Haida texts and myths

by Unknown

Then she turned round again. And she took something blue out of the box.[15] Then she bit off part for him. “Here is something for you when you think of eating medicine, Go up to Gū′łg̣a lake. There lives Among-the-hemlock-boughs, who destroyed your younger brothers. When you come to the shore opposite him where the ground [[214]]is trodden down by many feet, whistle for him, and when he comes out to you and has nearly reached you drop on the ground quickly. Then you will come to yourself sitting in his belly. Put medicine upon yourself. Then you will restore your younger brothers. And when your younger brothers are gone again run quickly to Sealion-town. Then climb into the tree which lies seaward at the end of the trail running inland. When

Then he went away. After he had been in bed for a while, day began to break, and he went up to the woods and reached his destination. There was a place there trodden bare by many feet. The footprints of human beings were in it.

Then, just as day began to break, he whistled. After he had done this for a while something like a person with his hair floating upon the water came along. When it got near him, he dropped flat, and, after some space of time had elapsed, lo, he came to himself in its belly. Then he put the medicine upon himself and stretched himself in its belly. His younger brothers’ bones poured out. He, too, was thrown out on top of them.

Then the hemlock was moving there. And he went to get it. He struck it. It was as when something is split up fine. Then he laid aside two branches and took two short ones. Then he threw one [of the latter] so that it went into a tree. And he threw another one. It stuck endwise into a hemlock. He spit after it. And he said: “Future people will use these as fishhooks in getting food.”[16]

Then he spit the medicine upon his younger brothers. They arose. And he said: “Go together to the place where you used to sit.” Then he, too, followed them, and, after they had enjoyed seeing each other for a while, again one was gone. One after the other all seven disappeared.

Then he whittled the hemlock limbs. He sharpened the ends and put them over the fire. Then he took these at midnight and went to Sealion-town. And he climbed up into a tree which stood at the end of the trail.

After he had sat there for a while two pieces of pitchwood came burning out of the ocean like lanterns. They came below him like lanterns. Wonderful to see, a wā′sg̣o[17] came and stood there. At the tree lying seaward it sat. It was coming to him. It had a whale in its mouth. It had another one in the curl of its tail.

And, when it got just under him, he sat down between its ears. And he pushed the hemlock limbs into its ears. Then he again pulled [[215]]himself up into the tree. It staggered around underneath. At daybreak, when the raven called, it fell as if thrown down.[18]

Then he pushed it about [preparing to skin it] and was going to cut it open. But it thundered and lightened. Then he skinned it and cut it open. He caused his younger brothers’ bones to burst out and spit medicine upon them. They rose, and he said: “Go to the place where you used to sit.” The next day one was again missing and the day after another. It went on in this way until all seven were again gone.

And, after he had sat around for a while, he started off aimlessly. After he had gone along for a while he heard something in the middle of the island which sounded like a drum. Then he went to it. Lo! he came to a trail. It had been recently trodden upon. After he had traveled on this for a while he came to a house. The door was on one side of the front. Inside of the house something made a noise like a drum.