Waltey
Wallenov greben
192 Wallen's Ridge
Myths and Legends of Our Own Land · Charles M. SkinnerO besedilu
Wallenov greben
- Vir
- Myths and Legends of Our Own Land
- Avtor
- Charles M. Skinner
- Jezik branja
- Slovenščina
- Jezik izvirnika
- English
- Čas branja
- 3 min branja
- Obseg
- 3 strani
- Naslov izvirnika
- 192 Wallen's Ridge
O izvirniku
Myths and Legends of Our Own Land
Obsežna zgodovinska zbirka ameriških legend, ki jih je Skinner zbral in avtorsko rekonstruiral. Bralni jezik je Slovenščina, izvirnik pa prihaja iz vira Myths and Legends of Our Own Land v jeziku English.
Besedilo
Wallenov greben
Pred stoletjem je bila ta razgibana vzpetina, kakih dvanajst milj od Chattanooge v Tennesseeju, dom čerokeških Indijancev, med katerimi sta živela tudi njihov vrač Arinook in njegova hči. Dekle je bilo čisto in lepo, in ko jo je nekega dne beli lovec zagledal pred vhodom v očetov vigvam, sta ga njena lepota in prikupnost tako prevzeli, da je sklenil, da se ne bo vrnil med svoje ljudi, dokler je ne pridobi za ženo. Imela je mnogo snubcev, vendar ni bila naklonjena nobenemu, in čeprav so Čerokezi sprva neradi sprejeli tujca v svoje domove, so pozabili na ljubosumje, ko so spoznali, da je izvrsten lovec in ribič, da zna nož in tomahavk metati bolje od njih samih ter da je spreten pri njihovih opravilih in igrah.
Ko so ugotovili, da se tujec in dekle, ki so ga imeli tako radi, ljubita, so se celo z nekaj dobre volje sprijaznili z neizogibnim. Vrač pa je s trmo, ki se zdi značilna za očete, odrekel soglasje k njuni zvezi in srcema zaljubljencev je bilo težko. Čeprav jo je belec prosil, naj zapusti svoje pleme, je to zavrnila zaradi dolžnosti do očeta, in nesrečni par je taval po hribu, z njegovega vrha opazoval sončni zahod in preživljal svetle poletne večere v samoti; sedela sta z roko v roki, se ljubila, žalovala in molčala. Na enem svojih dolgih potepanj sta se znašla ob reki Tennessee, na kraju, kjer se tok vrtinči med skalami in vase srka plavajoče stvari, nato pa jih niže po reki izpljune na gladino mirne vode. Nekaj časa sta stala tam, ko je dekle planilo v jok in začelo peti — svojo smrtno pesem. Beleс jo je prijel za roko in se ji pridružil s svojim glasom. Nato sta se še zadnjič objela in se, še vedno z roko v roki, vrgla v vodo.
Kadar je reka nizka, lahko tam zaslišite njuno smrtno pesem. Manituji reke in gozda so bili užaljeni zaradi vračeve trme in krutosti, čeprav je zelo trpel zaradi hčerine smrti, ki jo je sam povzročil. Kajti zdaj so se med Čerokezi pojavili nenavadni Indijanci in pregnali jelene in medvede. Visoki, močni in orjaški so bili ti vsiljivci, ki so se podnevi in ponoči zadrževali okoli vasi — nikoli niso spregovorili, vendar so širili strah, saj so velike skale metali dlje, kot je bojevnik lahko izstrelil puščico z vetrom v hrbet; iz glav so jim rasli rogovi; njihove oči so bile oči divjih mačk in so se svetile v temi; renčali so kakor živali, da se je tresla zemlja, in bruhali plamene; bili so ob ležiščih, ob posvetovalnem ognju in pri gostijah, kot da samo čakajo na znamenje sovražnosti, da bi uničili pleme.
Naposled ljudje niso mogli več prenašati njihove družbe, zato so podrli svoja bivališča, zapustili Wallen's Ridge in odtavali daleč proč, dokler niso prišli v dolino, kjer še nobena noga ni pustila svojega odtisa. Tam so prosili Velikega duha, naj odpusti krivico, ki jo je zagrešil njihov vrač, in jih osvobodi strašnih duhov, ki so živeli med njimi. Njihova molitev je bila uslišana in bivališča so še mnogo let stala v varni in srečni dolini.
Izvirnik
192 Wallen's Ridge
Naslednje strani prikazujejo izvirno besedilo za primerjavo.
A century ago this rough eminence, a dozen miles from Chattanooga, Tennessee, was an abiding place of Cherokee Indians, among whom was Arinook, their medicine-man, and his daughter. The girl was pure and fair, and when a white hunter saw her one day at the door of her father's wigwam he was so struck with her charm of person and her engaging manner that he resolved not to return to his people until he had won her for his wife. She had many lovers, though she favored none of them, and while the Cherokees were at first loth to admit a stranger to their homes they forgot their jealousy when they found that this one excelled as a hunter and fisherman, that he could throw the knife and tomahawk better than themselves, and that he was apt in their work and their sports.
They even submitted to the inevitable with half a grace when they found that the stranger and the girl of whom they were so fond were in love. With an obduracy that seems to be characteristic of fathers, the medicine-man refused his consent to the union, and the hearts of the twain were heavy. Though the white man pleaded with her to desert her tribe, she refused to do so, on the score of duty to her father, and the couple forlornly roamed about the hill, watching the sunset from its top and passing the bright summer evenings alone, sitting hand in hand, loving, sorrowing, and speaking not. In one of their long rambles they found themselves beside the Tennessee River at a point where the current swirls among rocks and sucks down things that float, discharging them at the surface in still water, down the stream. Here for a time they stood, when the girl, with a gush of tears, began to sing--it was her death-song. The white man grasped her hand and joined his voice to hers. Then they took a last embrace and flung themselves into the water, still hand in hand.
When the river is low you may hear their death-song sounding there. The manitous of the river and the wood were offended with the medicine-man because of his stubbornness and cruelty, although he suffered greatly because of the death his daughter died, and he the cause of it. For now strange Indians appeared among the Cherokees and drove the deer and bear away. Tall, strong, and large were these intruders, and they hung about the village by day and night--never speaking, yet casting a fear about them, for they would throw great rocks farther than a warrior could shoot an arrow with the wind behind him; they had horns springing from their heads; their eyes were the eyes of wild-cats, and shone in the dark; they growled like animals, shaking the earth when they did so, and breathing flame; they were at the bedside, at the council-fire, at the banquet, seeming only to wait for a show of enmity to annihilate the tribe.
At length the people could endure their company no longer, and taking down their lodges they left Wallen's Ridge and wandered far away until they came to a valley where no foot had left its impress, and there they besought the Great Spirit to forgive the wrong their medicine-man had done, and to free them from the terrible spirits that had been living among them. The prayer was granted, and the lodges stood for many years in a safe and happy valley.
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