How daylight came

Ômâl obtains Daylight.

Then Ômâl tried to get our daylight. He quickly became the child of Daylight-Receptacle-Woman (the gull). Then Daylight-Receptacle-Woman gave birth to her child, and the child of Daylight-Receptacle-Woman quickly began to speak. Then he said that he wanted to play with a toy canoe. Therefore his mother, Daylight-Receptacle-Woman, made a toy canoe for him. Then the child of Daylight-Receptacle-Woman spoke again, and said that he wanted to paddle on the water. His mother, Daylight-Receptacle-Woman, tried to forbid him, but he just cried, therefore she launched the canoe.

Then he spoke again, and desired to have the daylight-receptacle of Daylight-Receptacle-Woman in the bow of the canoe. She tried to deny, him the daylight-receptacle. Then that child, the son of Daylight-Receptacle-Woman, cried very much, and after that the daylight-receptacle was taken. He desired to have the daylight-receptacle in the bow of the canoe. Then it was put into the bow of the canoe, and he paddled. 

"Don't go too far," said Daylight-Receptacle-Woman to her child.

Then he paddled by, in front of the house of Daylight-Receptacle-Woman.

"Forget, forget, forget!" said the child of Daylight-Receptacle-Woman. Behold! it was he,  Ômâl.

Then Daylight-Receptacle-Woman forgot her child. Then he paddled and stole the daylight-receptacle of Daylight-Receptacle-Woman. Therefore we have the daylight of our world. (Before) it never used to get daylight. It was always night in our world.

Kwakiutl Tales, by Franz Boas; (Columbia University Contributions to Anthropology, Volume II) New York: Columbia University Press; [1910] and is now in the public domain.

a Kwakiutl stor about ...

["This is an important and powerful Medicine story. A lot within it."]

Mountain-Goat Hunter - Kwakiutl

Tradition of the Lê'LEgêd, a clan of the wâlas Kwâ'gûl.

(Dictated by Yâ'gôLas, 1900)

 

 

Rolling-down saw (some) mountain-goats. "Let me go up to the mountain-goats walking about on the rocks" (he said).

 

"Where are they?" said his wife.

 

"They are there at LEsElê'k^u." Don't talk that way, else you might fall off (from the mountain). Don't talk that way, else you might fall off."

 

"I do not fall off."

 

"Then go on," said his wife. He had four wives. Then Rolling-down went up. He arrived and hid. Then he took out his charm. He put the dried frog on the rock. Then the mountain-goats could not walk. They just became like the frog, and just lay there. Then he went and hid himself. He just sat by the side of a rock and shot with his arrows. He hit the chest (of a mountain-goat), then he also shot its neck.

 

 

He did not know that he was being pursued by a grisly bear. What should it be? It was standing there, and began to growl. "Do not say so, friend. I am your friend." Then the grisly bear sat down on the rock and listened to the word of Rolling-down. Then another grisly bear arose and began to growl. The bear went right up to take hold of him. He took the man by the shoulder and threw him upward. Behold! there were many grisly bears. They threw the man to one another while they were going up with him to the top of the mountain. Then they came to a fine place in the woods, and the man was thrown about by the grisly bears. His limbs were torn to pieces. His fingers and his toes, and the bones of the man, were scattered on the ground. Then the grisly bears left and went home, and the man was dead.

 

 

Then one of the grisly bears felt badly, "Why did you do so? Did you not hear what our dead friend said?"

 

"Not I," said, on his part, another one, the one who had killed the man. "What do you think?" said, on his part, the one. "Don't you love our friend? Indeed, I feel sad on account of our friend. Let us try to revive him. Go on to Head-Wolf and Head-Runner, that all our friends may come, all the animals."

 

 

Then many animals came. They assembled. They were going to the place where the man had been killed, and sat on the ground. Then the bones of the man were gathered up, and were pushed together. Some of the bones had disappeared. Then the Ermine and the Mouse were sent, because they had a good scent. They searched for the toes of the man. The ermine found the toes of the man, and gave them to the supernatural person. Then he put them on his feet, and the man was sprinkled with the water of life. Then the man sat up on the ground and revived.

 

To no purpose he rubbed his eyes. He thought that he had only slept. Then he discovered the many animals sitting there. "Now you are alive, friend. I killed you by accident. Don't do it again, ["It had gone bad with you. That happens only once"] that you come up here, although you may know that we were laying for the mountain-goats. That is called mountain-goat hunting. For that reason our friend acted in this way. Now you are alive. That was the reason he tried his supernatural powers. Now you shall do as I do. Now your supernatural treasure will be this water of life, and this means of throwing."

 

 

Then he sang his sacred song in the night, and his tribe heard it. "Don't sleep, for somebody is singing his sacred song. It may be our chief"

 

He came to the other side of the village, singing his sacred song. The house site was called Middle-of-Beach. Day had not come yet when the tribe arose and went bathing. Then the sound was heard on the other side. Then his tribe went across and tried to catch him. From time to time he just flew away.

 

For four days they tried to do so. Then he was caught by Gâ'usdês. He was snared. (Time) was beaten for him by his tribe. Then he threw (his supernatural power) at his tribe, and his tribe groaned in the house. He did so to try to tease his tribe. He had four children the princesses of chiefs. His tribe only worked for him. His wives only went out and purified themselves. Then his tribe planned that he should die. Their anger rose quickly when he teased them. He was made to drink blood, menstrual blood of a woman. Then he became sick; then he was given medicine by the one side of his tribe (either father's or mother's family). Then he was bewitched that something should happen to him quickly. It was not one year, and he lay sick. Then he died when summer came. Then his tribe revived: they were no longer afraid.

 

 

That is the end.

 

 

 

Kwakiutl Tales, by Franz Boas; (Columbia University Contributions to Anthropology, Volume II) New York: Columbia University Press; [1910] and is now in the public domain.

 

from archives of Blue Panther

 

Kwakiutl story: Otter

Mink goes to make War with his Friend Land, Otter

(Dictated by MalE'd, a Kwâ'gul, 1893.)


"Let us go and make war, friend," said Born-to-be-the-Sun to Land-Otter. "Whom shall we make war against, friend?" said, on his part, Land-Otter to Born-to-be-the-Sun. "Those are the ones whom we will take, on the beach, the Innumerable-Ones." Then they started in the morning. If was fogy. They paddled to an island. "Ê, ê, ê, ê!" said Born-to-be-the-Sun. "Back-water! My nose-ornament fell into the water." Then his friend tried to back-water. Born-to-be-the-Sun stood up in the canoe and dived. He was not under water long when he came up carrying sea-eggs in the fold of his blanket. Then he ate them. He only lied when he said that his nose ornament fell into the water. What he meant was, that he had seen the sea-eggs. Give me some, friend," said his friend Land-Otter. "Don't," said Born-to-be-the-Sun. "Do those who war here and there give to each other? Just go, friend," said Born-to-be-the-Sun to his friend Land-Otter.

Then Land-Otter dived. He came up again, and Land-Otter did not get anything. "How did you do it, friend?" said Land-Otter, questioning his friend. "Put your face up and pull your knees up when you come up." Then Land-Otter dived, and Born-to-be-the-Sun jumped up in the canoe, went to the bow of the canoe, and took what murdered by itself Land-Otter. Then Born-to-be-the-Sun was standing in the canoe, ready for his friend to come up lying on his back. When his face came up, Born-to-be-the-Sun speared his friend just over the breast-bone. Then his friend was dead. He just pushed his friend into the water.

Then Born-to-be-the-Sun went ashore. He went out of the canoe and sat down on the beach. He pulled out his musk-bag and transformed it into a man, who was sitting there, small, on the beach. Then he spoke to his past Musk-Bag. "To what tribe do you belong, slave?" Thus said Born-to-be-the-Sun. "I am the Musk-Bag of Born-to-be-the-Sun," [only] said the child. "Don't say that, slave," said Born-to-be-the-Sun. "You shall say, when you are asked, 'I am the prince of the Innumerable-Ones.'" Then he went home. The Musk-Bag was sitting in the bow of the canoe. He said that he had taken him in war. Then he wailed for his past friend, "Tsanâ'nanâ'! My friend died by going behind the houses, tsanâ'nanâ'! My friend died by going in front of the houses, tsanâ'nanâ'!"--"Our chief says something important on the water," said his tribe. Then he went ashore. Born-to-be-the-Sun went out of the canoe. Then he pulled out of the canoe the slave he had gotten. The slave was questioned. "To what tribe do you belong, slave?" Thus was said by the tribe of Born-to-be-the-Sun. "I am the musk-bag, of Born-to-be-the-Sun," [only] said the slave. Then he was made fun of. They just threw at each other the musk-bag of Born-to-be-the-Sun; and Born-to-be-the-Sun's sister sang for him, "Try to sit on it! Try to sit on his musk-bag!" Then Born-to-be-the-Sun tried to sit on his musk-bag, and he caught it. He put it back in its place.

