Part 30

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 quantity of leavings from its (the devilfish’s) food were piled up there. He got off to kill it. Then, while he was punching it with a stick the devilfish came out. Immediately it wound itself around him and pulled him into its hole.

And, after his wife and children had remained there for a while, the rocks were covered with water, and they went away from him. Then the woman went home. She expected never to get him back.

The [devilfish] woman took him to her father’s town. At that time he heard them use bad words [556] to the hair seals. When day broke he hunted about for food among the waves below the capes, they used to say. He remained with her in her father’s town.

After many years had passed he remained in bed two mornings. At that time the chief asked his daughter: “Why does your husband feel badly?” Then she said to her father: “He says he is homesick for his mother and his sister.” Then he was going to let him go home with his daughter.

Now he said: “Two canoes are lying at the end of the town. Have them launched for yourselves.” At once they launched two canoes in front of the house, and they began to put things, with which the inside of the house was full, into them. Before they had taken even a little the canoes were filled. Then she went in one and her husband in the other. Although there were no paddlers the canoes went along.

He came to his father’s town long after they had ceased to think of him. Hu hu hu hu hu, his father’s town moved at once. Then they carried the things up into his father’s house. And then they sliced up the things he brought in sacks. He traded with this property. He became a great chief. It consisted in food of all kinds such as is found at low tide.

At that time his children, who had grown large, came in to him. Then he took a slice of food, cut it in two, and handed it to them, and they went out with it, the woman also. Her husband lived more years among human beings than he had among the devilfish people. With what he got by trading with the food her husband potlatched five times.

After he had lived there for some time he one day came to feel badly over something. Right where he sat, in the back part of his father’s house, with his wife he began to melt. She stretched her arms down between the planks. She pulled her head in after them. Her husband was left sitting there. Afterward her husband also went in between the planks. She went back to her father’s town. And they never saw them again.

The hero of this story was a shaman.

THOSE WHO WERE FASTING TO BECOME SHAMANS

[Told by Tom Stevens, chief of Those-born-at-House-point.]

At the town of Skedans two own brothers fasted to become shamans. After they had fasted for many years, the elder went out when the time came for them to go to bed. And, when he entered, he said he had come in from lying with a woman. He was telling a lie. He let him feel between his legs. It was wet [as if washed]. That was how he fooled him. Then his younger brother also went out, but he really lay with a woman. When day came, he lay dead.

Then they put him into a box, and they placed him on a point, [557] and he (the second) kept crying near his younger brother. After he had sat there for a while he heard the sound of a drum proceeding from the ocean. Presently it got nearer. The canoe came in sight and landed bow [558] first in front of Skedans.

Then two paddling in the bow wearing shamans’ hats [559] jumped off. And they went toward the light coming from the doorway of the house they used to inhabit. They ran inside. They came back. When they got into their canoe they turned around. “They are not in the house,” they said.

And, when they started off, one saw where the body was laid. He said: “One of those we spoke through lies there dead.” Then the two with shamans’ hats got off quickly and took off the cover. He really lay there. His elder brother did not see that they pulled off his skin.

Then they went down to the canoe, and he got in with them. When they got in he got into the stern. They did not see him. And with him they started seaward. Something round hung from the armpit of the one who sat next to him. He saw that all had the same.

Then he squeezed that belonging to the one nearest to him strongly. He almost died and acted as shaman for himself. When he blew [560] on himself he let it go. At once he sat up in the canoe. There was not the least thing the matter with him.

Then he moved slowly to the one in the middle and squeezed his also. Then he, too, was about to die and acted as his own shaman. After he had blown on himself for a while, he also let his go. The chief had his nest [561] in the middle. He sat in it.

After he had done this to all in the canoe he also seized the chief’s. He, too, began to die. His canoe companions acted as shamans for him. They blew upon him. But he did not let his go. They tried to hurry each other. “Quick, paddle away with the chief to get a shaman for him.”

Then they landed, and they got shamans for him. And they acted around him, but he squeezed it all the more. All the shamans could not heal him. Instead he squeezed it tighter. Then he began to die, and they said “Quick, go and get the chief,” and they went for him.

Then they went to get him, and they landed. But he was a great shaman, and, as soon as he put his head in, he saw the one who had seized him. And he said to him: “Look out for yourself, grandson. Those on the other side are not chiefs.” [562] He was chief among the shamans, they say. His name was Sîndjā′ña-i.

And, when he began to perform around him, he slackened his hold. But, when another shaman began to act around him he squeezed it harder, and he was dying. And, when still another acted around him he squeezed it more again, and again he almost died.

