[Told by John Sky of Those-born-at-Skedans]
Including their mother and their sister there were ten of them. Bad
things came through the eldest. [391] His younger brothers were like
the supernatural beings. One day one of his younger brothers went out
and shouted “Hū-ū-ū-ū-ī.” [392] Then a cloud came out of the ocean. It
came down in front of Gū′łg̣a. [393] One stood in the place [which it
touched] and they wrestled with each other. After they had wrestled for
a while the younger brother of Supernatural-being-who-went-naked was
pushed down, and he bewitched him. “Go to the flint point which sticks
out in the rear of my father’s house,” [he said], and he went thither
with noise (i.e., quickly).
By and by the one who was born next to him also went out and shouted.
He called in the same way as the other had done, and again the cloud
came into the inlet. Again a person stood in the place [which it
touched] and wrestled with him. After they had wrestled together for a
while, he again knocked him down and said as before: “Go to the flint
point which sticks out in the rear of my father’s house.” Then he went
up into the air with noise.
Now he treated all seven in the same way. Afterward their mother wept.
When she was through weeping, she blew her nose out (i.e., cleared her
throat) and said: “My eldest son is nothing. My mind is so (i.e., sad)
all of the time.”
Her daughter always took care of the fire. Every time they went to bed
Supernatural-being-who-went-naked slept in the place where the fire had
been. He was weak. He was unable to sit up.
Now he heard what his mother kept saying about him. Then he called to
his sister: “Sister, come and bring out one of your mother’s stone
boxes.” His sister poured some [water] into one, and, as he crept
thither, he fell on his side and almost fainted. After he had lain
there for a while he started to creep to it again, and he crept into
it.
Then his buttocks were floating, and his sister picked up a poker and
pressed on his buttocks. After his sister had pressed upon him for a
while, she took away the stick from him. Lo, his buttocks were covered
with water. And, after he had been in the water for a while, he
stretched himself in it. He burst it.
Then his sister poured some water into another one, and he got into it.
After he had been in it a short time (lit., the length of a hand), he
burst it by stretching. Then he got into another. That, too, he burst
with his knees.
Now his sister poured some water into the remaining one. As soon as he
had got into it he stretched himself. He burst that also.
Then he went into the sea in front of Gū′łg̣a. And after he had been in
the water for a while something touched him lightly. When he grasped
for it he pulled off the tail of a flounder and threw it ashore. After
he had been in the sea a while longer he seized the tail of a halibut.
He also seized the tail of a porpoise and the tail of a white porpoise.
[394] And after he had been in the sea a while longer he seized a
whale’s tail. “But steam those,” said he to his sister.
After he had been in the sea a very much longer time something touched
him. He grasped for it. He felt nothing. After he had been in the sea
for another space of time something again touched him, and he reached
quickly ahead of it. Something slender was in his hand. Then his hand
began to slip off, and he seized it with both hands. Now something
pulled him away. At Łg̣a′-ixa [395] he got a new foothold. After some
time the bottom of the island cracked. Then he fastened it around his
head and came back up the inlet. He passed close in front of Gū′łg̣a and
lay still at the mouth of Xā′nᴀ. [396]
After he had been in the water there for a while something came down
from the head of the creek, making a noise as it descended, and he
listened as he stood there. Then the sound came near to him. Now he
looked in that direction. Fallen trees came down toward him, striking
against each other as they came. They came near him. They came straight
toward him. Then he ran ashore from them.
Upon this all the vegetation in the forest and all kinds of birds in
the woods called him a coward. “Is this the one who is trying to obtain
power for himself? His power is weak.” Then he jumped into the water
again, and they came upon him, striking together. When they struck him
he felt nothing. What had become old rotten trees floated away from
him.
And after he had been in the sea a while longer ice came down, striking
together on the way. And again he ran away from it, and they said he
was a coward. Then he again jumped into the water to meet them. After
they had struck on each side of him they floated away, transformed into
some soft substance.
After he had been in the water for another space of time rocks came
floating down, striking together, and he ran away from them. They again
told him he was a coward, and he again went into the water. And they
struck upon him. They became brittle rock and floated away from him.
After he had been in the sea still longer he heard some one walking
toward him. He looked in that direction. Someone short and broad with
red skin was coming toward him. He held a knot in one hand and some
g̣ōdañxō′sgî boughs. [397] On the other side he held some
kwē′aogia′gadañ twigs [398] and some seaweed.
