Walter Wangerin

With the passing of Walter Wangerin, Jr, I have been remembering the books, short stories, and essays of his I have read over the past several decades. The novel The Book of the Dun Cow is my favorite book of his and one I have reread several times, while his short story “Maundy Thursday” is my all-time favorite short story. I have been reading it out loud to my family (and any friends who are around) every Maundy Thursday for decades.

Several years ago, when writing my Strong Ally Sunday School class material for the men and women of my church, I realized that Pertelote of The Book of the Dun Cow was a perfect example of an ezer —a woman acting as a strong helper and necessary ally — to her husband Chanticleer. Here is what I wrote and then later shared during my Week 1 Genesis Sunday School session. (This illustration was the conclusion to this session.)

“God created women in his ezer image. In her distinct design she reflects the necessary ally work that God gives to humanity (as seen in the OT).  Just as God is not a junior assistant but vital, so women, working with men and with other women, act as necessary allies to the work that we all are given to do. 

Although it may work itself out in different ways throughout our lives,     our roles and work are rooted in being made in God’s image as humans (creative makers and representative rulers) and ezers (women). We cultivate, we defend, we nurture, we strengthen, we encourage and teach, and we make culture in our homes and in our communities.

Our words and actions either mirror or obscure the image of God to those around us… meaning our words or actions can be used to act as a necessary ally or not. In our homes, in our church, and in our communities we work with others, men and women, to bring about rightness, justice, goodness, and flourishing for others and for the glory of God.

Here is a story to illustrate this from Book of the Dun Cow – Chanticleer and Pertelote….

The Book of the Dun Cow is an allegorical fantasy of talking animals fighting evil. Written by Walter Wangerin in the 1970’s it received the American Book Award. Chanticleer is a Rooster who is ruling over a mostly peaceful kingdom. What the animals do not know was they were the Keepers of Wyrm – the monster of Evil long imprisoned beneath the earth. And Wyrm was breaking free.

The first half of the book Chanticleer discovers the evil that is moving toward his kingdom. Although he does not know it yet, it is a three-fold evil. He only knows of Cockatrice, a lizard-like Rooster who has “birthed” his killer children, the Baselik. 

Chanticleer brings all of his animals together in his area “The Coop” to get them ready to fight the encroaching evil. He gives a long two-part speech. The first part tells them of his story,  and of The LORD’s love and care for his people. He says to them, “God breathed faith into us so that we might be faithful. For generations God won trust from us so that today we might trust him.” This part of the speech leaves everyone empowered and feeling good. But they still don’t know why he called them. 

Then he goes on to explain that they will be fighting an evil and that the odds are terrible. He gives details of horrible murders that have just happened to those in his Coop; he speaks of the enemy and names it. So all the good that came from the first part of the speech is lost as silence comes upon the group and looks of lostness and need takes over their faces. Chanticleer stands dazed and confused – he doesn’t know what to do next. He assumed that everyone heard the need to do battle and get all inspired. But instead, his people also look dazed and confused. 

At this point, his wife, the beautiful hen Pertelote enters the scene. She comes in singing a song – it is beautiful. The song becomes a ballad and settles the entire multitude. And this is where Pertelote is an example of a Necessary Ally to Chanticleer. In her ballad she told them she knew of the danger which was approaching and she had actually experiences it when she was younger. She told them of the serpents which crawled and killed. Because she told them this truth in the song, the animals started to feel up to the task of fighting the evil. Her music spoke of faith and certainty (what Chanticleer had been speaking of but the animals could not hear). The animals listened and did not panic. “After she sang the clouds broke and the sun touched the tops of the trees and shone on the earth and the white Coop looked golden and everyone was filled with light and understanding. Chanticleer would remember her song in the next days and drew strength from it.” Because of her song, the animals were able to then listen to Chanticleers strategy of how they were going to fight and who was going to do which jobs. 

Pertelote was Chanticleer’s ezer – she helped him do the work of equipping his kingdom to fight the evil.

She was also the animals’ necessary ally as her work also gave them an ability to understand what was coming and what they needed to be ready to do.”

Thank you, Walter Wangerin, for all the ways you were used by God to speak into my life real truths from Scripture and for life! This example and others are dotted throughout my days.  

The cover of the copy I have owned for several decades…