Every Christmas, Santa Claus visits us with gifts giving joys to our lives. This Christmas of 2020, grandpa Santa could not see us due to his tight traveling schedule, particularly during the pandemic.
However, he gave us a surprise by sending a messenger to make everyone happy. He was none but his friend and renowned figure, the "Herodotus".
It was our first time to host "Herodotus" at our place. We welcomed him and offered a place to sit near the fireplace as the night was too cold. He was made comfortable with my favorite drink, "Mojito Cocktail," made from Vodka, Mint, Lime, and Apple.
A round of the drink was enough to kick-start a smooth conversation. We started discussing the pandemic, vaccines, related happenings in the world, and their histories.
During the conversation, I came to know that he is a great Greek historian. The conversation continues...
I: Why do people call you the father of History?
Herodotus: I don't know, by when people started calling me the "father of history." I was not too fond of it, but it was a gift that people gave me. See, if we don't tell our own stories, no one else will. Likewise, If we don't do our work, no one else will. I was documenting the events around us. [He seems very serious and anxious]
After other rounds of drink....the topic that caught me was the world's super-powers.
I: Who is the super-power?
Herodotus: Nowadays, everyone has their nuclear bombs, and it is difficult to say who is the mightiest. But I can tell you something about the past. In human history, the most incredible super-power was not the Roman Empire, British Empire, USSR, USA, or China, but the Mongol Empire. Their kingdom stretched from Korea to Eastern Europe. The Empire was established around 1220 and existed till 1920. With the rise of communism and the Soviet Empire, the Mongols gradually declined and gave birth to a new Mongolian country. You know, it was an empire of straight 700 years, and it is a pity that many of us didn't know the History of such a great empire.
I: "Nobody told us about the history of the Mongol Empire." [I was a bit nervous about raising it]
Herodotus: "Do you know anything about Mongolia?"
I: I know about a new rock band from Mongolia called "The HU". Two years back, this rock band popped up explosively in the world of rock music that was mainly ruled by old guys of Metallica, AC/DC, and other bands of America." [overcoming my level of ignorance, that was the naive response given, next moment was much more surprising ....]
Herodotus: "What is this Rock Music?"
I: Gathering all strengths, I replied, "Rock music is one of the most complicated and curious phenomena in our everyday lives. It emerges from various interactions, constructions, and interpretations in societies and the politics of capitalism and consumerism. In general, I listen to music to seek joy. However, it can also be a powerful weapon to build or break...... Some music historians told us that the Scorpion's song "Wind of Change" was written to bring down the mighty USSR and Berlin Wall. On the beautiful side, music unites all no matter from where one comes. I think that the HU had demonstrated the zeal of connecting and uniting one and all. This year before the Pandemic, they have completed their US and European tours, giving joy to music lovers even though the listeners couldn't understand a single word meaning of the song.
Herodotus: Can you find any connection with the Mongol empire and with that rock band? [An impressive smile flaunts across... ]
I: Yes, "The HU" sings in their local language. They play music with their improvised traditional musical instruments. In the last two years, translations from the Mongolian Language to English started coming in. So, the word "HU" came from the Mongolian language, which means human, and thus "The HU" means "The Humans." Through the songs' lyrics, we came to know that the HU sings about their culture, ancestors, and the great Mongol Empire of the past. They named their first album "The Gereg," a Mongolian word meaning 'diplomatic pass' carried by Mongolian nobles and officials. It is believed that the modern world copied their idea and invented the concept of passport/documents required for traveling worldwide.
Herodotus: "Sad, but true. Histories of great empires and civilizations are not there in your history books. Learn on your own from different sources and tell stories."
Then, he left to meet others and continued his journey.
His visit was an exciting footprint to learn, think through, and initiate to do our share of our stories. And, it was a memorable Christmas celebration of 2020!