Remembering the People of Corn

Making Cordage from Cornhusks

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The People of Corn

For the past couple of years I’ve been mesmerized by trying to grow corn. I repeat—trying. Turns out it’s not as easy as it may seem. On a very small organic farm, there are lots of things that would like to get to those sweet golden gems. This year, however, all went well and my corn ladies grew big and tall. 

This year I grew an old variety called Maíz Morado, an ancient heirloom originating in the Andes. It is the darkest of all corns, and grows unlike any other species of corn I’ve ever seen. There’s just something so regal about her. She actually seems like she could come to life at any moment.

Corn is a late season crop so usually around the end of October we harvest what we can. With my Maíz Morado I ate some fresh, used some in soups and am drying the rest to be ground and used as cornmeal for tortillas and purple grits. 

As for the rest of the plant, however, I’ve got other plans. And during these shortest of days, I get pretty excited about it. I like to let this corn lady come to life and hang on my wrist as a good reminder of the old Mayan story about the people of corn.

THE STORY


The Maya have a creation myth (actually there is no word for myth in the Tz’utujil language) so the Maya have a story they remember from their origins, and the story goes something like this.


The gods in the beginning created the earth and all the creatures of the earth—animals, plants, birds. It was beautiful, teaming with life and color, creativity and song. However, the gods recognized that as beautiful and vibrant as this world was, there were no creatures that had memory. None of the creatures had the ability to give praise, to remember their graces and to truly celebrate the gifts they’d been given by the gods.


So the gods decided to create humans—creatures with a mind and a heart and the ability to tell the story of their creation, giving thanks for all they had. The first people the gods made were the people of mud. It was a good first attempt, but the gods were not totally pleased with the results. The people were ill formed, could not talk, and were unable to sing the praises of where they’d come from. They were clumsy and messy and anytime it rained they just melted back into the ground.


So the gods tried again. They formed the second people out of wood. These people formed good humans from the looks of it. They could move and reproduce and talk. They were clever too. They learned to work together and build. They ended up populating much of the world with their creations. But they had no heart. And they did not remember to sing their praises back to the gods. They did not seem to have compassion or gratitude and the gods grew worried that the people of wood were imbuing all the other creatures with that same disrespect. Feeling as though they had no other option, the gods sent a great flood to destroy the people of wood.


The gods then set out to try again. A third attempt. This time they tried to make people of pure light, of the sun himself. These humans were beautiful, sparkling, etherial—but they lacked humility. They saw themselves as far above all the other creatures, and even above the gods that made them. Obviously, this would not do and once again the gods arranged for their demise.


Growing weary but still determined to create humans that would tell the story of their creation, and sing and dance their gratitude back to the other world, the gods made one final attempt. From two baskets of corn they ground a fine powder, mixed it with water, and began to sculpt the people of corn.


The corn people grew big and beautiful, with their wild hair hanging down long and their robes lined with silk wrapped around their golden bodies. They could dance and sing and tell stories. They were wise and full of gratitude. They remembered the gods and gave thanks for the life they had. They were the people that sustained the earth and all of creation, and those who were sustained in return.

Making Cordage

How to twine cornhusks to make a bracelet

Cordage is an ancient way of making rope and string and can be made from many different fibers including Nettles, Cattail and Yucca. There are only two basic ways for using the fibers to make a cord: braiding (or plaiting) and twining. We will use the twining method for making cord for a bracelet.

1. First, when using dried cornhusks you must first soak them in water to reconstitute them and make them pliable again. Just lay your strips in a bowl of water for a few minutes until workable. If you are using fresh husks, just jump right into the next step.

2. Peel your husks into strips about 1/2 inch wide. For one bracelet you might need about 10 strips.

3. Pick one strip and begin twisting it in a clockwise direction with both hands on either end. Twist tightly. Bring hands closer to the center and continue twisting until the strip begins to buckle in the middle. The middle kink should rotate on its own in a counterclockwise direction. Twist until two or three rotations occur. This is the start of a two ply cord.

4. Now, run an object through the loop at the end of your cord in order to maintain a loop shape. This will also allow you to hold on better to your cord by attaching it to something. Continue twisting both ends in clockwise directions while twining the twisted ends together in a counter clockwise rotation.

5. At some point as you twist and twine, you will begin to run out of fiber to twist. When you are within about 2-3 inches of the end of a strand, you will need to add in another strip. Lay the new strip parallel to the strip being replaced, and sticking out about an inch beyond the junction of the two strands. Continue twisting as before. This process is a little tricky and you will find your cord varying in thickness as you add in new strands. That’s okay! Remember the people of corn here and how beautiful it is to be humble but full of heart! Don’t worry for now about the ends that stick out. After your cord is finished, you can trim off the overlap ends to make your cord more smooth.

6. Continue twisting, twining and weaving in new strands as necessary until you have a cord a little bit longer than your wrist. You’ll need extra cord for two reasons: you will need extra length to create a knot at the end, and the corn will shrink a bit as it dries.

7. When you’ve got the right length, tie a square knot in the end of your cord.

8. Now, make sure that the object you have in the loop at the other end is large enough to fit your knot through it. They should be a snug fit. I generally find an old fashioned pencil is about the right size. Place your pencil through the loop and let your cord lay flat until it dries completely.

9. Once dry, remove the pencil, trim the extra little whispies from the sides and put it around your wrist, affixing the knot through the loop.

There you have it! One beautiful cord woven with story, full of memory and the rich wonder of the earth.

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Corn is sacred for the Maya and for many other cultures and peoples around the world. For me, learning these stories and working with my hands to craft something from the plants is a way for me to come back into my body and back into connection with nature. And on these long and cold nights, its a fun way to come back into a sense of curiosity, playfulness, deep reverence and connection with the mystery. And just as the people of corn remind us how to be this way, the cornhusk cordage bracelet helps me stay connected to these ancient ways and origins throughout my days.