The Story of the Weeping Camel 2004

During the vibrant Spring season, a family of nomadic shepherds diligently aids in the births of their precious camel herd. Their journey takes a challenging turn when the last camel faces a protracted labor that drags on for two long days. Ultimately, with the support and intervention of the family, a rare white calf is born, marking this mother camel’s first experience with calving. Unfortunately, despite the heartfelt efforts of the shepherds, the mother turns away from her newborn, rejecting it and failing to establish that crucial care-bond.

In a bid to restore balance and harmony, the nomadic family reaches out to a group of lamas, seeking their spiritual counsel. The lamas engage in a remarkable ritual using bread or dough effigies (known in Standard Tibetan as torma), representing the mother, the calf, and each family member. The ceremony commences with the resonant sound of a sacred horn, accompanied by the gentle ringing of bells held by the lamas, some armed with a vajra. This profound rite unfolds with members of the extended nomadic community and numerous lamas at a spiritually significant site. Here, the scene is dominated by a stylized ‘victory banner’ (in Sanskrit: Dhvaja), fashioned from a log set in the earth and raised heavenward, adorned with a piece of blue fabric that acts as a prayer flag (darchor-style). Beneath this elevated log lies a cairn of rocks, providing a solid foundation for the ritual. Alas, despite their earnest efforts, the ritual fails to mend the rift between the mother and her calf.

Determined to find a solution, the family decides to enlist the talents of a local violinist to facilitate a Mongolian Hoos ritual. They commission their two young boys to embark on a desert journey to the district center in search of a musician. Upon finding the violinist — who expertly plays a morin khuur — he is summoned to the camp, where a vibrant ritual of folk music and chanting begins. The musician carefully places the morin khuur on the first hump of the camel, fostering a sympathetic magical connection between the mother and the harmony embodied by the instrument. Once this vital connection is established, he removes the instrument and begins to play. As the soothing sounds of the Morin Khuur fill the air, a female family member, who had previously lulled her child to sleep with a gentle lullaby, starts to hum the calming melodies of the hoos. In a poignant moment, tears begin to stream from the mother camel’s eyes. Miraculously, after this touching rite, the mother and calf find reconciliation, and the calf is finally able to draw milk from her teat, restoring peace to their family.