[Told to Prof. Franz Boas by Charlie Edenshaw, chief of the Stᴀ′stas]
Nenk·îlsʟasʟiñgai’s [260] mother was Gēʟîk·ᴇdzā′t (“Flood-tide-woman”).
His father was ʟg̣ang̣ag·îñ (“Dorsal-fin”), [261] whose sister’s son was
called ʟg̣anxē′la (“Hole-in-dorsal fin”). He was born in Naēku′n. Now,
Nenk·îlsʟasʟiñgai was crying all the time. The people tried to quiet
him, and they gave him various things to play with, but he was not
satisfied. There was a young girl, Qalgaitsadas (“Ice-woman”). [262]
She also tried to quiet him. She took him in her arms, and he at once
ceased crying. He touched her breasts and was quiet. After a little
while she returned him to his mother. At once he began to cry again,
but when she took him again he quieted down when he touched her breast.
The boy was growing up very rapidly. Now he was able to walk. ʟg̣anxē′la
was his mother’s lover. When his father, ʟg̣ang̣ag·îñ, found this out he
became jealous, and he sent his wife back to her uncle, Nenk·îlsʟas.
Then she took her boy on her back and went to her uncle’s house. About
noon she felt hungry. She was going to start a fire, but she did not
succeed. She turned the fire drill until her hands were sore, but she
did not succeed in making a fire. Then Nenk·îlsʟasʟiñgai went into the
woods, where he took two large sticks. He struck the ends together, and
at once there was a great fire. His mother was surprised to see it, but
she did not make any remark.
In the evening they lay down and slept. Early the next morning they
proceeded on their journey. In the evening the mother tried again to
start a fire, but she did not succeed. Then the boy went to the woods
and started the fire in the same manner as on the preceding day.
Finally they reached the house of Nenk·îlsʟas, which was located in
ʟg̣aē′xa. [263] A large pole was standing in front of his house.
Nenk·îlsʟas’s slaves were outside the house when Gēʟîk·ᴇdzā′t was
approaching, carrying her child. They entered the house and told
Nenk·îlsʟas that she was approaching. He remarked: “She is always
acting foolishly, therefore she has been sent back.” He told his slaves
to call her into the house. She entered and remained sitting near the
doorway. She did not go to the rear of the house. Her uncle gave her
food. The boy was defecating in the house all the time. His excrements
were very thin and spread over the floor, so that the house smelled
very badly.
The boy was staying with his mother. In the night, when everybody was
asleep, he arose from the side of his mother, left the house, taking
bow and arrows, and shot woodpeckers (sʟō′ts’ada). He gave them to his
mother and asked her to make a blanket of their skins. His mother dried
these skins and sewed them up. Then he began to shoot whales, which he
took to a little river near ʟgaē′xa, named Xagusiua′s. [264] Then Raven
came right down from the sky, intending to eat the whales. The boy
tried to shoot it, but he was unable to kill it. Raven flew away, but
soon returned. Again the boy tried to shoot it, but did not hit it.
Finally, however, he succeeded in killing Raven. He hid its skin
between the branches of a large tree.
One day the boy said to his uncle: “My fathers are going to come from
Naēku′n to look for my mother.” Then his uncle remarked: “I am afraid
that boy is going to cause us trouble. Stop your talking.” But
Nenk·îlsʟasʟiñgai repeated his former statement. The following day he
said again: “My fathers are going to come from Naēku′n to see me.”
Again his uncle begged him to be silent, but he did not obey.
After a few days the people from Naēku′n arrived. The beach was covered
with canoes. Then his uncle felt greatly troubled. He had many slaves.
The boy said to one of the slaves: “Go out and tell them to come
ashore.” His fathers were the Killer-whales. Then they came ashore and
fell down. His father and his cousin ʟganxē′la were among those whales.
Then his mother took a bailer and sprinkled some water over ʟganxē′la,
while she left her husband to perish. After some time the boy said to a
slave: “Go out and call the water to cover my fathers.” Then the tide
returned, and the whales returned to Naēku′n. The boy continued to
shoot birds.
