Myths and Legends of Alaska (1911) Katharine Berry Judson

FAIRY
NY PUBLIC LIBRARY
THE BRANCH LIBRAR
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<E
MYTHS AND LEGENDS

OF ALASKA
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST Especially of Washington and

Oregon.
With
j;o full-page illustrations.
Small
4(0.
net.
$1.50
MONTANA
Illustrated.
Land of Shining Mountains." Indexed. 75 cents net. Square 8"vo.
"The
A. C.
McCLURG &
CO.,
Publishers
c/o
U
o o z
g
c/3
MYTHS AND LEGENDS

OF ALASKA
SELECTED AND EDITED BY
KATHARINE BERRY JUDSON

AUTHOR OF " MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST," AND " MONTANA, TUB LAND OF SHINING MOUNTAINS'"
'
ILLUSTRATED
CHICAGO
A. C.
McCLURG &
1911
"
CO.
7074
Copyright
A.
C.
McCLURG & CO
1911
Published September,
1911
!.
3D.
PREFACE
E~>NG no land nor any living thing except a great was
Bird, after a long, long time, flew down to the surface of the water and dipped his great black Bird.
ago, even before the days of the animal people, the world was only a great ocean wherein
The
wings into the flood. The earth arose out of the waters. So began the creation. While the land was still soft, the first man burst from the pod of the beach pea and looked out upon the endless plain behind him and the
gray
salt sea
before him.
He
was the only man.
Then
Raven appeared to him and the creation of other beRaven made also animals for food and ings began. Later, because the earth plain was so bare, clothing.
he planted trees and shrubs and grass and
things to
set the
green
growing.
came dangers away the sun to the rafters of the domeand moon, and hung them shaped Alaskan huts. The world became cold and cheerless, and in the Land of Darkness white skins became blackened by contact with the darkness. So it became necessary to search for the sun and hang it
creation by a Great Spirit, there from evil spirits. Such spirits carried
With
again in the dome-shaped sky above them.

in
Darkness
the
Land
of
Long Night was
the cause, through

-
magic, of the bitter winds of winter
-winds which
PREFACE
came down from
cold and snow.
the North, bringing with them ice and This was the work of some Great Spirit
side of the gray cloud-tent
letting in the bitter
which had loosened the under which they lived,

another world.
Spirits
winds of
blow the mists over the cold
north sea so that canoes lose sight of their home-land. Spirits also drive the ice floes, with their fishermen, far
over the horizon of ocean, into the still colder North. Spirits govern the run of the salmon, the catching of
all the life of the people of the North who such a terrific struggle for existence. wage So there must needs be those who have power over
whales, and
the evil spirits, those
who by
incantations and charms
of magic, by ceremonial dancing in symbolic dress, can control the designs of those who work ever against
these children of the North.
Thus
there arose the
shamans with
all their
ceremonies.
authentic.
The myths
in this
volume are
The
orig-
inal collections
were made by government
ethnologists,
by whose permission this compilation is made. And no effort has been made, in the telling of them, to
change them from the terse directness of the natives. The language of all Indian tribes is very simple, and to the extent that an effort is made to put myths and
legends into more polished form, to that extent
authenticity impaired.
the quaintest and purest of the myths have been selected. Many Alaskan myths are very long and
is
their
Only
tiresome, rambling
from one subject
to
another, be-
'
,
PREFACE
sides
revealing
as
been omitted,
These have low moral conditions. have also those which deal with the
intermarriage of
men and
birds,
and men and animals.
Such myths are better left among government documents where they can be readily consulted by those
making
special
study of
the
subject.
They
are
hardly suitable for any collection intended for genleading myth of the North, however, the Raven Myth, is given with a fair degree of It would not be possible, nor would completeness.
eral reading.
The
be wise, to attempt a compilation of all the fragments of this extensive myth. Especial thanks are due to Dr. Franz Boas for the
it
Tsetsaut and Tsimshian myths, to John R. Swanton for the Tlingit myths, to Edward Russell Nelson for
Eskimo myths, to Ferdinand Schnitter, and to others. Thanks are also due for courtesies in securing photographs to Mr. B. B. Dobbs and particularly to Mr. Clarence L. Andrews, both of whom have spent
the
many
years in Alaska.
K B
University of Washington,
Seattle,
Washington July, IQII.
Vll
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Raven Myth The Flood
....
.
PAGE
Eskimo (Bering
Straits)
.
17
Tlingit (Wrangell)
The
Origin of the Tides

the Rivers were Formed of Fire
Tsetsaut
How
Tlingit (Wrangell)
The Origin
Duration of Winter
Raven's Feast
....
the
.
...
Tlingit
Tlingit (Wrangell)
Tlingit
Creation of the Porcupine
Tlingit
.... .... .... ....

. .
33
37
39
40
41
42
44
45
How
Raven
Raven Taught
and
Chilkats
Tlingit (Wrangell)
Raven's Marriage
the
Eskimo (Bering
Tsimshian
.
Straits)
.
.
46
51
Seals
.
Raven and Pitch
Tsimshian
Tsimshian
53
55
Raven's Dancing Blanket
Raven and the Gulls
Tsimshian
56
57
The Land
Otter
.
Tlingit (Wrangell)
Raven and Coot

Raven and Marmot
Athapascan
(Upper
Yukon)
.
...
Straits)
58
Eskimo (Bering
59
The
Bringing of the Light
by Raven
Daylight on the Nass River
Eskimo (Lower Yukon)

Tlingit (Wrangell) Tlingit (Wrangell)
.
61 65
The Naming The Origin of

Ghost
of the Birds
the
Winds
.
Tlingit
....
67
70
71
Duration of Life
Tlingit (Wrangell) Tlingit (Wrange.ll)

IX
Town
72
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
How
The
Raven
Stole the
Lake
Haida (Queen Charlotte

Islands)
.
73 75 77
Killer
Whale
Haida
Tsimshian
Origin of the Chilkat Blanket Origin of Land and People

Creation of the

Athapascan (Upper
80
World
Yukon)
Origin of
81
Mankind
Eskimo (Bering Eskimo (Bering Eskimo (Bering
Straits)
82
83 85
87
The
First
Woman
Tears
Straits)
Straits)
The
First
Origin of the
Winds

.
Origin of the
Wind
Athapascan (Upper
North Wind
East
....
and North
Yukon)
...
. .
.
91
Tlingit (Wrangell)
Tlingit Tlingit
.
92 93
Wind
Wind
Whale
Creation of the Killer
Future Life
....
.
....
.
. .
94
Tlingit (Wrangell)
96
97
The Land
of the
Dead

Tlingit
The Ghost Land
The Sky Country The Lost Light The Chief in the Moon
.
Tlingit
,IOO .103
105
Eskimo (Port Clarence) Eskimo (Bering

Straits)
109
The Boy The Boy
in the in the
Moon Moon
. . . .

Athapascan
no
(Upper
.
Yukon)
The Meteor (?)

Sleep
Tsetsaut
Tlingit
House
Cradle Song
Proverbs
Koyukun
Tsimshian
How
the
Fox became Red
Athapascan
Tsimshian
.112 .113 .114 .115 .118 .119

120
Beaver and Porcupine
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGi:
The Mark
of the
Marten
Athapascan (Upper
Yukon)
.126
.
The Wolves and
the
The Camp Robber
....
.
Deer
Tsimshian
127
Athapascan (Upper
Yukon)
.129
131
The
Circling of Cranes
Eskimo (Bering
Straits)
The
Last of the Thunderbirds

the Kiksadi Clan
to Sitka
132
How
Came
Origin of the Grizzly Bear Crest

Origin of the Frog Crest Origin of the Beaver Crest
.
T I'm git T I'm git

Tlingit
T I'm git
Tlingit
Origin of the Killer
Whale
Crest
.135 .137 .138 .139 .140

142
The Discontented The Wind People

Tricks of the Fox
Grass Plant
.... ....
Eskimo (Bering
Straits)
.
Koryak
(Siberia)
Koryak (Siberia)
.147 .148
XI
ILLUSTRATIONS
Tinglit
"
Indians
in
Dancing Costume
....
"
PAGE
Frontispiece
Reindeer on the Tundra
20
to build
"
Raven taught them how
houses of driftwood and
bushes, covered with earth
"
"
The The
next morning
clay
the baby
was a
'
big boy
....
....
smoke blackened
21
24
25 28
became a beautiful
girl
Ivory Pipe Stems
Kayak Man Casting a Bird Spear Eskimo Woman from Cape Prince of Wales Fur Parkas Worn by Eskimo Women
Reflection of Mountain Peaks " So the smoke-hole spirits held
his
29
34
35 38
Raven
until the
white coat
"
39
Pine Falls, Atlin
42
43
Elk Falls
Porcupine
"
44
the people
Raven showed
how
Shoup's Glacier,
Birdseye
Valdez
Valdez
....
to
make canoes out

.
of skins
"
45
48 49
52
53
5
View
of
Masks
Dolls
Eskimo Boys
"
Ice
Marmot put out Hummocks on
the tip of his nose
"
59
Bering Sea
62
Snow
Shovel, Pick, Rake, and
Maul
xiii
63
ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
Eskimo
"
in
Waterproof Coat
' '
Raven
said to Grouse,
Made of Walrus Intestines You know that Sea-lion is your
66
grand-
child
67 68
'
Figurehead on Indian Canoe

;<
Raven
be
said to
Crow,
'
You
will
make
lots of noise.
You
"
will
great
said to
talkers
69
'
"
Raven
North Wind,
Your back
is
white.'
(On
the
Road
'
to Fairbanks)
70
Old Russian Blockhouse, at Sitka Raven unrolled the lake there.

'
There
"
it
lay
"...
.
71
74
75
The
man-spirit
was
inside the
Skana
Chilkat Blanket
78
Alaskan
"
"
Baskets
.
79
.
Keystone Canyon
80
81
The
Glacier
at
The Yukon, Taken

Islands
in
Midnight
in
June
84
85
Sitka
Sound
Tool and Trinket Boxes

Spoons and Ladles
88
89 92
93
Skagway River, from Porcupine Hill Middle Lake and Bridge on the '97 Trail
Face of Davidson Glacier
'
96
Graveyard
"
The Land
of the
Dead
"
at Rasboinsky
. .
97
Perry Island, Bogosloff Group, Newly

'
Risen from the Sea
100
101
The end
Shaman
of the
Death Trail
Walrus Tusks
106
107
.
.
Box Canyon, on White Pass and Yukon Route Near Valdez Narrows
Frozen Waterfall
"
"
.no
in
114
115
The wind blows
over the
Yukon
x'iv
ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
Travellers over the Chilkoot Pass (1891) after the Discovery
of
Gold
Cut-off
118
Looking down
Canyon from below White Pass Summit

in
119
122 123
Dog Team
Siberian
with Record of 412 Miles
Husky
....
72 Hours
...
.
.
.
Totem
View
of
Poles
126
Laplanders Milking Reindeer, near Port Clarence
.127
130
131
Skagway
Sea,
Bering
near
Nome
Yukon Route
.
View
of Eldorado
. .
136
Scene on the White Pass and
.137
142
143
Alaska Cotton on the Tundra, near
Nome
Crested
Hat
xv
MYTHS AND LEGENDS

OF ALASKA
THE RAVEN MYTH
Eskimo (Bering
was
in the time
Straits)
when
there
were no people on the

for
pod of the beach pea. On the fifth day he stretched out his feet and burst the pod. He fell to the ground and when he stood up he was a
coiled
ITearth
plain.
The
first
man
four days
lay
up
in the
full-grown man.
at himself.
Man
looked
all
around him and then
and
legs.
He moved his hands When he looked back
and arms,
he saw,
his
neck
hang-
still
ing to the vine, the pod of the beach pea, with a hole
in the
lower end out of which he had propped.
When
he looked about him again, he saw that he was getting

farther from his starting place.
to
The ground seemed

and
it
move up and down under

down
his feet,
was very
in his
soft.
After a while he had a strange feeling

to
stomach, so he stooped
drink some water from

felt better.
a small pool at his feet.
Then he
17
MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF ALASKA

When Man
looked up again he saw coming toward
him, with a fluttering motion, something dark.
He
watched the dark thing of him. It was Raven.
until
it
stopped just in front
As soon
as
Raven stopped, he
his beak, as
raised one of his wings

it
and pushed up
though
were
mask,
to
the top of his head.

a
Thus Raven changed
at
once into
side
man.
Raven
stared hard at
better.
Man, moving from
to side to see
him
Raven
from?
I
said,
"What
are you?
Where
did you come
have never seen anything

still
like you."
Raven
stared at
Man,
surprised to find this
new
thing so
much
like himself.
He made Man walk

said again, in asI
around a
little,
while he perked his head from side to

better.
side to see
him
Then Raven
did you
tonishment,
"Where
"
I
come from?
have
never seen anything like you before."
Man
"
said,
came from
the pea pod."
He
"
pointed
to the plant
from which he came.

that vine," said Raven.
Ah,
made
But
did
it.
not
know
that anything like
you would come from

it
Come
soft
with
me
to the
high ground over there;

I
is
thicker and harder.
This ground
made
later
and
it is
and thin."
So
Man
and Raven walked
to the
higher ground
which was firm and hard.
Raven asked
18
Man
if
he had

eaten anything.
soft stuff
Man
said he
had taken some
of the
from one of the
pools.
"
"
Ah, you drank some water," said Raven.
Now
mask,
wait for
me
here."
his beak, as
Raven drew down

over his face.
though
it
were
He
at
once became a bird and flew far
up
into the sky
far out of sight.
Man
his
waited until
the fourth day.
Then Raven
returned bringing four
berries in his claws.
He
pushed up
to
beak and so
became
berries
man
again.
Then he gave
I
Man
"
two salmon
is
and two heath
berries, saying,
Here
to
some-
thing I
ful
made
for
on the earth.
you to eat. Eat them."
wish them
be plenti-
Man
other,
left
put the berries into his mouth, one after the

ate them.
and
Then he
felt better.
Then Raven
Man
near a small creek while he went to the edge
of the water.
He
took two pieces of clay at the water's
edge, and shaped them like a pair of mountain sheep.
He
held them in his hand until they were dry, and then
he called
Man
to
come and
told
see them.
Man
pulled
said they
were
pretty, so
Raven
him
to close his eyes.
Man
his
closed his eyes tightly.
Then Raven
his
down
beak-mast, and
pieces of clay.
waved
wings four times over the
At once they bounded away as fullgrown mountain sheep. Raven told Man to look. Man was so much pleased that Raven said, " If these
19

animals are plentiful, perhaps people will try to
kill
them."
Man
to
kill
"
said,
Yes."
" said,
Then Raven
live
Well,
it
will be better for
them
among
the steep
rocks so every one cannot
There only Raven took two more

them.
shall they be found."
pieces of clay and shaped
them
like
tame reindeer.
He
held them in his hand until
they were partly dry, then told
Man
to
look at them.
his
Raven again drew down
his
beak-mask and waved
wings four times over them. Thus they became alive, but as they were only dry in spots while Raven held them, therefore they remained brown and white, with
mottled coat.
Raven
told
Man
these
tame reindeer
would be very few in number. Again Raven took two pieces of clay and shaped them like the caribou or wild reindeer. But he held
while so that only the bellies of the reindeer became dry and white. Then
in his
little
them
hands only a
Raven drew down
his
beak-mask, and waved his wings
over them, and they bounded away.
But because only their bellies were dry and white while Raven held them, therefore the wild reindeer is brown except its
white belly.
Raven
said to
Man,
"
These animals will be very
common.
People will
kill
many
of them."
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Thus Raven began to create the animals. " You are Raven said one day to Man,
yourself.
I will
lonely by
make you
some white clay at a he had made animals, and made of the clay a figure almost like Man. Raven kept looking at Man while he
shaped the
figure.
companion." He went to spot distant from the clay of which

a
Then he
it
took fine water grass
from the creek and fastened

for hair.
on the back of the head
When
the clay
was shaped, Raven drew

wings over it. The The girl was white and
his
down
clay
fair
his
beak-mask and waved

a beautiful girl.
let the
it.
became
because Raven
his
clay dry entirely before he