And he said to him: “Come, let me whip you, grandson.” He went to him
and faced him. Then he struck him with the knot. He did not feel it.
Instead, it broke in pieces. And he struck him also with the
g̣ōdañxō′sgî. He did not feel it. And he also struck him on his back
with the kwē′aogia′gadañ. He did not feel it. Then he struck him with
the seaweed. He almost touched the earth with his head.
Then they seized each other. He pushed Greatest-strong-man down. Then
he smiled at him, and went toward the woods upon the ice. Landward
stood a dead tree on the sea side of which a dead limb stood out which
he tried to pull off. He could not do it. But he (the human being) went
over to it and pulled it out. And he said to him: “Now, grandson, go
home, for your things are there.” And he went down the inlet.
After he had swum along for a while, he stood up at Gū′łg̣a. And, after
he had stood near the door for a while, he entered and dried himself
near the fire. He asked of his mother, who was weaving near the wall:
“Mother, have you any?” “Yes, chief, my son; when something made you
and shut you in the womb I had some made for you. They are here.” Then
his mother hunted in a box, brought out two sky blankets, [399] and
gave them to him.
Then he sat down on one of the bedsteads belonging to his younger
brothers. He broke it by sitting. And he broke another by sitting on
it. After he had broken all by sitting on them he made one for himself.
And he also broke that by sitting on it. And, after a stronger one with
yellow cedar corner posts was finished, that, too, broke down. And he
gave it up. Then he fastened the pokers lying near the fire together in
the shape of a cross, laid dead salmon-berry bushes across them, laid
the planks on top of these, and sat down upon them. That, however, was
strong. Then he went to bed.
Very early next day he went out toward the woods. After he had traveled
along for a while upon a faint trail, [he came to] a dead fallen tree
lying across the trail. There a shrew [400] with cranberries in her
mouth was vainly endeavoring to climb over it. Then he put her over and
passed by her.
He came to a mountain covered with devil’s-club and began eating it.
And when he was half through evening came upon him, and he stayed there
over night. And next day he again began eating. When evening came he
had eaten all.
And the last he ate he spit out and said: “Perhaps I shall become a
wā′sg̣o if I swim about so much.” Then something up the inlet said to
him: “Ah! Red-backed-grouse [401] hears your voice.” From down the
inlet something else said: “Ah! ʟꜝuqaᴀ′ndas [402] hears your voice.”
Then he went home.
Next day he again went toward the woods. There the mouse[400] was
trying to climb over. Again he put her across. And, after he had
traveled for a while, he came to a mountain covered with x̣î′lg̣oga.
[403] Then he ate it, stayed there all night, and continued eating next
day. When he swallowed the last of it, he spit out part. He spoke the
same words as before. And beings spoke to him as they had done before.
Then he went home and went to bed.
Very early next day he went out to challenge some one to a wrestling
match. When he started to wrestle with the thing which had destroyed
his younger brothers, he said: “Now, when you throw me down, stand
awaiting me.” Immediately they seized each other. Then he was thrown
down. As soon as that happened, he (the opponent) pronounced the words.
And after he had gone through the air for a while, he came to the
flint. At once he rubbed a medicine Mouse-woman had given him upon
himself. Now, when he struck on it, he pulled it down. At that time his
younger brothers’ bones burst out of it. Then he spit medicine upon
them. And as soon as he got down [he found] the other still standing
there waiting for him. Then he threw him down. “Future people will see
you.” He became a kind of brittle rock. [404]
After that his younger brothers again disappeared.
After he had lain in bed awhile day broke, and he began to think of the
animal he had put over [the log]. Then he went thither. Lo, she was
again trying to climb over. He put her across. And he watched to see
which way she went. Then she went in at the butt end of a clump of
ferns. And a house stood there.
Then she said to him: “Come in, my son; news has come that you are
going to borrow something from me.” Then he entered to her, and she let
him sit down next to her. Then she turned to the wall. She took a tray
out of one of her boxes. On both sides of it sat [carved] mice. She
placed a piece of dried salmon which was in it before him. And he
thought: “I have been fasting a long time. What a small thing I am
going to eat.” Then she said to him: “Eat it. However small it looks,
it can never be consumed.” He took it. While doing so he looked. It was
still there. And he again picked it up. He was unable to consume it,
and she put [the tray] back.
Then she again turned round toward the wall. She put a single cranberry
in front of him. Then he picked it up with a spoon. That, too, he was
unable to consume.