And, when the chief shaman again performed, he let go his hold. Then he got strong. All the time he said the same thing to him: “Take care, grandson. They are not chiefs on the other side.”[562] And, when a different one performed around him he squeezed it harder, and he began to die.

Then he acted around him again, and they said to each other: “Give the chief whatever he wants.” Then they brought a box from near the wall and took his younger brother’s skin out of it. Not a part of it was lost. His finger-nails and toe-nails were all there.

Then they put it before the big shaman and turned over to him all kinds of property. These and the human being he put inside of his blanket and went out. Immediately he took him over to Skedans, and he gave him directions: “I will cause sickness at Skedans. When one first falls sick and they do not get you, do not pay any attention to him. He will die. And, when another is sick and they take property to you, save him. And, when another is sick and they do not take you, pay no attention to him. He, too, will die. When one again falls sick, you will receive two pieces of property. When another falls sick, yours will become three, then four. It will increase until you receive ten pieces. When there are many sick, every time one falls sick they will go for you alone. On the other side they are not chiefs.”

Then they landed, and he put his younger brother’s skin on him. He became alive. And what he told him happened. When many fell sick they employed him only. In exchange for what he got he became a chief. With it he potlatched.

I also obtained versions of this story at Masset and in Alaska.

BIG-TAIL.

[Told by Job Moody of the Witch people.]

Mouse-woman adopted him. [563] Presently, after she had lived at Skidegate for a while, supernatural powers began to try him. After some time he began to be a shaman. By and by he became a real shaman.

Then he prepared to dance upon the surface of the ocean. He was going out after whales. Then they began to observe the regulations. [564] [They did so for] five nights. The old people were afraid to let it become ten nights. If the number of nights were even, they said his supernatural power would be spoiled. For that reason they said they wanted it uneven. When some said there were ten nights, and some, too, said there were nine, the supernatural power came through him.

Then he asked them for his name. “What kind of supernatural being am I?” he said. Then they guessed at his name. By and by an old man said: “Great shaman, you are Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea.” [565] Then he jumped up and ran around the fire four times. And he named himself as follows: “I am he, grandson. I am he.”

While he was speaking through him he said to him: “How many whales are there going to be?” He said to him: “One floats at Point-tꜝā′łᴀs.” [566] And he said to him, “One is floating below Ku′nga-i.” [567] Then he (the shaman) looked there and the whale floated there. Then he sent a person thither. He saw nothing. Only coots floated there. And, since he did not find it there, he (the shaman) again looked, and it was still floating there. Then he became angry, because he (the spirit) kept fooling him.

Now he put tobacco into his mouth. After it he put in calcined shells. Then he went down to the house of Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea. And he entered his house. And Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea said to him: “Big-tail, bring that box of mine to me.” Then he put his box before him. They sat at either end.

Then he took out a dancing hat with sea gulls carved upon it. And at the very edges of the box Big-tail stopped him as he held it. And he asked Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea: “What will happen when one sings for it?” [568] And he said to him: “There will be two whales.” Then he absolutely refused it.

And he reached his hand into the box for another one. When he took that out he also seized that. “What will happen when you sing for it?” “There will be two whales.” That, too, he refused.

Then Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea became angry. Now he said to him: “This he also refuses. What can you do, Big-tail? I will destroy you with a strong current of water.” And he said to him: “Let it flow at me. Human beings will laugh at you.”

And, when they talked well to each other again, he took another out. While they yet held this one between them, he saw it was a chief’s dancing headdress with the carving of a hawk upon it. [569] And he reached right into the box for it. And they held it between them in the box.

Then he again asked him: “What will happen when one sings for it?” And he said to him: “There will be ten whales.” He also refused that. While they held the dancing hat between them, some handsome persons with curly hair over their foreheads and large eyes kept coming out from behind the screens and going back again. He wanted them and pointed at them. “Let those persons sing.” And he refused to give them away. All that time he also held the dance hat. By and by he let him have [these along with] the headdress. Then they struck the two persons on the nose and pushed them out.

In that house he learned how to tie on the strings of the headdress. When he had finished learning how the flicker feathers were going to be placed upon it, he went away from him again.

Then he imitated the headdress. And, when it was finished, he danced with it on. And he began to say: “The sea otter will come floating.” And he said: “One is floating on the seaward side of Sqai′­yas.” [570] Then they went to get it. It was really floating there. As he had seen already, blood was running out of its nose. After that, as he sat in the house, he told them where another one was floating. And when they went there it was really so.

