[Told by John Sky of Those-born-at-Skedans]
In Sealion-town [336] one began to bathe for supernatural power. All
sorts of weak things came through him [making him worthless]. He stayed
with his eight younger brothers and his mother.
By and by his younger brothers disappeared. It was not known whither
they had gone. Morning came and his mother wept. Again when day broke
she wept. One day, when she stopped crying, she said: “My eldest boy is
as if he did not exist. When morning comes my mind is always the same”
(i.e., without gladness).
After she had said this to him for some time he got tired of hearing it
and said to his sister: “Sister, pour salt water into the box my mother
owns so that I may bathe in it.” Then she put on her belt. She laid her
mother’s stone box down near the door and poured water into it.
Then her brother crept over to it and just managed to crawl into it.
After he had stayed in it for a while he could not keep his buttocks
under water. Then his sister pressed down on his back with the poker
which lay near the fire. After she had pressed down upon him for a
while she took away the stick. There was a small depth of water over
his back. Now she pressed him down again, and, when she removed it from
him, his back was well under the water. Then he broke the sides of the
box by stretching.
And again he called to his sister: “Sister, pour some water into
another of your mother’s boxes.” Then she again poured some into one.
He got into it and stretched his knees out in it. He broke that, too,
at the joints.
And again he called to his sister: “Sister, pour some water into
another.” Then he broke that also at the joints. He did the same thing
to another one. He broke four with his knees.
Then he went into the sea. After he had remained there for a while
something just touched him. He reached for it. He seized the tail of a
flounder. Now he called to his sister: “Sister, roast and eat this.”
And after he had been in the water a while longer something again
touched him. He reached for it. He seized half a halibut and threw it
over to his sister. Then he said to his sister: “Roast that. Do not
steam it.”
He seized a porpoise tail and a white porpoise [337] tail. After he had
taken all kinds of sea animals he also threw up a whale’s tail. And he
said to his sister: “Steam that one however.”
After he had been in the water a while longer something touched him. He
reached for it. He felt nothing. And, when the same thing happened
again, he grasped farther away. Then his hand nearly slipped off from
[the something], and he seized it in both hands. When the something had
pulled him out of Skidegate inlet he tried to stop at Łg̣a′-ixa, [338]
but then something cracked at the bottom of the island. He held
something nice which was almost transparent, and put it around his
head. That was Łg̣o′tg̣o-g̣ao [339] (the hair of him who tries the
supernatural powers of men).
After he had put it around his head he swam up the inlet. He swam in
front of Gū′łga [340] and passed over to Xā′na. [341] The water was
shallow and broad like a lake, and he traced a channel in it with his
hand and remained at its mouth.
After he had remained in the water for a while something came walking
toward him, making a booming sound as it advanced. Some one stood on
the shore opposite him. On the right side he held a knot and a branch
of g̣ōdañxō′sgî. [342] On the other side he carried a piece of common
seaweed and some kwē′aogia′g̣adañ. [343]
“Come hither, grandson.” At once he went to him. Then he said to him:
“Now, grandson, turn your breast (or ‘face’) to me.” Immediately he
turned his breast to him. He struck him with the knot. It was as when
something is rubbed into fine pieces. And he struck him with the
g̣ōdañxō′sgî. It became like the other. Then he said to him: “Now,
grandson, turn your back to me.” And so he did. He struck him with the
kwē′aogia′g̣adañ. He did not feel it. Then he struck him with the
seaweed. He nearly knocked him over. Far off he recovered his balance.
“Wait a while, grandson. We will wrestle with (lit., “feel”) each
other,” he said to him. “Now, grandson, let us try each other.” And
they laid hold of each other. After he (the man) had shoved him about
he almost threw him down. Then he turned away smiling. “Grandson, yours
has more strength. Swim down the inlet.”
He went along; he went along and presently swam ashore at Sealion-town.
Then he dried himself by the fire and went to bed. After he had been in
bed for a while, and day had begun to break, he went out.
Then he followed an indistinct trail. After he had gone along for a
while, he saw a shrew [344] trying vainly to cross an old log. Then he
put her across and kept his eyes upon her. She entered a bunch of ferns
lying some distance away.
Now he went to it. He moved it aside with his hand. To his astonishment
there was a painted house front there with the planks sewed together.
And she said to him, “Come in to me, grandson. News has come that you
want to borrow something of me.”
Then she hunted in her box. She bit off part of something for him.
“Now, my son, here it is.” And she said to him: “When you get home and
go up to Gū′łga lake, take along your bow. There you will shoot a
mallard. Blow up its stomach and put its grease into it. I know that
what destroyed your younger brothers lives there. You are going to
restore your younger brothers. Eat some [of the grease].”
He went home and entered the house. After he had remained seated there
for a while, he went to bed. And next day early in the morning he went
up to Gū′łga lake. [345] Male and female mallards [346] were there.
They were pretty. He prepared his bow and shot just over the head of
one of them. It fell as when something is dropped. Then he got it
ashore, made a fire for it, plucked and steamed it. He saved its
entrails.