Then she turned round again. And she took something blue out of the
box. [405] Then she bit off part for him. “Here is something for you
when you think of eating medicine, Go up to Gū′łg̣a lake. There lives
Among-the-hemlock-boughs, who destroyed your younger brothers. When you
come to the shore opposite him where the ground is trodden down by many
feet, whistle for him, and when he comes out to you and has nearly
reached you drop on the ground quickly. Then you will come to yourself
sitting in his belly. Put medicine upon yourself. Then you will restore
your younger brothers. And when your younger brothers are gone again
run quickly to Sealion-town. Then climb into the tree which lies
seaward at the end of the trail running inland. When [a creature] comes
to you from the sea push the thing you are going to make into his ear,
and when he staggers about wounded climb into the tree again. At that
place you will restore your younger brothers again. After all have
disappeared again and you start after them you will keep on going
forever as one with supernatural power.”
Then he went away. After he had been in bed for a while, day began to
break, and he went up to the woods and reached his destination. There
was a place there trodden bare by many feet. The footprints of human
beings were in it.
Then, just as day began to break, he whistled. After he had done this
for a while something like a person with his hair floating upon the
water came along. When it got near him, he dropped flat, and, after
some space of time had elapsed, lo, he came to himself in its belly.
Then he put the medicine upon himself and stretched himself in its
belly. His younger brothers’ bones poured out. He, too, was thrown out
on top of them.
Then the hemlock was moving there. And he went to get it. He struck it.
It was as when something is split up fine. Then he laid aside two
branches and took two short ones. Then he threw one [of the latter] so
that it went into a tree. And he threw another one. It stuck endwise
into a hemlock. He spit after it. And he said: “Future people will use
these as fishhooks in getting food.” [406]
Then he spit the medicine upon his younger brothers. They arose. And he
said: “Go together to the place where you used to sit.” Then he, too,
followed them, and, after they had enjoyed seeing each other for a
while, again one was gone. One after the other all seven disappeared.
Then he whittled the hemlock limbs. He sharpened the ends and put them
over the fire. Then he took these at midnight and went to Sealion-town.
And he climbed up into a tree which stood at the end of the trail.
After he had sat there for a while two pieces of pitchwood came burning
out of the ocean like lanterns. They came below him like lanterns.
Wonderful to see, a wā′sg̣o [407] came and stood there. At the tree
lying seaward it sat. It was coming to him. It had a whale in its
mouth. It had another one in the curl of its tail.
And, when it got just under him, he sat down between its ears. And he
pushed the hemlock limbs into its ears. Then he again pulled himself up
into the tree. It staggered around underneath. At daybreak, when the
raven called, it fell as if thrown down. [408]
Then he pushed it about [preparing to skin it] and was going to cut it
open. But it thundered and lightened. Then he skinned it and cut it
open. He caused his younger brothers’ bones to burst out and spit
medicine upon them. They rose, and he said: “Go to the place where you
used to sit.” The next day one was again missing and the day after
another. It went on in this way until all seven were again gone.
And, after he had sat around for a while, he started off aimlessly.
After he had gone along for a while he heard something in the middle of
the island which sounded like a drum. Then he went to it. Lo! he came
to a trail. It had been recently trodden upon. After he had traveled on
this for a while he came to a house. The door was on one side of the
front. Inside of the house something made a noise like a drum.
Then he looked in. A woman, wearing a brownish red cedar-bark blanket,
twisted threads. The doing of that caused the noise like a drum. He sat
outside of the door which was much trodden about. Then he went along
and looked down. There was a salmon-berry bush newly broken off. And he
took it up. He punched her buttocks with it as she sat working turned
toward the wall. Then she turned round and smiled upon him, and he
talked with her for a while.
While he was still talking he heard a voice [saying]: “Huk, huk, huk,
huk, huk, huk, huk, huk.” Then he looked toward it. Lo! his younger
brothers were trying to run apart from each other. Then he went to them
and spit medicine upon them. He put some on himself as well and tried
to pull them away. He was unable to do it. Then he tried it again.
Again he was unable to do it. That was Gā′gix̣it-woman, they say.” [409]
Being unsuccessful he went home. Then he came to Gū′łg̣a. He was going
to enter his mother’s house, yet in spite of himself he passed by in
front. Then he turned toward it again and, when he was near the door,
he seized a pole which was in front of the house. But it came away in
his hand.
When he could not succeed in entering he wandered off aimlessly. Soon
he arrived at the middle of the top of the island. After he had
traveled about a while he came to an open space. Then he sat down
there. After he had sat there for a while he looked at himself. Lo! he
sat there naked, deprived of both his blankets. Some thick bushes were
there.
Then he turned his back to the sunshine. He held his head down with his
forehead in his hands. While he was sitting thus something touched him.
He looked for it but saw nothing. Then he got ready for it, and, when
this happened again, he grasped in front of it. It was in his hand. It
was soft. It felt like fur. It was like something phosphorescent.
Then he skinned it and used salmon-berry bushes on which to stretch it.
But lo! it was slack in the middle. Then he put it on a larger one. And
he laid it out in the sunshine. He was going to make blankets out of
it. It became nearly dry. He was glad. And, when it was nearly dry,
things from the north end of the island and the south end of the island
shouted “Wā-ā-ā-ā-ā, Supernatural-being-who-went-naked is stretching
his sky blankets.” They laughed at him. Then he bent down his head.
After he had sat there ashamed for a while he left his blankets.[409]
Now he started on. He traveled around and around this island. One time,
after he had traveled for a while, he heard some one sobbing bitterly.
He went thither. A house stood there. He ran to it so fast that he kept
falling. Then he looked in. In the rear of the house stood one with
tears running down and pitch on his face. His earrings were long. From
the ends of them small human beings hung. Their throats hung downward.
Their arms were moving as they hung.
He struck the ground with his baton and cried hard. “Thinking to
restore his younger brothers again as he had twice revived them, the
supernatural being started after them. While he was going, the
supernatural being went on forever.” So he heard him put words into the
song about himself as he wept.
And his boxes all had their ends toward the fire. There were four tiers
of them. Then he wanted to look into them. And he ran about. After he
had run around looking for something for a while he found a big rock,
long and narrow, and he put it on his shoulder. Then he threw it up on
top of the house. He pulled himself up after it. Now he made a hole
above him and let the stone fall in. It struck his head. He dropped
dead without moving.
Then he jumped down. He entered the door. He opened the box lying
nearest to him. It was all full of moose hides. [410] Then he went to
the rear of the house also. There, too, he opened some. Then he put
five [hides] upon his back and went away. After he had run along for a
while, lo! he heard his baton sound. Then he came near him and took one
of his hides back. He put it on his shoulder. He did the same to all
five and went away from him. And he looked in the place where he had
been. He had vanished.
Then he went after him. Lo! he was crying out the same words as before.
Then he turned back quickly and picked up a larger stone than the one
he had before taken upon his shoulders. Now he put it on top of the
house and pulled himself up after it. Then he made a hole right above
him. He dropped the stone in. He fell down.
At once he jumped in, piled five blankets one over the other, and went
away with them. Before he had gone far, however, he took these also
from him. He remained in the same place looking at him. Now he was
unable to kill him. That was Master Weeper.
And, after he had traveled about for a while, he came to a swampy place
where skunk cabbage grew and jumped across it. [411] Then, after he had
gone on for a while, he came to a deserted town. A little smoke came
out of the house in the middle. He went to it and entered. And an old
man lay there, back to the fire. [412] He looked at him. Then he arose
and gave him something to eat. But he did not give him anything to
drink.
By and by he said: “Hū; I am thirsty. I will go after some water for
myself.” “Don’t do it, chief; those that destroyed my village live
there. Go over to the corner and drink there like me, your mighty
grandfather, who am doing without anything else.”
Then he went thither. It was a swampy place, full of skunk cabbage. And
he turned around and defecated into it. And, after he had defecated
into it, he said to him: “Manure is floating about here in it.” Then he
said: “Alas! I wonder what I shall do.”
Then he said to him: “Hū; I am thirsty.” And he said to him: “Don’t go,
chief; the things that destroyed my village are there.” But, without
heeding him, he took the bucket and went for some. And, after the water
had flowed down four times, he took some.
He did not know what happened to him. To his astonishment he came to
himself sitting in its belly. Then he stretched himself in its belly.
He burst it, and bones burst out of its belly. He put the bones
together. If one leg was lost he repaired it with salmon-berry bushes.
He spit medicine upon them. At once they got up. He revived the right
side of the town.
Immediately after that the water flowed down continuously. Then he got
some in the bucket, went in, and said: “Grandfather, drink.” Then he
stretched his hand toward it. After he had looked at it for a while, he
turned away from it. He did not drink.
