N. Scott Momaday divides his book The Way to
Rainy Mountain in an interesting manner. The book is divided into three
chapters, each of which contains a dozen or so numbered sections, each of which
is divided into three parts. The first part of each numbered section tends to
be a legend or a story of the Kiowa culture. However, this characteristic
changes a bit as the book evolves, as does the style and feel of the stories.
The first passage in the first numbered section
describes the Kiowa creation myth. It tells that they came into the world
through a hollow log. The next ones tell of a dog saving the life of a man, the
story of how Tai-me became part of their culture, and other stories. These,
especially in the first beginning of the first part, are stories which relate
timeless tales. The events described took place long ago, though nobody knows
how long. In addition, the endings of the tales would probably be described as
having a good outcome. The people were created and they found friends in the
physical and spiritual world. The first part of the book describes the
beginning of the Kiowa culture and their development.
Towards the end of the first part, the tone of
the stories changes. Instead of describing different stories each time, they
begin to tell a story which continues through six numbered sections. The story
relates the life of a baby who grows into the sun's wife who then has a ·child
who becomes two children, who become honored people in the eyes of the Kiowa.
These stories do not explain things like the creation of the people, or the
reason dogs and men are friends, or the origin of Tai-me. They tell what
happened to some people.
The last part of the book, the last third, is
mostly narrative. Instead of telling myths to explain things, Momaday tells
stories which relate events without any significant outcome. Also, in contrast
to the first part of the book, the outcomes seem to be bad ones, or at least
not fulfilling. They describe, for a large part, people whom he knows existed
and were related to or were friends of his family. One story tells about
Mammedaty, who heard someone whistling to him, but could not find the person.
Another tells about how Mammedaty was having trouble with a horse, so he shot
an arrow at it, but missed and killed another horse. These endings do not leave
the reader or listener with a good feeling about the story.
These changes in the stories show an important
development in the character of the Kiowa and of Momaday himself. As time
progresses, Momaday learns more about his culture. The Kiowa begin as distant
detached people with outlandish myths and extraordinary happenings. However, as
time passes and his journey to Rainy Mountain progresses, the Kiowa become more
close to home. The legends he starts with become stories of his family and
their friends at the end. He tells of Mammedaty and Aho, a relative and friend.
There are many stories he can relate about each of them. This shows that
Momaday has found the true meaning of the Kiowa legends. While the myths remain
supernatural and explain key points of their being, the stories are about
people. While some stories may not be completely true, they are based on the
past of the tribe.
The stories of the last part do not describe
dogs or spiders talking to people, or the sun wedding a woman. They describe
things which are easily conceivable, even to people who do not understand the
Kiowa's beliefs. The first passage of the last numbered section even describes
the location of something by saying that it is "East of my grandmother's
house." Momaday has become part of the Kiowa, telling stories which have
been told only a few times before, or possible never at all, where they can
join the others.
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