"
waved
wings over
Raven took
the girl to
said.
Man.
There
is
compan-
ion for you," he
Now in
there
the days of the
first
people on the earth plain,

near.
were no mountains far or
No
rain ever fell
and there were no winds.

brightly.
The
sun shone always very
Then Raven showed

plain
the
first
people on the earth
how
tired.
to sleep
warmly
in the
dry moss when they

his
were
Raven himself drew down
beak-mask
and went
to sleep like a bird.
awakened, he went back to the creek. Here he made two sticklebacks, two graylings, and two
blackfish.
When Raven
When
these
were swimming about

21
in
the

water, he called
in surprise
Man
to see
them.
Man
raised his
hand
and the sticklebacks darted away. Raven told him the graylings would be found in clear mountain streams, while the sticklebacks
would
live along
the coast, and that both
would be good
for food.
Raven next made
the shrewmouse.
He
"
said,
The
shrewmouse will not be good for food. the earth plain from looking bare and
In
this
It will
prevent
cheerless."
way Raven was busy
birds and fishes and animals.

to
making He showed each of them
several days,
and explained what they were good for. Then Raven flew into the sky, far, far away, and was gone
four days.
Man
When
he came back he brought a salmon
to
Man.
But Raven noticed that the ponds and lakes were silent and lonely, so he made water bugs to flit upon the
surface of the water.
He
also
made
the beaver and the
muskrat
told
to live
around the borders of the ponds.
Raven
Man
that the beavers
would
so
live
along the streams

a strong
and build strong houses,

house
also.
Man
must build
Raven
said the beavers
would be very cun-
ning and only good hunters could catch them.

also told
its
He
to use
Man how
also
to catch the
muskrat and how
skin for clothing.
Raven
sects to
made
flies
and mosquitoes and other
in-
make
the earth plain

22
more
cheerful.
At
first

mosquitoes were like
flies;
they did not bite.

it
One day
Man
killed a deer.
After he had cut
the fat on a bush, he fell asleep.
up and placed When he awoke he

of
it.
found the mosquitoes had eaten
all
Then Man
was very angry and scolded the mosquitoes. He said, " Never eat meat again. Eat men." Before that mosquitoes never bit people.
When
rubbed
the
all
first
baby came on the earth plain, Raven
it
over with white clay.

into a
He
told
Man
it
would grow
man
like himself.
The
next morn-
ing the baby was a big boy.

grass
He
ran around pulling
up
and flowers that Raven had planted. By the third day the baby was a full-grown man. Then another baby was born on the earth plain. She
was rubbed over with the white

baby was
a big girl,
clay.
The
next day the
walking around.
On
the third day
she was a full-grown
woman.
to
Now
all
Raven began
kill
be afraid that
men would
kill
the creatures he
would
was afraid they them for food and clothing. Therefore

had made.
to a
He
Raven went
shaped
it
creek nearby.
He
took white clay and

his
like a bear.
Then he waved
wings over
it,
and the clay became a bear. But Raven jumped very quickly to one side when the bear became alive because
it
looked fiercely around and growled.

to
Then Raven
to
showed the bear
Man
and told him

23
be careful.

He
said the bear
if
was very
it.
fierce
and would tear him
to
pieces
he disturbed
Then Raven made

catch them.
lines
the seals,
and taught
to
Man how
make
to
He
also taught
Man how
strong
from
sealskin,
and snares for the

to the
deer.
Then Raven went away
place of the pea vine.
When
men had
wonder.
he reached the pea vine he found three other

just fallen
fallen from.
from the same pod that Man had These men were looking about them in
led
them away from the pea vine, but in a different direction from the first man. He brought them close to the sea. Raven stayed with these three
a long time.
Raven
men
He
taught them
trees
how
to take
wood
also
from the bushes and small

and sheltered
a bow.
places,
he planted
in
hollows
and
to
make
a fire drill,
and
He made many more
plants and birds
which
like the seacoast, but
he did not make so
land where
Man
also
lived.
make bows and

them; and
arrows,
many as in the He taught these men how to spears and nets, and how to use
capture the
seals,
how
to
which were
now
to
plentiful in the sea.
Then he taught them how

to build houses of drift logs
make
kayaks, and
how
and of bushes, covered with earth. Then he made wives for these men, and went back to Man.
When Raven
reached the land where

still
Man
lived,
he
thought the earth plain
looked bare.
So, while the
24
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Tin-
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Courtesy
"Alaska-Yukon Magazine "
"
THE
CLAY BECAME A BEAUTIFUL GIRL
"

Raven planted birch and spruce and cottonwood trees to grow in the low places. Then he woke
others slept,
up the people, who were pleased with the trees. Then Raven taught Man how to make fire with the
fire drill,
and
to
place the spark of tinder in a bunch
of dry grass and to
wave
it
about until
it.
it
blazed, and
then to put dry

to roast fish
wood upon
stick,
He showed them how
on a
and
splints
and willow bark,
how to make fish traps of and how to dry salmon for

was now
a large village be-
winter use.
Where Man
and therefore
lived there
cause the people did everything as

all
Raven
told them,
the babies
grew up
sat
in three days.
One
day Raven came back and

creek and they talked of
down by Man by the many things. Man asked

wanted
to see the sky-
Raven about
the skyland.
Man
land which Raven had made.
Therefore Raven took
found that the skyland was a very beautiful country, and that it had a much better climate than his
Man to Man
the land in the sky.
But the people who lived there were very small. Their heads did not reach to Man's hips. The people
land.
wore fur clothing, with beautiful

ple on earth
patterns, such as peo-
how
to
now wear, because Man showed his people make them. In the lakes were strange animals
killed
which would have
Man
25
if
he had tried
to
drink

of the water.
tall grass,
In a dry lake bed, thickly covered with
the tips
It
saw a wonderful animal resting upon of the grasses. It had a long head and six legs.
fine,
Man
had
thick hair, and on the back of the head
were two
thick, short horns

tips.
which bent forward and
then curved back at the
Raven
told
Man
it
took
many people to kill this animal. Then they came to a round hole
the edge of the hole
in the sky
and around
like fire.
was short
is
grass,
glowing
moon-dog." had been pulled up. Raven said he had taken some to start the first fire on earth.
said,
Raven
"
This
the star called the
Some
of the grass
Then Raven
take you
to
said to
Man,
"
Shut your
eyes.
I will
another country."
Man
climbed upon
the star
air,
Raven's back and they dropped

hole.
down through
else.
They
floated a long, long time
through the
then they floated through something
When
they
sea.
stopped Raven saw he was
at the
it
bottom of the
Man
said
could breathe there, but

that
seemed foggy.
Raven
was the appearance of the water. Then Raven said, " I want to make some new animals here; but you must not walk about. You lie down and if
you get
tired, turn
over on the other side."
Man
while.
went
to sleep lying
When
and slept a long he waked up, he wanted to turn over,

side,
on one
but he could not.
Then Man
26
"
thought,
wish
could

turn over," and at once he turned.
As he
turned, he
was surprised to see that his body was covered with long, white hairs; and his fingers were long claws. Then he
went
to sleep
again.
This he did three times more.

up,
Then when he woke

"
said,
I
'
Raven stood by him.
Raven
have changed you into a white bear. How do Man could not make a sound until Raven you like it? waved his wings over him. Then he said he did not
like
sea,
it; if
he was a bear he would have
to live
on the
while his son lived on land; so
Man
should feel
badly.
Then Raven
struck the white skin with his
wings and it fell off. So Man became himself again. But Raven took the empty bearskin, and placed one of
his
own
tail
feathers inside
it,
it
for a spine.
Then he
Ever
waved
his
wing over
and
white bear arose.
since then white bears have been

sea.
found on the frozen
Raven
"
Man
said, " said, said,
How many
You
times did you turn over?
'
Four."
"
slept just four years."
Raven
Then Raven made
other animals.
He made
This
is
the
a-mi-kuk, a large, slimy animal, with thick skin, and
with four long, wide-spreading arms.
a fierce
animal and
lives in the sea.
around a
water.
man man
or a
wraps its four long arms kayak and drags it under the
It
it.
cannot escape
27
If he climbs out of
o'-i
O
^.
> ^
n
a
2!

Now
brightly.
in
those
days,
the
sun shone
always
very
No
rain ever fell
and no winds blew.
and Raven were angry because the people killed many animals. They took a long line and a
grass basket, one night, and caught ten reindeer
Man
which
they put into the basket.
Now
The
"
said,
in those
days reindeer
had sharp
teeth, like dogs.
next night Raven took

close to
first
the reindeer and let
them down on the earth
Man's
village.
Raven
Break down the
house you see and

too
kill the people.
many."
The
reindeer did as
becoming Raven commanded.

it
Men
are
They stamped on
ate
the house and broke
down.
They
teeth.
up the people with their sharp, wolf-like The next night, Raven let the reindeer down; again they broke down a house and ate up the people with
their sharp teeth.
The
village
people were
much
frightened.
The
when Then
since
third night they covered the third house with a mixture of deer fat and berries.
the reindeer began to tear
On
the third night
down
the third house, their
mouths were
filled
with the fat and sour berries.
the reindeer ran away, shaking their heads so violently

that all their long, sharp teeth fell out.
Ever
then reindeer have had small teeth and cannot

people.
harm
After the reindeer ran away, Raven and

29
Man
re-

turned
to the skyland.
Man
It
"
said,
If the people
do
not stop killing so
many
animals, they will kill every-
thing you have made.
would be
it
better to take the
sun away from them.

will die."
"
said,
Then
will be dark
and people
Raven
will go
That
is
right.
You
stay
here.
and take away the sun." So Raven went away and took the sun out of the
put
it
sky.
He
in a skin
bag and carried
it
far away, to a
distant part of the skyland.

earth.
Then
it
became dark on
The people on vanished. They

furs if
earth were frightened

offered
when
the sun
Raven
presents of food
and
he would bring back the eun. Raven said, No." After a while Raven felt sorry for them, so he let them have a little light. He held up the sun in
"
one hand for two days so people could hunt and secure
food.
Then he put
was dark.
the sun in the skin
bag again and
the earth
Then,
after a long time,
when
the
people
made him many

Raven had
gifts,
he would
let
them have
a little light again.
Now
a brother living in the village.
He
was sorry
for the earth people.
So Raven's brother
thought a long time.
Then he
died.
The people put

feast.
him
in a
grave box and had a burial grave box.
Tfien they
left the
At once Raven's brother slipped

30

out of the box and went away from the village.
He
hid his raven mask and coat in a
tree.
Soon Raven's
wife came for water.

to drink,
leaf.
up a dipperful Raven's brother, by magic, became a small

fell into
When
she took
He
the water and Raven's wife swal-
lowed him
When Raven-Boy was born he grew very rapidly. He was running about when he was only a few days old. He cried for the sun which was in the skin bag, hanging on the rafters.
let
Raven was fond
of the
boy
so
he
him play with the sun; yet he was afraid Raven-Boy would lose the sun, so he watched him. When Raven-
Boy began
cried
to
play out of doors, he cried and begged
for the sun.
Raven
ever.
" said,
No."
more than
At
last
Then Raven-Boy Raven gave him the sun
in the house.
When
house.
coat,
Raven-Boy played with it a long while. no one was looking, he ran quickly out of the
He
ran to the tree, put on his raven
mask and
and flew far away
w ith
T
the sun in the skin bag.
When Raven-Boy was far up in the sky, he heard Raven call, " Do not hide the sun. Let it out of the Do not keep it always dark." Raven thought bag.
the boy
had
stolen
it
for himself.
Raven-Boy flew
to the place
where
the sun belonged.

in
its
He
tore off the skin covering
and put the sun
place.
Then he saw
broad path leading far away.

31

He
"
followed
it
to the side of a
hole fringed with short,

that
bright grass.
He
it
remembered
Raven had
said,
Do
not keep
always dark," therefore he

the stars and the sun.
light.
made
the
is
sky turn, with
all
Thus
it
now sometimes dark and sometimes

Raven-Boy picked some
is
of the short, bright grass by

it
the edge of the sky hole and stuck
into the sky.
This
morning star. Raven-Boy went down

to see
the
to
the
said,
earth.
"
The people
has become
were glad
of
him.
They
What
Man who went into the skyland

was the
first
with Raven ? "
Now
this
time that Raven-Boy had heard of
Man.
He
started to fly
up
into the sky, but
he could
get only a small distance above the earth.
When
he
found he could not get back to the sky, Raven-Boy wandered to the second village, where lived the men
who had come from

Boy
the
pod
of the beach pea.
Ravenchildren.
there married a wife and he had

fly to
many
But the children could not

lost the
the sky.
magic power.
Therefore the
They had ravens now flut-
ter
over the tundras like other birds.
THE FLOOD
Tlingit (Wrangell)
long ago, in the days of the animal peo-
ENG,
world.
ple,
Raven-at-the-head-of-Nass became angry.

"
said,
He
Let rain pour down
all
over the
it
Let people die of starvation."
At once
be-
came
to
stormy people could not get food, so they began Their canoes were also broken up, their starve.
so
fell in
houses
upon them, and they suffered very much.
Then
Nas-ca-ki-yel, Raven-at-the-head-of-Nass, asked
for his jointed dance hat.
When
he put
it
on water be-
gan pouring out of the top of it. It is from Raven that the Indians obtained this kind of a hat
When
his
the water rose to the house floor,
Raven and
mother climbed upon the lowest retaining timber.

of,
This house we are speaking

a
although
it
looked like
It
house
to
them, was really part of the world.
had
eight rows of retaining timbers.
When Raven
hills.
and
his
mother climbed
to a
higher tim-
ber, the people of the
world were climbing into the Then Raven and his mother climbed to the
fourth timber; by that time the water was half-way up

33

the mountains.
When
the house
was nearly
full
of
water, Raven's mother got into the skin of a cax.

this
To
was
very day Tlingits do not eat the cax because
it
Raven's mother.
Then Raven
got into the skin of a

bill.
white bird with copper-colored

a diver
Now
the cax
is
and stayed upon the surface of the water. But Raven flew to the very highest cloud and hung there by
his bill.
But
his tail
was
in the water.
After Raven had hung in the cloud for days and days
nobody knows how long prayed to fall on a piece of

ter
he pulled his
kelp.
bill
out and
He
thought the wa-
had gone down. When Raven fell upon the kelp and flew away he found the waters just half-way down
the mountains.
Raven flew around
until
he met a shark, which had

stick.
been swimming around with a long

the stick
Raven took
watch the
and climbed down
it
as a
ladder to the bottom
of the ocean.
tide.
But Raven had
set
Eagle
to
Raven wandered around

until he
the bottom of the ocean
came
to
an old
woman.
He
said to her,
"
How
cold
this
am
last
after eating those sea urchins."
He
repeated
over and over again.

the
At
woman
"
"
said,
*
What low
tide
is
this
Raven talking about?

1
Raven did not answer.

as
The
In these Northern myths, questions and answers have no relation
to each other.
Such speeches are regarded
magic sayings.
34
Copyrighted by
1-
II.
uivcli
SKIMO
WOMAN
FROM C'\r
i:
PRINC-K OF
\\' \i ES
Copyrighted by F. H. Xowcll
FUR PARKAS WORN BY ESKIMO WOMEN

woman
"
kept
repeating,
'
What low
tide
are
you
talking about?
Then Raven became

these sea urchins into
last
angry.
if
He
"
said,
will stick
you
you don't keep quiet."

"
At
he did
the
so.
Then
woman began
singing,
Don't,
Raven
The
tide will
go down if you don't stop." But the water was receding, as Raven had told
his
it to,
in
magic words.
"
tide,
is
watching the
" " "
Raven asked Eagle, who was How far down is the tide now?
'
The
tide
as far
is
down
as half a
man."
How
The
far
tide
down
is
the tide?
"
he asked again.
very low," said Eagle.
Then
Raven
the old
"
said,
woman
Let
it
started her
get dry
"
all
magic song again. around the world."

is
After a while, Eagle said,
The
tide
very low now.
You
At
can hardly see any water."

"
said,
Raven
last
Let
it
get
still
drier."
everything was dry.
This
is
the lowest tide
there ever was.
All the salmon, and whales, and seals
lay on the sands because the water
was
so low.
Then
the people killed
them
a
for food.
They had enough

were
food
to last
them
long time.
When
the tide began to rise again, the people
frightened.
They
feared there would be another flood,
so they carried their food
back
35
long distance.

