He-who-was-born-from-his-mother’s-side
[Told by John Sky of Those-born-at-Skedans]
She was a chief’s child. She was a woman.[1] When she went out, they braced the hanging door open for her, and she went out frequently.[2] One day, when she came in, the stick slipped off, and the edge of the door touched her upon the side and made her sore there. By and by a hole appeared there, and, when the town people came to know that, her father gave orders to abandon her. Next day they left her.
Then she went down to the saltwater and washed her [sore]. There she put medicine upon it. One day, when she was washing, some bloody looking matter stuck out. And she was unable to pull it out. Then she again put medicine upon it and crept up to the house.
Next day she crept down to the water again, and, while she was washing it, she again pulled at it with her finger nails. Lo, she pulled it out. Then she laid it upon a stone, and, after she had put medicine on herself, picked it up and moved toward the house. Then she bent pieces of cedar bark, placed it in them, and put it side of the house outside.
Now she went to bed. While her back was turned to the fire a child cried. Then she rose quickly and, without standing up, ran out. And something inside the thing she had bent together was crying. She looked. A child lay in it. And, after she had taken it out, she washed it. Then she reared it. She had it as a companion.
And very soon he began to creep. Before he had eaten anything he began to walk. One day he started to cry. He said: “Ha ʟ̣”[3] Then she made a bow for him. She used a young hemlock limb. When it was finished, she gave it to him. After he had looked at it he put it into the fire. She made them for him out of all kinds of wood. Each time he did the same thing.
By and by she made one for him out of real yew. Wā-ā-ā-ā-ā′, it looked red. It was pretty. After he had looked at that, too, for a while he threw it into the fire, and the blunt-pointed arrows along with it.
Then she pounded out copper for him. She hammered a string on so that it could not be removed. She also hammered out two arrows. One had the figure of a weasel. The other had the figure of a mouse on it. When she handed these to him he did not look at them. He at once went off.
After he had been gone for some time, he brought in some wrens[4] [[228]]and said to his mother: “Pick and eat them.” Then his mother picked them and steamed them. When they were cooked she ate them. His mother tried to have him eat some. But he shook his head. He absolutely refused.
Then he again went off. He came back. He brought many song sparrows,[5] and his mother steamed them and ate. But he did not eat. Next day he went off again. He brought in a number of mallard,[6] and his mother plucked and singed them. She pulled them apart and ate one.
And next day he started off again. He brought in a number of geese.[7] He went off the next day. He brought a white porpoise,[8] and he brought a hair seal.[9] The day after he brought a whale.[10] He had stopped hunting birds.
Then he started off again. He stayed away longer than usual and brought in many flickers.[11] Then he said to his mother: “After you have skinned these, lay the sinews on one side.” Then his mother skinned them and laid the sinews on one side. And, after she had finished, she placed them together. She made five rows, and she sewed them together with their own sinews. After she had finished he shook it. The flickers upon it went flying back and forth.
Then he stretched his mother’s house. He set up two planks in the rear of the house. Between them he hung the blanket.
Next day he went out and brought home woodpeckers.[12] Then she treated those in the same way in order to make a blanket. After she had finished he went to it and shook it. Upon that, too, the birds flew about in a flock. Then he went to bed. He ate nothing all that time. All that time he fasted.
Then he again set out. After he had stayed away longer than before he brought in a bunch of tanagers.[13] Those, too, his mother made [into a blanket]. When it was finished, he also went to that. He shook it. Those also flew about upon it. He laid that, too, on top of [the planks] in the rear of the house.
Next day he started off again and brought home a bunch of sixᴀsʟdᴀ′lgaña.[14] Those his mother also sewed into a blanket. And, when it was finished, he shook it. They flew about upon it. He laid that upon [the planks] also.
The next day he went out again. [He got] blue jays,[15] and his mother sewed those together.
After that he again started off. After he had been absent for some time he returned with the daughter of He-who-travels-behind-us,[16] whom he had married.
After he had lived with her a while, one morning he continued to lie abed. While he was still in bed, something went along under his pillow talking. “He-who-was-born-from-his-mother’s-side, are you [[229]]awake? Do you not feel that the supernatural beings, whom people are afraid even to think of, are gathering together against you?”
Then he ran out. He saw nothing. And he went out again. He pulled along an old man and made him sit at the end of the town. That was Heron,[17] they say.
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 surface of the salt water he glanced upward. A thunderbird flew about above the town. It carried [his grandfather’s] town in its claws.
Then he went to the old man and said to him: “Grandfather, they are coming after me.” “What is the bow of the canoe like?” “A thunderbird is flying about above the town. He carries a town in his talons.” And the old man said to him: “Now, brave man, shoot it with arrows.”
Now he shot it with the one that had the figure of a mouse upon it, and it dropped the town. Lo and behold! he (the thunderbird) burst.[18] He put together their bones. If any of them was wanting, he repaired it with salmon-berry bushes. Then he went home. He had restored his grandfather’s town.
Again he lay in bed in the morning. Again something, passing beneath his pillow, said: “He-who-was-born-from-his-mother’s-side, are you awake? Do you not feel that the supernatural beings, whom people are afraid even to think of, are coming together against you?” Then he seized his bow quickly and ran out. And around a point at one end of the town came ten canoes with red bows.
Then he went over to his grandfather. “Grandfather, they are coming to fight with me by sea.” And his grandfather asked him what the bows of the canoes looked like. He told him that the bows of the canoes were red. “Now, brave man, have the town people pull î′nłîñ[19] out of the ground and spread it before them.” And he did as he had said. In a short time they rolled their eyes upward. Those were the silver salmon,[20] they say.
Still another time, while he was lying down, something passing under his pillow spoke the same words as before. Then he picked up his bow and ran out. And he looked at those who were coming. The bows of their canoes had vertical stripes.
Then he again went to his grandfather. “They are coming by sea to fight with me.” And he said: “Stop! brave man, what are the bows of their canoes like?” “The bows of their canoes have vertical stripes on them.” “Now, brave man, have the town pull up î′nłîñ and throw it about before them.” And so he had it done. At once their eyes were rolled upward. They were the dog salmon,[21] they say. He-who-was-born-from-his-mother’s-side made them cowards by putting î′nłîñ-teeth[19] into their mouths. [[230]]
After another space of time had elapsed, something again said as it had said before: “He-who-was-born-from-his-mother’s-side, are you awake? Do you not feel that the supernatural beings, whom people are afraid even to think of, are coming together against you?” Then he picked up his bow and ran out. Again there were ten canoes with red paintings on their bows.
Then he went to his grandfather. “They are coming after me by sea, grandfather.” “Stop! brave man, what are the bows of their canoes like?” “They have red paintings upon them.” Then he said to him: “Have the urine in this town gathered together and hot stones put into it. Then have it spilled about in front of them.” And so he did. Those were the sand fleas,[22] they say.
By and by, something went along under his pillow, saying the same thing it had said before, and he again laid hold of his bow. Again ten canoes with their bows painted red were coming along.
Then he started off to his grandfather. “They are coming against me by sea.” “What, brave man, what do the bows of their canoes look like?” “The canoe bows have red paintings on them.” “Do the same way you did when you destroyed the others.” Then he again spilled urine around in front of them. Again their dead bodies lay around thickly. These were the fleas,[22] they say.
And he again lay in bed. Something passed hurriedly under his pillow. “He-who-was-born-from-his-mother’s-side, are you awake? Do you not feel that the supernatural beings, whom people do not even like to think of, are assembled against you?” He quickly took his bow. He looked in the direction from whence they had always come. Nothing was to be seen. Then he also looked upward. There was nothing in sight. Then he looked toward the edges of the sky. Lo! a great fire came toward him upon the surface of the ocean.[23]
Then he went to the old man. “Grandfather, they are coming to me by sea.” “What do the canoe bows look like?” “The edges of the sky come burning.” “Alas! Alas! I wonder what will happen. Now, brave man, scatter the bones of the town people about in front of the town and stand the sides and ends of the grave boxes on their edges in front of the houses. People always endeavor to stop it that way, brave man.”
And, after it had come along burning for a while, it came to the human bones. After some time had passed it burned through. It burned through in another place. By and by it came landward faster, without having been stopped. When it reached the sides and ends of the grave boxes it stopped there also.
He put on his five blankets and put his mother in his armpit. His wife he put in the knot in his hair. Then he walked about behind [the boxes]. After some time those were also thrown down by the fire. Immediately he started off. [[231]]
After he had gone toward the middle of this island for a while, something said to him: “This way, grandson; my house is strong.” At once he turned thither. He entered the house and sat down. While he sat there the noise of burning sounded on top of his house. After a while a red hole was burned through the roof of his house. Then they pulled him up. They struck him from behind with their fists. When he bent over to go out one of his blankets was burned off. That was Fallen-tree-lying-with-one-end-in-the-water whose house he was in.