His uncle’s wife was making mats all the time. The boy was very
beautiful, but he continued to defecate in the house. His uncle’s wife
was sitting in the rear of the house. The boy had collected much red
gum, which he was chewing. One day he returned home just at the time
when his uncle had finished his dinner and was washing his face. Then
his uncle’s wife asked him for some gum which was hanging out of the
boy’s mouth. The boy fell in love with his uncle’s wife, who was
sitting on the highest platform of the house. The boy crept silently up
to the woman and encircled her, placing his head under her left arm,
his body over her back, and his feet under her right arm. When the
woman looked down she saw that he was very pretty. His uncle did not
notice it. He (the uncle) was a great hunter, and he always brought
back a great quantity of food. Every evening, when his uncle had gone
out hunting, he visited the woman. [The boy was staying in the house
all the time; his soul went out hunting birds and visiting the woman.]
As soon as he reached the woman it thundered, and he was much
frightened. He defecated, and the house was so full of excrements that
the slaves had to carry them out in buckets. When his uncle
Nenk·îlsʟasʟiñgai came home he was about to give the game to his wife.
He asked her why it had thundered that day. “It is a sign that my
nephew cohabits with you [he said].”
In the village T’ano [265] there was a chief whose name was Qîng·. The
boy said: “I want Qîng· to come here to be my father.” His uncle, who
was sitting in the rear of the house, heard what he was saying. He
asked his sister to command the boy to be silent, but he continued to
say it. One day many canoes arrived on the beach. Then the boy said to
his uncle: “The chiefs are coming. What are you going to do?” His uncle
did not reply because he was afraid. When they approached the house the
boy threw off his skin, and he was beautiful.
The chief who arrived here was called Qoēqqu′ns. [266] He lived in the
middle of the ocean. He was his mother’s father. The boy had visited
him and had borrowed his people, whom he took to his uncle’s house. He
had put on his woodpecker blanket, and he flew to his grandfather’s
house. He painted his face with a design of Ts’agul [267] and made
himself very beautiful. When he returned he walked about inside the
house scolding his uncle: “Why is there nobody staying with you? Now,
all the chiefs are coming, and there is nobody to receive them.” Then
Nenk·îlsʟasʟiñgai stamped his feet, and immediately the house was full
of people. He had transformed the dirt on the floor of the house into
people by stamping once. In one corner of his house were Qoēqqu′ns’s
people, who spoke the Tsimshian language. When he stamped with his foot
in another corner of the house people appeared who spoke Heiltsuk (or
Wakashan). In the next corner, when he stamped the ground, the Haida
arose, and in the last corner he also created Haida.
After a while Qîng· arrived. They performed a dance, and
Nenk·îlsʟasʟiñgai gave them to eat. Then Qîng· returned to his own
country. The boy accompanied him. When he made the Tsimshian he wore a
flicker [268] (Sqaldzit) blanket. Then he changed and wore a woodpecker
(sʟodz’adang) blanket. Afterward he used a Sixasʟdᴀlgang [269]
blanket. This is a large bird with yellow head, which flies very
rapidly. Finally he used a T’in [270] blanket. This is a bird that is
eaten in Victoria. When they arrived in Qîng·’s house Nenk·îlsʟasʟiñgai
sat between Qîng· and his wife. The chief asked him: “Are you hungry?”
But he did not want to eat. He was chewing gum all the time. In the
house there were many people. Two youths were standing on one side of
the door when the chief was eating. The chief sent some food to them.
Their skin was quite black. Their name was Squl (“Porpoise”). They were
eating ravenously. The boy asked: “How is it that you can eat so much?”
They replied: “Don’t ask us. We are very poor because we are hungry all
the time.” But he insisted. He said: “I can not eat, and I must learn
how to eat. You must assist me to learn.” They refused, but
Nenk·îlsʟasʟiñgai insisted. They said: “We are afraid of your father.
If we tell you, you will have bad luck.” But the boy would not accept
their statements. Then they became angry and said: “Go and bathe, and
when you do so scratch your skin and eat what you scratch off. Do so
twice.” The youth did so, and then he became very hungry. He told his
father: “I am a little hungry.” Then the old man was very glad. He
called all the people to see how his child was eating. The people came,
and when they had seen it they returned. After a very short time the
youth was hungry again. His father invited the people, and after they
had eaten they went away. It was not long before the boy was hungry
again. He could not get enough to eat. He ate all the provisions that
were stored in the house. Then Qîng· turned the boy out of his house
and he was very poor. He asked to be admitted again, but Qîng· did not
allow him to enter. Then he took his raven skin and put it on. He
knocked the walls of the house with his beak, asking admission, but he
was refused.
He promised to give them fox, mountain goat, and other kinds of
animals. Then he went down to the beach, where he ate some excrements.