Afterward Raven returned
that people there
to
Nass River and found
had not changed their ways. They were dancing and feasting. They asked Raven to
join them.
THE ORIGIN OF THE TIDES

Tsetsaut
time ago, a
River. A~^ONG
man wandered down the Nass Wherever he camped, he made rocks of
curious shapes.
Now
him
his
name was Qa,

At
last
the
Raven.
The
Tlingit call
all
Yel.
Qa wandered
westward.
over the world.
he travelled
Now
He
at that
time the sea was always high.
In the middle of the world

the sea.
built a house
it
Qa
discovered a rock in
under the rock.
Then he
fitted
made
a hole
it.
through
and through the earth and

a
a lid to
Raven put
the hole
man
lid
in
charge of the hole.
Twice
closes
a
it.
day he opens the
When
it
is
and twice each day he open the water rushes down

it is
through
into the depths; then

lid,
ebb
tide.
When
flood
he closes the
tide.
the water rises again; then
it is
Once upon
a time, Tael, a Tlingit chief,
while hunt-
ing sea otters was carried out to Qa's rock by the tide.
The
trees
current was so strong he could not escape.
When
Tael was drawn toward the rock, he saw a few small
growing on
it.
Tael threw
37
his
canoe line over

one of the
trees.
Thus he escaped being
carried
down
by the water into the hole under the rock. After some time he heard a noise. The man was putting the lid
on the hole.
Then
the water began to
rise.
Tael pad-
dled rapidly away.
He
began
to
ebb again.
paddled away until the tide Then he fastened his canoe to a
large stone nearby, and waited until flood tide

again.
came
Thus Tael
escaped.
t/2
u:
X D C
X
C
H
w
_*.-
iJ
HOW THE
RIVERS
WERE FORMED
Tlingit (Wrangell)
was the
first
person created by Raven-at-
the-head-of-Nass. PETREL
water.
He
was keeper of the fresh

it.
No
one
else
might touch
Now
the
spring he o\vned was on a rocky island called Dekino,

Fort-far-out,
stole a
where the well may still be seen. Raven great mouthful of water, but as he flew over
These drops the Nass, Skeena, Stikine, and Chil"
said,
the country drops spilled out of his beak.
made
kat.
the rivers:
Raven
The water
that I drop
down upon
There
the earth, here and there, will whirl all the time.
will be plenty of water, but
it
will not flood the world."
Now
of the
before this time,

stole the
when he
Raven was pure white. But water from Petrel he tried to fly out
Petrel cried,
"
smoke
hole.
Spirits of the
smoke
held
hole, hold
him
fast."
So the smoke-hole
his
spirits
Raven
until the
smoke blackened
white coat.
39
THE ORIGIN OF FIRE

Tlingit
ago,
in
the
days
of
the
animal people,
Raven E'NG saw

of pitch to
a fire far out at sea.
Chicken
it
He tied a piece Hawk's bill. He said, " Go

did
it
out to the
it
fire,
touch
with the pitchwood, and bring

so.
back."
Chicken
Hawk
The
to
fire
stuck to
the pitchwood and he brought
back
Raven.
Then
from
did as
Raven put
the fire into the rock and into the red cedar.
Then he
this
said,
"Thus
shall
you get your
fire
rock and from this red cedar."
The
tribes
he told them.
DURATION OF WINTER
Tlingit (Wrangell)
Raven went
to
Ground-hog's house for
ONCE
people.
the winter.
holes in
Ground-hogs go into their September. At home they live like
Now
People
to
them
are animals.
So Raven spent the winter with Ground-hog and became very tired of it. But he could not get out.
Ground-hog enjoyed himself, but Raven acted like a Raven kept shouting, " Winter comes on. prisoner.
Winter comes on."
had power
Raven thought
that
Ground-hog
to shorten the winter.
Now
six toes,
at that time,
Ground-hog had
to stay in his
hole for six months; at that time,
one for each month of
Ground-hog had Then Raven winter.
pulled one toe off each foot, so that the winter would be shorter. That is why the Ground-hog now has but
five toes.
RAVEN'S FEAST
Tlingit
AVEN'S
but
first
mother died, so he gave a great feast, he went to the Ground-hog people to
get food.
Now
the
Ground-hog people know
when
slides
descend from the mountains, and they

is
know
all
that spring
then near at hand, so they throw

"
said,
of
their winter food out of their burrows.
Raven wanted
going
to
them
to
do
this.
He
There
is
be a
world snowslide."
nobody
in this
Ground-hog chief answered, town knows about it."
"
Well,
In the spring
when
the snowslides did come, the

their green herbs,
Ground-hogs threw out all roots from their burrows.

Therefore Raven said
and their
to the people,
"
am
going
to
have a
feast.
am
going
to invite the
whole world."
Raven was going
to invite
every one because he had

a
heard that the Gonaqadet had
Chilkat blanket and a

1
Chilkat hat and he wanted to see them.

vited the
1
First he in-
Gonaqadet and afterward the other

"
chiefs
See myth,
Origin of the Chilkat Blanket."
42
I'i\i
FALLS. ATI. IN
CREATION OF THE PORCUPINE

Tlingit
went
into the
woods and
set
out to
make
RAVEN
down
of
it.
porcupines.
For
quills
he took pieces of yellow

set all the
cedar bark.
These he
way up and
Raven
the porcupine's back so that bears
would be afraid
That
is
why
bears never eat porcupines.

"
said to the porcupine,
Whenever any one comes near

That
is
you, throw your
tail
about."
why
people are
afraid to go near a porcupine.
44
&>~*i-
-:
^^gr<
J*i5
^v^:|g,
f>
>
A'?. 1
w
t/3
a o
w
13
M O
r
13
1
M O >
2:
o
c|
HOW RAVEN TAUGHT THE
CHILKATS
Tlingit (Wrangell)
taught the Chilkats that there were Ath-
RAVEN
make
the
their
apascan
Indians.
He
went back
into
to
their
country.
So the Chilkat people
this
day
money by going there. Raven also taught Chilkats how to make secret storehouses outside of
and he taught them how to put salmon the storehouses and keep them frozen over winter.
is
their villages,
into
That
"
how
also
storehouse," and xat,
the Chilkats got their name, "
from
toll,
salmon."
Raven
showed the Chilkats the
first
seeds of Init.
dian tobacco and taught them

the tobacco
how
to plant
After
was grown, he dried it and pounded it up with burned clam shells. The Chilkats made a great
money by trading tobacco with the Athapascans. Afterward Raven went beyond Copper River to Yukatat. There he showed the people how to make
deal of
canoes out of skins.
4S
RAVEN'S MARRIAGE
Eskimo (Bering
Straits)
FTER
Raven had
to get
lived alone a long while, he

It
decided
married.
was
late in the fall
and the birds were flying southward. So Raven flew away in the path of the geese and birds on their
way
path.
to
summerland.
Raven stopped
directly in the
Soon Raven saw

looked
young goose coming

and
"
near.
He
down
I
at his feet
called,
Who
will
marry
at
me?
am
a
very nice man."

"
The
goose flew on.
Soon
his feet
black brant passed.

called,
Raven looked down
and
nice man."
after her.
marry me? I am a very The black brant flew on. Raven looked
said,
Who will
"What
He
kind of people are these?
They do
not even stop to listen."

near.
A
"
duck came
will
Raven hid
I
his face
and
called,
Who
Ah,
marry me?
am
a very nice on.
man."
The
said,
this
duck looked toward him, then flew

"
I
Raven
succeed
came very near

a
it
then.
I shall
time."
Soon
whole family of white-front geese came along.

46

There were the parents, four brothers, and a sister. Raven called out, "Who wants to marry me? I am a The geese I am young and handsome." fine hunter.
alighted just beyond him.
will get a wife."
Raven thought,
'
Now
Raven saw near him

hole in
it.
pretty white stone with

it
He
hung
picked
it
it
up, strung
on
long grass
stem, and
his
about
it
his neck.
Then he pushed up
head
like a
beak
so that
slid to the top of his
mask; so he became a dark-colored young man. Then he walked up to the geese. Each of the geese pushed
up
its bill
in the
ing people.
stone, thus
same manner; they became nice lookRaven liked the girl; he gave her the
it
choosing her for his wife, and she hung

neck.
about her
own
Then
again and became birds.

the
pushed down their bills So they flew south toward

all
summerland.
geese
wings heavily and flew Raven, on outspread wing, glided on ahead. slowly. The geese looked after him, saying, " How light and
flapped
their
The
graceful he
'
is!
When Raven became

were
all
tired he said,
"
We
had better Soon they
stop early and look for a place to sleep."

asleep.
The
wanted
next morning the geese were awake early.

to
They
Father
be
off.
Raven was sound

47
asleep.

Goose wakened him.
It will
He
" said,
We
must make
haste.
snow here
soon.
We
cannot wait."
So the geese flapped their wings and flew slowly and Raven led the others with outspread heavily along.
wings.
He was
"
always above or ahead of the others.

light
They said, See how Thus they travelled
and graceful he is!"
until they
came
to the seashore.
They
it.
upon Soon they were
feasted
the berries on the bushes

asleep.
around
Early the next morning the geese made ready to go without breakfast. Raven was hungry but the geese would not wait. As they flapped their wings and
started,
Father Goose
"
said,
We
to
will stop once on the
way
to rest; then
our next
flight will
bring us
to the
other shore."
Raven began
be afraid, but he was
ashamed
to say so.
The
ily,
geese flapped their wings slowly and flew stead-
heavily along.
ahead.
Raven, with outspread wings, glided After a long time Raven began to fall behind.
His wings ached.
The
geese flew steadily on.
Raven
flapped heavily along, then glided on his outstretched

wings. But he grew more and more tired.
farther and farther behind.
He
tired.
fell
At
"
last the
geese looked
I
back.
Father Goose
said,
He
must be
thought he was light and
active.
We
will wait."
The
geese settled close together in the water.

48
Raven
BlRDSEYE VlEW OF VALDEZ

flew slowly up, gasping for breath.
their backs.
his
He sank down upon

he put
When Raven
his breast.
had
hand on
He
his breath again, " I have an said,
arrow
is
here from an old war.
It pains
me
greatly.
That
why
I fell
behind."
After resting, the geese rose from the water.

flapped slowly along.
while,
They
After a
Raven
flew with them.
Raven began to fall behind. He grew more and more tired. At last the geese looked back. Father
Goose
"
said,
He
to
must be
tired.
We
will wait."
So
the geese sank
down
"
together in the water, while
Raven
flew slowly
up
Raven
said,
them and sank down upon their backs. I have an arrowhead which pierced
my
feel
heart in an old war.
That
is
why
I fell
behind."
Raven's wife put her hand on his breast.

it
She could
beating like a
hammer;
she said she could not
feel
an arrowhead.
So the geese rose again from the water. They But Raven's wings were very flapped slowly along.
tired.
Before long he
fell
behind again.
Again
the
geese waited for him.
Then
selves.
the Geese Brothers began to talk among them" do not believe he has an They said,
We
arrowhead
in his heart.
How
could he live?'
Now
this last
time
when
they rested, they could see

to
the far-off shore.
Father Goose said

49
"
Raven,
We

will not wait for you again.
until
We
will not rest again
we
reach the shore."
So the geese rose from the water and flapped slowly along. Raven's wings seemed very heavy. The geese
flew nearer and nearer the shore; but
Raven flew nearer
and nearer the waves.

shrieked to his wife,
"
As he came
Leave
close to the water he
me
the white stone.

It
Throw
stone.
the white stone back to me."
was
magic
Thus Raven
Raven
cried.
Then he sank down

from the water.
into the water,
but the geese had reached the land.

tried to rise
not spread.
His wings would Raven drifted back and forth with the
caps of the surf buried him.
waves.
The white
Then
Only
once
in a
while could he get his beak above the water

a great
to breathe.
wave
cast
him on
the shore.
Then he
struggled up the beach.
He
reached some
bushes where he pushed up his beak.

a small, dark-colored
Thus he became
took off his raven
a
man.
Then he
them on
coat and mask.
He hung
bush
to
dry.
Raven made
fire.
a fire drill out of dry
wood and made
Thus he dried
himself.
RAVEN AND THE SEALS

Tsimshian
AS
Now
seals.
all
Raven
where
a
travelled along, he
came
to a
house
man
"
lived near the edge of the water.

"
I will
Raven
said to him,
be your friend."
The man
said,
That
is
good."
the beach in front of the house
was
full
of
Raven
ate
the seals in
during two nights. He ate front of the house. Then he was hungry
them
all
again.
Raven
harpoon.
killed the
man.
Then he used
his
canoe and
seals.
Raven used
those.
Then he returned
the canoe
fire
to the shore.
He He
speared four
took the seals out of
and began cutting wood.

in
it
Then he
heat them.
built a
and placed stones
in
order
to
After-
ward he put
bage leaves.
the seals on a
seals
pile of
hot stones.
He
cooked the four
and covered them with skunk cab-
Raven then
ate
it.
raised the cover and took out a seal.
He
Then he
seal.
stretched out his
hand and took an-
other
Now
there
was Stump
sitting nearby.
Raven held

the seal in his hands and said to the stump,
'
envy me, Stump? once Stump arose and

seals
Don't you Then he went into the woods. At

sat
"
down on
seals
the hole in
which the
under
were steaming.
The
were
right
Stump. Then Raven returned, carrying leaves of skunk cabbage. When he saw Stump sitting on his He was much troubled because he was seals, he cried.
hungry.
Then he
meat and
cried
all
took a stick and dug the ground.
He
cried all the time he was digging.

of
ate that.
He
found a
lit-
tle bit
thing.
He
But he could not do anythe time because he was so hungry.
'
-.'.
.i-
''
hy
In-
SmilllSiniaH
I n.il it
nl
'it
-SKS
From drawing loaned by
the Smithsonian Institution
DOLLS
RAVEN AND PITCH

Tsimshian
went travelling through the woods

he came RAVEN was
Pitch
to the
rich,
until
Little
house of Little Pitch.
and invited him
in.
When
Raven had eaten enough, he slept. When he awakened, he said they would go to catch halibut.
Little Pitch
was willing, but
said,
I
tor
is
me
to
be out after sunrise.

I shall
good must return while it

is
"
It
not
still
chilly.
have enough by that time."

do whatever you
say,
Raven
"
said,
I shall
Chief."
Little Pitch said,
"Well!"
They
wanted
fished
to
Then
all
they started for the fishing place.
night.
When
"
said,
I
the sun rose Little Pitch
go
ashore.
Raven
enjoy the fishing.
Lie
down
in the
bow
of the canoe and cover yourself with a mat."
Little
Pitch did
so.
After
while Raven called,
"Little Pitch!"
He
He
answered,
a
"Heh!"
in a
After
while Raven called again, "Little Pitch!'

loud voice.
answered again
53

Again
Pitch!"
after
some
time,
Raven
called again,
"
Little
Then
the sun
Little Pitch's
answer was very weak because
and paddled home. He pretended to paddle hard, but he only put his pad" Little dles into the water edgewise. Again he called,
line
Now
was getting warm. Raven hauled up his
Pitch!"
"
Heh!
"
Little Pitch replied, but his voice
weak.
The
sun was getting
still
hotter.
was very Then Raven
knew
that Little Pitch
Behold!
in the boat.
was melting. Pitch came out and ran over the halibut
Therefore the halibut
is
black on one side.
Then Raven
with
it.
took the pitch and
mended
his boat
RAVEN'S DANCING BLANKET

Tsimshian
day Raven put on the shaman's blanket of
ONE
anything
about
in
his
grandfather.
off.
Then he went away; he

was very poor and he
tore his
strayed
He
dancing blanket.
to kill
Then he caught ravens. He used the ravens. Then he took the skins of
them
together.
the ravens and tied
Then he walked
them, dressed very well.

he saw a good shaman's blanket like the one
Now
he had before.
He
tore his raven's blanket.
He
took
the dancing blanket that
was not
a tree.
hung before him. Behold! it shaman's blanket. It was only the lichens on
he saw
it
Now
was only
lichens.
He
sat
down
it
and wept.
together.
He
took his old raven's blanket and tied

on,
Then once more he went
weeping with
hunger.
RAVEN AND THE GULLS

Tsimshian
did
another thing.
He
induced the
RAVEN
them,
olachen to come to Nass River.

