Florencia
The Hidden Underworld Kingdoms of the Amuc
[An Andean Peruvian Account]
A Prose Poem
Prologue: There are many kingdoms that have come and gone on earth, throughout written history, mostly documented, but there is only one kingdom, that has come, and has not gone, that has existed for eons, it is the Hidden Kingdom of the Amuc, which consist of actually four kingdoms, somewhat interconnected; but it is not on the surface of the earth, it is in the crust of the earth. I have talked to many people in the Andes, and villages, and minors, and old timers, they all believe in them, some have saw them, others were legends to live by. Some say they have blond hair, others say they have steel wings, and are a foot tall. I first head about them in 1999, when I first came to Peru, and went to the Andes, and then I came back every year since, nine times to Peru so far, and the year is still 2006, at least for another six weeks. Anyhow, I bought a house in Lima, and one in Huancayo, in the Mantaro Valley. And then I purchased an adobe hobby farm of sorts, in the Village of San Jeronimo de Tunan, and this is when it all started. I mean this is where my story actually originated. I don’t expect anyone to believe me, but I shall nonetheless, give you the account that took place.
Close to my property, which is about 6000-square meters, with tall adobe walls surrounding the land, perhaps three feet thick, with several small dwelling within this enclosure, is where I lived on the weekends; an old Church (1539 AD) called St. Sebastian, nearby, up the dirt road a bit. There one weekend in the month of August, I was carving out a garden in one section of my land, by one of the adobe dwellings, and I found a statue, it was carved into the liking of a midget size king, but much smaller; at the time I thought it was a goblin, but I am not in Ireland, I told myself, and it was not a fairy, although it could have been, perhaps it was something in-between, like one of those Amuc people I heard about.
Oh well, let me get on with the story: the adobe foundation to my property was build about 130-years before I had bought the place, it went through the Pacific War, the one between Chile and Peru, about 1879 to 1883. So I thought it to be a statue of a grave marking of some sort. And it was, but it was not of the war I talk about, it was of a great Amuc that once lived. Oh yes, now we are getting into the real heart of the matter, are we not. Well, that is why I call this story, an account because that is exactly what it is.
So let me go on with the account: I dug deeper into the ground, in the silenced of the night so no one would be the wiser, twilight is always haunting and worth a good dig, and eerie it was, and it really made the spell of the digging more enchanting, smoke like figures even crossed the moon, and moonbeams shot (so it seemed), shot right down through the porthole I had made in the roof over my dig, and my head to give me light as I dug; the shadows swept like lotus—to and fro—over the gray ebbing clouds above the crown of my head, it was a warm evening, to say the least. I had even added adobe walls around the dig; thus, it was a structure now: twenty feet deep the hole was, with a rope ladder attached to the adobe walls, tub by tub for three weeks I dug and brought up dirt from the hole, piled it here and there, little mounds everywhere in my yard. Woops, I forgot to tell you, I found a gravestone, of a man, and it read in Quechua (one of the oldest languages of earth). It read,
“King Niobla, of Remora (the West Kingdom) scornful heart he had, and a wicked laugh for all, he stole me for his child bride, and killed my brother, father and stirred his wine with his bones; it was best for us all he be where he lay, for I had him killed one summers day: my king of the West Kingdom of Remora, now in his dull grave; let him rest in Hell, as not to contaminate those who live beneath, lest we be his salves.” 642 AD His un-grieving wife: Florencia of Drabmol (The North Kingdom)
As I dug deeper, the walls started crumbling, that is when I found the coffin of the king, and when I opened it, he did have steel like wings, as if angelic, but they were laid to his side, perhaps he felt he could fly, they were attachable. He was no taller than a foot or more, perhaps fourteen inches, in all. And he still had his skull attached, to his neck, and deep-rooted socket for eyes in his head. I was at this time, twenty-two feet below the surface, and hence, I dug another week, another ten feet, slowly, now thirty-two feet, then at forty-feet, I found a tunnel, and it went downward, but it was cramped, I am 172-pounds, and five foot, eight inches tall, not tall for today’s, primates, but tall for the average Peruvian, and a giant according to the corpse and statue I had found. As I pushed my way through these skin tight walls, I was scared I’d be buried alive, but with a flash light I saw a few hundred feet down further (in front of me), where an item in the dirt lay, when I got to it, it was a hat, for a small females head, then I noticed foot prints, small, but I could make them out to be footprints. I was starting to push my body backwards, I had had enough of this, air was thin, and I was scared, and cramped, and going ahead I saw would be more difficult, for it was even thinner, how would I make it. Then (and I must say, there will be a lot of ‘then (s)’ in this story), I heard behind me the crumbling of the walls, I couldn’t turn around, and it would be most difficult to go forward.