Then he went down upon the beach and picked up a big clam shell. Then
he steamed the duck and put the duck grease into the clam shell. He
took out the duck meat to eat. Then he put a [hot] stone into the duck
grease. At that time the duck grease boiled over. All the things that
live in the forest said: “Be careful! the duck grease might spill.”
Thus they made him ashamed. He did not eat the duck meat. When the duck
grease settled down, he put it into the entrails.
This is why, when the earth quakes, the Raven people tell [him] to be
careful of the duck grease. They say so because
Sacred-one-standing-and-moving was a Raven.
Then he went away. He saved the feathers and the duck grease. And he
came home. Then he went to bed.
When next morning tore itself, he went to Gū′łga, took two children
thence, and went into the woods at the end of Sealion-town. When he
came to the lake, he looked about, pulled up two cedars entire,
fastened them at the butt end with twisted cedar limbs, did the same at
the top, and held the two trunks apart by means of a stick. He laid it
in the lake, bound the legs of the two children, and placed them
between. [347]
When they moved, a wā′sg̣o [348] came out on the surface in the space
between. Then he knocked out the stick and his head was caught, but he
pulled [his trap] under. The cedar came to the surface broken as when
something is thrown upward.
Then he went home and stood up the dead children with the pole in front
of the house. He kept them for the next day. And again he went thither
and took the two children. After he had looked around for a while, he
pulled out a large two-headed cedar, stump and all. After he had split
it, a wren jumped around him chirping: “Tcꜝê tcꜝê, my sinews.”
Then he went to get it, pulled out its sinews, spliced them together,
and fastened the butt end and the top with them. And he put it all into
the water. After the children had been again suspended above it for a
while, the wā′sg̣o came up and got them. Then he knocked out the cross
stick and he (the wā′sg̣o) carried it down. After he had carried it
down, he floated up dead with it. Then he went to him and pulled him
out.
He pulled him up on the shore and was going to cut him on the top of
his head when it thundered. It also lightened. And the same thing
happened when he started upon his back. But, when he started at the
lower part of his back, nothing happened, and he cut him open along the
belly. His younger brothers’ bones burst out from it.
Then he fitted together his younger brothers’ bones and spit the
medicine Mouse-woman [349] had given him upon them. Immediately they
got up. And then he said: “Sit down where you used to.” They were glad
to see each other.
After they had been there for a long time one disappeared. The next day
another disappeared. All eight of them disappeared in the same manner,
and he felt sad.
Then he went to Gū′łga, passed along to the point on the side toward
the upper end of the inlet, and to his surprise heard the buzzing of
distant conversation on the other side. Then he pulled off the ribbon
with which he used to tie his hair and threw [one end of] it across.
Upon this he walked over and [found] a crowd of spectators at the door
of the middle house, in which people were talking. Then he passed
through them and looked in.
In the rear of the house a certain thing hung, under which one lay face
up. Out of it flames played at intervals. It was sizzling there. While
he looked on the person was driven out by the fire. The supernatural
beings filled the whole space in the rear of the house.
After he had sat there for a while, one stood up. He said: “Get
Stone-ribs, and settle him under it (the earth) forever.” He heard what
they said. By and by one went out. After a while he came back, and they
asked him: “Is he coming?” And he said: “He is near.”
Presently he came in. Like a son of one of the supernatural beings, he
wore a copper coat. He also had on a marten-skin coat. And as soon as
he had entered he lay under [the fire]. It was burning upon his breast.
Out from it sparks went.
A certain one stood near the door and another on the other side. In the
rear of the house sat his mother, Djila′qons. The one standing on the
side toward the door said: “They are talking about it. They are talking
about it.” [350] The one on the opposite side also said: “The
supernatural beings who talk about the places which they are going to
inhabit in the future also talk about this.”
She called for one of the servants who sat among them.
“One-who-moves-heaven-by-the-rapidity-of-his-motion, go and call
Swimming-russet-backed-thrush. I want to ask whether I went with him.”
He said that he went with the chieftainess. She asked to have him
called so that she might cross-question him about it.
There was no one to have his seat under this island. Then one day
passed for Stone-ribs. Another day was about to pass for him. The
supernatural beings acted as if shivering. They were afraid. They
feared that he, belonging to the wrong side, was going to settle
beneath them. [351]
Again those standing near the door spoke. They spoke as they had done
before. And One-who-moves-heaven-by-the-rapidity-of-his-motion went to
call Swimming-russet-backed-thrush. By and by he came back. Then she
asked him if he were coming, and he said: “He is coming.” “Perhaps I
went with him at Goose creek, where I dug out wild-clover roots, or
perhaps I went with him at Łg̣ē′djîs.” At that instant he came in. He
was good-looking. He had been gambling. He held his hand to his face
with fine cedar bark in it. He wiped part of his face clean. As soon as
he went over to the chief woman he pushed himself into her blanket. She
was looking at him. She looked longer than was necessary. [352]
Another day dawned for Stone-ribs. It was broad daylight for him, and
the supernatural beings were as if shivering with fear at the prospect
of having him settle down beneath them. Just before daylight he was
driven out by the burning.