After [Supernatural-being-who-went-naked] had sat there for a while, he
said: “Hū, everywhere people eat things found at low tide. I want some
devilfish. I am going to get some devilfish.” “Do not do it, chief; the
thing that destroyed my village lives there.” But, without listening to
what was said, he started off.
In the corner of the house on the side toward the door were two sticks
for hunting devilfish. Then he took both. And he gave him the following
directions: “After he has shot water from his mouth four times, punch
in at him. That is the way to endeavor to kill him.”
Then he went. Something wonderful lived there. The supernatural
devilfish shot water at him, and it went right to the sky. After it had
shot out water four times, he punched it with a stick. But he found
himself in its belly. Then he spit medicine upon himself and stretched
out in its belly. He burst it. The mother of outbursts of human bones
took place. Then he put the bones together, and part were missing. And
he repaired them with any common material. Then he repaired their eyes
in the same way and spit medicine upon them. At once all went away. And
he said: “When you get home, walk about there.”
Then he dragged [the devilfish] along with the devilfish stick and
threw it inside the door. When he came in and sat down, Nᴀñkî′lsʟas
looked at him. As he was looking at him,
Supernatural-being-who-went-naked said: “Now, grandfather, look about
upon your town.”
Now he took his cane and went out with it. He looked to the right. To
his great surprise something wonderful had happened. People decorated
with feathers and having their faces painted walked about in rows. Then
he also looked to the left. There things were in the same condition.
Then he entered.
When he came in he brought out a urinal. And he threw some white, hard
rock from a box on which his head rested into the fire. After he had
looked at it a while, and it had become red-hot, he put it into the
urinal. Then he put the end of a sharp-pointed thing, half blue, half
red,[405] into this and held part of the clothing he wore over his
nose.
Then he called for him. “This way, my son; come and sit near me.” Then
he went to him, and he pressed on his nose with the stick and pressed
it down. Now he took off the sea-bass, bullhead, and tomcod spines from
him. After he had finished doing it he fixed him up. Then he brought
out a comb and combed him from the top of his head. And he looked down.
Lo! land-otter fur was piled up below. He did the same thing on the
other side of him. Nᴀñkî′lsʟas pressed something upon his nose with his
fingers because Supernatural-being-who-went-naked had the gā′gix̣īt
smell.
Then he combed his hair. He made it long, and he made two knots of hair
at his neck. He fastened them with a ribbon. He fixed him up with the
blue part [of his stick]. After he had been at it for a while he poured
water into a wash basin he owned and said to
Supernatural-being-who-went-naked: “Now, grandson, look at yourself.”
[413]
Then he looked at himself. He had put on [a painting of] red mottled
[clouds] spotted with black, such as lie out on the sea. [414] He
looked at it and said “This is bad.” Then he wiped it off and put it
into his armpit. And, after he had put paint upon him for a while, he
looked at himself again. He had put on his face a red, striped [cloud],
such as lie toward the north.[414] And he did not like that. Now he put
more paint on him. He put broad stripes upon his face, like those on
the breast of a mallard. But he said that was good. He fixed him up,
because he had restored his town to life. And he gave him two sky
blankets.
Then Nᴀñkî′lsʟas said to Supernatural-being-who-went-naked: “Now you
better go. The one your mind is troubled about lives near by. When the
servants come for water throw yourself into the water and make yourself
appear like one through whom worthless things come. The ones coming
first will not want to touch you; the last one will take good care of
you.”
Then he started and sat down by a water hole near Kaisun, [415] on the
west coast. After he had sat there a while they came after water. Then
they landed. They picked up the bucket. They came near him. And, when
they got near him, he made himself like those into whom worthless
things come and threw himself into the water. And he lay floating about
in it.
Then the one who came first threw herself backward. “Yuwai′yᴀ,
something is floating about in her water (i.e., the chief-woman’s).”
Then the middle one said: “Throw him out with a stick.” Now the last
one, who was lame, said: “Handle him carefully. After he has drunk
whale soup he will become stronger.”
Then they broke off the stalk of a salmon-berry bush and took him out
carefully. Now they got the water, and, after they had taken it down to
the canoe, they remembered him. The lame one brought him in with a
stick and put him in the bailing hole.
And after they had landed they carried up the water. They steamed the
whale. Again they forgot about him. Then she who was lame thought of
him and said: “We have forgotten about a crooked thing which floated
about in the chief-woman’s drinking water.”
