Haida texts and myths

How Shining-heavens caused himself to be born 26 How Master-carpenter began making a canoe to war with Southeast 32 Canoe people who wear headdresses 36 Tcꜝîñ qā′-idjît 44 The g...

x̣iä′łx̣idie′s. Giên nᴀñ tꜝē′dji łg̣ā′gas lʼ sū′udas: 14 “Djā dī′tgi began to dance. And one part was rock him addressed “Say behind

lʼ gudᴀ′ns ᴀ′ła. Wᴀ′giên la ʻᴀn lʼ 4 ʻa′yîns giên la ʻa qagē′ ga lʼ he wanted because. And it for he called and him to go to it

After he had finished saying these things it seized the hook. At once it pulled him round this island. He struck the edges of the canoe with his hands. He said to it: “Master Ca...

Then they came in front of Kaisun. And the woman at the head of Djū, Fine-weather-woman, [49] came to them. [She said]: “Come near, my brothers, while I give you directions. The...

Then he again covered his face, and something spoke to him as before. Now he looked through the eyeholes in his marten-skin blanket. After he had looked for a while toward the p...

Then they went to bed. He awoke in the night and tried to stretch himself. He pushed his feet against something that was near him. It was the crooked root of a tree. He felt lar...

When day broke there was a noise of wailing in the town of Falling-forward. They said that the chief’s son and his wife lay dead in the morning. But he felt happy. He at once wa...

Giê′nhao la g̣ᴀn l’ āxᴀnā′g̣ila′-i ʟ̣ū lᴀ la gīdjigī′łdas. Nᴀñ djā′das sʟꜝg̣u′ñ x̣iā′lāgᴀs g̣axaga′-i g̣ei qē′xaiyañ wᴀnsū′gᴀñ. Giên la g̣ei lᴀ dᴀ′ñnanᴀñᴀs giên lᴀ la xā′gudjaña...

ʟꜝ îsdadjā′gadᴀñ qa′⁺odi I′ʟꜝga-i-ᴀ′ndjusg̣as g̣a ʟꜝ qꜝō′skꜝax̣una′ñ­gaiyag̣ᴀn. Ga-iʟ̣ū′hao nᴀñ ʟꜝadanā′ g̣ei Lg̣akꜝia′o ʟꜝ x̣idatcꜝai′ya­g̣ᴀn. ʟꜝkꜝiwa′-i lᴀ kîtx̣unᴀ′nsi kꜝiäł...

Some time after that our canoe came to Gwi′gwᴀñ-bay, [164] and there was one canoe there. There we spent the night. When we left next day another sail came in sight from Skidega...

Now, after he had searched about for a while, he opened a wild pea (xō′ya ʟū′g̣a, “Raven’s canoe”) with a stick and went out to her in it. When he came near to get her that time...

On the next day his father invited them again, and they (the big-bellies) came in and stood there. And again cranberries were emptied into their mouths. Then Nᴀñkî′lsʟas went qu...

And after he had traveled about a while from that place he came to another town. And he was eating the leavings cut off of the salmon they brought in. By and by some of the milt...

After a few days the people from Naēku′n arrived. The beach was covered with canoes. Then his uncle felt greatly troubled. He had many slaves. The boy said to one of the slaves:...

And they made holes in the front of the whole house by pulling off planks. Through these they were looking to see which way his canoe went. After they had looked for a while [it...

The one who was quickest broke up the piece of food and placed it in front of her. She ate all of the little they gave her. While she was doing it, at which they were very much...

One day he gave ten slaves to the eldest. To the next he also gave ten slaves. He gave ten apiece to all eight. He made a row of houses for them, all sewed together with cedar l...

They landed and pulled up the canoe. Then he and his wife went up and, when they saw him, the crowd of spectators standing in front of the house before the door opened up a pass...

Like the preceding, this story is compound, there being in reality three distinct tales. The first and longest is that to which the title properly belongs, and the main theme, t...

Now he told them to begin fishing, and they pulled halibut in and clubbed them. He was lying in the canoe. The skin of the Qꜝā′g̣awa-i had already been lying there for some time...

