[“The anthropologist James Fairhead describes how farmers in many parts of West Africa encourage Macrotermes termites because of the way they “wake up” the soil. Earth from inside termite mounds is sometimes eaten by humans or smeared on wounds, and has been found to have a number of benefits—as a mineral supplement, or an antidote to toxins, or an antibiotic. Macrotermes cultivate an antibiotic-producing bacteria, Streptomyces, within their mounds.
The partnership between Macrotermes and their fungi has even been weaponized by humans for radical political causes. In the early twentieth century in coastal West Africa, locals secretly released termites in the military outpost of a colonizing French army. Driven by the voracious appetites of their fungal partners, the termites destroyed the buildings and chewed up the bureaucrats’ papers. The French garrison quickly abandoned their post. In a number of West African cultures, termites lie above humans in spiritual hierarchies. In some, Macrotermes are portrayed as messengers between humans and gods. In others, it was only with the help of a termite assistant that God was able to create the universe in the first place. In these myths, Macrotermes are not just portrayed as breaking things down. They are builders on the largest possible scale.”]
Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life
this is fascinating actually because i’ve always been terrified of termites ~ or perhaps in awe of them.
my partner and i have tried to start farming in a lot of different places under some questionable circumstances. one of those places was outside of Pittsburgh, PA in one of those counties that resembles West Virginia more than the city - get me?
so, we’ve landed on this piece of land (his step- grandfather ’s handed down to a less than awesome step-aunt but that’s beside the point of this post.) anyway - we’re walking one of the back parcels and we see these giant mounds. the forest is thinner and the ground feels soft. we take a moment to realize that the mounds had once been trees. termites reigned the back parcel of the property.
i never would have guessed at the health benefits and spiritual power of termites.