"
He
said to
Go up
on both sides of the river."

quite full of
They did
fish.
so.
Then Raven's canoe was

his rake, but the
He
had not used
whole shoal
of olachen
jumped
into his canoe.

at
Then he camped
Crab-apple place.
He
clapped
the
on the top of the stone.
Then very
slippery
became
top of that stone that the olachen should not be
lost.
He
put olachen on
"
spits to roast
them.
Raven
called,
Little Gull!
"
ate all the
Then many
of
gulls came.
They
olachen
'
Qana, qana, qana, qana! They said, talked much while they ate all the olachen of They
Raven.
Raven.
"
Then Raven was
sad.
Therefore he took the gulls

fireplace.
and threw them into the
So the
tips of their
wings have been black, ever since that day.
THE LAND OTTER

Tlingit (JFrangell)
said to
"
Land
Otter,
You
will live in
RAVEN and Land Raven
the water just as well as on land."
Otter were good friends, so
they went halibut-fishing together.
Land Otter was

"
You good fisherman. Raven said to Land Otter, will always have your house on a point where there are breezes from all sides. Whenever a canoe with people
capsizes, friends."
you will save the people and make them your
That
is
how
the
Land Otter
Man w as
r
created: because
If people
Raven
told this to
Land
Otter.
who
are taken
brought back by their It was through the Land Otters that shamans were
first
away by Land Otters are friends, they become shamans.
known.
Shamans, by means of Land Otter
spirits,
can see each other, even though others cannot.
57
RAVEN AND COOT

Athapascan (Upper Yukon)
time ago, Raven wanted
all
the birds to
ALONG Coot
look well, so he painted them.

last.
Raven painted
to paint
Then Coot began

bright
colors.
who wanted many

Raven with bright other hand he hid
Raven, So Coot painted
colors with one hand, but in the
charcoal.
all
When Raven
looked
away, Coot quickly blackened

charcoal.
the bright colors with
Then Raven was angry and he chased
Coot.
But Coot ran too quickly, so Raven threw white mud white mud which spattered over Coot. at him,
Therefore Coot had white spots on
his
head and back.

black.
But Coot flew away and
left
Raven
all
1/3
>
c/i
RAVEN AND MARMOT

Eskimo (Bering
Raven was
Straits]
flying over a reef near the sea-
ONCE
eater!
'
shore, near seabirds that

rocks.
were perched on the

"
Seabirds cried to him,
Oh, you
offal-
Oh, you carrion-eater! Oh, you black one!" Raven turned and flew far away crying, " Qaq! qaq!
qaq!
He
to a
flew far
away
across the great water until he

side.
came
mountain on the other

just in front of
Raven saw
him
the hole of
Marmot.
Then Raven
stood by the door watching, until
Marmot
came home, bringing food. But Marmot could not enter his hole because Raven stood in the wav. Marmot j
asked Raven
to
'
stand to one side.

carrion-eater.'
Raven
I
"
said,
No.
They
I
called
me
I
Now
will
show them
am not. Marmot
will eat you." " All right; but I have heard that you said,
are a very fine dancer.

sing.
Now,
if
you will dance,
will
Then you can
eat me, but let
me
see
you dance
before you eat me."
Raven agreed
to dance.
Then Marmot
59
sang,

"Oh, Raven, Raven, Raven, how well you dance! " Oh, Raven, Raven, Raven, how well you dance
!
Raven danced.
Then
"
they stopped to
rest.
Marmot
said,
I like
your dancing.
Now
I will
sing again, so shut your eyes and dance your best."
So Raven shut
his eyes
and danced clumsily around.
Marmot
sang,
a graceful dancer! " a fool you are
!
"Oh, Raven, Raven, Raven, what

Oh, Raven, Raven, Raven, what
Because Marmot, with a quick run, had darted between Raven's legs and was safe in his hole.
When Marmot
tip of his nose
was
safe in his hole, he put out the
and mocked Raven.
He
"
said,
Chi-
kik-kik, chi-kik-kik, chi-kik-kik!

fool I ever saw.
You
are the greatest
What
comical figure you cut
when
dancing!
look at
me
- -
could hardly keep from laughing. Just see how fat I am. Don't you wish you
"
could eat
me?
Raven,
in a rage, flew far
away.
60
THE BRINGING OF THE LIGHT BY RAVEN

the
first
days, the sun
and moon were
in the sky.
INThen had
ple
of the
the sun and
moon were
taken away and peo-
only the light of the

failed to bring
stars.
Even
the
magic
shamans
there
back the
light.
was an orphan boy in the village who sat with the humble people over the entrance way of the
kashim.
Now
was despised by every one. When the magic of the shamans failed to bring back the sun and
He
moon
"
into the sky the

fine
boy mocked them.

be.
He
said,
What
shamans you must

but
I
You
the
cannot bring
back the
light,
can."
Then
shamans were
angry and beat that boy and drove him out of the
kashim.
Now
this
boy was
like
put on a raven coat he had.
any other boy until he Then he became Raven.
Now
the
the boy
went
to his aunt's house.
He
told her
shamans had
failed to bring
back the
light,
and they
had beaten him when he mocked them.

said,
The boy
"Where are the sun and moon?' The aunt said, " I do not know." The boy said, " I am sure you know.
61
Look what

sewed coat you wear. You could not sew way if you did not know where the light is."
finely
it
that
Thus they argued. Then the aunt said,

go far
to the south.
"
If
you wish
to find the light,
Go
on snowshoes.
You
will
know
the place
when you
get there."
set off
The boy
south.
put on his snowshoes and
toward the
Many
days he travelled and the darkness was
always the same.
When
he had gone a very long way

light.
he saw far in front of him a ray of

hurried on.
Then
the boy
As he went
farther the light

it
showed again,
plainer than before.

it
Then
vanished for a time.
Thus
was
kept appearing and vanishing.
At
last the
boy came
to a large hill.
One
side
brightly lighted; the other side was black as night.
Close to the
hill
was
it.
a hut.
A man was shovelling snow

tossed the
from
in front of
The man
the air; then the light

fell.
snow high in could not be seen until the snow snow

again.
Then
the
man
tossed the
So the
light kept appearing
and disappearing.
fire.
Close to the
house was a large ball of
The boy stopped and began

ball of light.
to
plan
how
to steal the
walked up to the man. He said, " Why do you throw up the snow? It hides the light from our
Then
the boy
village."
62
Fran. pliotograph
loaned
by the
Smithsonian Institution
SNOW SHOVEL,
PICK, RAKE,
AND
MAUL

The man
"
said,
am
not hiding the light.
am
did
cleaning away the snow.
Who
dark
are you?
Where
I
you come from?
'
The boy
want
" "
"
said,
It
is
so
at
our village
to live
do not
All the time?
to stay there. "
came here
with you."
asked the man.
Yes," said the boy.
The man said, "All right. Come into the house with me." Then he dropped his shovel on the ground. He
stooped
down
to
lead the
way through
the
underground
passage into the house.
He
let
the curtain fall in front
of the door as he passed, because he thought the boy

close beside him.
was
Then
in the
the boy caught
up
the ball of light.
He
put
it
turned-up flap of his fur coat.
Then he picked
up the shovel and ran away toward the north. He ran until his feet were tired. Then he put on his raven coat
and flew away.
could hear the
He
man
flew rapidly to the north.
Raven
shriek behind him.

faster.
The man was

Then
the
pursuing him.
cried,
But Raven flew

"
man You
No, you cannot have your made our village dark." So Raven flew
Keep Raven said,

as
"
the light; but give
me my
shovel."
shovel.
faster.
Now
light.
Raven
flew,
he broke
off a little piece of the
in
This made day. Then he went on a long time darkness, until he broke off another piece of light.
63

Thus
it
was day again.
So
as
Raven
flew to the village
he broke
off the pieces of light.
When Raven
away
reached
the last
the kashim of his

piece.
" ans,
I
own
village he threw
He
went
into the
kashim and said

light.
to the
sham-
have brought back the

so as to
It will
be light
and then dark,

After
this
make day and
night."
Raven went out upon

the seacoast.
the ice because his

a great
home was on
and the
on the other
Then
wind
arose,
ice drifted
side.
with him across the sea
to the
land
Thus Raven brought back the light. It is night and day, as he said it would be. But sometimes the nights
are very long because
Raven
travelled a long
way
with-
out throwing
away
a piece of the light.
DAYLIGHT ON THE NASS RIVER

Tlingit (Wrangell)
WHEN
til
Raven had grown quite large he walked down the bank of the Nass River one day, unhe heard the noise people were making in
the darkness as they fished for olachen.
Now
all
the
people
River.
in
the
world lived
"
at
one place on the Nass
They had heard
that Raven-at-the-head-of-Nass
had something called of it and talked about
daylight."
it
They were
afraid
Raven shouted
so
to the fishermen,
a great deal. "

so
Why
do you make
much
noise?
If
you make
much
noise I will bring
the daylight here."
Eight canoe-loads of
people
were fishing
there.
They
"
said,
You
are not Nas-ca-ki-yel.
You
are not
Raven-at-the-head-of-Nass.
'
How
can you
have the
daylight?
They kept on making much They made

still
noise.
Then Raven opened
the box and daylight shot over
the world like lightning.
more
noise.
So Raven opened the box wide and there was daylight

everywhere.
Then
the people
were frightened.
65
Some
ran into the

woods and some jumped into the water. Those that had clothes of fur seal skins jumped into the water;
they became
skins,
seals.
marten
skins,
Those which had clothing of bear and wolf skins, ran into the woods
and turned into grizzly bears, martens, and wolves.
66
'
/'.//.
F.SKIMO
IN
\V
\TI-R I'ROOP
O> AT
\1 \l)l.
ol
\\'
M.Rl
INTESTINES
2!
t/a
H O
O
O d wa w
O c
2!
jo
O H
ffi
> H
cr>
O c
JO
o
JO
o o o
THE NAMING OF THE BIRDS

Tlingit (Wrangell)
NOW
of pebbles.
Raven went around among
ing them.
He
the birds, teach" said to Grouse, You are to

it is
live in a place
where
wintry.
You
will
always live in a place high up so you will have plenty

breezes."
Then Raven gave Grouse four white

"
said,
He
You
will never starve so long as

"
you have these four pebbles."
Raven
is
also saiH to
Grouse,
You know
that Sea-lion
your grandchild. You must get four more pebbles and give them to him." That is why the sea-lion has
four large pebbles.
strikes
a It
throws these
him.
at hunters. this
If
one
it
person,
it
kills
From
story
is
known
other.
that
Grouse
and
Sea-lion
understand
each
Raven
said to Ptarmigan,
of snowshoes.
It
You
will
You know how
"
will be the
to travel in
maker
snow."
was from these birds that the Athapascans learned how to make snowshoes, and how to put the lacings on.
Raven came next
to
Wild Canary,
67
that lives all the
year around in the Tlingit country.
He
"
said,
You

will be head
to live
among
the very small birds.

as
You
arc not
on the same food
human
"
beings.
Keep away
from them."
Then Raven
happy by your Then Raven
chief
said to Robin,
whistle.
You
will
make people
"
You
will be a
good whistler."
said to
Kun, the Flicker,
You
will be
among
the birds of your size.
You
will not be
found
in all places.
You
will seldom be seen."
Raven
"
ocean,
live
Lugan, a bird that lives far out on the You will seldom be seen near shore. You will
said to
on lonely rocks, far out on the ocean." When Raven came to Snipes, he said, " You will
in
flocks.
al-
ways go
You
will
never go out alone."

in flocks.
Therefore we always see snipes
said to Asq-aca-tci, a small bird with yellow" You will always go in flocks. You green plumage,
Raven
will always be on the tree tops.
That
is
where your
food
is."
said to a very small bird, Kotlai, the size of a " You will be liked. You will be seen only to butterfly,
Raven
give good luck.
People will hear your voice, but

"
sel-
dom
see you."
to
Then
Blue-jay Raven said,
You
will have very
fine clothes.
You
will be a
good
talker.
People will
take colors from your clothes."
Then Raven
said to
Xunkaha,
68
"
You
will never be
KlCl
Ri
II
\D <)\
\DI.\\
I" \\<>l
CD
O
C
TI
in
h^
S3
m O
TO en
> H H > r 7^ m
73
in

going what the name Xunkaha means.
seen unless the north
wind
"
is
to
blow."
That
is
To Crow, Raven You will be great

Raven
said,
You
will
make
is
lots of noise.
talkers."
That
why, when you

afterward.
hear one crow, you hear a
said to Gusyiadul,
is
lot of others right "
You
will be seen only
when warm weather

cept
coming.
is
Never come near

"
ex-
when warm weather
coming."
To Hurnming-bird Raven
seeing you.
see
If a person sees
People will enjoy you once, he will want to

said,
you again."
said to Eagle,
all birds.
Raven
and above
You will Your eyesight

to get
"
be very powerful
will be very good.
It will be easy for
you
Raven put
talons on the
what you want." Then eagle and said they would be

the birds.
useful to him.
Thus Raven taught
all
THE ORIGIN OF THE WINDS

Tlingit
Raven went
off
to
a certain
NOW
Raven
place and
"
it,
created
West Wind.
Raven
said to
shall be
my
son's daughter.
No
matter
You how
hard you blow, you

also
shall hurt
nobody."
made South Wind.

it
When
to
South
blow.
Wind
climbs on top of a rock
never ceases
Raven made North Wind and on top

he
of a mountain
sides.
made
a house for
in
it
with
ice
hanging down the

"
Then he went
is
and said
is
to
North Wind,
are
Your back
white."
That
why mountains
white with
snow.
70
DURATION OF LIFE
T I in git
(Wrangell)
tried
to
make human beings, at the same time, RWEN-AT-THE-HEAD-OF-NASS

rock and out of a
beings out of the leaf
to
out of a
leaf.
But he created human

a leaf
first.
Then Raven showed
people.
it.
be like
is
He said, You see this leaf. You are to When it falls off the branch and rots there
left of it."
"
nothing
That
is
why
there
is
death in the world.
If
men had
death.
come from
"
say,
the hard rocks there
would be no
Years ago, when people were getting old, they would
We
unlucky that we did not come from the rock. are made from leaves; therefore we must die."
It
is
GHOST TOWN
Tlingit (Wrangell)
Raven came
to a large
town which was

to
ONCE Raven
deserted.
Every one seemed
have died.
felt
entered the largest house, but he
some one continually pushing him away. Yet he saw no one there. It was a ghost house. The place
was called Ghost Town.
Raven then loaded

empty houses and
canoe and
a canoe with provisions
from the
did not
started to paddle away.
He
notice that a long rope

to a tree
was fastened
to the stern of the
on the shore.
When Raven
had
paddled the length of the rope, the canoe was pulled right back to the beach. All the provisions were carried
back
to the houses.
Yet Raven could

a large stone
see
no one.
foot.
Then
a ghost
dropped
on Raven's
This made him very lame.
HOW RAVEN
STOLE THE LAKE

Islands)
Haida (Queen Charlotte

Raven had made
they A~TER had eaten been white before
his
the crows black because
salmon
that,
crows had always

he met some
"
said,
they say
people with feathers on their heads and gamblingstick bags "
on their backs.
"
They
What
is
the
matter?
Raven
said,
Oh,
my
father and
mother are dead."

