Turtle hurdle: And the last shall be first



(Kurma)

When Aesop concluded, “Slow and steady wins the race,”  he wasn’t kidding.  He would have been grinning ear to ear at the results of a recent “race” down Runway 4 of New York City’s Kennedy International Airport.

According to Treehugger, this “Zen” type incident occurred

when over 100 diamondback terrapins began a procession

from the marsh on one side of the runway to a sandy stretch

on the other.  This egg-laying ritual takes place each year,

irregardless of the best-laid plans of men.  In this case, the

“plans” were put on hold as airport workers relocated the

turtles to equally-sandy shores.  Pilots, controllers, and

travelers alike did not seem to mind the hour’s delay.  When word got out, the public also seemed quite pleased.  As one New York Times reader put it:  Let’s face it, turtles were there first!

This is far from the first time that humans have deferred to turtles.  According to Wikipedia, the turtle has long held a prominent position in “religion, mythology and folklore from around the world.”  The tortoise has not only symbolized wisdom – but also creation, self-sufficiency, and immortality.  It has also personified

“Water, Moon, Mother Earth, Time… and Fertility.”

In Greek mythology, the tortoise was originally an Oread nymph (nature deity) named Chelone.  Zeus had sent the messenger-god Hermes to her house with an invitation to his and Hera’s wedding.  When Chelone chose to stay at home rather than to attend, Zeus ordered her home to be thrown into the river.  He also changed Chelone into a river animal that would perpetually remain within its home.

A number of traditions depict the world as being carried upon the back of a giant turtle.  Mohawks of North America have believed that earthquakes are a sign that this giant turtle is shifting to adjust to the great weight upon it.  Kurma, the second Avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu, saved Mount Mandara from the churning of the ocean by holding it up upon his back.  Ao, a giant Chinese sea turtle, had his legs chopped off by the creation-goddess Nuwa in order to prop up the sky while she repaired it.

Resources

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/07/nesting-turtles-close-jfk-runway-in-zen-moment.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_depictions_of_turtles_and_tortoises

http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NympheKhelone.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ao_(turtle)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurma

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tortoise_and_the_Hare

Copyright July 2, 2011 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved