Haida texts and myths, Skidegate dialect / recorded by John R. Swanton.

  • Swanton, John Reed, 1873-1958.
Date:
1905
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Haida texts and myths, Skidegate dialect / recorded by John R. Swanton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [m'i,i,.29 him upon the dead tree. When he <;ot lialfway over he let him i;fo. \auwaiya, what I (“arry on my hack i.s h(*avy.^' lie hnr.st open helow'. Then he -went down to him and ate lii.s berries. He ate all and started off. After he had traveled for a while he came to a woman with a {rood- sized lahret weaving a water-tight basket, and he asked her: “Say, skAii,*® have 3'ou seen mv cousin?” She paid no attention to him, and he again said to her: “Say, skAn, have 3'ou seen 1113' cousin?” Again she paid no attention to him. “SkAn, I can knock out your lahret.” “ Don t. Over 3'onder is a (jla'hi** point, be3’ond which is a spruce point, beyond wffiich is a hendock point, beyond wTich is an alder point. At that point in front of the shell of a sqa'djix.u*- on which he is drawing is your cousin.” Then he started over, and it was as she said. “Sa3% cousin, is that 3'ou?” [he said], and he pulled him iip straight, and they started off' together. After they had gone on they came to a town. They (the people) were glad to see them. Then the3’ began giving them food. When they gave them berries to eat they asked Eagle: “Does the chief eat these?” And Raven said: “Sa3thatl like them very much.” But Eagle .said: “The chief sa3^s he never eats them.” And they 0163' gave them to him (Eagle). And again thc3 gave him good berries to eat. and he .said: “Those, too, the chief does not like.”** When he was going on from there he came to a town in which the chiefs son, who was the stronge.st man, had had his arm pulled out. A shaman came to tiy to cure him. The chiefs son w^as the strongest man. In tr3dng strength with people of all ages bv locking hands with them he could beat them. Bv and by, through the smoke hole came a small pale hand, and [thc3' heard its owner] sa3': “Gu'.sg.a gA'insiwa” (Tsimshian w'ords meaning “Let us have a try”). And he put his fingers to it. It pulled off his arm. They did not know' w hat it was. And he (Raven) alone knew' that one of (Tu'g.afs** .sons had pulled his arm off'. Then he flew' to Gu'g.al's town, went to an old man who lived at the end of the town and asked .him: “Sav, old man, do 3'ou evergamlffe?” And he said he did. “Thev sa3’they pulled off' the arm of a chiefs son. I wonder w'here the person w'ho did it belongs.” And he .said: “Wh3', don’t 3'ou know? It was done 1)3' the one of (ifi'g.al’s .sons who is always doing those things. The chiefs .son’s arm is in a box behind the .screen in his fathefs hou.se.” And he (Raven) said: “ Well, although evervbod3' knows those things, I w'as asking this.” Then he pulled off his (the old man’s) skin and entered it. And next da3' he took a gambling-stick bag and walked with a cane to the middle of the town. When he .sat down he heard Gu'g.al’s .sons .sa3': “You are alwa3’s on hand, old man; we will gamble w'ith 3'ou.’’ Ihe elde.st wagered him his hair ril)bon, and they gaml)led with him. They lost the ribbon to him. Then it w'as too late to go home, and he