How Aspens Got Their Gold - A Modern Day Fable

If I had known better, I would not have studied business and economics in college, although those degrees have served me well. Instead, I would have followed my heart and studied cultural anthropology. Living in the west, I’ve had ample opportunity to learn of the creation stories and other myths surrounding the Navajo, Hopi and Arapaho tribes from my area of Colorado. For several years, I lived and worked in Hawaii, and gave myself over to the mythology surrounding the gods and goddesses of Hawaii. There, as on the mainland, First Nation people have a tale to tell for nearly everything. One of the most famous Hawaiian mo’olelo, or legends, is one that explains why the ohia and lehua trees always grow together. Spoiler alert: it’s because the goddess Pele was so jealous of Ohia’s love for Lehua that she turned them into trees. But their love was so strong that the two lovers, now in tree form, always grow near each other and bloom at the same time. 

It was in thinking about origin stories that I wondered what an origin story in our modern-day culture might look like. We have given ourselves so completely to the machines and electronics of the 21st century, that we rarely stop to consider the magic that is present every day, even on the side of the road. Here is my idea of why aspen trees turn such a vibrant gold in the autumn.

It was a jittery time in the Universe, and all the Gods and Goddesses were nervous. Their rulers were arguing, and that was never a good thing. Reigning together over the Universe were the God of Winter and his twin sister the Goddess of Summer. Generally, they got along splendidly. Each twin would reign during their season in its time while the other would relax and enjoy a nice long nap. Then they would trade.

When it was her turn, Summer would beckon the sun from behind the clouds and the two would warm the earth and create beautiful gardens and grow fruits and vegetables of all sorts to feed the people of the Earth. She reveled in the birdsong, and the birth of babies of all kinds. Summer kept the sun up late, so the days were long and warm. She made it possible for people to plant food and gather their crops to feed themselves through the long winter.

After a few full moons, her brother would stretch his long arms and sigh, bringing cold winds down from the mountains. As he awakened, he would swat away the teasing rays of the sun, and grouchily throw bolts of lightening around. But after a while, he would settle down and bring the snow to send everyone inside to stay warm. Only the heartiest animals remained outside to play in the soft white snow. People stayed busy around their fires, telling stories and making tools and clothing for the coming seasons.

But this year, Winter had awakened early, and was especially cranky. He seemed determined to punish Earth’s people for his restless sleep by bringing cold wind and pelting rain before anyone was ready. The fruit on the trees was not fully ripe, and remained unpicked. The fat heads of grain were not yet ready for harvest. If Winter had his way, the people would go hungry in the coming season.

Summer rushed to her brother and begged him to stop, but he would not listen. He pulled the storm clouds around his shoulders and grumbled. The people knew that something was wrong, but they did not know what to do. The trees had not yet dropped their nuts and berries on the bushes were still fat and juicy. Young animals were not yet ready to fend for themselves, and everyone was worried.

Summer ran to her friend the Sun and gathered a handful of her warm rays. She formed a fiery ball and hurled it into the forest, where it glowed bright yellow. She threw another, and another, until the hillsides were splashed with color, keeping the Earth warm while the people hurried to harvest their winter food, and the bears ate their fill of berries before going to their caves to hibernate. In the dark, Winter still breathed his chilly wind down the canyons, but Summer kept the bright fires alight until the people had prepared for winter and gone inside to stay warm.

Now, Summer still reminds us to prepare for Winter’s coming by splashing the color of the sun on hillsides full of aspen trees, and the people celebrate her kindness by lighting bonfires when the crops are in and telling stories of Summer’s goodness.