Now, after they had thought for a while, one stood up, saying: “Let
them send for Sacred-one-standing-and-moving. They say that he bathed
in the ocean so much in order to settle down under it.”
Then he went out of the house, threw his ribbon across again, and ran
over upon it. And he said to his mother: “They are setting out to get
me. You will go with me. She-upon-whose-feet-property-makes-a-noise
will also go with me.” As soon as he had finished saying this, they
came for him. And he said he would come by canoe by himself.
Then he went to get his wā′sg̣o skin, which he kept between the two
heads of a cedar, and he put it on while he was still in the house. He
walked about, too pretty to be looked at by anyone. Then they started
across. His mother steered, and his sister was in the bow. He stood in
the middle as they went. And his sister got off, then his mother, last
himself.
They went up. His sister went ahead. She held the [duck] entrails in
her hands. His mother had the feathers inside of her blanket. When he
entered, the supernatural beings held their heads down to him. He
looked grand. He entered wearing the wā′sg̣o skin.
And as soon as he entered he lay down underneath. He was sizzling from
the fire. Again it burned at intervals. When it stopped burning, his
sister greased [his skin] with the duck grease. His mother put feathers
upon it.
By and by one night was counted for him. Then the supernatural beings
fastened their eyes upon him. Lo, another night was about to be counted
for him. At this time the supernatural beings talked about the places
where they were going to settle. They divided themselves up. At that
time one among them stood up. He said: “Where is the sister of the
supernatural beings, Woman-people-want-to-have, going to have her
place?” “I do not know. I do not know. I shall have my place with my
children a little way behind the chiefs among the trees.” [353]
By and by, when day began to break, they were looking on. Presently the
Raven called. It was daylight. But then they discovered him enter and
lie down under it. [354] Then he came to have his place under it (the
island).
Then they went for Fast-rainbow-trout [355] and Marten. And they put a
string on him (Fast-rainbow-trout) and sent him up with it. Then it was
not long enough. He spliced hemlock roots to it. Marten went down with
the lower end. [356]
Now the supernatural beings separated, leaving the town of X̣ᴀ′ina
[357] for the various places they had already talked about settling in.
Now Stone-ribs traveled about upon this island. After he had traveled
for some time he entered the house and said to his mother: “Mother,
toward Cape G̣ᴀ′ñxet [358] some one calls for me, weeping.” And next day
he went about upon this island hunting birds. He went about upon it as
one does upon something small.
And again he said to his mother: “Mother, she calls, wailing for me as
if she would never cease.” Then he said to her: “I will go and help
her.” And she said to her son: “Don’t, chief, don’t; they might call
you skᴀ′mdal.” [359] “That is all right, mother; I am going to help
her.” [360]
Then, very early next day, he started off again, passed Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o,
[361] went around Skedans point, and came to
Broken-shells-of-the-supernatural-beings. At that time he took quicker
steps. Then he ran over to Village-that-stretches-itself-out. And he
went along down the inlet. Then he came near some white shells.
Seaward, to his surprise, an eagle was trying to catch something and
almost succeeded several times.
Then he looked at it. Again it almost caught it in its flight. And
after he had thought about it he went down to it. And, when he got
there, a halibut was swimming about in the standing water. There were
stripes of copper along its edges. Out of its nose hung a weasel. Now
he caught the halibut in his hands. He was very glad to have it. And
when he was going to split it around the edges with his finger nails it
thundered; and when he was about to do the same thing along the under
side it again thundered; and when he was about to split it along its
upper surface it again thundered and lightning shot about. Then he
[split] it along its tail; and when he had finished skinning it he put
it on.
Then he went into the pond before him. Bullheads shot away from him.
When he opened his mouth, lo! the bullheads all went into it. And he
opened his mouth. From his mouth they came strongly and quickly. They
floated about dead. He got out of it and put it in his armpit.
He had two coats. He had a copper coat and he had a marten-skin coat.
Before he started off, he practiced before his mother with them on,
and, when he nearly burst his mother’s house by swelling up, she cried
to him to stop.
He started and came to Łg̣adᴀ′n village. [362] Then he skinned the
woman’s child, and lo! he was born instead. He grew up as rapidly as a
dog. Immediately he began to walk. One day, as soon as he came in from
out of doors, he wept so hard that they could not stop him. She tried
to stop him in every way. He would not be satisfied.
After he had cried for a while, he said: “Ha, bow-shaped object; ha,
bow-shaped object.” At that time she tried to stop him all the harder.
As he wept he made the motion of handling a bow. By and by his mother
pounded up some copper ornament she wore and she also finished arrows
for him.
He was hunting birds. He did not sleep. And, one day when it was fine
weather, they went for shellfish. They did not take his mother with
them. Then, after it had been stormy for a while, it was again calm,
and they went for shellfish.
Then he asked his mother if she owned a canoe. And, when his mother
said that she did own one, he went along with them and his mother to
get shellfish. While they were still going along the leading canoes had
already landed. He landed his mother among the canoes which were
floating about and remained floating back of them.