These were the
to
Then
they started
home with him.
Beavers, they say.
They were going out
gamble,
but turned back on account of him.
The
upon
next morning they put their gambling-stick bags

their backs
and started
off again.
Raven
flew
around behind
a screen.
it
Lo, a lake lay there!

a fish trap.
as
if
In a
trap
creek flowing from
was
it
The
fish
was
so full of
it.
salmon
looked
some one were
shaking
There were plenty of salmon in it and in the lake were very small canoes passing each other.
Several points of land were red with cranberries.
Raven pulled out

and laid
it
the fish trap, folded
it
together,
down
at the
edge of the
73
lake.
Then he

rolled
it
up with the lake and house, put them under

not heavy for his arm.
his
arm, and pulled himself up into a tree that stood close

by.
They were
up
He
had rolled
the lake
just as
though
it
were
a blanket.
Raven
sat
in the tree
half-way up.
After a while some one came.

lake were not there.
for
His house and the
After he had looked about him

Lo, there sat Raven with
some time, he looked up.

the Beavers
their property!
Then
went quickly
to that tree.
They
began cutting it with their teeth. When it began to When that began to fall, Raven went to another one. After the Beavers had cut fall, he went to another.
down many
trees in this
way, they gave
it
up.
They
it.
then travelled about for a long time, they say.
After a
long time, they found a lake and settled
down on
Then
after
Raven had
travelled around for a while
with the lake, he came

rolled the lake there.
to a large
open place.
He
unlet
There
it
lay.
He
did not
the fish trap or the house go.

the
He
kept them to teach
Seaward (mainland) people and the Shoreward

say.
(Queen Charlotte Islands) people, they
74
X D
THE KILLER WHALE

Haida
time ago, a canoe-load of Indians were
A^ONG
They Then
the
out seal-hunting.
the sea
The weather was calm and was smooth. Then a killer whale kept men threw
stones at
it.
near the canoe and the young

hit the fin of the killer
whale with several

Soon the men
stones.
whale went
a
to the
beach.
in the
canoe saw
to see
smoke
rising
from the beach.
They went
who was
there.
When
they reached the shore,

killer whale, but a
there
was not the Skana, the cooking some food.
man
The man
canoe?
"
said,
Why
did you throw stones at
my
You have broken it. Now go get cedar withes in the woods and mend it." So the men mended the broken canoe. When they had finished, the man said, "Turn your backs to the
Cover your heads with your fur
robes.
water.
Don't
look until I call you."
They
water.
all
did as he told them.

it
They heard the canoe hauled down into the

"
grate on the beach as
was
said,
Then
the
man
Look now."
75

They looked and there was the canoe in the water. But when the canoe came to the second breaker, it went
under.
When
it
came
to the surface,
behold!
there
was no canoe.
There was
Skana
a killer whale.
The
man-spirit was inside the Skana.
76
ORIGIN OF THE CHILKAT BLANKET

Tsimshian
the days of the animal people, long, long ago, all
IN
the animals
were divided
into different tribes.
In
those days also, animals could take off their furry
skins; then they looked just like people.
Now
in those days
long ago, a group of
women
once
went out
to search for
it
wild celery
in the early spring.
They found
growing here and
there,
in
and spent
all
day gathering it. Then they tied it started home with it on their backs.
bundles and
Now among
chief.
these
women was
the daughter of a
She picked twigs as she followed in the trail in the evening light, and then slipped into the footprints The jolt loosened her pack. She of a brown bear.
stopped
to
readjust her bundle of celery.
She said
sharp words about bears.

join her
1
Then
she hastened on to relost in the dusk.
companions who were already
Although the patterns of the Chilkat blankets vary, nearly all of them show, in symbolic weaving, the bear with his heart between his chief's eyes, Gonaqadet the sea spirit, the boy, and the father of the
daughter.
figure.
In some of them
also,
the
raven and the thunderbird
Only
the Indians can really interpret the various weavings,
and
their interpretations vary.
77

Suddenly the
her.
chief's
daughter heard footsteps behind

her.
handsome young man joined
Soon he
asked her to be his wife.

sented, so she
The
chief's
daughter confar,
went home with him.
They walked
to
far into the
woods
until they
came
Bear
village.
Then
to the
the chief's daughter
knew
that her lover belonged
Bear
tribe.
After a while the chief's daughter became unhappy. She wanted to go back to her father's home, but the
Bear
tribe
watched her
chief's
so she could not escape.
One day
to
daughter reached the shore.

in a boat,
Out on
the water she
saw a fisherman
and she called
him
to rescue her.
The
fisherman touched his canoe

it
with his killing club and in one bound

shore, just as the
sprang
to the
Bear and some of
his tribe
appeared.
kill
The
him.
fisherman began to fight Bear, but he could not
Then
the chief's daughter told

eyes,
him
to strike
Bear
between the
because his heart was there.
So Bear
was
killed.
The
fisherman took the chief's daughter in his canoe.
But behold!
Gonaqadet, the
he was no fisherman
spirit of the sea.
at
all.
It
was
So the
woman mar-
ried Gonaqadet,
who was
very kind
to her.
After a long while, the chief's daughter became un-
happy
again.
She wanted her son
to
be trained by her
people, as the custom was.
Then Gonaqadet permitted

78
Copyrighted by F. H. Nowell
ALASKAN BASKETS

her to return to earth with the boy, but he
made her
promise that she would weave him a blanket telling of her life and his courtship. So the woman returned to
earth from the sea.
blanket.
Then
she
wove
for
Gonaqadet the
This was the
first
Chilkat blanket.
one day Yel, the Raven, wandering along the seashore, entered a great cavern under the sea. There
he
Now
found Gonaqadet, wearing
beautiful
Chilkat
blanket.
food.
Gonaqadet welcomed Raven, and offered him He placed food before him in two long carved
After Raven had feasted, Gonaqadet taught
platters.
him many dances and gave him a copy of the blanket pattern. Then Raven taught the people how to weave
the blankets, but he taught the Tsimshian tribe
first.
Afterward the Chilkats learned how
to
weave them.
79
ORIGIN OF LAND AND PEOPLE

the beginning there
was water over

It
all
the earth.
IN
was very cold. The ice, and the ice pieces ground together, making long ridges and hummocks. Then a man came from the other side of the great
There were no people. water was covered with
water and stopped on the

a wolf.
ice hills.
He
took for his wife
Then
their children
grew up.
language from that of their So each pair went that of their brothers and sisters.
a different
Each pair spoke parents, or from
out in a different direction and built houses on the ice

hills.
Then
It
the
snow melted and ran down
the hill-
sides.
scooped out ravines and river beds and made the earth. Thus the earth was made and the people.
is
That
why
so
many
different languages are spoken.
80
U
X?
CREATION OF THE WORLD

time
ago,
water flowed
all
over the
ALONG
Now
wanted
there
to
world.
There was one family and they made
a big raft.
Then
world.
they put animals on the

all
raft.
was no land but

a
water, so the people

tied a cord
make
The man
around
a beaver
and sent him down
to find the
bottom of the
water.
But the beaver got only half-way and drowned. Then the man tied a string around a muskrat and sent
him down.
tom and got
took the
Muskrat drowned, but he reached

a little
the botthe
mud
on his hands.
Then
man
mud
out of the muskrat's hands into his palm.

it
He
let it
dry and then crumbled

his
to dust.
Then he
This
blew the dust out of
palm
all
over the waters.
made
the world.
81
ORIGIN OF MANKIND
Eskimo (Bering
long ago, a
Straits)
man and
woman came down

of the
They had no children. At
from E^G, the sky and landed on one lived there

Islands.
a
last
Diomede
long while, but they
one day the
man
took some
walrus ivory, and from this he carved five dolls, just like people. Then he took some wood and made from
it
five
more
dolls.
Then, one night, when

off to
all
were
finished, he set
them
one
side, all ten in a
row.
The
ivory
next morning the dolls had become people.

dolls
The
became men, therefore they are brave and hardy; but the wooden dolls became women, therefore they are From these ten dolls came all the soft and timid.
people of the Diomede Islands.
THE FIRST WOMAN

Eskimo (Bering
long ago there were
northland, ENG, Farbut
there
Straits)
many men
living in the
was no woman among
them.
away
in the southland lived one
woman. At
last
one of the young
men
in the
northland
travelled south to the

her.
home
of the
woman and
married
He
"
thought,
have a wife, while the son of the
headsman has none."
Now
the son of the
headsman had
also started
to
travel to the
home
of the
woman
in the southland.
He
stood in the passage to the house and heard the husband

talking to himself.
So he waited until
the son of the
to
all
the people
into
were
asleep.
Then
headsman crept
the house
and began
drag the
woman
away.
He
caught her by her shoulders. Then the husband was awakened.

passage and caught the
He
ran to the
pulled until they

the
woman by her feet. So the men pulled the woman in two. The son of
of her
headsman carried the upper part
body
to the
Then they began to carve wood to make each woman complete. Thus there were now two women.
north.
83

The woman
in the south
was
good dancer; but she

furs,
could not do fine needlework in sewing the

her hands were wooden.
because
The woman
in the north
was
a poor dancer, because her feet
could sew with fine stitches in
were wooden, but she the furs. So all the
women of the north are skilful with their hands, and all the women of the south are good dancers, even to this
day.
Thus you may know
that the tale
is
true.
X
_>
a
o X
x o
THE FIRST TEARS

Eskimo (Bering
day
Straits)
Man
hunted for
seals
seals
along the sea-
ONE
the water.
shore.
Many
last
were
there, but as
Man
crept carefully
up
to
them, they slipped into

left
At
up
only one seal was
on the rocks.
Man
to
crept
to
it
it
carefully, but just as he
was about
catch the seal,
slipped into the water.
Then Man
feeling.
his
stood up.
His breast was

to
full of a strange
Water began
drop from
his eyes.
He
put
hand and caught the drops; thus he saw that Then loud cries came from they were really water. Now his breast and more water came out of his eyes.
up
So they went down to the seashore. They were surprised to see water coming out of his eyes. Then Man told them he had tried
noise.
to catch seals.
Man's son saw him coming. Man was making a strange
He
called to his wife that
slipped
escaped.
into
had crept carefully up, but they Thus all the seals had the water.
to
He
Then water began

85
come out
of the eyes

of the son and his wife.
breasts.
Loud
first
cries
came from
their
In
this
way people
seals
learned to cry.
After-
ward,
Man
and
his son killed a seal; then they
made
snares for
more
from
its
skin.
86
ORIGIN OF THE WINDS

time ago a
ALONG
house
tundra.
that
children.
man and his wife had no So one night the man went out of the
grew on
the
a long track of bright light, like
to find a solitary tree that
First he
saw
made by
the
moon
So
shining on the snow.
It led
across the tundra.

light travelled the
far, far
along the
trail of
bright
man
until
he saw a beautiful
tree, all
alone, shining in the bright light.
He
took out his
hunting knife, cut
off part of the trunk,

trail.
and went home
again over the bright
man reached home, he carved a boy doll from the wood and his wife made fur clothes for it. Then the man carved little wood dishes from the scraps of wood. The wife set the doll on the bench opposite
the the entrance, in the place of honor.
it
When
She placed before
food and water.
That
was the
night,
when
all
was dark, they heard low whis"

said,
tling sounds.
doll."
The woman
Do
you hear that?
It
When
they
made
a light, they
saw that
87

had eaten the food and drunk the water. They saw that its eyes moved.
the doll
In the morning, the doll was gone.
The man and
his
wife could not find
it,
but they saw the tracks of the
boy doll leading away from the door. The tracks followed the direction of the trail of light which the man
had followed the night before. went into the house.
So the
man and
his
wife
But Doll followed the bright path until he came to the edge of day, where the sky comes down to the earth.
There were holes

In the
east,
in the sky wall
covered with gut-skin.
Doll saw the gut-skin cover over the hole
in the sky wall
bulging inward.
I
Doll stopped and

think a
little
said,
"
It
is
very
quiet in here.
wind
will
make
it
better."
Doll drew
his knife
and cut the cover

strong
loose about the edge of the hole.
wind blew
Looking
through, bringing with
it
a live
reindeer.
through the hole, Doll

earth.
saw another world,

"
just like the
Then he drew
to
the cover loosely over the hole,
and said
East Wind,
times lightly.
Sometimes blow hard, someSometimes do not blow at all."

to
Doll walked along the sky wall

at the southeast.
another opening
The
It
gut-skin cover bulged inward.
Then Doll
gale swept
cut the cover loose at the edges, and a great

in.
brought reindeer,
trees,
and bushes.
"
Then Doll
fastened the cover lightly and said,
Some-
/<"i;i
photograph
/cui.-i-,.'
/>v
f/N-
.S'r//i.v 'in in
ii.i'i'nli
TOOL AND TRINKIT
From
p/iotograpli
loaned
by the
Smithsonian Institution
SPOONS AND LADLES

times blow hard, sometimes lightly.
Sometimes do not
blow
at all."
to a
Then Doll came

a hot
hole in the south, and the gut-
skin cover bulged inward.
He
cut the edges loose and

rain,
and spray from the great salt sea which lay beyond the sky hole on that side. Then Doll closed the opening lightly and said to
wind rushed
in.
It
brought
Sometimes blow hard, sometimes Sometimes do not blow at all."

South Wind,
Doll walked along the sky wall
to the west.
"
lightly.
There
So he
he saw another opening, covered by gut-skin.

cut the edges loose, and
West Wind swept
with him
rain,
with
sleet
bringing and spray from the gray ocean.

in,
Then Doll
and said
to
fastened the edges of the gut-skin loosely,
West Wind,
"
Sometimes blow hard, someat all."
times lightly.
Sometimes do not blow
So Doll passed along the sky wall
to the northwest.
When
he cut the edges of the gut-skin covering, a blast
of cold
wind rushed
in,
bringing snow and

froze.
"
ice.
Doll
became cold; he almost

the hole quickly, saying,
Therefore Doll closed
times lightly.
Sometimes blow hard, someSometimes do not blow at all."
it
Again Doll went along the sky wall to the north, but became so cold he had to leave it. So he went toward
the centre of the earth,
away from
89
the sky wall, until he

to the
saw the opening
to the north.
Then he went
hole

in the sky wall, but so great
was the cold that Doll

waited.
feared to cut the strings.

strings quickly.
He
Then he
cut the
North Wind swept in, bringing with him great masses of snow and ice. North Wind strewed the snow and ice all over the earth plain.
The
terrible
Then Doll
it
closed the hole very quickly, yet he fastened
North Wind, " Sometimes blow Sometimes do not blow at hard, sometimes lightly.
loosely.
He
said to
all."
Then Doll
travelled into the midst of the earth plain.
looked up and saw the sky arch, resting upon long, slender poles, like a tepee, but of beautiful blue material.
He
Then Doll went back
to the village
where he
was made.
90
ORIGIN OF THE WIND

time ago,
ALONG bag
no wind. on
Now
were men, there was Bear used to go about with a

all
when
his back.
The animal people wanted
to
know what was
in the bag.
tell
Many
them.
times they asked
Bear but he would not
asleep with the bag on his back.

asleep.
One day Bear fell Then a man saw him

wind
in
it.
The man
cut the bag and found the
Therefore the wind escaped and has never since been

caught.
NORTH WIND
Tlinglt (Wrangell)
Raven
left the
Land
Otters, he
came
to
Taku. AFTER There North WindRaven mouth

the of the inlet.
lived in a cliff at
stayed there
with him.
Now
North Wind
is
very proud and shines

icicles.
all
over
with what the Indians think are

dians never say anything against
ter
So the In-
North Wind, no matit
how
long
it
blows, because the spirits give
power.
Years ago people thought that there were spirits in all the large cliffs upon the islands and would pray to those
cliffs.
This was because Raven once lived
in this cliff
with North Wind.
D u
as
ai [^
^-:
? C
r.
EAST WIND AND NORTH WIND

Tlingit
A
He
lived.
-IIGH-CASTE man married first the daughter of East Wind. When he heard of the pretty daughter of North Wind he married her also.
first
took her back to the village where his
wife
Then people
"
said to the daughter of East
Wind,
There
is
a pretty
woman
here.
Her
clothes sparkle
all over.
They make
a tingling noise."
The daughter of East Wind was very jealous. She made the east wind to blow. It began to grow warm
and cloudy.
her
Then
the daughter of
North Wind
lost all
sparkling clothing.
The
icicles
and the
frost
melted away.
Then
the daughter of
North Wind was
no longer beautiful.
CREATION OF THE KILLER WHALE

T I in git
AVIAN
named Natsayane, belonging to the People, made the killer whales. He first
them out
all
Seal
tried
to carve
of red cedar, then out of the
hemlock, and then out of
other kinds of woods.
He
make
Last
took each set of figures to the beach and tried to
them swim; but they only

of
all
floated on the surface.
he tried yellow cedar.
Then
the killer whales
swam.
Natsayane on one marked white
ners of
its
lines
from the
"
said,
coris
mouth back
to
its
head.
He
This
going
"
to
be the white-mouthed killer whale."
When Go up
Natsayane put them

into the inlets.
into the water,
he
said,
Go up
into the
head of the
bays.
Hunt
for seal, for halibut, and for things under
the sea.
Do
not hurt
human
beings."
Before
this peo-
ple did not
know what
"
a killer
whale was.
When
People
the Killer
whale
tribe start north, the Seal

battle.
say,
Here comes another

94
Here come

the warriors."
They
say this because the killer whales
are always after seals.
The
killer
whale which always
swims ahead
whale spear
is
the red killer whale, called the " killer

it is
"
because
long and slender.
FUTURE LIFE
Tlingit (Wrangell)
ATER
it
Raven had created people, a man died. Raven came into his house and saw his wife and
children weeping around him.
Raven
raised
with both hands the blanket of the dead

over his body.
man and
held
So he brought him back

the
to life.
Now
Raven
Raven and
man
both told the
woman
there
was no death.
She would not believe them.

"
Then
There
said to her,
Lie down and go

slept she
to sleep."
trail.
When
the
woman
saw
wide
were many people on it and many fierce animals. Good people had to pass this trail in order to live again. At
the end of the trail there
was
broad
river,
and
canoe
came
river,
to
her from the other

to her.
side.
When
"
said,
she crossed the
people came
They
You had
better
go back. We are not in a good place. We are hungry here and can get no water to drink. We are cold." That is why people burn the bodies of the dead and
place food in the
fire for
them
to eat.
If they
were not
food
burned their
spirits
would be
to
cold.
That
is
why
and drink are given
them
at the feast of the
dead.
96
X
7.
THE LAND OF THE DEAD

A
up.
YOUNG
When
woman
on the Lower
Yukon
died.
she died she went to sleep for a while.

"
said,
Then some one shook her arm and

not sleep.
Get
Do
in
You
are dead."
Then
she saw she
was
her grave box and the shade of her grandfather
was shaking her. Then she went with her grandfather back to the village, but the country she knew had disIn its place was a strange village which appeared.
reached
as far as the
eye could
see.
As she entered
the village, the old
man
told her to
it,
go
a
into one of the houses.
As soon
as
she entered
woman picked up a stick of wood and raised it to strike The woman said, "What do you want here?' her. So the young woman ran out, crying to her grandfather.
He
"
said,
This
see
is
the village
of
the
dog
shades.
Now
you
how
living
dogs
feel
when
beaten by people."
They came
to
another village.
97
Here she saw
man

lying on the ground with grass growing up through his
joints.
He
could move, but he could not

this
rise.
The
shade was punished for pulling up and chewing grass stems when he was on earth. Then
grandfather said
the grandfather suddenly disappeared.
The
came
tears of
girl
followed a
trail to
another village, but she
to a swift river.
This river was made up of the

earth
people
who on
weep
for the dead.
When
to
the girl
saw she could not
cross the river, she
began
weep.
to her.
At once
a mass of straw floated
down
the river
Upon
this, as a
bridge, she crossed the stream.
Before she reached the village the shades smelled her.
They crowded around her, saying, "Who Where does she come from?' They looked
totem marks on her clothing.
is
she?
for the
Some one
"
said,
Where
is
she?
Where
is
she?
"
and
her grandfather came toward her. He led her into a house nearby and there was her grandmother. The
The girl looked about and saw only one water vessel made like those of her own village. This had in it their own Yuold
woman
asked her
if
she were thirsty.
kon water.
dead by the
It
had been given them
at the festival of the
girl's father.
The
other tubs had only the
water of the village of the shades.

gave the
given
girl a piece of deer fat.
The
Then
old
woman
This, too, had been

the grand-
at the
festival of the dead.
98

mother explained
that the guide
had been the grand-
father because the last person thought of by a dying
person hurries away to show the road to the
new
shade.
Thoughts are heard
in the land of the shades.
99
7074
THE GHOST LAND

Tlingit
THE
and started
young wife of a chief's son died and the young man was so sorrowful he could not sleep.
Early one morning he put on his
off.
fine clothes
He
walked
all
day and
all night.
He
went through the woods a long distance, and then to a The trees were very thick, but he could hear valley. voices far away. At last he saw light through the trees
and then came
to a
wide,
flat
stone on the edge of a lake.
Now
in the
all
the time this

Trail.
Death
He
other side of the lake.
young man had been walking saw houses and people on the He could see them moving
So he shouted, " Come over and get me." But they did not seem to hear him. Upon the lake a little canoe was being paddled about by one man, and all the
around.
shore was
grassy.
The
chief's
son
shouted a long
last
while but no one answered him.

to himself,
At
he whispered
"
"Why
When
don't they hear
me?"
Some one
is
At once
shouting."
a person across the lake said,
he whispered, they heard him.

100
a w w 2 G o ^ H a w
o w
> H a
> r

The
voice said also,
"
Some one
has
come up from
Dreamland.
Go
and bring him over."
When
lake,
the chief's son reached the other side of the
he saw his wife.
again.
was very happy to see her People asked him to sit down. They gave him
to eat,
He
something
If
but his wife said,
"
Don't eat
that.
you eat that you will never get back."

it.
So he did not
eat
Then
long.
in the
his
wife said,
"
You had
better not stay here
Let us go right away."
same canoe.
It
is
So they were taken back called Ghost's Canoe and it is
the only one on that lake.
They landed
is
at the
broad,
flat
is
rock where the chief's son had stood calling.

called Ghost's Rock,
Trail.
It
and
at the
very end of the Death

the
trail,
Then
they started
down
through the
second night
valley and through the thick woods.
The
they reached the chief's house.
The
in
chief's son told his

to his
wife
"
I
to stay outside.
He went
my
"
it
and said
father,
have brought
wife
back."
The
The
for the
chief said,
chief laid
"
Why
don't you bring her in?
down
a nice
mat with
fur robes on
wife,
young wife. The young man went out to get his but when he came in, with her, they could see only
him.
When
he came very
close,
they saw a deep
shadow following him.
When
IOI
his
wife
sat
down and

they put a marten skin robe around her,
the
it
hung about
shadow
ate,
just as if a person
were
sitting there.
When
she
they saw only the spoon
moving up and down,

It
but not the shadow of her hands.

to
looked very strange
them.
Afterward the
of
chief's son died

to
and the ghosts of both
them went back
Ghost Land.
02
THE SKY COUNTRY

Tlingit
ago, a man's wife
was
stolen
from him.
He
cared E>NG follow
for her so
her.
much he thought he would

to
So he began
walk.
He
thought
he was walking along the beach, but he was following He walked on for a a wide trail through the woods. long time with his head bent down, until he saw smoke ahead. When he came near he saw a woman tanning
a skin. "
said,
He
my
showed her
a necklace
he had made.
if
He
me
I will
give you this string

is."
you will
tell
where
wife
The woman
So he
long time.
"
said,
She
is
over
at the
next camp."
at last
reached his wife and stayed there a
Now
the people of this village wanted to kill him.
They kindled a fire and began to drag him to it. He " I want to die." Then they said, Oh, how glad I am stopped and began to drag him toward the water. The
!
man
He
was afraid of water, so they threw him came up in the middle of the lake.
said he
"
said,
in.
People
See him.
He
103
is
looking
at us."

The man
where
laughed.
I like to be."
He said, " The water is just He said this because he was a

rain in his country.
all
good swimmer and there was much
He
stayed in the water
the time he remained in
that country.
Now
started
all this
while the
man and
his
wife had really
been in the sky.
Now
they wanted to get down.
They
put
back
to the
house of a certain woman.

her web.
to
She was
the spider.
The house was

web and began
the
The woman
" If
them
into a
lower them
said,
to the earth.
you get on anything, jerk backward and forward until caught

She thought they might get caught on the edges of the clouds. So the man and his wife reached the earth safely and the web was drawn
the
loose."
Before they started,
woman
web comes
up
into the sky.
104
THE LOST LIGHT

Eskimo (Port Clarence)
upon
a time, all the
people were together
ONCE
in a
the
While they were dancing sun disappeared. No one knew where it

singing house.
it
had gone.
Because
was
so dark, people could not
go
hunting and soon
their
provisions
to
were exhausted.
Then
fully
they told the
women
as
mend
their clothing carepossible.

set
and
to
make
they put into bags.

for the sun.
many boots as Then the people

They
These
out to search
They followed
their bags.
the seacoast.
travelled so far
they wore out their boots, so they put on
new
boots from
Yet
it
was dark
all
the time.
After
many
days they came to a country where were
many, many
seals
and walrus and deer.

different
to talk
it
The language
own.
After
a
of the people
was
from
their
while they learned

people where
a little.
They asked
far off.
these
to find the sun.
These people said that the sun was

This was the
Before
to five
they came to the sun's country they would

places.
first
come
place.
But
in
the fourth
105

place beyond there lived a
woman who
kept both the
sun and
moon
in her house.
It
was very cold and they ran as Then their fast as they could because it was so cold. food gave out. But they reached a country where there
So they went on.
was plenty
language.
to eat.
Here
the people spoke a strange

to talk
it
After a while they learned
a little.
These people told them reached they would find
that at the third place they

a
woman who
kept the sun
and moon
in
her house.
ran because
it
The people ran on. They Then when their very cold.
food.
their
was
so
food was gone, they
reached another country where there was plenty of
The language
own.
it
of the people
was
different
from
But
after a while they learned to under-
stand
a little.
These people said that
at the
second
place which they
would reach
lived a
woman named
in
Itudluqpiaq
but
it
who had
if
both sun and
moon
to
her house,
was doubtful
they would be able to get them.
Then
they went on again.
They had
It
run
as fast as
they could to keep warm.

their food
was very
cold.
When
was almost gone, they reached the country of the dwarfs. It was a country with plenty of food,
walrus and seal and deer.
The dwarfs tried to run away when they saw the large men coming. But the people caught them. The dwarfs said that at the next
1
06

place lived the
woman
Itudluqpiaq
who had
both sun
and moon.
As
the people ran on
from the country of the dwarfs,

in
they found ice and driftwood
their way.
They
kicked
it all
aside.
At
lift
that time the people
were very
strong and able to
heavy
stones.
After they had run a long way, they saw a singing

house.
When
they
came
near, they
went very slowly
because they were afraid.

his jacket
At
last
one of the
men
tied
his
around
his waist
and
his trousers
around
knees.
Then he
crept cautiously through the entrance

at the
and put his head through the door

floor.
bottom of the
sitting in
He saw
young woman, Itudluqpiaq,
the middle of the house toward the rear.
Her
father
middle of the house on the right-hand side and her mother on the left-hand side. At the back
sitting in the
was
of the house, in the right-hand corner on the rafter,
hung
a large ball; in the left-hand
corner a small
ball.
The man whispered,

you for some light."
"
Itudluqpiaq,
we came
ball."
to ask
The mother
"
said,
Give them the small
The man
large one.
a kick.
refused the small ball.
He
it
asked for the

it
Then Itudluqpiaq
took
down and gave Then
It fell right into the
entrance hole.
The
people took the ball and ran outside.
they
it.
tore the ball to pieces
and the daylight came out of

107

It
was not
so
warm
but
it
at once,
but
it
after day.
If they
light,
had taken the
grew warmer day small ball it would

cold.
have been
would have remained
The
small ball was the moon.
08
THE CHIEF
IN
THE MOON
Straits)
Eskimo (Bering
FR
chief.
away in the moon lives a great hamans with strong magic visit him
chief and
there.
long time ago a shaman went to
visit the
great
up as high as the sky because of his magic. The sky was a land just like the earth, only the grass was long, and grew downward toward the
flew like a bird
earth.
He
And
the grass
in the
was
sky
filled
with snow.
When
the
wind blows up
it
rustles the
long grass stems,
hanging downward, and loosens the snow. When the wind blows the snow loose in the sky, it falls down upon the earth from the long grass stems, and men call it a
snowstorm.
Up
round
stars.
in
the sky,
among
the grass, are
lakes.
At night
these shine and
many small, men call them

wind
the
But the Malemut

breath of a giant.
the
tribes say that the north
is
When
he builds
snow house and

is
snow
flies
from
his shovel, then there
snowstorm
upon
earth.
109
THE BOY
IN
THE MOON

upon
a time, long,
long ago,
in a village
ONCE
and
on the great
sister.
river, lived four brothers
and a
There was
sister.
also a small
great friend of his

in the fall
boy who was a The brothers were hunters

but after the Bladder-feast
rein-
hunted
at sea,
was over they went to the mountains and hunted deer. But the boy was lazy.
Now
the boy fell in love with the girl.
One day
the
girl took
up
a dish of
meat and
a
berries
and went out
of the house.
There she saw
ladder leading up into
hanging down by the side of it. Taking hold of the line, the girl climbed the ladder going up into the sky. Then her brothers saw her and
the sky, with a line
began
at
once
to scold the boy.
The boy caught up

skin sock
his sealskin trousers.
hurry, he thrust his right leg into
Being in a them and drew a deer-
house.
upon the other There he saw the

to
foot as he ran outside the

girl, far, far
and he began
climb the ladder
to
up in the her. But the
sky,
girl
floated far away, the
boy
following her.
no
Hox C'AXYOX o\
WHIM
PASS
AND YIKOX Roi
- ~w*r-x- ,* j^ *^^_ jfc.*^j*L5^J-*T^ 'Jnbr^

-.
,_at
NEAR VALDEZ NARROWS

Now
the girl
became the sun and
the
boy the moon.
Ever he pursues her but never overtakes

sun sinks in the west, the
her.
When
the
moon
rises in the east,
but
always too
late.
almost fades
of
The moon has no away. Then the sun
food, and sometimes
reaches out the dish

fat again.
meat and
berries
and the moon becomes
THE BOY
IN
THE MOON

ago, in the days of Raven, there
was
a great
famine. No E'NG Then one dreamed

eat.
in the village
boy
had anything to that they would kill

to find
many
and
caribou.
Then
the hunters said
began
caribou
all
to kill
them.
The boy
when
him
they killed
the caribou that the leader of the herd

to
must be given
him.
The
said.
boy's uncle gave
caribou, but not
the leader, because he did not believe the boy
dreamed
what he
Then
the boy cried two nights because
he did not get the right caribou.
The
wore
next morning the boy was gone.
Now
this
boy
on a
trousers of
marten
skin.
When
they searched for
him, they found only the

pole in the smoke hole.
left leg of his trousers
So they knew the boy had gone

hole.
away through the smoke The boy went up into

the next night.
the
moon.
He
was seen there

it
His father and mother knew
was the
boy because the right leg was larger than the left. The left leg had no trousers because it had been caught in
the
smoke
hole.
112
THE METEOR
(?)
Tsetsaut
time ago
fire
was seen coming through

It
ALONG
mouth and
its
the air
from the north.

Its face
looked like a huge

Fire came from
fire
its
animal.
also
was
fire.
from
its
back.
Flames of
shot
from
paws.
The Thing, moving backward, thundered
through the air. In the olden times, these monsters came often.
they have not been seen for a long time.
Now
SLEEP HOUSE
Tlingit
a
Huna man and
his
wife were paddling
ONCE
his
along in a canoe, about midnight, in search of
seals.
head
like
The man kept hearing a noise around that made by a bird. At last he hit the
it
thing with his hand and knocked
into the canoe.
It
was shaped like a bird, only with over, and its name was Ta, Sleep.
his wife, saying,
eyelids
hanging far
to
He
gave the bird

this
"
Here, you can keep
for your
own."
So she gave it to her relatives who built a house called Sleep House. All the poles in it were carved
After that the
to look like this bird.
man
got very tired
without being able

the forest
to sleep.
At
last
he ran away into
114
FRO/I:\ \V.\Ti Rr
\i.
i.
CRADLE SONG
Koyukun
THE
"
Yukon, husband hunts the deer on the Koyukun My Mountains.

sleep, little one.
wind blows over
the
Ahmi, Ahmi,
There
is
no wood for the

axe
the
is
fire.
The stone Where is
broken,
my
husband
carries the other.
sun-warmth?
Hid
in the
dam
of the
beaver, waiting the spring-time?
Ahmi, Ahmi,
u
sleep, little one,
wake
not!
Look
not for ukali, old

since the cache
woman.
Long
was emptied, and the crow does
not light on the ridge pole!
Long
since
my
husband departed.
Why
does he wait
in the
mountains?
sleep, little one, softly.
Ahmi, Ahmi,
1
Transcribed by J. A. Dall.

