And The Sun Goes Down on Pamola Peak
by Elizabeth Dow
Title
And The Sun Goes Down on Pamola Peak
Artist
Elizabeth Dow
Medium
Photograph - Photographs
Description
Pamola Peak is a summit on the eastern edge of the Knife's Edge on Mount Katahdin. We had a great view of the summit while camping at Chimney Pond campground. The sun was setting in the west and I just loved how the sun kissed the very top of Pamola Peak.
Upon returning from our trip, I was able to look up the history and the origins of the name Pamola Peak. I found the following on Wikipedia:
Pamola (also known as Pamolai, P-mol-a, Pomola, and Bmola) is a legendary bird spirit that appears in Abenaki mythology. This spirit causes cold weather.
Specifically, according to the Penobscot tribal nation,[1] Pamola inhabited Katahdin, the tallest mountain in Maine. Pamola is said to be the god of Thunder and protector of the mountain. The Penobscot people describe him as having the head of a moose, the body of a man and the wings and feet of an eagle. Pamola was both feared and respected by the Penobscot nation, and his presence was one of the main reasons that climbing the mountain was considered taboo.
The spirit resented mortals intruding from down below. Because of this, the mountain was off limits to all below. Henry David Thoreau, of his August, 1846 exploration of the Penobscot River and Katahdin wrote, "Pomola is always angry with those who climb to the summit of Ktaadn."[2]
It was also believed that Pamola took prisoners to Alomkik, located near Katahdin.[citation needed]
The name is now preserved on Pamola Peak, a summit on Katahdin at the eastern edge of the Knife Edge ridge. The Pamola Lodge of the Order of the Arrow is an honor camping society of the Boy Scouts of America; Pamola's image is commonly used on several of the society's insignia.
Roy Dudley, probably the most notable of the early guides on Katahdin, was known for his campfire yarns about Pamola.
Uploaded
June 28th, 2016
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Comments (5)
Nancy Griswold
WOW, that is a fabulous capture, wonderful landscape of Pamola Peak on Mount Katahdin F++
Nick Boren
I see that Maine has some amazing mountains and landscape Elizabeth. I'm really loving this image. :-) I grew up in Montana so I appreciate great mountains when I see them. :-) FV
Elizabeth Dow replied:
Thank you Nick. Maine does have a few impressive mountains. This is the most impressive one in Maine. It's definitely worth the hike in to see it. Thanks!