Myth and Legends

The Cashew Nuts

The cashew or kasoy is a fruit like a bell that grows out of a tree like any fruit tree. It is yellow in colour when ripe and taste sweet. But unlike other fruits, it’s seed, more popularly known as cashew nut, is outside the fruit. In fact, the seed grows on top of the fruit that a popular riddle describes it as a princess sitting on a cup. Cashew seeds are gathered separately and roasted and sold like peanuts, the reason why they have been called cashew nuts.

Like peanuts, roasted cashew nuts are delicious and nutritious, although according to a popular belief, the fumes emanating from it’s skin while being roasted are hazardous to chickens. The legend of the cashew nuts, as presented below, reveals in particular why they are outside the fruit. When the world began, every form of living things had the power to communicate with one another. They would often meet together on special occasions such as to hold festivals or tournaments.

Usually, the local fairy of the lake or forest where the event was staged would be invited to host the affair. One afternoon, there was a song festival in a nearby forest. Many birds participated in as contestants, while the rest including the animals and insects came to support the affair. The trees and plants growing there also had their share of the fun and entertainment. Near the open ground where the performance was held there grew the first cashew tree.

Hanging down from the tree on several branches were clusters of cashew fruits with their seeds originally inside their hollow centres. Like all other seeds found inside the fruits, the cashew nuts could only hear but not see the commotion going on outside. “Who could be that sweet songbird?” wandered one of the cashew seeds. “Oh, if only we could free ourselves from our dark chambers,” wished a fellow cashew seed, at which all the other seeds gave a big sigh altogether.

With each song number and loud applause that went by the cashew seeds felt more depressed, praying harder and harder to be released from their chambers. During a brief break, the host fairy left her seat to get some fresh air. She flew in the direction of the cashew tree and leaned on it. As she did, she heard squeaking voices from behind.

“What noise is that?” said the fairy as she glanced sideways.

“It’s us!” cried the cashew seeds.

“Where are you calling from?” asked the fairy.

“We’re the seeds of the cashew fruit,” shouted the seeds. “Who are you?”

“I am a fairy. Tell me, why are you crying out loud?” asked the fairy.

“Ah, fairy! Oh powerful fairy, please let us out,” pleaded on of the cashew seeds.

“We want to see the world.”

At first the fairy refused to help the seeds, but she took pity on them. She took her magic wand and circled it around the cashew tree, and look! The seeds were out in an instant, each resting on top of the cashew fruits. Free at last and seeing for the first time the world outside, the seeds were all so carried away to exclaim, “Oh! What a wonderful world it is outside here.

Oh, sweetest of all fairies, we want to live out here forever. Grant us our wish, please, beautiful fairy! Don’t return us to our dark chambers anymore.” Again the fairy was so moved with sympathy that she gave a word. “Your wishes are granted but I must warn you there can be no turning back. Agree?” and the seeds all agreed quickly. Once more the fairy swung her magic wand then waved goodbye. ”Goodbye, kind fairy! Thank you very much!”

They all shouted as they watched her hurriedly fly away for the show was about to resume shortly. Next in line was the yellow canary with all her new original song number. The seeds watched the show until it ended. They were most happy for the meadowlark that won the songfest. The show was over and everyone started leaving. The huge beasts retired to their caves, the smaller animals hopped inside their tree holes while the others dug their way underneath the ground.

And the birds and insects flew back to their nesting homes. It was nightfall when the merrymaking stopped. Soon a great silence prevailed through the forest then gradually it grew dim. But that evening was not like other moonlit and starry nights, for a strong northeast wind brought in dark clouds overcast all over the sky leaving the forest in pitch darkness. Worse heavy rains followed. Then also, the thunder pealed accompanied by lightning bolts.

Everything proved too frightening to the seeds that just got out into the world for the first time. There they sat on top of the cashew fruits, shivering in the wet and cold darkness. Desperate they began to pray together. “If you can hear us, oh, merciful fairy. Please, give us another chance. Returns us to our cozy chambers. We don’t want to stay out here anymore. It’s so dreadful… it’s so miserable a life out here in the open…”

For hours and hours deep into the night, they kept mumbling those words but to no avail for the fairy was nowhere in sight. They were so soaked wet during the storm; their seed coats had dried to form wrinkles. Soon the seeds grew weary and fell asleep. By the time they woke up, the storm had ceased. The fairy, returning through the same path, encountered the poor seeds that by that time appeared all bent from fear of looking up.

In a weak voice, the seeds begged thee fairy to return them to their chambers. This time, the fairy had to refuse them for it was not in her power to reverse a wish. Having expressed her regrets, the fairy left them for good. Unfortunately for the cashew seeds, no other fairies ever crossed the same path again. To this day, the seeds of the cashew fruits that came later grew outside the fruit, weathering all kinds of natural forces.

For fear of being struck by a thunder and lightning and from the scourging heat of the sun, the lashing of the wind and rains, it remained crouched in a bent down position to this day, poorly showing off it’s wrinkled coats, as cannot altogether be avoided.