Afterward they kept on being found in this way. When one was out in a good place where currents met, he did not count whether there were fifteen, twenty, or ten. [571] Then he said if they would give him and his mother some of them, he would always have them found floating in this way.

Then they began finding whales in the place where he had told them there were whales, although they had not found them. They now found them, although he did not say [again] that they were there. [572] They ceased getting sea otter.

Afterward, when he had acted as a shaman does for a while, he said: “I wonder what is going on in the house of Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea. I wonder why a drum sounds.” Then he chewed tobacco and said he would go down and see. And he fell asleep. After he had slept for a while, tcōxō′xō (noise of waking up) [was heard], [573] and he called to his wife. He had married a woman he owned (i.e., a slave). “Middle, [574] help me to sit up.” Then she pulled him up.

And, after he had sat there looking unhappy for a while, he said: “Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea is going to give a feast. The drum sounded because they are practicing songs. He is going to invite all the supernatural beings. I will go down again and look on.”

Some time after that his drum sounded again, he said, and he went down to him again. Then he entered his door, and Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea said to him, “Big-tail, I am going to invite the supernatural beings to a feast. Come and sit near me so that we may both look on.” Invitation had already been sent out.

After some time had passed, they began to come in. At that time he put Big-tail in his armpit. The killer whales came in through the doorway. The ends of their dorsal fins touched the roof of the house. And, where they were to sit, they came out of their skins and sat.

After they had continued to come in in this way for a while, a certain one who had to cramp his fins to enter came in and sat down.

After that the house creaked. A strong current flowed in through the doorway. In it a great amount of seaweed was mingled. Through the doorway there also came a black cloud. Rain blew on their faces. All the supernatural beings held their heads down. Some time afterward a small being stood up where it had been. He wore a four-crowned dancing hat. And he began to ask them: “What will you do with human beings? Are you going to save the human beings?” Then there were again black showers. Snow also fell about the house. And he again stood in his place. And he again asked them what was going to be done with the human beings. Then there were again black clouds. Hailstones also flew about the house and into their faces. Again the supernatural beings held their heads down. And he stood up in place of these and went in where he was to sit. Nothing happened. That was South-east, they say. [575]

During that time Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea held him in his armpit. He let him look at the supernatural beings. But the supernatural beings did not know it.

As before the house began to shake. Presently the feet of someone appeared coming in through the doorway. After some time had passed he stepped in, and the house shook. Then the supernatural beings said: “A”. He took a step with the other foot. Something with large, broad eyelids entered. Nothing happened.

Some time after that something came along making a rattling noise. By and by she came in with a crowd of female servants. Djila′qons [576] it was who came in among them. She had her eyebrows painted with red paint. They entered. Something about her sounded like a rattle. Big-tail kept his eyes upon her all the time.

But Woman-sitting-and-smelling [577] walked in before her. After having sat there for a while she raised herself up. She began to talk to Djila′qons. She asked her why she had painted her eyebrows red, and Djila′qons answered: “I had it done on your account.” Then she turned toward the wall and wiped it off. And she turned toward the fire and sat down.

Some time after they say that Pestilence [578] came in. His canoe was like a white man’s vessel. Sparks flew out of it. They went through the house. For that reason the supernatural beings were afraid. The things that came out of it are what cause sickness. The supernatural beings feared they would strike them. He refused to enter. He went back.

Then the nephew of Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea went out and said: “You are not the only one who has supernatural power. I have supernatural power. My uncle also has supernatural power. So you better not come in.” Then he (the nephew) entered, and, when he untied a little something against the roof of the house, which was like a hollow tube closed with knots at both ends, Pestilence’s canoe was quickly turned about. Then he said he would enter. “I will go in.” Presently he entered. Nothing happened. [They say it was Tidal-wave [579] who owned that.] All that time a space was left vacant in the rear of the house. No one sat there. By and by the one who came in first sang. And, after he had finished singing, he acted with a mask on from behind the screen they had stretched across. After he had acted with the mask on for a while, it split crosswise [580] on his face, and snow came out of it in a broad sheet. Then it fell first by the vacant seat. After that it fell in front of the chief’s house. And after that his face also split vertically.[580] Out of the split the same substance fell. That was property, they say.