After a while he returned to the house and asked again for admission.
Then the boy grew angry, and wished the waters to rise. The waters
began to rise, and rose up to Qîng·’s throat. Then Qîng·’s sister and
her ten children began to climb up his hat, which was transformed into
a mountain, which may still be seen near the village. There is another
mountain near by which is called Qîñg·i xa′ñginᴇñ gutas’wa′s.
Then the boy returned to his uncle, and the people returned to their
villages. The boy was in love with his uncle’s wife, and his uncle was
jealous. Then he called upon the waters to rise, intending to kill his
nephew. The waters were coming out of Nenk·îlsʟas’s hat. Then the boy
took the skin of a waterfowl (Q’ē′sq’ut), [271] which he put on. The
house began to fill with water. Then he swam about on the water. He was
carrying the raven skin under his arm. When the water rose still
higher, he flew up through the smoke hole and reached the sky. He shot
an arrow up to the sky, which stuck in it. Then he continued to shoot,
hitting the nock of the first arrow; and thus he proceeded, making a
chain which reached almost down into the waters. Finally he fastened
his bow to the lowest arrow and climbed upward. When he reached the
sky, he broke it, went through, and saw five countries above. First he
came to an open place in which many berries were growing. There were
salmon in the rivers, and the people were singing. He was chewing gum.
He tried to find the singers, but he could not discover them. He passed
the place whence the noise proceeded, and turned back again. Finally,
after a long time, he found them. He saw a number of women who were
singing. He asked them, “Where did you obtain this song? I like it very
much.” Then they laughed at him, and said, “Did you never hear that
there are five countries up here, and that the inhabitants use this
song? They are singing about Nenk·îlsʟasʟîñgai′, who is in love with
his uncle’s wife.” At that time he received the name
Nenk·îlsʟasʟîñgai′. He wandered about in heaven for many years, singing
all the time.
He came to a large river, where he heard the people singing. He came to
a town near which he saw a pond. The chief’s daughter went out to fetch
water. Then Nenk·îlsʟasʟîñgai′ transformed himself into the leaf of a
hemlock, and dropped into the bucket of water which the chief’s
daughter dipped from the pond. When she attempted to drink, the hemlock
leaf was in her way, and she tried to blow it away, but did not
succeed. Finally she grew impatient and swallowed it with the water.
After two months she had a child, and her father was very glad. The
child slept at his mother’s side, but at midnight, when all were
asleep, he traveled all over the country and came to a town. The people
were all asleep, and during the night he ate their eyes. When the
people awoke in the morning, they found that they were blind. They
asked one another, “Did not you hear a story about such a thing
happening?” But the old people said they never had heard of such a
thing. The next night he proceeded to another town, where he also ate
the eyes of all the people. Then he did the same in a third town. The
people did not know how they lost their eyesight. Finally he went to a
fourth town and ate the eyes of the people.
There was an old man in the corner of the chief’s house. He did not
sleep because he wished to discover how the people in the various towns
were blinded. One night he saw the boy arise from the side of his
mother and return early in the morning. He returned with his skin
blanket filled with something. The old man saw him sitting down near
his mother’s fire and taking out something round from his blanket.
While doing so he was laughing. Then the old man knew that he had taken
the eyes of the people.
When, the next morning, the people heard that the inhabitants of
another town had lost their eyes the old man said that he had seen how
the young man ate the eyes while his mother was asleep, that he had
carried them back to the house in his blanket, and that he had eaten
them sitting near the fire.
The floor of the house was made of stone. The chief then broke it, took
the boy, and threw him down to our earth. At that time the water was
still high, and only the top of his totem pole was seen above the
surface of the water. The boy dropped upon the top of the totem pole,
crying “Qa!” and assumed the shape of a raven. The pole split in two
when he dropped down upon it. Then the waters began to subside, and he
began his migrations.
He went to a rock from which the wind was blowing all the time. He
intended to kill the [s. e.] wind, Xēiō′. He tried to make canoes from
various kinds of wood, but they did not satisfy him. Then he asked the
birds to carry him there, but they could not do it. Finally he took the
maple tree, and he succeeded in making a good canoe. He vanquished the
wind and made him his slave.