Then the daughter of The-one-in-the-sea said: “Hurry and get him.” And
the lame one went and got him. She brought him up with a stick. He was
bent across the salmon-berry stalk. Then they had him sit on the side
toward the door. He warmed his hands at the fire. Then they handed him
whale soup, but, while he was reaching for it and was moving it toward
his mouth, he spilled it all. Then they all laughed at him and gave him
some more. The same thing happened to that.
The chief-woman lived at Tcꜝī′da. [416] And next day they went fishing
with a net. They pulled in a whale. And they cut it up.
While they were away he warmed himself on the side of the house toward
the door a while and said: “Chief-woman, you [let me get something].”
Then she said to him: “Go and get what you are talking about.” But he
crept over to her. He touched the chief-woman. Then she seized him on
each side of his head near his ears and knocked him against the floor
planks, holding him by the hair. And she said to him: “Go and sit on
the side toward the door, you common thing.” And he crept over there.
Again he sat near the door.
After he had sat there for a while the chief-woman said to him, making
the sound of throwing out saliva between her teeth: “Gîtgît, [417] the
slave they say I am without, go and get firewood.” Then he crept out
and came out of his skin outside. Then he seized with both hands a
spruce, good for burning and covered with dead limbs mingled with green
ones, which stood upon a knoll, and he pulled it up, roots and all.
Then he threw it down from the knoll. It was broken in pieces below.
Then he collected the pieces. And he carried up the bark, crept in, and
put it into the fire. He piled [the wood] there, end up [in the usual
way].
The servants had pulled in a whale. They were happy. Then, after he had
tried to communicate with the lame one for a while, he told her about
himself. “I have firewood for you back here. Go and get it. I am
Supernatural-being-who-went-naked. Do not tell any one about me.”
Then the slaves were told to get firewood, and they brought it in. And
[the chief-woman] again made a noise with her lips. “I guess it must
have been Gîtgît who chopped down this firewood,” she [418] said to
him.
One day he crept out. He got out of his skin. Then he stopped making
himself old. He determined to marry the chief-woman.
Then he put upon his face the painting that Nᴀñkî′lsʟas had placed
there first. He put on his two sky blankets. And, after he had stood
there for a while, one of the servants came out. As soon as she had
looked at him, although still at a distance, she came toward him with
her arms stretched out. “No, no, no,” he said to her, and she went in
from him crying.
Then she said: “Come! look at Supernatural-being-who-went-naked who
stands just outside.” And another went out to him. He also refused her.
He refused ten. Then she who was lame went to him. But he put his arm
around her, and they stood there together.
By and by he entered and married the chief-woman. He stayed with her
for some time. Every evening there was a star at the rear of the house.
He thought nothing about it. One day something passing under his pillow
said: “Supernatural-being-who-went-naked, does the eating of black cod
stick you here?” [419] After some time had passed without his having
thought anything about this, it said the same thing again.
One morning, as he still lay in bed with his wife, he asked to set a
net. And his wife said to him: “Wait until I explain to you. You have
not strength enough to let it out farther. They never let out more than
one.” [420]
Then he took the net which was hung in a corner and went to the point.
Whales swam about in the water. He let out two [meshes]. Two were in
it. And he could not pull it in. The other [meshes] were also pulled
into the water. All five were pulled in. Then he went away. And where
he lay he breathed hard [from the exertion].
Then his wife asked him: “Were the meshes of the net pulled out?”
“Yes,” said he. Instead [of being angry] his wife laughed at him. “That
is all right, for I will go to my father and get it.” [421]
The day after she went to her father by canoe. All of the servants went
along with the chief-woman. Supernatural-being-who-went-naked also
went. They started. After they had gone along for a while, they came in
sight of the town. Then they landed, and her father came down to meet
her. And he asked his daughter: “Why do you come, chief-woman, my
daughter?” “Why, father, we came after the net.” “It is there in the
house, chief-woman, my daughter.”
And he was glad to see Supernatural-being-who-went-naked. Then they
went in, and four hard white stones were put into the fire. When they
became red hot, they brought a tray made of white rock out from the
corner. They put them into it and placed it in front of him.
Then his wife cried, “Hᴀn! hᴀn! every time I try to be happy (i.e., to
be married) you use this sort of weapon.” Then he told his wife not to
say a word. And, after he had swallowed his medicine, he picked up one
with a spoon and swallowed it. It even went through the floor planks.