Big-tail was guessing. “I guess it is he on whom we live [for whom the vacant space is left]. It is for The-one-below.” [581]

The next one who came in also started to sing. Afterward he also came out from behind the screen wearing a mask. After they had sung a “Power-song” for him a while and put words into it, his face also split open. Something white and broad fell down around the house in front of the chiefs. Again it fell first by the vacant seat. When they put words into it again it split vertically. Then it again fell first by the vacant seat. After that it fell in front of the chiefs.

All the supernatural beings did the same thing. Sometimes one stood up with his fins on. In that way the sleight-of-hand performances went on.

After some time had passed Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea also began to dance. Then he made a good speech to the supernatural beings, after which he also sang. When he had got through singing he, too, came out wearing a big mask. He also wore a big fin. When they put words into the power song his mask also split. Out of that, too, something white fell. Some fell first by the vacant seat. Then they stopped singing the power song.

There was a great pile of property for those in the house. Before they entered their provisions came rolling in before them through the door. They had two [boxes] or, if chiefs, four. Now they began to eat. It was a whale. And they cut it around and around right from its head and stretched it around in front of the supernatural beings. They spliced another to that also, and then they all began to eat. [582] After all had eaten for some time they stopped. All the big beings went off.

Then Big-tail also went to Skidegate. After he had performed for a time in the same way as formerly, and, when they were starving, all began giving him the food they had saved up. Cranberries, wild crabapples, sīg̣ā′n, [583] roots put up in cakes, [584] berries put up in cakes, and grease, they gave him. They gave these quietly to him while he slept. There was also a quantity of Indian tobacco with them.

And, after he had slept for a while, he spoke again in the same way as formerly, “Tcōxō′.”[573] Then he got up carefully and gave away all off of the top into the fire. [585] Then he also spilled out fresh water around the fire. He gave these to Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea. After that he ate all of it. That night he performed.

And next day he said: “Go out to hunt.” Then they found a whale floated ashore near by. And on account of that the Skidegate people ceased being hungry.

Some time later Supernatural-being-people-always-go-to begged him to accompany him. “Big-tail, go with me to see my elder brother.” And he did not know where he wanted him to go. Then he went with him as he requested. Then he launched a square canoe, he put Big-tail inside of his clothing, and they started off.

They went, went, went for a while, after which they came in sight of something white in the ocean like a mountain, and he let him look out at it. He said to him: “Big-tail, there is the house of my elder brother,” whereupon a strong wind arose, and they returned. They barely got home safe.

Then they dried themselves around the fire in the house of Supernatural-being-people-always-go-to. They talked with one another about it. He was among them. Then he said to him: “Big-tail, when another good day comes, come to go with me again.”

Some time afterward he went to his town again. And, when he entered, he asked him: “Big-tail, will you go with me again?” “Yes,” he said to him. At once they started off again. After they had paddled seaward for a while he said his house had again come in sight. He let him look out. In truth his great white house appeared at intervals over the waves. And again a strong wind arose from the house. It drove them back again.

And, when they again got into the house, he called to him: “Big-tail, do not go with me again. My elder brother refuses to let you see the inside of his house. That is why the wind is high for us. Do not go with me again.” That was the only one among the supernatural beings whose house he was unable to see. His name was “Chief.” [586]

Some time after he got back Yä′yū [587] spoke through him. He made things happen by speaking through him. Four whales floated about. He did the same thing to him as the neighboring supernatural being had done. “Let me go, for I want to see why a drum sounds in the house of Supernatural-being-looking-landward (another name for Yä′yū).”

Then he lay down. He lay there for a while and entered his house. Then some persons, with their fins together, stirred up soapberries in something made of great boards painted on the outside, they used to say.[587] They looked like Peninsula-point [588] soapberries, yet they were different. Now he came home.

He spoke through him for a while longer. Then he became lame. And, after he had sat in the house for a while, he said: “Let me go down to see why a drum is sounding in the house of Supernatural-being-looking-landward.” Then he chewed tobacco, lay down, and continued there for a while.

Now, when he entered his house, Supernatural-being-looking-landward said to him: “I am glad to see you, Big-tail.” In those words he said he was glad to see him. At this time they raised up the stuff they were stirring up with a stick, and it stuck to it. Before he had eaten of that he went up, and, when he awoke, he said: “Why did I come away so soon? I ought to have eaten whale tongue with them.”

After he had sat there for another space of time, he said: “I wonder why a drum has been sounding in the house of Supernatural-being-looking-landward. Let me go down again.”

Then he chewed tobacco, and, while he lay there, he got into his house. Even while he was in the doorway he called to him: “Wait, Big-tail, you better not go up from me. I will invite the supernatural beings.”