The Way to Rainy Mountain by N Scott MomadayWord格式.docx

The Way to Rainy Mountain by N Scott MomadayWord格式.docx

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AsingleknollrisesoutoftheplaininOklahoma,northandwestoftheWichitaRange.Formypeople,theKiowas,itisanoldlandmark,andtheygaveitthenameRainyMountain.Thehardestweatherintheworldisthere.Winterbringsblizzards,hottornadicwindsariseinthespring,andinsummertheprairieisananvil'

sedge.Thegrassturnsbrittleandbrown,anditcracksbeneathyourfeet.Therearegreenbeltsalongtheriversandcreeks,lineargrovesofhickoryandpecan,willowandwitchhazel.AtadistanceinJulyorAugustthesteamingfoliageseemsalmosttowritheinfire.Greatgreenandyellowgrasshoppersareeverywhereinthetallgrass,poppinguplikecorntostingtheflesh,andtortoisescrawlaboutontheredearth,goingnowhereintheplentyoftime.Lonelinessisanaspectoftheland.Allthingsintheplainareisolate;

thereisnoconfusionofobjectsintheeye,butonehilloronetreeoroneman.Tolookuponthatlandscapeintheearlymorning,withthesunatyourback,istolosethesenseofproportion.Yourimaginationcomestolife,andthis,youthink,iswhereCreationwasbegun.

IreturnedtoRainyMountaininJuly.Mygrandmotherhaddiedinthespring,andIwantedtobeathergrave.Shehadlivedtobeveryoldandatlastinfirm.Heronlylivingdaughterwaswithherwhenshedied,andIwastoldthatindeathherfacewasthatofachild.

Iliketothinkofherasachild.Whenshewasborn,theKiowaswerelivingthelastgreatmomentoftheirhistory.FormorethanahundredyearstheyhadcontrolledtheopenrangefromtheSmokyHillRivertotheRed,fromtheheadwatersoftheCanadiantotheforkoftheArkansasandCimarron.InalliancewiththeComanches,theyhadruledthewholeofthesouthernPlains.Warwastheirsacredbusiness,andtheywereamongthefinesthorsementheworldhaseverknown.ButwarfarefortheKiowaswaspreeminentlyamatterofdispositionratherthanofsurvival,andtheyneverunderstoodthegrim,unrelentingadvanceoftheU.S.Cavalry.Whenatlast,dividedandillprovisioned,theyweredrivenontotheStakedPlainsinthecoldrainsofautumn,theyfellintopanic.InPaloDuroCanyontheyabandonedtheircrucialstorestopillageandhadnothingthenbuttheirlives.Inordertosavethemselves,theysurrenderedtothesoldiersatFortSillandwereimprisonedintheoldstonecorralthatnowstandsasamilitarymuseum.Mygrandmotherwassparedthehumiliationofthosehighgraywallsbyeightortenyears,butshemusthaveknownfrombirththeafflictionofdefeat,thedarkbroodingofoldwarriors.

HernamewasAho,andshebelongedtothelastculturetoevolveinNorthAmerica.HerforebearscamedownfromthehighcountryinwesternMontananearlythreecenturiesago.Theywereamountainpeople,amysterioustribeofhunterswhoselanguagehasneverbeenpositivelyclassifiedinanymajorgroup.Inthelateseventeenthcenturytheybeganalongmigrationtothesouthandeast.Itwasajourneytowardthedawn,anditledtoagoldenage.AlongthewaytheKiowaswerebefriendedbytheCrows,whogavethemthecultureandreligionofthePlains.Theyacquiredhorses,andtheirancientnomadicspiritwassuddenlyfreeoftheground.TheyacquiredTai-me,thesacredSunDancedoll,fromthatmomenttheobjectandsymboloftheirworship,andsosharedinthedivinityofthesun.Notleast,theyacquiredthesenseofdestiny,thereforecourageandpride.WhentheyentereduponthesouthernPlainstheyhadbeentransformed.Nolongerweretheyslavestothesimplenecessityofsurvival;

theywerealordlyanddangeroussocietyoffightersandthieves,huntersandpriestsofthesun.Accordingtotheiroriginmyth,theyenteredtheworldthroughahollowlog.Fromonepointofview,theirmigrationwasthefruitofanoldprophecy,forindeedtheyemergedfromasunlessworld.

AlthoughmygrandmotherlivedoutherlonglifeintheshadowofRainyMountain,theimmenselandscapeofthecontinentalinteriorlaylikememoryinherblood.ShecouldtelloftheCrows,whomshehadneverseen,andoftheBlackHills,whereshehadneverbeen.Iwantedtoseeinrealitywhatshehadseenmoreperfectlyinthemind'

seye,andtraveledfifteenhundredmilestobeginmypilgrimage.

Yellowstone,itseemedtome,wasthetopoftheworld,aregionofdeeplakesanddarktimber,canyonsandwaterfalls.But,beautifulasitis,onemighthavethesenseofconfinementthere.Theskylineinalldirectionsiscloseathand,thehighwallofthewoodsanddeepcleavagesofshade.Thereisaperfectfreedominthemountains,butitbelongstotheeagleandtheelk,thebadgerandthebear.TheKiowasreckonedtheirstaturebythedistancetheycouldsee,andtheywerebentandblindinthewilderness.