He did the same with all four.
Then they gave him a wash basin. After his wife had also washed her
hands, they brought out five black cod. And she told her husband not to
eat them. “It is something different,” she said to him. Then they put
these in front of him, and, after he had sat there for a while, she
said: “He says that is not what it is.” Then [the servant] put it back
and they threw them out.
Then they put some more in front of him. Those, too, he did not eat.
And she said: “He says that that is also something different, father.”
Then they threw away the steaming box and brought another out, and they
brought out five more black cod. Then she said to her husband: “They
are black cod.” They cut them crosswise and steamed them. When they
were cooked, they put them into a dish. And before they had taken
these, she picked one up. “Take care of the head and bones of this.”
And she gave him another. She gave him those parts of all five black
cod.
And she said to her husband: “Do not let them go. He will take them out
from inside your clothing so that you will not feel it.” And she asked
him many times: “Have you the heads still?” “Yes, here they are.” Next
day they started off. Again she asked her husband: “Have you the
heads?” “Yes, here they are.” “Have you the black-cod heads?” “Yes,
here they are.” “Have you the black-cod heads?” “No-o-o I wonder why
He-who-has-spines-for-earrings turned round smiling.” [422]
Hu hu hu hu hu, great quantities of black cod were put into the canoe.
Then they landed and unloaded the black cod. And it was evening, and
they went to bed.
After many nights had passed, the something which had spoken under his
pillow before he again heard going along and saying:
“Supernatural-being-who-went-naked, does the black cod stick you here?
Because you made Nᴀñkî′lsʟas’ town alive, he restored your younger
brothers to life by letting himself be born from your mother. He sat
early in the morning between rocks with white and black bands. [423]
Being in love with part of you, he has also come to you.” And he looked
out. Lo! he saw the tail of a marten pass in through the star. [424]
Then he went thither. To his surprise there lay a woman asleep with
Nᴀñkî′lsʟas with the upper part of her blanket fallen away leaving her
uncovered. Then he pressed upon her with his hands and she said to him:
“I used to want you, but lo! you got around late.”
And after that he sat down near the fire feeling unhappy. Then his wife
asked him: “Why are you so sad?” “I am sad because I left my mother not
far from here,” he said, deceiving her. Then he started. He put black
cod into his canoe and started off. Then he came into Skidegate channel
and reached his [younger] brothers’ town. Lo! his eight younger
brothers came down to meet him.
Then they went in. And his younger brothers only cared to have
Nᴀñkî′lsʟas for an elder brother. They did not care about
Supernatural-being-who-went-naked. Before they even gave food,
Supernatural-being-who-went-naked began to give them something to eat.
Nᴀñkî′lsʟas had a bedstead in the rear of the house. Clouds were over
his head. They could not see his face. She (the wife of
Supernatural-being-who-went-naked) cut the black cod crosswise and
steamed them. Then they told Nᴀñkî′lsʟas to sit near the fire and put
down a wash basin for him. And the cloud upon his face crossed [the
room]. He sat there washing his hands. Then they set black cod before
him. They saw only his hands.
His younger brothers ate with him, but
Supernatural-being-who-went-naked sat with his wife on the side of the
house toward the door. Nᴀñkî′lsʟas did not walk down. The clouds rose.
He was fastened to them. Then the clouds rested with him behind the
place where the wash basin was.
Now, when they were through, the cloud rose with him, and his body was
again to be seen on the bedstead. Then he (Nᴀñkî′lsʟas) called to his
sister. After she had gone to him and he had talked with her for a
while, she went out. She brought in cranberries. The tray had the
figure of a gā′gix̣īt upon it. After he had sat eating for a while he
stopped, and his younger brothers ate the rest.
Then she again put stones into the fire. Then they laid the wash basin
down again, and the clouds again rose with him. Again he came down
there and sat down, and they put black cod in front of him. Then he ate
with his younger brothers. At that time they did not see his face. Then
the wife of Supernatural-being-who-went-naked was sad.
They say that Nᴀñkî′lsʟas was in love with Gā′gix̣īt woman in order to
restore the brothers of Supernatural-being-who-went-naked. In order to
restore the town of Supernatural-being-who-went-naked to life he had
let himself be born from the mother of
Supernatural-being-who-went-naked. Then the clouds rose. Again he sat
up high.