Xāusgana [272] was fishing for halibut. The Raven went to visit him. He
was kindly received, because Xāusgana did not know that he was trying
to steal food wherever he went. One morning when he went out fishing
Raven said: “On my travels I saw a large island on which there are a
great many woodpeckers.” Xāusgana believed him. He said: “Let us go and
see it.” One day, when the water was calm, they started, accompanied by
Xāusgana’s wife. They paddled toward the island, and Raven said: “Stay
here in the canoe while I go ashore to hunt woodpeckers in the woods.”
There were many sʟāskʼᴇma (a plant bearing something resembling
berries) in the woods. Raven took one of these and struck his nose
until it bled. Then he transformed the blood into woodpeckers. Then he
went back to the canoe and said: “Did you see the woodpeckers coming
out of the woods?” By this time many woodpeckers had come out from
under the trees, and Xāusgana became eager to hunt them. Fishermen are
in the habit of tying the red feathers of the woodpeckers to their
hooks in order to secure good luck. [273]
As soon as Xāusgana had gone a hunting Raven went back to the canoe. He
lay down in it and thought: “I wish that a wind would start from the
island and that the canoe would drift away!” He pulled his blanket over
his head and pretended to sleep. Now a wind arose, and the canoe
drifted away. When Xāusgana saw this he shouted: “Wake up! You are
drifting out to sea!” but Raven did not stir. Then Xāusgana was greatly
troubled because he had lost his canoe. As soon as Raven was out of
sight he assumed the shape of Xāusgana and turned the canoe toward his
house. He went up to the house and said to Xāusgana’s wife: [274] “That
man who came visiting us is Raven. He is a liar.” Then the woman gave
him to eat, and after he had finished the food he asked for more. The
woman remarked: “How does it happen that you are so hungry now?
Formerly you never ate as much as you do to-day.” She was unable to
satisfy his hunger. At night he lay down with her. He lived in the
house, and people believed that he was Xāusgana.
The latter was staying on the island, unable to leave it. After a while
he thought: “I wish my rattle would come here!” The rattle obeyed his
summons. Then he wished his bow to come. Then he walked home over the
surface of the water as though it were firm land. He reached his
village. After a while he saw his wife coming out of the house. He
called her and told her: “The Raven has cheated you. Let us take
revenge. Close all the chinks of our house and lock the door. When
everything is done shut the smoke hole; then I will appear and take
revenge.” The woman reentered the house and acted as though nothing had
happened. She prepared food for him, and he ate. While he was eating he
said all the time: “It is strange how much I have changed. Formerly I
was never as hungry as I am now.”
Meanwhile the woman closed all the chinks of the house. Then Xāusgana
entered. Raven put on his skin and tried to escape, but Xāusgana caught
him and killed him. He broke his bones to pieces and threw him into the
latrine. On the following day when his wife went to defecate Raven spit
upward at her genitalia. He took the body and struck it again, and he
took a large stone and pounded it to jelly. Then he threw it into the
sea. It drifted about on the water. One day many people went out in
their canoe. When they saw the body they remarked: “Why is that chief
drifting about on the water?” And the body replied, “A woman is the
cause of this.”
After a while he thought, “I wish that a whale would come and swallow
me!” Then the whale came and swallowed him.
Here follows the story of the Raven in the Whale.
The whale stranded and was discovered by the people. They came and cut
it. Then Raven thought: “I wish that the chief’s son would open the
whale’s stomach, that I may get out again!” At once the chief’s son cut
open the whale’s stomach. Then Raven flew out right against the young
man’s chest. The youth fell down dead. Then the people were afraid, and
ran away.
Raven flew into the woods, and assumed the shape of an old man. He came
back, leaning on a staff, and asked the people: “Why are you running
away?” They told him what had happened. Then he said, “I heard that the
same events happened long ago. At that time the people left the town,
leaving all their property behind. I think it would be best for you to
do the same.” Then the people, who were much afraid, left the village
at once. Raven stayed behind, and ate all their provisions.
Beaver [275] was a chief who had his room in the rear of a very
beautiful house. Behind the house there was a large lake, where Beaver
went to play. Then he returned to his house. In the lake there were
many salmon, and on the shores were growing all kinds of berries. When
he returned home he carried a fish, which he boiled.
One day Raven, who desired to rob Beaver of his treasures, disguised
himself as a poor, ugly person. In this shape he went to Beaver’s
house. In the evening Beaver came home, bringing a fish and berries,
which he intended to boil. Raven arranged it so that he should meet
him. Then Beaver asked: “What are you doing here?” Raven replied: “My
father has just died. He said that you are my brother. We have the same
ancestors. He told me to go to visit you and to ask you for food.” Then
Beaver invited him to his house. He boiled his fish, and when it was
cooked he let Raven partake of the meal. He believed him and pitied
him.