"
Where
is
my own?
lie
Does he
linger?
starving on the hillside?
Why
does he
Comes he
tains.
not soon I will seek
him among
the
moun-
Ahmi, Ahmi,
"
sleep, little one, sleep.
The crow
His beak
1
has come, laughing,

is
red, his eyes glisten, the false one.
Thanks
On
good meal to Kuskokala the shaman. the sharp mountain quietly lies your husband.'
for a
sleep, little one,
Ahmi, Ahmi,
"
*
wake
to
not!
Twenty
deer's
tongues
tied
the
pack on
his
shoulders;
Not
a tongue in his
mouth
to call to his
wife with.
Wolves, foxes, and ravens are tearing and righting

for morsels.
Tough and hard

your bosom?
'
are the sinews; not so the child in
Ahmi, Ahmi,
"
sleep, little one,
wake
not!
Over
the mountain slowly staggers the hunter.
Two
fat
bucks' thighs on his shoulders, with bladders of
between them.
deer's tongues in his belt.
Twenty
old
Go, gather wood,
woman!
116

Off flew the crow,
liar,
cheat,
and deceiver!
your father!
Wake,
"
little
sleeper, wake,
and
call to
He
brings you backfat, marrow, and venison fresh
from the mountain.

Tired and worn, he has carved
a toy of the deer's horn,
While he was
on the
sitting
and waiting long for the deer
hillside.
Wake
Wake,
and see the crow, hiding himself from the

1
'
arrow
little
one, wake, for here
is
your father!
117
PROVERBS
Tsimshian
A
He He
deer, although toothless,

1
may accomplish
some-
thing.
is
just
now
2 sleeping on a deerskin.
wants
to die
with
all his teeth in his
head. 3
You think Nass River is always calm. 4 You mistake the corner of the house for the door. 5 What will you eat when the snow is on the north side
of the trees?
1
2 3 4
Deceptive appearances. Comfort now but trouble ahead.
Too
reckless to live to old age.
Foolhardiness of those
of the
who
think everything favorable to them.
The mouth
5
Nass
is
very rough.
gross blunder.
Improvidence.
At
the end of winter food
is
always scarce.
118
;*
.'
'
LOOKING
DOWN
CUT-OFF CANYON FROM BELOW WHITE PASS SUMMIT
HOW THE FOX BECAME RED

Athapascan
Fox,
when very hungry, was

All
at
travelling
ONCE
"
I I
through the country.
once he saw a
after them.
goose with
many
goslings.
Fox ran
As he ran he
shall shall
sang,
have your tender breasts before have your tender breasts before
I I
go
to sleep;
go to sleep."
to
As Fox ran toward them, the geese came and plunged in. Fox followed slowly along
of the water.
water
the edge
When
so
he saw he could not get the geese,

all
Fox became
angry he turned red

tail.
over
all ex-
cept the tip of his
119
BEAVER AND PORCUPINE

Tsimshian
NOW
lake.
to the lake,
Beaver was the friend of Porcupine. Much they loved each other. Then Beaver
invited Porcupine to his house on the large

in the very
There
middle of the lake was the
house of Beaver.
Now
Beaver, on his part, liked the
water, but Porcupine had no
way to go from the shore because he knew not how to swim. There-
Porcupine that he should die should his stomach be filled with water, because he knew not how
fore feared
to
swim.
Therefore
this
did Beaver: from the lake to
the
land he went for Porcupine.

to
Beaver above the water, going sitting on the shore.
Only twice rose where Porcupine was

"
I
Then
hold
said
Beaver
to
Porcupine,
carry you.
"
Fast
my
neck."
Porcupine was afraid.

die."
"
He
said to Beaver,
might
to the
You
shall not die."
Thus
said the
Beaver
Porcupine.
Then went up Porcupine
to the
back of Beaver.
120

Beaver
"
said,
Fast hold
my
neck."
the
Thus did Porcupine. Then swam Beaver out on

water.
But not long did he swim. Beaver dived. Then much troubled was Porcupine because he knew
not
how
to
swim.
Now
the Beavers really
own
is
the
the
country of the water, but
among
the mountains
country of Porcupine.
Twice
rose
Beaver above the water.
Then reached
he die
in the
he the middle of the great lake where floated his home.
But much troubled was Porcupine,

water.
lest
Then
they entered the house of Beaver.

this
Then
sticks
they
ate.
Now
for food
had the Beaver:
were the food for
his feast.
Then
really troubled
was
ate
the Porcupine, there to eat sticks.

the stick.
Yet Porcupine
Well,
"
then
one
day,
play."
said
Beaver
to
Porcupine:
Friend,
now we
Then
"
said Beaver
I
how he would
Thus
"
play:
carry you.
Four times
Surely
emerge from the water."

said the heart of Porcupine.
I die."
Yet he agreed. " Fast hold Beaver said,

against the nape of
to
my
neck.
Lie close
my
neck."
Then was ready

dived Beaver.
tail.
the heart of Porcupine to die.

first
Then
Yet
first
struck he the water with his
Thus he
splashed water into the face of Por121

cupine.
ter.
Then dived
a little
Beaver.
Long was he under wa-
Then
full
was
the
dead was Porcupine. His stomach of water. Three times the Beaver rose from
water.
Then only once more remained.

Beaver.
returned.
Then
again
dived
Almost dead was Porcupine.
Then with him he

him.
From
lake to land he took
Then Porcupine went back

he reached
his tribe, to his
to his tribe.
When
again
house he invited the people.
Then
Porcupine went the invited ones. Then he told them what Beaver had done in his great
into the house of
house on the lake.
He
my
told the people
who had
dead was
invited him,
I
had done.
friend." "
He
what Beaver, " Almost said,
through
Then
said his people,
Good! You
also invite him.
Also play with him."
This did Porcupine. He also invited Beaver, his To the house of Beaver did he send. Then friend.
came Beaver
he
to the
into the valley.
Up
he went.
this
Then came
did Porcu-
house of Porcupine.
Then
pine:
when Beaver
entered into the house, Porcupine
struck on the fireplace with his

burnt.
own
tail.
Then
it
Then Beaver made

the middle burnt the
a song:
"In
tail tail
of of
little little
Porcupine, pa!
In the middle burnt the
Porcupine."
122

Then
with
ran Porcupine around in front of Beaver to play
his friend.
Now
He
him
when
this
was
finished,
what
did the Porcupine?
got food for the Beaver to eat.
Then
this
did the Porcupine:
bark of a tree and leaves
of a tree did he give
for a feast.
Then, on
his part,
Beaver was afraid

to
to eat.
Then
this said the

fast,
Porcupine
his great
friend,
Beaver: "Eat
friend.
Eat
fast,
friend."
Then
so did the Beaver.
Then
Beaver
said Porcupine, "Friend,"
thus said he to
play,
"to-morrow morning we
a tree
you and
is
I.
There stands
playground."
on
a grassy slope.
There
my
Then
"
they slept.
But Porcupine sang,

I
Now
along the edge
walk
out falls
my
shooting
star."
Then spoke Porcupine

Clear became the sky.
to the sky,
and the sky did

ice
in
so.
The ground was
the
morning.
Now
friend.
again Porcupine invited the people
to a
feast
for great Beaver.
Then Porcupine
"
said,
We
play,
There stands
my
playground."
Now
very sharp was the cold.
The ground was

it
ice.
Where water
troubled.
ran down, slippery was
with
ice.
But
Beaver followed Porcupine.
Then again was Beaver

his hands,
Always slippery were

123
but long
re-
were the claws of Porcupine.
Then Porcupine

turned to see great Beaver.
u
Then
said
Porcupine,
Come, do it, friend." Thus said Porcupine to great Beaver. But the Beaver could not cross, because icy
was the mountain.
Then
this
did the Porcupine: he
took the hands of Beaver, then across he led him.

across
Thus
he got.
Beaver, just as
"
Porcupine was going to play with he also did once. So they reached the
'
place where stood the tree.
Good!
Go
up!
Thus
said Porcupine to Beaver.
Then much
"Well!
he
troubled was Beaver.

See!'
first.
He
was
afraid.
Thus
said Porcupine.
to the
So Porcu-
pine went up
let
Up
he went
very top.
as
Then
this
go the top of the tree. As soon he said, while coming down:

"
he dropped,
"
An-de-be-laq!
An-de-be-laq
Then he dropped on
he!
a stone,
but arose.
Not dead was
Then
said
Porcupine
to
"
Beaver,
See, friend!
It
is
not hard."
Then up on
"
the tree carried he Beaver.
He
said,
to the
Fast hold to
my
neck."
And
very
fast
he held
neck of Porcupine.
near the top of the
Then when Porcupine reached

tree,
he put Beaver on a branch.
Then
greatly afraid was Beaver for his hands were not

tree.
good for holding fast to a knows that, because long are

124
Only
Porcupine
his claws.

Then
I
thus said Porcupine:
"
Really hold
fast,
friend.
go down first" The Beaver did so. All around the branch were his hands. Then Porcupine let go the tree. Into space he went. Again he said,
" "
An-de-be-laq
An-de-be-laq
Then once more he dropped on

was he
!
the stones, but not dead
Much
troubled was the heart of great Beaver, in
holding the branch.
Much
troubled was he at falling.
Then about
"
the foot of the tree ran Porcupine.

to
Then
me.
up he looked
cupine:
where was
his friend.
is
Thus
said Porat
I because I fell!' Not dead Then Beaver let go the branch. Thus
Go am
on, friend.
It
not hard.
Look
said
Beaver
as
he
fell,
"Loop!
Lo-op!"*
Then Beaver
was dead.
*" Stone!
struck the rocks.
He lay on
his back.
He
Stone!"
125
THE MARK OF THE MARTEN

ago a hungry marten went
to
an Indian
fire
camp. E>NG
them.
The
Indians around the
camp
this
were
eating salmon.
Marten
sat still
and watched
Indian and
a piece of
He
was hungry and he watched
then that.
red salmon.
Then an Indian threw

It struck
is
at
him
Marten on
the breast
and the
reddish
mark
there, even to this day.
126
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r.
a.
ToTI M
I'oi IS
r >
T3
r >
z;
r 2 5 o
jc
M 5 a M
?3
!Z|
M >
JO
JO
o
> JO M
55
O M
THE WOLVES AND THE DEER

Tsimshian
the
Wolves had
of
a feast
NOW
Then
"
on a prairie
at the
mouth
Skeena River.
the
Then
Deer
invited
chiefs.
sat
the
Wolves
to the feast all
At
once came the invited Deer.
At once they
"
down on
the
the prairie face to face with the Wolves.

said the
Wolves
to the
Deer,
Laugh ye on
"
other side."
No," thus
said the
Deer
to the
Wolves,
"
ye
first
laugh."
"
Well," said the Wolves
at
once,
then
laugh.
"
Ha,
ha, ha, ha, ha!
Go
on, ye also.
we will Ye also, on
the other side, laugh."
Well," said the Deer.
Then
they laughed,
"Mm,
"
mm, mm, mm, mm! Again

"Well."
ha, ha, ha, ha!
'
also ye
must laugh."
the
At once again laughed

the
Wolves:
Ha,
At once
the
Deer were much afraid when they saw great teeth of the Wolves. Then again said also
"
the Wolves,
Go
on!
Laugh
again, ye on the other side.
Keep not your mouths
closed
127
when ye
laugh.
Not
so

Open wide your mouths when ye " " Now, laugh ye! laugh." Thus said the Wolves. At once then laughed the Deer: "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Thus laughed the Deer, opening their mouths. But they had no teeth. Then the Wolves saw that the Deer had no teeth. At once they attacked them. At
does any one laugh.
once the Wolves bit them

Deer.
all over.
At once they
ate the
Only
few escaped.
Therefore
now
are the
Deer
afraid of Wolves.
128
THE CAMP ROBBER

in the
NOW
medicine
nights
days of the animal people, the
camp
the
robber was a medicine man.
One time
people had nothing
to eat, so they
asked the
man to find food for them. Therefore for six the men dreamed of a way to find food. The
camp robber was the sixth man. He dreamed on the sixth night. Then he called all the people together and
told
all
them
to
bring their snares with them.
He
took
his
the snares,
make
pack of them, and put them on
back.
pile.
But the people heaped up the snow in a great Around this snow pile the camp robber walked,
"
chanting and singing
By and by meat
will come."
Thus he
sang.
Then
a real
the
camp robber reached

it
into the
snow and
pulled out a caribou's head by the horns.

caribou;
This was not
was the
spirit caribou.
tail
robber painted the horns and

into the
1
So the camp red and sent it back
snow heap.
robber
is
The
next day a great herd of
The camp
its
the slate-colored Alaskan jay, troublesome
for
habit of stealing food from the camps.
120

caribou came.
The one with

Indian never
red horns and
tails
was
among them.
That
he
is
why an
kills a
camp
robber
when
to
steals food.
He
them
lets
him go because he helped

a
find food for
in the
days of the animal people,
when
the
camp robber was
medicine man.
no
-tv
o
C/J
w >
73
o 2 w
THE CIRCLING OF CRANES

Eskimo (Bering
day
in the
Straits)
ONE
air
autumn, long, long ago, the cranes were preparing to go southward. As they gathered in a great flock, they saw a beautiful girl
standing alone near the village.

take her with them.
The
cranes wanted to
lifted her
They gathered about and
on their outspread wings.
So they carried her into the
and far away.

air,
Now
when
the cranes
were taking
her up into the
they circled below her closely so she

also cried in loud, hoarse voices
could not
so that
fall.
They
people could not hear her call for help.
There-
fore the cranes always circle about in
autumn when
cries.
preparing
to fly
southward, and utter loud hoarse
THE LAST OF THE THUNDERBIRDS

long ago there were
many
thunderbirds
liv-
ing E'NG, in the mountains, but at
last there
were only
the
two
left.
These birds made
their
home on
round top of a mountain overlooking the Yukon. They hollowed out a great basin on the summit for a nest, and
from the rocky rims they could look down upon a

lage upon the river bank.
vil-
perch the thunderbirds, looking like a black cloud, would soar away, bringing back to their
this
From
young
in his
a reindeer in their talons.
Sometimes with
a great
noise like thunder they
swooped down upon
a fisherman
kayak and carried him away. The man would be eaten by the young birds, and the kayak broken to bits
in the nest.
Every
carried
fall
the
young
birds flew
away
into
the northland, but the old birds remained in the nest.
They had
away so many fishermen that only the most daring would go out on the great river. One day when a fisherman went to look at his traps,
132

he cautioned his wife not
the
to leave the
house for fear of

she needed
noise like
thunderbirds.
During
the morning,
river.
fell
fresh water
and started for the
thunder
filled the air, a
black shadow
over her, and
a thunderbird darted
down upon
her.
When
answer.
the fisherman returned to his house, people of
the village told
him
of the thunderbird.
He made
no
He
took his
bow and
he looked
full of
cries.
quiverful of
war arrows
and started for the mountain.

rim of the great
away.
nest,
When
in.
he reached the
old birds were
The
The
nest
was
young
eagles with fiery,

fitted a
shining eyes and shrill
The hunter
war
arrow, the string twanged, and the arrow killed a young thunderbird.
So the hunter killed them
all.
The hunter
hid behind a great rock near the
nest.
When
the old birds
came home,
the thunder of their
wings was heard even across the great river; their cries of rage frightened the villagers on the river's bank.
The mother
the rock.
down upon the hunter Quickly he fitted a war arrow, the

bird swooped
bit
beside
string
twanged, and the arrow

the
deep into her throat.
Then
mother
bird, flapping her
wings
so that the hills
shook, flew
away
to the
northland.
The father bird circled overhead and then swooped down upon the hunter. He crouched below the rocks
and the thunderbird's great talons caught only the rock.
133

The hunter
fitted a
war arrow
in his
bit
twanged, and the heavy war arrow

great wing.
in the sky,
bow, the string deep under his
Spreading his wings like a black cloud the thunderbird flew away to the northland.
134
HOW THE
KIKSADI CLAN
CAME TO SITKA
Tlingit
ago,
when we were
the
first
born, people hated

us.
E'NG
a log.
us.
Then
Sky People brought war upon
They
destroyed us completely.
One woman
saved herself; she hid in a hole which she dug under

"
Afterward various people came
to her.
wonder
who
" "
can
tell
me
about things," she said.