Now, when the baskets of those who had gone first were full, he lay
down in his canoe, and, using the canoe as a drum, beat upon it with
his bow. Then they made motions toward his face from the shore. They
spoke in low voices. And they loaded their canoes and went off in
terror. Before they had reached the village he told his mother to hurry
up. Then she put the mussels in the bow. His mother seated him at the
very stern, and they went landward from Qꜝā′g̣awa-i.
As they went along in fright, he (Qꜝā′g̣awa-i) [363] came after them.
And, when he came near, he opened his mouth for them. But, as he was
carrying them into his mouth in a current, [the boy] took his bow,
pushed his lips together, and shoved him back, and he went under the
water. They went on.
When they came to her, his mother said she was saved by blowing through
her labret hole and putting her feet into the water. He listened.
After they had lived there for a while, it became stormy weather again.
It was bad weather. When the mussels became spoiled for food, it was
again calm, and they again went out after mussels. Some time after, he
and his mother went out. After the baskets of those ahead had been
filled, he struck upon the edges of the canoe. And again they opened
and closed their hands to him for him to stop. After he had watched
them for a while, they went away in fright, and he too went after them.
After they had gone on for a while, [Qꜝā′g̣awa-i] again pursued. He had
five fins. Again, as soon as the current flowed into his mouth, they
floated inward. Then he (the boy) closed his lips with his hands and
shoved him back.
And, when they landed, they came down to meet her. They asked whether
he came to the surface, and she said that she blew through her labret
and put her foot into the sea. That was how she was saved, she said.
And again it was bad weather. After bad weather had lasted for some
time, he went to a point toward the end of the town, entered his
halibut skin, and went into the water. Presently he came to a broad
trail, and, having traveled upon it for a while, arrived at the town of
Qꜝā′g̣awa-i.
After he had peered into the houses, he looked into his (Qꜝā′g̣awa-i’s).
In the rear of the house between the screens, which pointed toward each
other, sat his daughter. He fell in love with her, so that he shook
with desire.
Then, after he had gone around the town for a while, evening came, and
he entered his house. He sat down in the rear of his house. His skin
clothing had five fins upon it. He looked at it. Then they went to bed.
And, as soon as he went to her, they lay together.
Then day broke and the town people went fishing. After the sounds had
lasted for some time, he rose. To his surprise they were fishing right
in front of the town. Then he went into his halibut skin. And, after he
had swum around the edges of the canoes for a while, he opened his
mouth for them and closed it quickly. They went quickly into his mouth.
And, after he had kept his lips closed around them for a while, he
opened his mouth.
Now he went up and went toward the place he started from. Then he went
in. After he had sat there for a while, it was again evening, and he
again went to meet the woman. He was very fond of her. He went to her
and came back often. And as he lay with [Qꜝā′g̣awa-i’s] daughter, he
listened to them talking about himself and nothing else.
When they were out fishing, he entered his skin. He opened his mouth
for two [canoes] and spit them out shoreward.
And again he went away, and, after he had sat in the house for a while,
evening came, and he went down to her. And he lay with [the chief’s]
daughter.
He (the chief) was preparing to go out fishing with the others. They
brought out his skin clothing, and they brought out his war spear and
his arrow box. They put pitch on the points of these [arrows] in case
he (Stone-ribs) had too much power for him. And he heard him say he was
going to break his head with his teeth.
Presently day came, and he heard the sound they made as they went out
fishing. When it stopped, he arose, swam off again, and came out on the
surface near two canoes at one end. Then one waved a paddle. They did
this for Qꜝā′g̣awa-i. He had not let out fishing lines. Instead his
canoe floated quietly among them.
He went thither, and those who were there pointed into the water with
their paddles. “It is lying right there,” they said to him. Then he
seized his spear. He looked at it. It was too small, however, and he
picked up an arrow instead. Then he speared it. He struck it in the
side and pulled it up. Then he said: “Is this the thing that destroyed
you?” and they said to him: “Do not speak like that. That is it.”
Now he told them to begin fishing, and they pulled halibut in and
clubbed them. He was lying in the canoe. The skin of the Qꜝā′g̣awa-i had
already been lying there for some time. After he had swelled up so as
to fill this, they found it out. Then [Qꜝā′g̣awa-i] took his spear and
speared him. Instead of being harmed he stretched it more and the canoe
became covered with water. Immediately the salt water boiled. He
captured his skin. He opened his mouth for them. As many as were
fishing came fast into his mouth, but for some purpose he let two
persons go home. Then he came away with the rest. He let them out
toward the shore at a bay at one end of the town. From the very shore
they fell over landward like a pile of wood. They lay near the shore
without skins. Fins were on them. [364] Then he went in to his mother.
Next day he said to his mother: “Mother, I intend to go away from you.
I am not really your son. I came and helped you because you called for
me as you wept. My mother’s place is in the middle of this island.”