Then he entered the house. Then the wife of the dead friend came in. She was dressed well, and inquired what had killed her dead husband. "Don't!" said Born-to-be-the-Sun. "Go to your house. Let me point out what killed my dead friend. Just stop up all the holes in your house." Then the woman went home. Immediately she stopped up the holes. Then Born-to-be-the-Sun entered her house. "That is what killed my past friend," he said, pointing to her forehead. He went down pointing at the body of the woman. "Lean back, that I may point out all that killed my friend. Open your legs! That is what killed my friend." There was no place on the woman's groins that he did not point at. Then he climbed on Sawbill-Duck-Woman. He only wanted to cohabit with Sawbill-Duck-Woman. "I am the one who did it to my dead friend." That is the end. 1

Footnotes:
161:1 For the story of Mink and the Wolves, see F. Boas, The Social Organization and the Secret Societies of the Kwakiutl Indians (Annual Report of the U. S. National Museum for 1895, p. 725).

Kwakiutl Tales, by Franz Boas; (Columbia University Contributions to Anthropology, Volume II) New York: Columbia University Press; [1910] and is now in the public domain.


 

Kwakiutl story: Mink

Mink imitates his Hosts


The people were invited by Thrush-Woman to go to a feast with their friends. They sat down in the house, and Thrush-Woman arose and broke salmon-berry bushes, and huckle-berry bushes. Then she put down a dish, and put salmon-berry bushes and huckle-berry bushes by its side. Then Thrush-Woman said, "WâxwaxolîdzElî'dzElî'dzElî'! Then the salmon-berry bushes became green. Then she said again, "WâxwaxolîdzElî'dzElî'dzElî'!" and the salmon-berries and the huckle-berries became red. Then she said again, "WâxwaxolîdzElî'dzElî'dzElî'!",  and all the salmon-berries and huckle-berries became ripe.
Then she put them into a dish and placed them before the guests, and the salmon-berries were eaten with spoons. Then they finished and went home.

"Mother," said Born-to-be-the-Sun, "I want very much to give a feast."--"You don't say so! What provisions may you have for a feast," said Mother. "Shall I not do just the same as my, friend did when she just broke the salmon-berries and huckle-berries?"--"You are like her!"

Then Born-to-be-the-Sun invited Thrush-Woman and Sparrow and Water-Ousel and Hawk. "We shall dine at Born-to-be-the-Sun's. "We will go at once," they said. The guests came, and sat down in the house. Then Born-to-be-the-Sun broke off salmon-berries and huckle-berries, and took a dish and put the salmon-berries by its side. Then Born-to-be-the-Sun said "WâxwaxolîdzElî'dzElî'dzElî'!" but there was not one (berry); and again he said "WâxwaxolîdzElî'dzElî'dzElî'!"

Nothing.

Then again he said "WâxwaxolîdzElî'dzElî'dzElî'!" just one little green one was there. Those whom he tried to invite just went out. "I tried to tell you that she would make you ashamed." Thus said Mother to him.


Then Water-Ousel invited Born-to-be-the-Sun and his friends. They came and sat down. Then he took a dish, and stretched out his foot over the rim. Then he struck the side of his foot, and salmon-eggs came out. Then the dish was full. Then he put the dishes before his guests. He finished. They went out, and Born-to-be-the-Sun took the rest of the salmon-eggs home.

"Mother," said Born-to-be-the-Sun, "let me give, a feast also."--"And what may you have to give a feast with?"--"But shall I not do the same as my friend Water-Ousel has done?"

"You are the same as he is! Everything about you is quite different."--"What should be difficult about it?"--"Go on, you ugly one, who makes (me) really ashamed!" Then Born-to-be-the-Sun invited (people) in.

