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Circle Houses

Yurts, Tipis, and Benders

by David Pearson

Excerpt

"A MAN'S TENT IS LIKE A GOD'S TEMPLE."
(Kyrgyz proverb)

Today, many of us share a desire to be free and experience the pleasures of living lightly on the Earth. Like our nomadic ancestors, many of us have a deep inner yearning to roam with the seasons and be close to nature and the cosmos. The traditional forms of the yurt, tipi, and bender are the apogee of this experience and are far more satisfying than any modern Western style tent. Being mainly circular in shape, they bring another dimension to the experience of free living-living in the round. It is difficult to define why circular spaces hold such a special magic and fascination. Maybe it is their natural affinity with the cycle of life-the movement of the sun, moon, and stars, and the cycle of the seasons. Maybe it is some archetypal memory of, and resonance with, former circle homes and round houses of our forebears. Whatever it is, you will be pleasantly surprised at the happy and peaceful effect that circular structures will have on you!

Nomadic populations usually live in some of the most inhospitable and barren regions of the world and this is why they are nomads. Whether it be the deserts of the Sahara and Gobi, the steppes of Russia, or the tundras of the Poles, these vast areas are either too hot and or too cold and windswept to be cultivated and support much population. Human inhabitants have little choice but to live off the scarce resources. These are quickly exhausted, so it is soon time to move or follow animal migratory routes. People living in these conditions have to be remarkably ingenious and adaptable. This is shown in everything they do including the structures they build. An African grass-covered hut, a Romany gypsy "bender", and Asian yurt or a Native American tipi, are all perfect lessons in appropriate design and sustainable building. Refined over generations, they are simple yet sophisticated, beautiful and comfortable.