Crazy Horse and Custer

Stephen Ambrose, in his dual biography entitled Crazy Horse and Custer: The Parallel Lives of Two American Warriors, recounts a vision of young Crazy Horse in which he was given advice by a mysterious warrior that, if followed, would give him a “powerful medicine” of invulnerability against arrow and bullet alike (Ambrose 68). Despite the historically accurate nature of the story, there is very real symbolism found in this dream, best suited for a young brave seeking his identity on the Plains.

This vision event could fall into a number of benchmarks within Campbell’s Cosmogonic Cycle and the adventure of the hero. For example, it might represent the call to adventure, a time when Crazy Horse (or “Curly,” as he was known then) found his place within the tribe as a great warrior of powerful skill and constitution. It is more likely, however, that the vision marks the supernatural aid, a helpful force beyond human comprehension, perhaps from the world of the Great Sprit, or simply the hidden wisdom of the mind, unlocked through hunger and hardship (Campbell, 69). This vision, regarded as spiritual fate, was much more than prediction; “whatever the vision proscribed for the dreamer, it was wakan,

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Hearing is often associated with alertness and hunting skill, both of which Crazy Horse achieved in great measure throughout his career as a hunter. The man upon the horse was unpainted and wore simple clothes, with a single feather in his hair. and never to be disregarded” (Ambrose 67). If not, however, its position behind the ear has the potential for great symbolic importance.

Although the dream may seem mysterious upon initial contemplation, as the story unfolds, more symbols become clear representations of actual events. Similarly, he should not let any delusions of personal superiority, represented by the forbidden items of personal glorification, cloud his mind concerning the welfare of his tribe. The association made here is between the horse in question and, quite literally, Crazy Horse himself; the illusory figure is warning him not to indulge in appearances or aesthetics that might hinder his effectiveness. The floating, color-shifting horse, for example, could refer to the many horses that Crazy Horse will inevitably steal, representing in turn the great prestige that he earns as a selfless, daring warrior. These humble garments, abnormal for a warrior of Crazy Horse’s stature, not only represented the way he must dress for battle in order to utilize his powerful medicine, but also reflected his personality concerning personal accomplishment and self-glorification.

The dirt streaks that he is advised to apply to himself and his horse are the symbols of humble modesty, as well as associations with the earth, a spirit of great influence within the many tribes of Native Americans. It carries many abstract images that, upon closer inspection, can be applied to events that have yet to take place within the story. Perhaps this was a common form of jewelry for the Sioux warrior. The dream is concluded by the shriek of a hawk, another familiar element of the Indians, which is undoubtedly associated with death. The storm symbols, lighting and hail, represent a strong force within American Indian culture, and a strong natural association to nature that most closely resembles the “familiar” entity of Wiccan practices.

Approximate Word count = 909
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

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