer Sylvia Earle
is among those calling for a very serious re-evaluation of
humanity's
relationship with the marine environment. Featured in the excellent
new documentary Mission Blue (currently
available on Netflix), Earle has spent half a century campaigning
to save our oceans and is greatly alarmed at the depletion she has
witnessed. She acknowledges the problem of people thinking of fish as
mere commodities – as if they exist only to be eaten. “Wild fish,
like wild birds, have a place in the natural ecosystem which far
outweighs their value today as [people] food. They're part of the
systems that make the planet function in our favour, and we should be
protecting them.”
 |
| Dr. Sylvia Earle |
Earle is sympathetic to
coastal peoples with a long tradition of making their living from the
sea. She does not think these communities should be targeted as the
problem, but that everyone must face the fact that “modern
technologies have the power to extract far beyond what natural
systems can produce.” Earle grew up in an omnivorous household
herself, but no longer eats any fish at all. A growing number of
people are recognizing that the least we can do to give the oceans a
fighting chance at recovery is to leave them alone. When asked in a
recent interview if those of us with the privilege of choice should
be following a plant-based diet, Earle replied, “It's obvious. It's
not a matter of me saying so. It's not a matter of opinion. There's
no question that a plant-based diet is better for you and better for
the planet.”
...
No one knows why the
ancient Celts held salmon in such high regard (far more so than other
once plentiful species of fish.) It may have been their amazing
ability to find the way back home to the rivers of their birth. Or as
historian James McKillop suggests, perhaps it was the colour of their
flesh - pink, like ours. What we do know for sure is that bears,
orcas and eagles depend on this shape-shifter for their survival. In
contrast, most humans today continue to consume salmon not out of
necessity, but out of habituated choice. And there is no need to kill
fish in order to include certain omega oils in our diets because the
cultivation of seaweed today allows us to access those nutrients the
same way fish do - through plants.
It's instructive I think
that the Celts in Ireland attributed the wisdom of their mythical salmon to the plant kingdom. A tree of knowledge is central to many
cosmologies, but surely they also appreciated hazelnuts as the
nutritional powerhouse they are, even without the scientific
knowledge their descendants have today. Hazelnuts are an excellent
energy source, rich in protein, carbohydrates, fibre and
phytochemicals - including flavonoids which may help reduce symptoms
associated with allergies, improve circulation and support brain
health!
One of my favourite places
to spend a dark and stormy winter's eve is right next to the wood
stove, with a big basket of organic hazelnuts ready to shell in the
glow of the fire light. But if the power hasn't gone out, the glow of
a good Netflix doc like Mission Blue will do just fine!
…
For links and additional info, please visit NOV. LINKS (on the right)
…
…
For links and additional info, please visit NOV. LINKS (on the right)
…
Fireweed's HAZEL BITES
These yummy energy balls require no baking and can be whipped up in a flash. The recipe is gluten-free, vegan, of course, and super easy! It makes up to two dozen fudgey brownie bites – or, you can double the recipe, press the mixture into a pan lined with parchment paper, and cut into squares.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of organic hazelnuts (you can buy them shelled)
1/3 cup Cocoa Camino Cocoa
Powder (Free Trade organic)
7 ounces of dried figs
1/4 cup of raw organic
agave or a similar amount of maple syrup
water – only if needed
shredded organic coconut
INSTRUCTIONS
Pulse the hazelnuts to a
fine crumb in your food processor, add cocoa powder and combine
completely. Chop figs. You can substitute some of the figs with a few
dates if you'd like to reduce your sweetener. Add the agave and the
figs to the mix and blend until a ball has formed. Add a sprinkle of water only
if required to bring the mixture together. Divide the dough into bite
sized bits, then roll in shredded coconut. Bon appetit!