At once his mother sang crying songs. And on account of her crying he
thought he would stay a day more, and he stayed near her one night, but
next day he went away.
As soon as he went out he put on his copper coat. Over this he put his
marten-skin coat. Over both he put his Qꜝā′g̣awa-i skin and started
around the west coast wearing them. The supernatural beings living
there opened their doors for him. After he had traveled about for some
time [he came to] one living in the middle of the island whose door was
shut, and, as he passed by, reaching out sidewise he took hold of him,
and his house fell flat toward the sea.
And after he had traveled on he came to one fishing for black cod. When
he came opposite to him he said to him: “Now, great chief, Stone-ribs,
that you are, going along carefully, let me have the head. For that I
am waiting here.” [365]
Then he turned back toward him. He pushed his arm into a rocky cave
there, moved his arm about to make it larger, and gathered black cod
together in his arms. When there were many in his arms he threw them
into the cave. And he pushed him into the cave afterward. He (the man
put into the cave) strung the fishing line with them, put some also
into his canoe, and went away. He towed the string of black cod behind
him.
Thence he wandered on for a while and entered Tcꜝā′ał inlet. [366]
Where the inlet almost closes together, lo! something lay face up
waiting for him. Its arms were half copper. It lay in wait for him.
Then he lay still in front of it for a while and looked at it. It had
five fins.
By and by, however, he let himself go on over its belly, and it seized
him. Even his insides it squeezed. Its claws even went through his
copper coat. He tried to swell up. In vain. Then he entered the halibut
skin and escaped between its claws. It got its skin back because it
belonged to the same clan [as Qꜝā′g̣awa-i].
Then he passed through the strait. When he came to Spit-point he (the
point) let himself dry up on account of him. Then he remained still for
a while. After he had stood still for a time he jumped up and flopped
his way across it. After he had done so he entered the water on the
other side. That is the Qꜝoas. [367]
After he had traveled on a while he came to where Rock-point’s house
stood. Swim-far-off [368] placed himself half out of the door. He was
afraid at the sight of his spines. He was looking at him, and he said
to him: “Go around far from me, chief. I shall kill you.” On account of
what he said he went around close to the island on the other side from
him.
After he had traveled farther [he came to where] two persons were
fishing from a canoe at the Cumshewa inlet fishing ground, in front of
Ta′og̣ał bay. The bow man was making guesses as follows: “I wonder
whether he who they say has been traveling around the west coast has
passed this point.” Then the one in the stern said: “Horrors! what
terrible thing will happen for what you have said. Let us go home.” And
he himself cut the anchor line, and they went off in fright. Then he
bit off half of their canoe and pushed the man in the stern along
toward the shore. Near Ta′og̣ał he threw [the other] up from his mouth.
He was changed into a rock there.
Then he went away. He stood up at Skedans bay, and inland, near the
trees, he turned his back to the sunshine. Lo! he felt sleepy and lost
consciousness. While he was in that condition [he heard] a noise like
x̣ū. He looked toward it. Lo! he (an eagle) had his skin in his claws.
Then he put on his copper coat and went after it.
The eagle flew inland and perched there. [A supernatural being] stood
waiting for him. He had a war spear. He had a war helmet. Then he
(Stone-ribs) passed behind him on the run. When he was at some distance
he grasped him. His head was in his hand. Then he threw it toward the
head of the creek. [369]
There lay the town of Skedans. [370] And the town chief there owned
Sand-reef.[370] One day he went thither for hair seal and called the
people in [to eat them]. They kept taking them over by canoe. All that
time they called in the people for them. The town chief was named
Upward. [371]
One day he went thither. At the landward end of Gwai-djātc[370] in
front of Qî′ñgiłu some people in a canoe sang something. They used the
edges of their canoe as a drum. He went to them. He [arrived] there,
and lo! the song was about him. The song they composed was: “Upward’s
wife is always fooling with somebody.” [372]
Then he pulled them in. He asked them why they clubbed seals on his
reef. Hair seals were in their canoe. Then he fastened them to two
canoe seats. And he started homeward with them. When they got even with
Mallard-grease-in-hand on the north side of
Island-that-wheels-around-with-the-current[370] one said to his younger
brother: “Younger brother, take him, take him.” Then both seized him at
once. They fastened him to the canoe. Then they took in his hair seal
and went back.
Now they took him into their father’s house. Those that he pulled in
were Farthest-one-out’s sons.[370] They laid him down in the middle of
the side of their father’s house [373] and told their adventures to
their father. And they said: “Father, he spoke to us about what you
gave to us as a chief’s children. He pulled us into his canoe. He
fastened us in the canoe.” And their father said: “My child, chief, my
son, it is not as your slave father has said, but as common surface
birds shall say.” [374] He spoke like this, as if speaking to a slave.
Then they brought him in. And they brought in a large, water-tight
basket, put stones into the fire, and, when they became red hot, put
them into the water in the basket with tongs. When it boiled, they put
him in, canoe and all. Then they shook up the basket with him in it,
and, when it began to swell up, he held fast to the cross-seats. Then
they went to him. They laughed at him because he was afraid.