"
Grizzly Bear
came near
her.
What
can you do?

I
she asked.
Whenever
catch a man, I slap

"
my paws down
upon him."
The woman
Some one
said a voice.
"
said,
That
is
nothing."
to her.
in the
sun spoke
"
How am
I?'
What
can you do?
'
"
My
father in the sun peeps out through the clouds
the mottled clouds."
So the
ered
woman married
her children.
the child of the sun.
He
that,
low-
down from
the sky a great fort to protect the
wothey
man and
When
the
enemy saw

came back. The
strong, put
father said,
"
When
your minds on me."
enemy get too So when the enemy

her children put
the
became
their
too strong, the
woman and
minds on Grandfather Sun.
He
peeped out
through the clouds upon the enemy. It quickly became smoking hot. The sea water out there boiled. The
enemy ran down quickly into the water and were all The destroyed. Then the water stopped boiling. grandchildren of Sun stayed inside their fort.
136
\ 1L\\
OF
Kl. DORADO
SCENE ON THE WHITE PASS AND
YUKON ROUTE
ORIGIN OF THE GRIZZLY BEAR CREST

Tlingit
time ago
when some
came
of the
Kagwantan
where they
the
ALONG
were
fishing.
clan were catching herring at Town-at-mouthto the place
of-lake, a bear
The
bear reached
down through
is
smoke hole and
stole
the herring they

is
were drying.
stealing
Then people
our fish?'
said;
"Who
Then
this thief that
Because they said that, the grizzly bear

the
killed all of them.
Kagwantan
seized their
spears and set out to kill the bears nearby.
When
"
they
found them, the bears were lying

out for themselves.
in holes they
had dug
The people
fight
it
said to them,
Come
out here.
We will
out."
So the bears came out

took the skins from
and the people killed them.
They
the heads of the bears and preserved them.
That
is
how
the
Kagwantan came
to use the
grizzly bear crest.

ORIGIN OF THE FROG CREST
Tlingit
ago, a
man and
his
wife were crossing a

it
large E~>NG bay near Sitka when
became very foggy.
They could
canoe.
not even see the water around their
Then, was: song
in the thick fog, they
heard singing.
The
We We
You
picked up a
picked up a
man; man;
picked up a man.
They They
captured a captured a
man man
You've captured a man.
The
voice was so strong they could hear
it
reecho
among the mountains. As the fog rose, the song came

last
nearer and nearer.

little
At
they saw the voice came from a wee

said:
said,
frog.
it."
The man
His wife
" "
This frog
is
mine.
I shall claim
No,
it is
mine.
last
I shall
claim
his
it."
Thus they argued.

take the frog.
At
the
man
it
let
wife
The woman
She took
it
took
it
ashore, treating
just like a child.
up
into the
woods, put
is
it
down by
a lake,
and
left it there.
That
why
138
the Kiksadi clan at Sitka
claim the frog
as their totem.
ORIGIN OF THE BEAVER CREST

Tlingit
it became angry and began to make songs. Afterward the beaver's master went through the woods
YOUNG
but
beaver was captured, long ago, by a

It
family of the Decitan.
was well cared
for,
to a
creek and found there two salmon-spear handles,
beautifully carved.
tree.
He
took
"
They were at the foot of a big them home and when the beaver saw
is
them he
said,
That
my
work."
After a while, something offended the beaver again.
He
So
began
to sing just like

it
human
being.
Then he
seized a spear and threw

his
through
his master's chest.

its tail
master was killed.
The
beaver thumped
on the ground and the house

beaver had dug
a great
fell into
the ground.
The
It
is
hollow under the house.
from
this story that the
Decitan clan claim the beaver

crest.
as their
totem and have the beaver
They
also
have songs composed by the beaver.
139
ORIGIN OF THE KILLER WHALE CREST

Tlingit
time ago there was a
ALONGwho
siane
always quarrelled
man named Natwith his wife. One

to
day
his brothers-in-law took
him
an island far
"
out at sea and left
him
there.
Natsiane began
sat there thinking,
to think,
"
What
can
do?
As he
he whittled two killer whales out of
cottonwood bark.
shouted
as
He
put them into the water and
the shamans do.
They looked
as
if
they
were swimming but when they came were only cottonwood bark.
to the surface, they
Natsiane made two more whales out of alder.

tried to put the spirit of his clan into them.
He
As he
whu, whu" When they floated Then he to the surface they were only alder wood. Afterward he tried tried hemlock, then red cedar.
spirit,
put them "
in the water,
he whistled four times like a
Whu,
ivhu,
yellow cedar.
killer whales.
These whales swam right away
like large
They swam out
a long distance.
When
they
came back they turned Then Natsiane made holes
into
wood.
in their dorsal fins, seized

one of them with each hand, and
let
the killer whales

" If
tow him out
to sea.
He
said to them, are
you
see
my
brothers-in-law
you After the whales had towed Natsiane

canoes,
distance,
in
to
upset them."
to sea for
some
they returned to the island.
They became
wood again. The next time Natsiane saw

whales.
his brothers-in-law in
their canoes, he put the spirit of his clan into the killer
Then
they overturned the canoes and broke
them
to bits.
They
killed the people in them.

"
After
are not
that Natsiane said to his killer whales,

to injure
You
to
people again.
killer
You must
if
be kind
them."
So these two
spirits.
whales became the canoes of the

they can get the spirit
Shamans
are lucky
canoes.
It
is
through
this story that the

crest.
Daqlawe
clan have
the killer
whale
141
THE DISCONTENTED GRASS PLANT

Eskimo (Bering
Straits)
the village of Pastolik, at the
mouth
of
NEARwomen
the
the
Yukon, grows weave
a tall, slender grass into baskets
which
and mats.
which had almost been pulled up by He wished he the women became much frightened.
grass-stalk
were something
wish
else.
Close to
him was
bunch of
"
said,
herbs, living peacefully

I
and
quietly.
it
Grass
were an Herb."
At once
became an Herb,
and lived peacefully.
One day the women came back with sharp-pointed They picks, made from the antlers of the reindeer.
up the herbs and to eat some of the roots. Again Grass was frightened. He saw a small creeping
began
to dig
plant nearby, very small and obscure.
Grass said,
"
wish
were
Creeping Plant."
At once he became
small Creeping Plant.
The women came back

small creeping plant.
again and tore up
Grass
much of the became much worried.

a tuberous root.
He
"
said,
wish
were
that small Tuber-plant there."
At once he became
a plant
having
142
r-
Copyrighted
by
Case
and Draper
CREST ED HAT

Soon
a small
tundra mouse came creeping through

"
the grass, and began nibbling at one of the tubers nearby.

a
Grass thought,
will not be safe until I
become
Mouse."
At once Grass became Mouse.

Mouse, and ran around over the roots. Sometimes he would sit up
He
felt quite free as
tundra, nibbling at
on his hind legs and look about him.

along,
While
travelling
Mouse
saw a great white Thing coming toward

it
dropped to the ground, and after eating something would fly on. As it came near, Mouse saw it was a great white owl. Owl saw Mouse and
him.
Sometimes
darted
down upon
it,
but
Mouse
slipped into a hole
nearby and
Owl
flew away.
Mouse was very badly

came out
I will
frightened by
".
this.
When
he
of his hole, he said,
will be
Owl.
Then
white
be safe."
At once he became wing he
a beautiful
Owl.
With
slow, noiseless
flew toward the
north, stopping
now and
then to catch and eat a mouse.

in sight of
After a long
flight,
he came
Sledge Island.
Owl
thought he would go there. When far out at sea, he became very tired. He could hardly reach the shore.
As he
rested on a piece of driftwood on the sand,
two
men passed along the shore. Owl thought for a while. Then he said, " I will be a Man." At once he became
a
young man, but he had no Night came on and the air became cool. Man
fine-looking
clothing.
sat
down

with his back against the piece of driftwood and slept there until morning. When the sun arose he awakened.
from the cold night air. Looking about him, Man found some grass which he wove into a loose robe, which helped to keep out
felt
He
lame and
stiff
Suddenly he saw reindeer near him. He crept on hands and knees close to one, seized it by the horns and broke its neck with a single effort. He carthe cold.
ried the reindeer on his back to his sleeping place.
felt all
He
he
over the reindeer's body but
its
skin
was too thick
for his fingers to break an opening.
For
a
a long time
thought.
Then he saw near him

it
sharp-edged stone.
He
So
picked
Man
to
up and found he could cut the skin with it. skinned the deer. But he had no fire with
cook
it.
which
Looking around, he saw two round white stones upon the beach. Striking them together, he saw they gave out sparks. He then found some dry
wood and scraped off bits. With the wood and stones he made a fire, and roasted some of the meat.
the
Man
tried to
swallow
a large piece of meat, as he
had done when he was Owl, but he could not do it. He had to cut it with the sharp-edged stone into smaller
pieces.
The
it.
next day he killed another reindeer and skinned

the next day another.
And
Then
the nights
became
they
so cold
he wrapped the skins upon him.

144
When

dried, they
became
as part of his
body.
But the nights
became
and the days were colder. Then Chunuhluk, the man, found some driftwood and made
still
colder,
rough hut.
After finishing his hut, Chunuhluk was walking over
the hills one day
when he met
a strange black beast
among
what
the blueberry bushes.
Chunuhluk did not know

it
to do, but at last
he caught
by the hind
legs.
The black thing turned around with a growl and showed its white teeth. Chunuhluk quickly caught the
bear by the heavy hair and threw
lay quiet.
Then he
killed
it.
ground so it Then he threw it across

it
to the
his shoulders
and went home.
Then he skinned
found
it.
When Chunuhluk skinned the bear, he much fat. He thought it might burn.
very dark.
a flat
it
had
His hut was
So he went along the beach until he found stone with a small hollow in it. He put the oil
fat in this; then
from the
set
he put
in a bit of
dry moss and

his
the end of the moss on
fire.
Then
hut was
lighted very well.
Chunuhluk
But
also
hung
the bearskin in the opening of
the door to keep out the cold.

at last
So he lived many days.

lonely.
Chunuhluk became
went
Then he
At
last
re-
membered
was Owl.
the
two men who had passed him when he

in
He
search of people.
he
found two new kayaks
at the foot of a hill,
with spears,

and other hunting implements. Then he saw a path nearby. On the top was a house. On the ground around were several dead white whales.
lines, floats,
Chunuhluk crept
up
a
to the door.
cautiously into the entrance

lifted the corner of a skin
way and
and saw
He
young man working on some arrows.
He
stepped in
very quietly.
to shoot,
The young man

said,
raised a
"
I
bow and arrow

brother?
but Chunuhluk
have come, brother."
The young man
said gladly,
"Are you my
glad.
Come and
At
first
sit
beside me."
the
young man was very
He
taught
Chunuhluk
of him.
all things.
Then
at last
he became jealous
scornful.
Then Chunuhluk became

"
I
He
said
one day,
arrow.
You
can
cannot
kill
still
kill
anything without a
with
my
hands alone."
bow and Then the
brother became
more angry.
One day both were out on the water in their kayaks. The young man said, " Now let us see who can gain the
shore
time.
first."
They both reached

the
the beach at the

"
same
Then
young man
said,
You
are no
more
my
brother.
You go
in that direction
and
I will
go
in this."
So they parted angrily. As they went, Chunuhluk turned into Wolverine and his brother became Gray Wolf.
To
this
day they wander
in the
same country,
but never together.
146
THE WIND PEOPLE

Koryak (Siberia)
was
at a
time
when
the Creator lived.

it
Once
ITviolent
santly.
snowstorm broke out and

Creator got ready
to
blew
inces-
go
to
Wind Man's
village to find out
why
the storm raged so constantly.
He
it
took a skin boat instead of a sledge.
He
hitched to
mice instead of reindeer.
Then he
started.
He came
reindeer.
to the village of the
Wind
People.
All the
people surrounded him and laughed

"
at his sledge
and
How
'
will you carry off our presents on
such reindeer?
they asked.
Just put them into the boat and never
Creator
"
said,
I
mind how
carry them off."
The Wind People

they
took out
the
all
the food and clothes
had and loaded
skin
boat
heaping
full.
Creator drove back his mice which dragged the loaded

skin boat home.
the
Then he
returned to the village of

his skin boat again
Wind
People.
They loaded
and
he carried off everything they had.
Then
Creator's
mice gnawed the straps

of the
off all the sledges
and harness
Wind
People.
Thus
the
the
Wind
People could not
drive any
more and
snowstorm ceased.
That
's
all.
H7
TRICKS OF THE FOX

Koryak (Siberia)
ONE
to
day Fox said to get some eggs."
his children,
"
He
went
to
going the woods and
am
saw Eagle's
nest high
up
in a tree.
He
put
some grass stalks the tree, and said

If
into his ears, "

to Eagle,
knocked with them on

an egg.
Throw me down
tree over
you don't, I will knock the stalks and break it."

" "
with these
Eagle became frightened and threw down an egg.
Throw down
That
's
another," said Fox. " I will not throw enough," said Eagle.
down any more." Fox said, "Throw

tree, I
'11
it
down.
If I
knock down the
take
them
all."
Eagle was frightened and threw down another egg. Then Fox laughed and said, " I fooled you nicely.
How
could I have knocked

'
down
whole
tree
with
these small grass stalks?
Eagle became angry. He threw himself upon Fox, grasped him with his talons, lifted him high in the air,
148

flew far out to sea and threw
island.
him down upon
a lonely
Fox remained on
thought
island?"
to himself,
that island.
"
He
lived there
to die
and
this
Am
I really
going
on
Fox began
'
to sing
shamans' songs.
"
Seals, walrus,
and
whales appeared near the island. they asked Fox. ing about?
"
What
are
you sing"
This
is
what
was singing about," said Fox.

in the waters of the sea or
Are
there
more animals
on the
dryland?"
"
Certainly there are
more
in the waters of the sea,"
so the Sea
People replied.
let us see," said
"
Well,
Fox.
"
Come up
from
to the sur-
face of the water and

the land.
form
a raft
this island to
Then
will take a
walk over you and count
you
all."
The Sea People

water and formed
tending
to
came up to the surface of the Fox ran over their backs, preraft.
all
count them.
But
as
soon as he reached land,
he jumped ashore and went home.
That
's
all.
THE END
III

Myths and Legends of Alaska (1911) Katharine Berry Judson

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Myths and Legends of Alaska (1911) Katharine Berry Judson

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FAIRY

THE BRANCH LIBRAR

MYTHS AND LEGENDS

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST Especially of Washington and

j;o full-page illustrations.

Land of Shining Mountains." Indexed. 75 cents net. Square 8"vo.

MYTHS AND LEGENDS

KATHARINE BERRY JUDSON

was the only man.

again in the dome-shaped sky above them.

Long Night was

the cause, through

magic, of the bitter winds of winter

which had loosened the under which they lived,

blow the mists over the cold

the evil spirits, those

incantations and charms

there arose the

were made by government

from one subject

and men and animals.

Washington July, IQII.

Origin of the Tides

Creation of the Porcupine

.... .... .... ....

Raven and Pitch

Raven's Dancing Blanket

Raven and the Gulls

Raven and Coot

Bringing of the Light

Eskimo (Lower Yukon)

The Naming The Origin of

Tlingit (Wrangell) Tlingit (Wrange.ll)

Haida (Queen Charlotte

Origin of the Chilkat Blanket Origin of Land and People

Eskimo (Lower Yukon)

Eskimo (Bering Eskimo (Bering Eskimo (Bering

Eskimo (Lower Yukon)

Creation of the Killer

Eskimo (Lower Yukon)

The Ghost Land

Eskimo (Port Clarence) Eskimo (Bering

The Boy The Boy

Eskimo (Lower Yukon)

The Meteor (?)

Fox became Red

.112 .113 .114 .115 .118 .119

Beaver and Porcupine

The Wolves and

The Camp Robber

Last of the Thunderbirds

Eskimo (Lower Yukon)

Origin of the Grizzly Bear Crest

T I'm git T I'm git

Origin of the Killer

.135 .137 .138 .139 .140

The Discontented The Wind People

Reindeer on the Tundra

Raven taught them how

houses of driftwood and

bushes, covered with earth