Next day Beaver went to the lake. He told Raven to stay at home. Toward
noon he returned, carrying a salmon, and he spoke kindly to Raven,
promising to feed him all the time. He told him that there were always
fish in the lake and ripe berries on its shores.
On the following day Raven went out to the lake. He rolled up the water
like a blanket, took a number of fish out, boiled them, and ate them.
When Beaver came home he found Raven crying and pretending to be
hungry. On the following day Raven went out again. He rolled up the
water, took it in his beak, and flew away. He alighted on the top of a
large cedar tree.
When Beaver went out in order to fish in his lake he found that it was
gone, and he saw Raven sitting on a tree, holding the water. Then
Beaver called the monster Tā′ʟat’adᴇga, [276] which has a long body, a
long tail, and many legs; and he called all the beavers and the bears
and asked them to throw the tree down. The wolves dug up its roots, the
beavers gnawed the trunk of the tree, and all the animals tried to do
what was in their power. Finally the tree fell. Then Raven flew off to
another tree. They tried to throw this tree down. All the animals of
the forest helped Beaver. After they had thrown down four trees they
asked a favor of Raven: “Please give us our chief’s water. Don’t make
us unhappy!” But he did not comply with their request. He flew away,
and spit some of the water on the ground as he flew along. Thus
originated all the rivers on Queen Charlotte islands. He also made the
Skeena and Stikine rivers.
There was a man named K·ʼî′lkun, who lived at Skidegate. He asked Raven
to give him some water. Raven complied with his request, but gave him
very little only. This annoyed him so much that he fell down dead. He
forms the long point of land near Skidegate. [277] The same thing
happened at Naēku′n. [278] For this reason there is a long point of
land at that place.
This is the best known, as it is the longest, of all stories told on
the upper northwest coast, and many writers have given fragments of it.
Although often spoken of as the creation legend, it would be more
correct to say that it explains how things were altered from one state
or condition into that in which we now find them. Thus topographic
features, natural phenomena, the tastes, passions, habits, and customs
of animals and human beings are mainly explained by referring to
something that Raven did in ancient times. He was not the only
originator of all these things, but he was the principal, and for that
reason he was known as Nᴀñkî′lsʟas (“He-whose-voice-is-obeyed”). Until
Qî′ñgî adopted him he was called Nᴀñkî′lsʟas-łîña′-i
(“The-potential-Nᴀñkî′lsʟas”). Some even said that Nᴀñkî′lsʟas was a
great chief who put on the skin of a raven only when he wanted to act
like a buffoon. Among the three peoples who have developed this story
most—Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian—the Raven clan is also of very great
importance, and it is evident to me that there is a causal relation
between the two facts. I have, however, discussed the singular
prominence of the Raven clan among the people in this region in volume
V, part 1, of the Memoirs of the Jesup North Pacific Expedition, page
104.
Aware of the important position held by this myth, I made a special
endeavor to secure as much of it as possible and consulted several
different story-tellers. The main portion of the story was given me by
John Sky, a Kloo man, who also related the five next and that on page
86. A long section was added by Walter McGregor, who belonged to the
people of the west-coast town of Kaisun, and fragments were contributed
by Abraham, an old man of Kloo, by Tom Stevens, chief of
Those-born-at-House-point, the ancient people of Rose spit, and by Job
Moody, a man of the Witch people of Cumshewa and father of my
interpreter. A second version is appended. This was obtained in English
by Prof. Franz Boas from Charlie Edenshaw, chief of the great Masset
family Stᴀ′stas. He spent his earlier years at Skidegate, so I am not
certain whether it is more like the story as told at Skidegate or as
told at Masset. I am inclined to think, however, that it approaches the
form in which it was told by the people of Rose spit. While at Masset I
secured several additional texts bearing on events in the life of
Raven, some of them differing considerably from the above. An abstract
of these texts will be found on pages 207–211 of volume V, part 1, of
the Memoirs of the Jesup North Pacific Expedition. On pages 233–238 of
the same memoir will be found two sections of the story obtained from
two old Kaigani. They probably contain much of the Tlingit Raven story.
Finally, it must be stated that Raven is brought forward to explain so
many local phenomena that an absolutely complete Raven story is neither
practicable nor necessary.