After he had gone on for a while [something said]: “This way, grandson; my house is strong.” Then he entered and sat down. The roof of that was also burned through. Then they pushed him out. When he was burned another blanket was burned off. That was Yellow-cedar’s house, they say.
After he had run for some time longer something else called to him, “This way, grandson; my house is strong.” He entered and sat down. After it had burned on the roof of the house for a while there was again a red hole there. Then they pushed him out. Another one was lost. That was Yew’s house, they say.
After he had run about something else called him in. “Come in, grandson; my house is strong.” And he went in and sat down. After he had sat there a while there was again a red hole in the house. Then they pushed him out. Another blanket was burned off. This was Spruce’s[24] house, they say.
And, after he had gone some time longer, something called him in. “This way, grandson; my house is strong.” He entered and sat down. After he had sat there for a while there was another red hole in the roof of the house. Then they drove him out with their fists. When he bent down to go out, a blanket was burned off. His mother was also burned away. That was Rock’s house, they say.
And, after he had gone on a while longer, something else called him in, “This way, grandson; my house is very strong.” Then he went in and sat down. The noise of fire was heard on the roof for a while, and, when it stopped, he went out. That was Swamp’s house, they say.
After he had wandered about upon this island for a while he heard the sound of a hammer. He went thither. Lo! an old man was repairing a canoe with cedar limbs. Where it had not had a crack he split it with his wedge. He made holes about this with his gimlet and sewed the place together again.
After he had looked at him a while, he stole his gimlet and went under a clump of ferns with it. Then the old man hunted for his gimlet. Then he put his finger nails into his mouth. Presently he said: “Grandson, if it is you, come to me. News has come about you that Burning-sky pursued you for your five blankets.”
Then he went to him. He gave him his gimlet. It was old and [[232]]rotten, they say. Then he made one for him. He also gave him a whetstone. Then he picked up two creeks near the town and told him to look on attentively. “Now, grandfather, act as you are going to when common surface birds[25] get food for themselves.” Then he made him a beak out of the creeks. He also gave him some feather clothing. And he said to him: “Now, grandfather, practice.”[26]
So [Heron] flew away. He sat on a kelp floating about in front of the burned town. After he had sat watching for a while he speared something with his beak. An eel was moving in his mouth. He swallowed it. Then he flew away again and sat near the canoe.
Then he said to him: “Now, grandson, come with me. Go out and look for your blankets again. Those on the other side are not chiefs. Now, grandson, go and get the canoe. You are going to see your blankets.” The old man got into the stern also, and they went oceanward.
They went, went, went a while and came to his town, to Burning-sky’s town. Then they came down to meet him. Part of them also filled the house as if something had poured into it. And they said to one another: “They say he has brought his nephew, Sandhill-crane,[27] to dance.”
And he gave him these directions: “When I go in look toward the rear of the house. After your poor nephew has danced go over and get your blankets. And you will also get your mother neatly.”
Then he landed. He went up. And he had a little box in his hand. He had a baton. When he got inside, he stretched himself. Lo! his blankets were hung in the rear of the house. His mother also sat in front of them. He sat down in the middle of the side of the house. The house had ten rows of retaining timbers.
Then he hunted in his small box. He took his nephew out of it, wā-ā-ā-ā-ā. And he stood him up. He began dancing. He took the end of his wing in his mouth. After he had moved backward a while, the people in the house [said] “S-s-s-s-s-s” [with pleasure]. Those on the top step went to sleep at the sight.
After he had danced a while, he stuck his baton up, took [his nephew] and threw him at it. At once he was a weasel[28] climbing up on it. Again they said “S-s-s-s-s-s.” The next row went to sleep.
And he again picked him up and threw him at the baton. He became a woodpecker[12] and climbed up it. Again those in the house said, “S-s-s-s-s-s.” The next row below went to sleep.