After they had laughed at him for a while, his wife sat down hard upon
the top of the house. She was crying aloud. At the same time she made
holes in the top of the house with her fingers. Water dropped into it.
She asked what they were doing to her husband. But just then he began
to think of a copper drum he owned, [and it came to him]. When he began
drumming on it with the tips of his fingers, the chief said: “Take him
and throw him out, chiefs, my children.” Then they took him, and they
threw him out along with the canoe. Immediately she took her husband
and went away with him.
And, after he had stayed with his wife a while, he thought of the words
that Farthest-one-out’s sons put into [their songs] about him. Then he
slept apart from his wife. After he had done this for some time, he
woke up one night. Lo! he heard his wife talking with some one. But he
did not disturb himself, and, when day broke, he sharpened a mussel
shell knife he owned. And, when they went to bed, he remained awake.
The moon rose. When it became light, the end of a rainbow came through
the smoke-hole. He looked at it. It extended to his wife’s [room]. Then
the rainbow again drew itself out through the smoke-hole.
After some time had elapsed, he heard some one talking to his wife.
When the talking ceased, he crept over thither. He seized the man’s
hair and cut his head off. Then he went out and fastened his head over
the door.
After many nights had passed, a woman came by canoe and stopped in
front of him. After she had remained there for a while, she said:
“Come, chief, throw down your nephew’s head to me.” He paid no
attention to her. It was Djila′qons’ son, who had been in love with his
wife, whose head he had cut off.
Again she said landward: “Come, chief, put your nephew’s head into my
canoe.” He absolutely refused. Then she became angry and almost struck
the town with something that was half red, half blue. [375] And the
town of Skedans almost tipped over. Then he went out and pushed it back
again as he walked along.
The woman said the same thing again, and again he refused her. When she
almost struck the town with her stick, it almost turned over again. And
again he straightened it with his feet. Then he took the head and threw
it out. And the hair-seal canoe [376] in which she came started off of
itself, while he stood still there and looked on.
Then he went along upon Trail-inland [377] and entered the water at
[point] Lying-seaward. [378] And he got his arms ready for her in the
salt water. Her servants were doing the paddling. When they got above
him, he laid hold of [the canoe]. Then they paddled backward. They were
unsuccessful.
Then the chief-woman said, “Come in, chief, if it is you. Things shall
not be different from the way you want them.” And lo! Upward rolled in
through the bailing-hole. At once he went to the middle where the
chief-woman sat. He stretched his arm across, and they lay there with
each other. [379]
When they got home, she put her son’s head in its place, and he was
restored. After he had had her as his wife for some time, and it was
toward the end of autumn, the chief-woman began digging roots with the
servants. One day, after they had come home, they appeared happy. He
listened to them. He did not know why they acted that way. He got
firewood in readiness for their return from digging roots. They came
home together, and every time they were happy.
By and by, when they started off again, he went behind them. As they
went along in a line, they beat upon thin boards held in their hands.
They sang as they went. It sounded nice and sharp. The chief woman went
in advance. He observed them stealthily.
Then they sat down at a certain point down the inlet, and sang there.
The chief woman sat near the water. This he saw. By and by something
having thick eyebrows came flying from above and sat near her. He was
good looking. They lay with each other.
Then he went home, and, when they came home, he said to his wife, “Say!
to-morrow you better not go. I will go. I will get a great quantity of
roots of all kinds.” And next day he borrowed her belt and dress, and
had his hair parted while still in the house. Now they sang as they
walked. He went ahead of them.
He went to the edge of the water. He rolled away a rock with his hands
and picked a sea-cucumber from the place where it had rested. Then he
sat in the place where the chief woman used to sit. Shoreward the
servants were also singing. By and by the person came flying down from
above, sat near him, and lay down. And he cut off his penis. He put the
sea-cucumber in its place. He went up from him making a noise.
Then he was happy, and he came home. He gave back the chief woman’s
labret to her. Next day very early the servants rose, and, after they
had eaten, they went outside. Just outside they sang the song. Again
they went off in a crowd singing.
Now he again went along behind them. After the chief woman had seated
herself, he came flying down again. They lay down. When the chief woman
turned toward him, lo! a sea cucumber had been put into him. Then she
wept. The servants also wept.
Then he went home and cut up firewood. And in the evening, when they
came home, instead of being happy, the servants had tear marks on their
faces. Then he asked them, “Why are you all sad? I guess you have
become witches.” That was Snowy-owl with which the chief woman lay. For
that reason he used these words.
After he had lived with his wife a while longer, some one said “The
chief is coming.” Immediately they sent Marten into the woods. Then he
pulled up a bunch of fern by the roots. He tied the stalks together and
sat down by the edge of the fire toward the door. Five Land-otter-women
sat in the corner of the house and one of them had Upward inside of her
blanket.