I did have a little shovel with me for digging; it was what I had been doing for three to four weeks now, so why not try to dig my way through to wherever the tunnel led me to, or rot where I was, and then I saw a little woman, beautiful as could be, faintly she appeared, and this is were my story comes from, not sure if I dreamt it, or was told it when I was passed out, or whatever, but when I woke up I was back outside my tunnel, in the shack I had built around the hole, it was as if I was pulled out by my feet, my shoes were off, my ankles had red marks around them.
[Opening: to the Dream]: it was in the time, perhaps the 7th century or so, a time when the kingdoms of the Mantaro Valley were captured by the Wanka Warriors, and Unishcoto, and Arwaturo along with Wariwilca were just being inhabitant (now old ruins in the Ville), it was a time when the little people, known as the Amuc, lived underground in four kingdoms, the Northern Kingdom, the Southern Kingdom (remote and small, not a fighting kingdom for the most part), the Western Kingdom know as Remora (once the most dominate of them all), which was part of the Eastern Kingdom, yet the Eastern Kingdom was the mightiest of all the kingdoms of the Amuc’s underworld at this given time, and each had its separate kings. Remora feared the Northern Kingdom, of Drabmol, and under battle, they had lost more lives, yet these two kingdoms were not completely tested to the point of one was dominating the other.
1
King Dnusirut of Drabmol (of the Northern Kingdom), accepted Prince Niobla of Remora, as his guest, he was visiting the kingdom, at his father’s request, to ensure peace was still abreast with this barbarian tribal kingdom of sorts, and at the request of King Nitsuj, of the East. But the Prince had brought up a sour issue, said he:
“I would like to take the dagger that killed your son in battle back home with me as a trophy of my conquest in battle.”
So he told the king in the throne chamber, and with tears in his eyes the king bowed his head in sorrow, but said, “Yes, I understand, it is your right of conquest.”
The war between the two kingdoms was stopped prematurely, when the king from the East told all, he would take both kingdoms from both kings should they not make peace, and it was a threat he could fulfill. Now, when the request had been made, it happened to be, Prince Dnumiunc was nearby listening, and went historical into the center of the room, said he in no pleasant manner:
“He was my brother—father, do not give him the dagger he cut the throat of my brother with.”
The father looked weary indeed, but what could he say, “Son,” he said in a humbling manner, “…oh my son, Prince and someday to be king of this land of the North, you must keep its traditions and customs, it is like particles of the peoples blood that goes for 100,000-years behind us, we must give it or be shamed, now say no more, I am already disgraced by your mouth, go and hide from my eyes…!”
“Disgraced from this mad-god that has no courage, he should have taken the knife out of his heart when he killed him on the battle field, why now…why now does the slayer come to do what he could have done before?”
Oh yes, there was heat and hate, and venom coming from the body and the mouth of the uncouth prince. Said the king with a sigh, “Say no more, lest I have you removed from this room, and that will be to your dishonor, it will be as I said.”
And that was the last words that came from the tongue of the contempt prince.
2
It was in the hallways Princess Florencia of Drabmol was walking, and she was the flower of all the kingdom, most beautiful, more so they say than Cleopatra, or even Helen of Troy, and when the Prince of Remora saw her he stopped, caught his breath, wide-eyed, said, “My gosh, who are you, a stunning beauty among these Barbarians?”
Said she with her head held high, “I, my young and obnoxious Prince, am Florencia, and I dislike you more than my brother, who scorned you in the throne chamber, now leave me pass!”
Oh, he would not move, not for love or money, king or land, he would not move, he made his stand, “I will have you, you will be my bride to be…you will be in my bed, and bear my children.”
“You insidious, obnoxious creature, how dare you speak to me like that, I am a Princess, and you will never have me, save my father will slay you first.”
The Prince, looked about, “And where is he, your father, and who is he?”
“His name is Prince Dnumiunc,” said Florencia.
“Oh yes,” said Niobla, “Him, I suppose I will have to slay him as I did his brother. Perhaps, once I am king, then we shall see who fairs best in war and battle, with the sword, and without King Nitsuj’s help, we would have you under our heel, had it not been for He.”
“So you say, but I think not.” Rejoined the Princess, “You would have been our servants, is more like it.”
“I see you have a mouth like your brother, so be it, I will tame that also, and put you under my loins, and make love to you, and you will wish I would never stop.”
“I have no lover, but if he were you, I’d cut your throat, or mine.” Exclaimed Florencia.
Then all of a sudden Prince Dnumiunc appeared, said he with hand to his sword, “Why do you talk to this vulture?” he asked his daughter.