By and by he picked him up again. He threw him at it. He climbed up as a California creeper.[29] Again [they said], “S-s-s-s-s-s.” Again Then he took his baton and put it back into the box. “Enough. I think he has danced a long time.” He put him away. Then He-who-was-born-from-his-mother’s-side went to the rear of the house, put on [[233]]his blankets, and took his mother. Then the old man went out quickly. They got into the canoe and went off. When they were halfway home it came burning after them again. When it got near, he breathed toward it, and it stopped. Then they came home, and he went up. Again his five blankets were burned off, and his mother as well. He reached for his wife. She, too, was gone. They took her away from him to marry her, they say. Then he wandered on aimlessly. After he had gone along a while he let himself fall to the ground and wept. He looked toward the forest. All the trees wept with him. Then he looked seaward. All the fishes beneath its surface wept with him. Now he had his fill of crying and went on again. After he had wandered on for a while [he heard] some people laughing and talking. And he went thither. They were trying to shoot leaves off of a big tree. As soon as they had shot one down they ate it. When he got there they moved back from it. “He-who-was-born-from-his-mother’s-side is going to shoot,” they said. Then he shot at it. He shot it near the base. It began to fall. He made the supernatural beings rejoice by his shot. And he said, “Take care of its eggs (seeds). I will let my cousin, Cloud-woman, take off the head [of seeds].”[30] That was tobacco, they say. Then they sent for her, and she came by canoe. She took all of its eggs. These she began to plant. They were spread all over this island. This short story is given as if it were a purely Haida myth, but from an abstract of another version obtained in 1878 by Dr. G. M. Dawson it would seem possible that it came originally from the mainland. The abstract referred to runs as follows: “Long ago the Indians (first people or ancient people—thlin-thloo-hait) had no tobacco, and one plant only existed, growing somewhere far inland in the interior of the Stickeen country. This plant was caused to grow by the deity, and was like a tree, very large and tall. With a bow and arrows a man shot at its summit, where the seed was, and at last brought down one or two seeds, which he carried away, carefully preserved, and sowed in the following spring. From the plants thus procured all the tobacco afterward cultivated sprung.” (Dawson’s Report on the Queen Charlotte Islands, Montreal, 1880.) [[235]] [1] These two sentences, which sound ridiculous in English, are rendered necessary here by the fact that Haida has only one personal pronoun for the third person singular. [↑] [2] The ancient doorway through the foot of the house pole was closed by a plank hinged at the top. [↑] [3] Ḷ indicates the shape of a bow. When a supernatural being was born he grew up quickly, and soon cried for a bow, but would only be satisfied with one made of copper. [↑] [4] The Western Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis pacificus, Baird). [↑] [5] The Rusty Song Sparrow (Melospiza fasciata guttata, Nutt.). [↑] [7] The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis, Linn.). [↑] [8] See the story of [Sacred-one-standing-and-moving], note [2]. [↑] [9] Or Harbor Seal (Phoca largha, Pallas). [↑] [10] Balænoptera retifera, Cope. [↑] [11] The Northwestern Flicker (Colaptes cafer saturatior, Ridgw.). [↑] [12] The name for all woodpeckers is the same. ↑ [a] [b] [13] Louisiana Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana, Wils.). [↑] [14] I have not identified this bird. It is said to be small. [↑] [15] The word for blue jay here is rather unusual and is so nearly like that applied to the kinglet (łtᴀ′ndjîget) that my interpreter may have made a mistake. Generally the blue jay is called ʟꜝai′ʟꜝai. One of my native informants applied this name to Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri, Gmel.). [↑] [16] His story comes next. [↑] [17] A variety of the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias, Linn.). [↑] [18] Letting out the bones of the inhabitants of this town whom he had swallowed. Perhaps the story of how this town was destroyed should have preceded. [↑] [19] A low plant with white seed vessels. There are said to be sharp points around the bottom of its stalk, referred to as Î′nłîñ-tcꜝîñ or Î′nłîñ-teeth. ↑ [a] [b] [20] Or Cohoe (Onchorynchus kisutch, Walbaum). [↑] [21] Onchorynchus keta, Walbaum. [↑] [22] I do not know just what insects are referred to under the names of ku′ndax̣uñ and sqā′-i. ↑ [a] [b] [23] Compare the story of [Łᴀguadjî′na]. [↑] [24] This is the commonest Haida tree, the word for spruce and that for tree being, indeed, identical. [↑] [25] That is, “human beings.” [↑] [26] That is, he instructs Heron how he is to act in future times, or how men are to see him. [↑] [29] Certhia familiaris occidentalis, Ridgw. This identification of the Haida name is a little uncertain. [↑] [30] The word for cousin indicates a woman of the other clan, which in this case must have been the Eagle clan, the hero being himself a Raven. It would thus seem that tobacco was supposed to have belonged originally to the Eagle clan. [↑]