This story, which practically includes three, is one of the most important and interesting of all Haida stories, for, while two of the preceding are largely Tsimshian and the Ra...

When he came in he brought out a urinal. And he threw some white, hard rock from a box on which his head rested into the fire. After he had looked at it a while, and it had beco...

One day he was again lying in bed. Then something passed under his pillow saying the same words as before. Then he seized his bow and went out. After he had looked about on the...

And, when they were going to bed, they thought of it and brought it in. He (Many-ledges) started to cut it up with one of his five stone adzes. It broke. Then he took another. H...

In the evening the chief’s daughter retired to her room, which was separated from the main room by a large plank. When the wood was burned the boy in the shape of ashes flew int...

Then he hung blackly about the head of the Stikine river. Snow fell from him. Then one went out to look. He was lost. Then another went to look, and he, too, was lost. It went o...

When his canoe was finished he steamed and spread it. At that time his brothers-in-law helped him. After that he started to go out in it. All that time she (his sister) made the...

And, after he had lived with his wife for some time, he went to see his uncle’s town. He flew to the town wearing his eagle skin. And, after he had sat at the end of the town fo...

He was going along in his canoe with his two children and his wife. It was low tide. After he had gone along for a while [he came to a place] where devilfish stones lay. A great...

Immediately he invited the people. They came in at once. When all got in he began to dance before them. They who came in wore fins. He dressed himself up and came in, and lay do...

There he saw his uncle. Then his uncle asked him: “Did you see the one standing there with a black skin? He shoots down on those people below who treat each other badly. Then th...

One day, when the dogs were coming in together, she put hot stones into this mixture. And, when it was boiling, she poured it into the ocean. At once the wind raised big waves....

Now all in the town went out to fish for salmon. Afterward the woman went after wood. Those who went after salmon came back making a noise. Then the woman put wood on the fire....

Very early next day he went after firewood. Then he brought it in and took it up to the camp. His father-in-law was very glad on account of it, and he called the people for it.

The slaves returned home. They said that they had not seen him. They then went to bed. In the night something choked the child of the head slave, and they made a light for him....

After that another came at me. When he tried to stab me I dodged him. And when I struck him he grew pale. I told Gā′ala, who came behind me, to kill him. A youth having no knife...

After two months had passed they came to fight them with two warships. They then shot at them from both sides. At that time they called to him: “Qała′x, are you still alive?” “Y...

Then Tcꜝā′nut said: “Do I ask four slaves of you? My uncle is worth ten slaves and four hundred blankets. I will not dance.” There were many in the house. They did not pay any a...

Then Koa′gians asked: “Whom shall I use for my fighting skirt?” [881] And Sounding-property said: “You shall use me for your fighting skirt.” He was a youth. They even broke up...

And the people of Chief-discovered’s town [938] said the same things to him that Wada’s wife had said. They could not stop him. He also thought that his town was too great. By a...

And, after they had been there for a while, Djē′basa [987] came with many canoes. They stopped in front of the fort and bought them (the slaves) for grease, hides, and slaves. A...

Hu hu hu hu hu, there was a great noise of guns. When they got near, the sound of the war songs came rolling along. In Waters’s canoe the highest war song was sung. [1063] When...

They got ashore then and sent tobacco to the Kloo man through the fire. [1099] At that time Gîtku′n said to the Sqoā′ładas [1100] man who had the severed head: “Say, brother-in-...

[189] The word used for “Eagle” here is sʟg̣ᴀ′m, a story name. It is evidently identical with sʟqᴀ′m, the Masset word for “butterfly.” Among the Masset Haida, Butterfly takes th...

[385] Woman-under-the-fire repeated to the supernatural beings everything that was said near it. But, if charcoal were instantly rubbed upon the lips of a person who had said an...

[601] The shaman treats this iron just as he would a whale. Compare Memoirs Jesup North Pacific Expedition, volume V, part 1, page 139. It is said to have been part of some vessel.

[841] Wives being of the opposite clan, other families would have been dragged into the struggle had any of the women been struck. To avoid this their canoes followed at some di...