Presently [the strangers] came in and sat in a circle. Then Raven [380]
called for one of the young boys who moved in a crowd on the side of
the house toward the door. And, after he had whispered into his ear,
[the boy] went out. [381] And, after he had been away for a while, they
spread out a mat in the middle of the side of the house, and five
persons with matted hair sat upon it. After they had sat there for a
while, one of them began acting as a shaman, and they sang a song for
him as he acted. After he had done this for a while, he pointed at the
one who held Upward hidden. When they all went to her, he (Marten)
pushed the ferns on the fire. Immediately it became dark, and he was
handed to another. After they had pulled her up straight, they found
nothing at all upon her.
Then another acted as shaman and pointed at the one who was hiding him.
Then they started for her. Again Marten shoved the ferns into the fire.
While it was dark they passed him to another one. She, too, they had
stand up. There was nothing whatever upon her.
Again one acted as shaman. Again he pointed at one of them. There was
not a sign of a thing upon her. Still another acted as shaman. When he
pointed at the one who held him, they went for her. Then Upward changed
himself into a cinder and hid himself at the edge of the smoke-hole.
Then the one who sat at the end of those who came by canoe with Raven
acted as shaman. And, after they had sung a song for him for a while,
he pointed up at him, and they went to get him. [He floated up] and
after he had kept coming down for a while, lo! they brought Upward in.
Then they brought him before Wī′gît, and he pulled his arm off. And,
after he had pulled his other arm off, he gave them to the one (shaman)
who sat next to him. Now he pulled out both of his legs and gave them
to the shamans. And his body, too, he cut in pieces and gave to them.
Then they ate it. They consumed it all. And, after they had sat there
for a while, they became sick in the stomach. They died. Their bodies
were pulled away and thrown outside.
[The story of Stone-ribs as told by Tom Price of
Those-born-in-the-Ninstints-country]
From the town of Łg̣adᴀ′n they began to go out fishing for black cod.
Then a creature having five fins at an island lying seaward called
Qꜝā′g̣awa-i pursued them. And canoes were rapidly carried into his mouth
by a current of water. But still they feared that they were going to
starve to death and went out fishing. Many escaped. Mussels grew upon
that island only. That is why they went to it. And they would not touch
their paddles to the edges of their canoes [for fear of making a
noise].
When he had nearly destroyed them all, Djila′qons’ son said: “I will go
to the south country. I will kill Qꜝā′g̣awa-i.” Then his mother said to
him: “Do not do it, chief; they will say Łᴀ′ndal to you.” [382] After
she had said so for some time, she told him he might go.
And, after he had gone along for a while, [when he reached] point Skwai
he became tired of walking and lay with his back against a rock. Then a
sound like the rushing of wind came to his ears, and he looked in the
direction of it. [An eagle] was almost touching a salt water pool in
front of him in its flight.
Then he went thither, and, when he looked into the pool, [he saw] a
small halibut floating there. Now he took it out. And, when he tried to
cut it open along the side, all the supernatural beings protested. It
also thundered. In whatever way he tried it, he was unsuccessful until
he cut it open from its tail when nothing happened. Now he skinned it
and dried the skin in the sunshine. He was glad to have it. And he went
away with it.
By and by he came to the town of Łg̣adᴀ′n. It was evening and he looked
about among the houses. He looked for a place where a child had just
been born. By and by he saw a child lying in the cradle. When they were
asleep, he destroyed it. But he became born in its place. His [new]
mother was named Gwā′g̣anat.
And, after he had grown somewhat, he asked to have a copper bow and
copper arrows made for him. All the time he was growing up they went
out fishing and he (Qꜝā′g̣awa-i) swallowed them. And, when they came in
from fishing, Supernatural-sparrow [383] living in front of the town
ate all of their uncut halibut.
Then he began to shoot birds. He shot robins, the feathers of which
along with those of the flicker were on his cradle. After he had become
quite strong he killed geese and wild swans. His mother asked him
whence he got them, and he said: “I am [getting them] from ʟdas.” [384]
After that he also killed the big sparrow that lived there.
After he had shot birds for some time longer he said he had lost a
black bird which he attempted to kill. He was sad about it. The next
time he went out he brought it in skinned. That was the raven. Again he
went out and flew around the island with its skin on. He flew down from
above. He shot it in the country he called ʟdas.
After he was able to fly to some height he said: “I am going to kill
Qꜝā′g̣awa-i.” Then his uncle said to his mother: “Put charcoal on the
lips of that boy who is talking.” At once his mother did so to him.
They were afraid to mention the name of Qꜝā′g̣awa-i near the fire. They
were afraid that “Woman-under-the-fire” would take over to him the
boy’s words. He sat around with charcoal upon his lips. [385]
After that the town people went to Qꜝā′g̣awa-i to get shell-fish, and
his mother was with them. Then he cried after them. He was faint from
crying. Now he told them plainly that he was going to kill Qꜝā′g̣awa-i.
Then they took him with them. They fastened a weasel skin in his hair,
and he took his copper bow and arrows.
After they had gathered mussels at the island for a while, they went
off home from him. In that place he sang songs, and he beat upon the
edges of his canoe with his bow, in lieu of a drum. They were unable to
stop him. And when they went off from him he again sang the song.
