This realization was not totally comforting since it suggested that their own behavior could bring on the wrath of the gods of nature. Prayers of supplication were primitive and usually involved bowed heads and raised hands, as if in surrender. Food became the best way the people imagined they could communicate with the gods, so they adopted practices of sacrificing the flesh of some animals at the start of each meal.
It was an extension of the communal meal, but instead of including just the people in the village, it invited the gods to witness and approve.
This was especially required when the meal was a true celebration, as this day when the people of Adda were visited by those fleeing Masra and in search of safety.
* * *
As the glare of the sun sank toward the sea and the air coole
