Haida texts and myths

by Unknown

When the daughters went to bed he shot in as a spark. Then he sat at the head of the bed and laid his hands on them. “Who are you?” [they said]. And he said, “It is I.” “Who is I?” “I am He-who-got-supernatural-power-from-his-little-finger.” When he was a boy and was whittling, something stuck into his little finger.[10] That is why he was so called. Then the woman[11] said: “For him alone my father has kept me.”

And, when she replied to him, he married her. When day broke her father said: “I wonder what supernatural being was talking to my daughter last night. I had her for He-who-got-supernatural-power-from-his-little-finger.” Then she said to her father: “Father, he is the one, he says.”

“Now, my child, come down and sit by the fire with your husband.” And they came down and sat there. They spread out a mat for him, and he gave him food. They brought out berries and grease. Flames came out of them. They put some into a tray and set it before him. The woman told him not to eat it. After he had swallowed medicine four times he took some. When he had taken two mouthfuls he stopped. It passed quickly through his insides burning. He stood up and, where he had sat, smoke rose.

Next day he said to his daughter: “Let your husband go and get an alder for me which stands behind the house.” And he got up quickly. Then she clung to her husband crying. “Alas! the supernatural beings think they can do everything. They have me marry their sons. By and by he begins to do this way.” Then he said to his wife: “Let me go. I will see what he is going to do to me.” And she said to her husband: “Go to it after it has come together and lightning has flashed in it four times.”

Then his father-in-law gave him a stone wedge, and he went along a trail running inland side of the house. After he had gone in some distance [he saw] it standing far off. After it had come together and [[241]]lightning had shot in it four times he spit medicine before him and went to it. After he had chopped at it a while and it had fallen, he found himself inside of its mouth (lit.). There was no way to get out. Something held him tight.

Then his father’s supernatural powers came to him. Four having their hair tied in bunches with cedar limbs came quickly to him. Two had wedges in their hands. Two had big hammers. Then they worked at the alder, and they split it. They pulled him out. He rubbed medicine upon himself and became as he had been before.

When he pulled it apart human bones burst out of it. Some of these were like whole human bodies; some were just held together by the ligaments. Then he trod the alder into bits and threw them around. “Those will be useful to the very last people.” Then he carried half of it off on his shoulder, let one end down on the ground in front of the house, and struck the house front hard. Then his father-in-law said: “Alas! he has killed my supernatural helper.” Then he went in and lay by his wife behind the screens. His father-in-law had the fire quenched, they say.[12]

Next day he again said to his daughter, “Come, my child, let your husband go for a small devilfish of mine which lives toward the point.” Then he again got up quickly. Again his wife clung to him. And his wife said: “They let me marry the sons of the supernatural beings who think themselves powerful. By and by he begins to do this way.” Then he said to his wife: “Let me go. I will see the thing he uses against me.” Then she gave her husband directions. “After it has spit upward and it has lightened four times go to it.”

Then he went to it. He shot it twice with the arrows his father had given to him. After it had shot up water four times he spit medicine in front of himself and went to it. After he had struck it with a stick[13] he was in its mouth.

When he was almost drowned in its slime he thought of his father’s supernatural helpers. Again the four came to him. They had clubs in their hands, and they clubbed it in the eyes. They pulled him out. He was covered with slime. Then he spit medicine upon himself. He became as he had been before. The bones in it were also many.