Again [Nᴀñkî′lsʟas] called to his sister: “Sister, come to me,” and his
sister said: “Hū hū, always, when you send me after a thing, you are
going to give me something. By and by you take it away from me again.”
Upon that he threw something down to her. It fell with a noise like
that of a drum. At once she went to get it. She covered it up with her
blanket. Then the wife of Supernatural-being-who-went-naked recognized
the thing she used to let her daughter have. [425]
Then she cried: “Han-a han-a, I thought that I let only my daughter
have that.” Then her mother-in-law said to her: “Stop, chief-woman;
wherever the supernatural beings are settled they always wear it as a
crest. Chief-woman, it belonged to your husband’s sister and her
brother (Nᴀñkî′lsʟas). He is simply fooling her with the thing you are
talking about.” At once she stopped crying. She really saw it. But
still she believed what her mother-in-law said.
On the next day his brother’s wife again gave them black cod to eat.
When he sat up again he called to his sister. After he had talked to
her for a while she came down and sat near
Supernatural-being-who-went-naked, who sat with his wife. And she said:
“He wants something that he says your husband owns.” Then he did not
know what [Nᴀñkî′lsʟas] referred to.
By and by he thought of the skin of the wā′sg̣o he had killed. Then he
ran toward the mouth of the inlet. And he pulled himself up to the two
cedar tops, between which he kept it, and pulled off the wā′sg̣o’s tail.
Then he started back with it. He returned at once.
Then he said to his wife: “This must be the thing they speak about.”
Then she called her sister-in-law and gave the wā′sg̣o tail to
Nᴀñkî′lsʟas. After he had looked at it for a while he put it on top of
his hat. It looked nice there. [426]
At that time they again steamed black cod. And lo! the clouds again
arose. Then his younger brothers ate the black cod. Then his mind was
sick. Now she turned around and began weaving. After she had done this
for a while, lo! her brother-in-law had put himself around her. He
looked out at her from her clothing. She looked toward the rear of the
house for her brother-in-law. The form of Nᴀñkî′lsʟas still sat up
there. Then they lay there together. [427]
But still she told her husband, Supernatural-being-who-went-naked, not
to be in love with anyone. “Do not go with anyone, or I will go down to
my father.”
Then her husband began getting water in a water-tight basket in which
floated a hawk feather. Every time he came back she pulled out the
feather. Globular drops of water fell off, and she drank. One time he
lay with one he was in love with. And, when he came home, his wife
pulled out the feather. The water adhered to it.
Immediately she became angry. Her labret moved as if some one had
shaken it. Then she hunted in her box. At the same time her tears fell
as if something were poured out. Taking something out of it she put it
into her mouth. It was a white powder. She spit it upon her hands and
rubbed it on the soles of her feet. Then her husband, who sat near her,
took some that fell about. He at once rubbed it upon the soles of his
feet. She did this because she was going to leave him.
Then she went down to the beach, and he followed her and went away with
her on the surface of the sea. She did not look at him. Then she said
to Supernatural-being-who-went-naked: “You better go back from me
before I look at you.” And he said: “What kind of look is this
dangerous look?” Then she looked toward him, and he went right under
water. There was not a sign of him. And she entered her father’s house.
Then she said to her father: “Father, I made him fall in by looking. I
looked toward him. Come! try to fish him out.” Then her father pulled
apart the stone floor planks. He fished for him between them. Then he
pulled him out, with nothing but his joints holding together. Then he
spit medicine upon him, and he got up and went toward his place.
And, after he arrived there, they sent for Master Carpenter. Then he
had a mountain placed upon ten canoes. And his younger brothers were
settled there one after the other. Then he put a sky blanket upon his
sister and seated her on the mainland. And he seated his mother on the
Haida country. [428]
Now, he put on a dancing blanket and dancing leggings and started along
on land near his younger brothers [who were going along in their
canoe]. He bent over as he ran, and farther off he stood up straight.
In that way Supernatural-being-who-went-naked became the Swamp-robin.
[429] And his younger brothers lay still on the water out at sea.
People sometimes become shamans [by getting power] out of that canoe.
Like the preceding this seems to be a strictly Haida story, although
the gā′gix̣īt idea was also popular among the Tlingit of Alaska. This
fact, together with its length and complication and the insight it
gives into the mythology of the Haida people, render it one of the most
interesting of all. One of the myths obtained by me at Masset bore this
same name, but resembled it only in the concluding portion, the first
part being like that of
He-who-got-supernatural-power-from-his-little-finger.