"We will eat with spoons," he said to his friends. His friends came and sat down in the house. Then Born-to-be-the-Sun took a dish, and Born-to-be-the-Sun stretched out his foot over the dish. Then he struck the side of his foot. One little salmon-roe was there. Then those whom he had invited in vain just went out.


Then Hawk invited his friends in. The guests came and sat down in the house. Then he went out and put on his hawk garment. He sat on the end of a pole which stuck out over the water. He said, "MESê' mESê' mESe'ku mESe'ku!"

Then a steel-head salmon swam along; and he took it with his talons, and took it to the house and roasted it, that his friends might eat it whole. Then they finished, and went out and went home. Born-to-be-the-Sun went to his house.

"Mother, let me also invite (the people)."--"Don't say so. Again you want to do that, and what have you got to give a feast with?"--"Can I not just borrow the hawk garment of my friend Hawk?"--"This little thing will really make (me) ashamed. You think you will succeed, because you have no sense or shame," said Mother.

Then Born-to-be-the-Sun invited his friends. They came and sat down. Then he went to borrow (the hawk garment).

"Friend, let me borrow your hawk garment."--"Go and take it." Then Born-to-be-the-Sun put on the bird garment, and sat down on the end of a pole sticking out over the water. Then Born-to-be-the-Sun said, "MESê' mESê' mESe'ku mESe'ku!"

A steel-head salmon came. He tried to grasp it with his talons. He only fell into the water; and he just paddled ashore with his wings. Then he was advised by his friends, "Don't try to jump. Just let yourself drop down."

Then he spread his wings to dry the bird garment. Now they became dry. He said, "MESê' mESê' mESe'ku mESe'ku!" and a spring salmon came. Then he jumped and soared. Then the intestines of Born-to-be-the-Sun just hung down, and Born-to-be-the-Sun just hung from the top of the tree. Then he was taken by his friends. "What are you doing?"--"I don't know," said Born-to-be-the-Sun. Then his friends went out. That is the end.


Kwakiutl Tales, by Franz Boas; (Columbia University Contributions to Anthropology, Volume II) New York: Columbia University Press; [1910] and is now in the public domain.


from archives of Blue Panther

Kwakiutl story of MINK

Mink is deserted by his Wife



Then he went to his house with his wife. Then his wife was pregnant, and gave birth to a child. Her child was a boy. Then Sawbill-Duck-Woman said, "Let us go and see the ancestors of this baby."

Then he went to Woodpecker. He said, "Please have pity on me (and give me) a little drop for this baby."

Then Born-to-be-the-Sun was given red ochre. Born-to-be-the-Sun tried to put a little in the mouth of the child. "Don't (put in) too much," said his wife. He just finished trying to put a little into the mouth (of the child). "It does not taste bad, it tastes sweet."--"Verily, that rascal has no sense. Let us just go." Then they went home. The two were in the canoe, he and his wife. They paddled along the rocks, and Born-to-be-the-Sun looked into the water. Then he saw sea-eggs. He backed-water and dived headlong. Then he carried the sea-eggs in the fold of his blanket.


"Go on!" said, on her part, his wife, "and stay longer." His wife thought that she would leave him. Then Born-to-be-the-Sun dived. He came again carrying sea-eggs in the fold of his blanket. "Indeed, you were not long under water. Try to walk about on the ground below. Go again and try to get plenty," said his wife, on her part. Then he dived; and as soon as he dived, his wife paddled away. She left him, and looked back often. When she had gone a long way, Born-to-be-the-Sun emerged.

"What are you doing, my dear? Come, I got a great many. Oh, come!" he said, on his part. "Do come, try to be a chieftainess,--a big chieftainess,--else I will call you an ugly one with matted hair on the pubes."

Then Born-to-the-Sun went ashore and walked along the rocks. He sat down on the rocks and ate the sea-eggs. He did not care that he was left by his wife. He started again. He did not forget the sea he was anxious to eat them. He desired them much. He was careful when he sat down on the rock and ate the sea-eggs. Then his wife returned home, and Born-to-be-the-Sun finished having wives. He was just left by his wife. That is the end.

Kwakiutl Tales, by Franz Boas; (Columbia University Contributions to Anthropology, Volume II) New York: Columbia University Press; [1910] and is now in the public domain.


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