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Creed of the Flatlanders
The Legend of The Shirt
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You call yourself the Shirtman, "owner of the people."
And you know that whatever a man owns, he takes care of, he protects.
This Shirt symbolizes those things that you as a people most highly esteem, everything that you as a people recognize as good. And whatever the people recognize as good they own. And so the people own the Shirt.
Understand that he who puts on this Shirt wears a pride that belongs also to the people, the the one and to the whole.
Keep control over the power that gains you this Shirt. Resist whoever, whatever, tries to distract you. Ignore those persons who compare you with different ones, and avoid those persons who speak of limits to that which a man dares to achieve. You belong neither to the limiters nor the impeders.
Deny yourself Anger, even when you know who strikes you down. Keep clean your head and your heart, clean and whole.
You will remember yourself as a peacemaker. You lead a growing band, a great hoop, and even greater tiyospaye: your wisdom attracts followers.
You aspire to the Shirt. The Shirt becomes you and you become the Shirt. Walk remembering these things; the grandfathers say so.
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