Immediately she became angry. Her labret moved as if some one had shaken it. Then she hunted in her box. At the same time her tears fell as if something were poured out. Taking something out of it she put it into her mouth. It was a white powder. She spit it upon her hands and rubbed it on the soles of her feet. Then her husband, who sat near her, took some that fell about. He at once rubbed it upon the soles of his feet. She did this because she was going to leave him.
Then she went down to the beach, and he followed her and went away with her on the surface of the sea. She did not look at him. Then she said to Supernatural-being-who-went-naked: “You better go back from me before I look at you.” And he said: “What kind of look is this dangerous look?” Then she looked toward him, and he went right under water. There was not a sign of him. And she entered her father’s house.
Then she said to her father: “Father, I made him fall in by looking. I looked toward him. Come! try to fish him out.” Then her father pulled apart the stone floor planks. He fished for him between them. Then he pulled him out, with nothing but his joints holding together. Then he spit medicine upon him, and he got up and went toward his place.
And, after he arrived there, they sent for Master Carpenter. Then he had a mountain placed upon ten canoes. And his younger brothers were settled there one after the other. Then he put a sky blanket upon his sister and seated her on the mainland. And he seated his mother on the Haida country.[38]
Now, he put on a dancing blanket and dancing leggings and started along on land near his younger brothers [who were going along in their canoe]. He bent over as he ran, and farther off he stood up straight. In that way Supernatural-being-who-went-naked became the Swamp-robin.[39] And his younger brothers lay still on the water out at sea. People sometimes become shamans [by getting power] out of that canoe.
Like the preceding this seems to be a strictly Haida story, although the gā′gix̣īt idea was also popular among the Tlingit of Alaska. This fact, together with its length and complication and the insight it gives into the mythology of the Haida people, render it one of the most interesting of all. One of the myths obtained by me at Masset bore this same name, but resembled it only in the concluding portion, the first part being like that of He-who-got-supernatural-power-from-his-little-finger. [[227]]
[1] That is, weak supernatural beings or powers acted through him, rendering him also weak, unlike his elder brothers. [↑]
[2] The cry raised to summon opponents to a contest, especially to a trial of strength or to a gambling contest. [↑]
[3] See [preceding story], note [5]. [↑]