Descendingeastward,thehighlandmeadowsareastairwaytotheplain.InJulytheinlandslopeoftheRockiesisluxuriantwithflaxandbuckwheat,stonecropandlarkspur.Theearthunfoldsandthelimitofthelandrecedes.Clustersoftrees,andanimalsgrazingfarinthedistance,causethevisiontoreachawayandwondertobuilduponthemind.Thesunfollowsalongercourseintheday,andtheskyisimmensebeyondallcomparison.Thegreatbillowingcloudsthatsailuponitareshadowsthatmoveuponthegrainlikewater,dividinglight.Fartherdown,inthelandoftheCrowsandBlackfeet,theplainisyellow.Sweetclovertakesholdofthehillsandbendsuponitselftocoverandsealthesoil.TheretheKiowaspausedontheirway;

theyhadcometotheplacewheretheymustchangetheirlives.Thesunisathomeontheplains.Preciselytheredoesithavethecertaincharacterofagod.WhentheKiowascametothelandoftheCrows,theycouldseethedarkleesofthehillsatdawnacrosstheBighornRiver,theprofusionoflightonthegrainshelves,theoldestdeityrangingafterthesolstices.Notyetwouldtheyveersouthwardtothecaldronofthelandthatlaybelow;

theymustweantheirbloodfromthenorthernwinterandholdthemountainsawhilelongerintheirview.TheyboreTai-meinprocessiontotheeast.

AdarkmistlayovertheBlackHills,andthelandwaslikeiron.AtthetopofaridgeIcaughtsightofDevil'

sTowerupthrustagainstthegrayskyasifinthebirthoftimethecoreoftheearthhadbrokenthroughitscrustandthemotionoftheworldwasbegun.Therearethingsinnaturethatengenderanawfulquietintheheartofman;

Devil'

sTowerisoneofthem.Twocenturiesago,becausetheycouldnotdootherwise,theKiowasmadealegendatthebaseoftherock.Mygrandmothersaid:

Eightchildrenwerethereatplay,sevensistersandtheirbrother.Suddenlytheboywasstruckdumb;

hetrembledandbegantorunuponhishandsandfeet.Hisfingersbecameclaws,andhisbodywascoveredwithfur.Directlytherewasabearwheretheboyhadbeen.Thesisterswereterrified;

theyran,andthebearafterthem.Theycametothestumpofagreattree,andthetreespoketothem.Itbadethemclimbuponit,andastheydidsoitbegantoriseintotheair.Thebearcametokillthem,buttheywerejustbeyonditsreach.Itrearedagainstthetreeandscoredthebarkallaroundwithitsclaws.Thesevensisterswereborneintothesky,andtheybecamethestarsoftheBigDipper.

Fromthatmoment,andsolongasthelegendlives,theKiowashavekinsmeninthenightsky.Whatevertheywereinthemountains,theycouldbenomore.Howevertenuoustheirwell-being,howevermuchtheyhadsufferedandwouldsufferagain,theyhadfoundawayoutofthewilderness.

Mygrandmotherhadareverenceforthesun,aholyregardthatnowisallbutgoneoutofmankind.Therewasawarinessinher,andanancientawe.ShewasaChristianinherlateryears,butshehadcomealongwayabout,andsheneverforgotherbirthright.AsachildshehadbeentotheSunDances;

shehadtakenpartinthoseannualrites,andbythemshehadlearnedtherestorationofherpeopleinthepresenceofTai-me.ShewasaboutsevenwhenthelastKiowaSunDancewasheldin1887ontheWashitaRiveraboveRainyMountainCreek.Thebuffaloweregone.Inordertoconsummatetheancientsacrifice--toimpaletheheadofabuffalobulluponthemedicinetree--adelegationofoldmenjourneyedintoTexas,theretobegandbarterforananimalfromtheGoodnightherd.ShewastenwhentheKiowascametogetherforthelasttimeasalivingSunDanceculture.Theycouldfindnobuffalo;

theyhadtohanganoldhidefromthesacredtree.Beforethedancecouldbegin,acompanyofsoldiersrodeoutfromFortSillunderorderstodispersethetribe.Forbiddenwithoutcausetheessentialactoftheirfaith,havingseenthewildherdsslaughteredandlefttorotupontheground,theKiowasbackedawayforeverfromthemedicinetree.ThatwasJuly20,1890,atthegreatbendoftheWashita.Mygrandmotherwasthere.Withoutbitterness,andforaslongasshelived,sheboreavisionofdeicide.

NowthatIcanhaveheronlyinmemory,Iseemygrandmotherintheseveralposturesthatwerepeculiartoher:

standingatthewoodstoveonawintermorningandturningmeatinagreatironskillet;

sittingatthesouthwindow,bentaboveherbeadwork,andafterwards,whenhervisionfailed,lookingdownforalongtimeintothefoldofherhands;

goingoutuponacane,veryslowlyasshedidwhentheweightofagecameuponher;

praying.Irememberhermostoftenatprayer.Shemadelong,ramblingprayersoutofsufferingandhope,havingseenmanythings.IwasneversurethatIhadtherighttohear,soexclusiveweretheyofallmerecustomandcompany.ThelasttimeIsawhersheprayedstandingbythesideofherbedatnight,nakedtothewaist,theli