“It was I mad prince of Drabmol, I stopped her and asked her whom she was, so I am at fault, not her. But she is beautiful, give me her hand in marriage, for my wife, or I will take her anyway, as a mistress.” Said Niobla.
“You are an infection to this kingdom, and you have out used your curtsey of being our guest, I hope you are gone by morning, I would love to put my sword into your heart, and I need very little reason more.” Said the Prince Dnumiunc.
“I am sure your sword and skill are as dull as your wit and words, hide your sword and save yourself, by giving me your daughter while you can.”
Having said that, the scourged and love hungry prince dashed off to his room.
3
[Nine months later] It was by the night they came, and through the princess’ window they bound her, and took her back to Remora, Prince Niobla was now king.
Said King Niobla, to his captured mistress, Florencia, “You will lay with me one way or the other.”
“I will not willingly, nor do you dare, my father will war with you, slay you.” Said Florencia, nervously, yet trying to keep her composure.
“He must know you are with me by now, where is this father of yours, he is not knocking at my door, I see him not (he goes to the window, it is morning in his land, looks out it, then looks back at Florencia, his eyebrow goes up, he smirks).”
“You dare not…!” repeated the princess.
“Do you think for one minute I have gone through all this, to not have my hunger met?”
“You dare not, my father will….” Reiterated the Princess.
“But I do dare, I will drink your father’s blood someday, will drink it with my wine and mix it with his bones, time will show you it will be so.”
“My grandfather will war with your kingdom, and we almost tore your armies to shreds last time we battled,” said the princess.”
This was true, and the West, feared the Northern barbarians, but the new King would have his mistress nonetheless, and make her queen, one way or the other, or have her live as his mistress, like it or not, and he threw her on his bed. And it was that way for three months, each night, every night. He could not get enough of her. And then it came to pass, he was called to attend a meeting in the Eastern Kingdom, by none other than, Prince Dnumiunc, and King Nitsuj, and to bring Florencia along. Oh it was maddening for the new King Niobla to do so, but he heeded the King’s command from the East, lest he lose his kingdom be lost, and Florencia—and he was no fool.
4
King Nitsuj, sat on his throne, as Prince Dnumiunc stood in front of him, and King Niobla, likewise, said the old king, King Nitsuj, “You have taken a princess out of a kingdom, and spoiled her, what do you have to say for yourself King Niobla?”
“This is true,” said the new King, “and the heart sometimes cannot stop itself, I love her with all my heart, and I had to have her. I requested she be given to me, but her father has venom in his tongue, and blood because I killed his brother in fair battle, as all wars have battles, and loses, and now he wants revenge, and uses his daughter for this; had I not asked for the dagger I cut his brother’s throat with, he’d have given her hand to me in marriage perhaps.”
“This is no reason to take what is not yours in battle. You did not win the war, you slay only a man, a prince, not a princess, you are guilty, what should be the judgment on a king who takes another kings granddaughter, what would your judgment be?”
“I want him dead!” bellowed Prince Dnumiunc.
“And what do you say to that?” asked the presiding king.
“Let Florencia decide what is to be done with me.” Said the accused prince.
King Nitsuj, looked at Prince Dnumiunc, “And what do you say to that?” he asked.
Said the angered Prince, “So be it, she will cut your throat, and your private parts off,” and he laughed with a vengeful grin.
At that, the old king had Florencia brought out, and she was asked what would be her judgment on king Niobla. She hesitated, so her father said, “Have him killed, Florencia, you hate him as I do.” But she could not speak those very same words.
“I must think of this a while,” she expressed, “perhaps a week would do.” Her father held his breath, a sigh came out, it was tension, and he was flabbergasted.
“I am with child, do I slay its father, and then tell the child when he is a young prince, ‘I killed him because he raped me?” All looked at her indecisiveness.
Said the old king, “It must be settled by you now, or I will make the decree…” and he murmured her indecisiveness.
“I cannot make the assessment today, it must wait.” Said Florencia.
“So be it,” said the Eastern King, adding, “you will have the right to join King Niobla at his kingdom, or your own, but should you choose his, you will be wed, and made queen. Should you choose your father’s kingdom, in the North, you will be Princess, and do with the child as you please. That is how it will be.”
And so it was, and Florencia picked out the Western Kingdom, and King Niobla wed her as his wife, and adored her beauty, but hated her insults, yet for some reason he did not revenge those insults, but played with them with wit, for amusement. And they had a daughter, and the king was not happy, perhaps as most kings, they want a son to hand down the throne to, yet he accepted this fact, and adored her all the more, for it kept the Queen in place. He used it, now and then, off and on, when she got too unruly, he’d threaten her with the child, saying in so many words: he’d take the daughter away from a mad woman as she, and have her placed in some far off outpost of the kingdoms.
