PBP: Baubo

I am Baubo.
Called Demeter’s Fool
or Iambe by the polite.
Many have asked me
“What did you say,
what did you do
to make the Mother laugh
despite her black anguish?”
Many things are claimed:
That I am a she-man;
Or I gave a fertile reminder
in the form of my vulva;
Or pointed out stretch marks
and described my own loss
a final one, unlike her own;
That an odd twist of the physical
caused my elderly she parts
to appear like a boy or pig;
Or simple crude mockery
so startling to a hidden goddess.
I say it is a mystery.
A mystery lost in passing,
being a minor detail at the time.
In the end, it matters not.
All that matters is that
the Mourning Mother took heart
broke her earth withering fast
and began to live again.

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This poem came about when I decided to research who Baubo is.  I ran across many theories.  (Interestingly enough there are many similar figures in other cultures such as Sheel-na-gig in Ireland and Uzume in Japan.  I also wonder if Baubo may be the original “bearded lady“.[grin] ) Overwhelmed with information that conflicted, I settled for the truth.  Ultimately it doesn’t matter.  All that matters is that her actions caused Demeter to relax, to forget her pain long enough to laugh and break her long fast.  Baubo’s actions were the turning point that put Demeter on the path to making the earth green again.  That is why she is remembered.

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