At that time Qꜝā′g̣awa-i came after them. Then the canoe went into its
mouth. And he came to himself in its belly, put on his halibut skin,
and swelled up in its stomach. He killed it.
All of its five fins had the figures of human beings at the base. At
that time he showed himself to be Stone-ribs. He told them that he was
the son of Djila′qons. At that time he told them the crests they would
use.
Then he traveled around the west coast, wearing the halibut skin. Now a
big mountain called “Looking-at-his-own-shadow” called him in. He
entered his house, and he was glad to meet him. After he had given him
some dried food he gave him half of a whale to eat. When he had
finished eating and was about to go out Looking-at-his-own-shadow
laughed at him. Then he said: “Door, shut yourself.” And the stone
hanging door fell. Now there was no way for him to go out.
Then, right in the house, he put on his halibut skin. And, after he had
flopped around for a while, he got his fins under the edges of the
hanging door and threw it up with his tail. When it fell back it broke.
He shut all sorts of supernatural beings in, and they were entirely
unable to get out. Only he (Stone-ribs) did it.
After that he entered the house of “Sunshine-on-his-breast.” He,
however, treated him well. After he had been given something to eat, he
went out of his house.
After that he entered Tcꜝī′da’s house. [386] He, too, was good to him.
Then he had on the Qꜝā′g̣awa-i skin and let himself be seen by the town
people. That is why those born at Kaisun wear the Qꜝā′g̣awa-i as a
crest.
When he started to leave that place, they told him that Greatest-crab
lived in the channel between the two islands. Still he went thither.
Just as he had heard, it opened its claws for him. And, when he passed
over it, it cut through the fins along the edges of his halibut skin
with its teeth. Then Stone-ribs was sorry for this and went back to it.
He swallowed the crab.
After that he let himself be seen upon this island. The supernatural
beings were glad to see him because he saved the people from the thing
that made the south end of the island empty. Only two treated him
differently.
He went into Nastō′’s house, [387] also. After the latter had given him
food, he let him go feeling happy. After that he let out the crab in
Naden harbor. That is why there are so many crabs there.
After that Na-iku′n let himself dry up before him. [388] Then he
entered his halibut skin and flopped his way across overland. That is
the inside passage used by canoes. And, after he had gone on farther,
Spit-point also dried itself up in front of him. Then he entered his
halibut skin and passed it in the same way. That is the place through
which they pass by canoe.
Then he entered the house of Many-ledges. After he, too, had given him
something to eat, he went on. [Many-ledges] was pleased to see him.
Afterward Qî′ñgi [389] asked him to come in. The supernatural beings
invited him in because they wanted to see Qꜝā′g̣awa-i’s skin. All that
time he let them see his skin.
After that he went inland and sat down at point Skwai. After he had sat
there for some time something occurred like the quick passage of a
strong wind. When he looked toward it an eagle had his halibut skin.
But when he said “Alas!” all the forest beings told him not to go after
it. “It was not yours. Your mighty grandfather, ‘Chief,’ [390] let you
have his skin. It was he who took his own back.” It was an islet lying
in front of point Skwai that lent him his clothing so that he might use
it to kill Qꜝā′g̣awa-i.
And after that he again arrived at the town of Łg̣adᴀ′n. Now he left his
Qꜝā′g̣awa-i skin there. He took his copper bow and four arrows, but the
weasel skin he tied in his hair. He wanted to show them to his mother
so that she would be pleased. [Because he wore them]
Those-born-at-Skedans have them as crests.
Then he went to his mother. And his mother was pleased with him. Now he
showed the copper arrows and the [skin of] Qꜝā′g̣awa-i he had killed to
his mother and said that future generations coming out from her should
wear them as crests, besides possessing the songs.
And his mother asked him: “Did they call you lakꜝî′l?”[382] And he said
they did. Then he explained to her. “When I was of some height, and had
been killing all sorts of birds, I said I would kill Qꜝā′g̣awa-i,”
whereupon they used to say of me: “Put coals on the lips of that common
person.” Instead [of being angry] his mother laughed at him. His mother
foretold what they would say to him when he set out to help them.
This story, which practically includes three, is one of the most
important and interesting of all Haida stories, for, while two of the
preceding are largely Tsimshian and the Raven story is by no means
confined to the Queen Charlotte islands, here we have heroes and places
dealt with which are strictly insular, forming true Haida “hero tales.”
The first two sections are of particular importance and were especially
well known. The second version of the story of Stone-ribs is of
peculiar interest as coming from a man of the town of Ninstints, where
the descendants of the people of Łg̣adᴀ′n afterward lived, and where
this particular myth appears to have been especially treasured. Sī′xa,
the word which I have translated “Upward,” means more strictly
“About-in-the-air,” referring perhaps to the escape of this hero from
his house in the form of a cinder. “Stone-ribs” was the translation
given me for G̣odᴀñxē′wat by my interpreter, but g̣ō′dᴀñ is also applied
to one who discovers hidden things. The word for rib is xē′wī.