Haida texts and myths

by Unknown

As soon as evening came they came after water with two large buckets. He met them there, and they said to him: “Prepare yourself.” And, when they went in, he looked through the doorway and saw that his wife had tears on her cheeks. They had Supernatural-being-always-in-a-cradle, the one who married her, hung up as if in a cradle.

When they got in near the fire, and on each side of it, with the water the bucket strings were broken. While the house was filled with steam, he went in quickly and got his wife. Then he put her under his arm and ran away with her. The house pole heads shouted: “He-who-got-supernatural-power-from-his-little-finger has taken his wife back.”

At once they pursued him. They ran after him in a great crowd. Supernatural-being-always-in-the-cradle ran after them crying. He came with his wife to the old man. Then he again put them into his mouth. When the crowd came to him they asked him: “Old man, did not He-who-got-supernatural-power-from-his-little-finger pass by upon this trail? He has taken his wife back.” Then he said: “I felt nothing.” And they hunted about a little farther. When they found nothing they asked him again: “Did not you feel anything upon it?” “No,” he said. Then they said to him: “You smell of a human being.” And they pushed him down. They felt all over him. Then he said: “You make me tired by your handling. You better stop searching me.” Then they went home from him.

And afterward he took them out. And he said: “Go along carefully with your wife upon this trail.” Then they went along the trail. After they had gone along for a while they came to the place [[247]]where the old man was. They got in with him and started off. After they had gone on a while longer he came with her to the town. He had got his wife back, and he stayed there with her always.

[The following excellent version of this story was obtained by Professor Boas from Charlie Edenshaw, chief of the Stᴀ′stas, a Masset family.]

In the village T’ī [on the west coast of Graham island] there was a boy who lived with his grandmother. His parents were dead. While he was still living in his little house with his grandmother, he used to make wands with a little shell knife. While doing so he ran a splint under his finger nail, which made his finger swell to an enormous size. Therefore he received the name Sʟᴇg̣otsg̣ā′noē.

One day the boy met a crane whose beak was broken. He carved a new beak for him out of wood. They were living in the last house of the village. He had ten uncles who were all chiefs. One of his uncles had a boy who was sick all the time. Now, the boy who had healed the crane, took a small mat, which he tied round his waist like a shaman’s apron. He made a rattle of cockleshell and carved a shaman’s wand for his own use. He tried to imitate the shamans who were trying to heal his cousin. One day the youth went to his uncle’s house, which was full of people. He looked into it and saw a bone sticking in his sick cousin’s side. A black man was standing on each side of the door. They were the porpoises. The boy thought: “If I am able to remove that bone my cousin will recover.” The two black men said at once: “This boy says a bone is in the sick boy’s side, and that he is able to pull it out.” Then the people laughed at him, but they allowed him to try. The crane had given him a shaman’s powers, although he did not know it. Then he pulled out the bone, and his cousin arose, healed and well. Then he put it back again, and he was sick again. Now the boy returned to his house. He said to his grandmother: “I am able to save my cousin.” She struck him, saying: “Don’t say so, else they will punish you.” But he was able to see the bone in his cousin’s side, although nobody else was able to discover it.

Now the chief sent for his nephew. One of his slaves went to call him. Then his grandmother said: “Surely, the chief is going to kill us.” Then the boy took his mat apron, his rattle, and his wand and went to his uncle’s house. There were many shamans inside. He went around the fire, keeping the fireplace to his left. Then he pulled the bone out of his cousin’s body, blew upon him, while the people were beating time, and the sick boy recovered. Then he put it in again, and he felt sick again. The sick boy said that he had felt better for a little while, but that he was sick again. The other shamans tried again to cure him, but they were unable to do so. Then the sick boy asked them to send once more for his cousin. They sent for him, and, when he came, they offered him all kinds of property, but he refused it. [[248]]But the two porpoises knew his thoughts, and said: “Lk·anqēosʼg̣a′noe (= Jumping-on-one-leg, name of the poor boy) wishes to have the paraphernalia which his father wore when dancing.” His uncle promised to give them to him. Then he pulled out the bone and healed his cousin.

Now he wore a beautiful apron instead of his mat apron; he used a wooden rattle instead of his shell rattle, and a bone wand instead of his wooden wand. Now he was a great shaman.

After some time he heard about a great chief whose name was T’êckoa′nayē. He wished to visit him. He had a beautiful daughter whom all the chiefs desired to marry, but he did not accept them. He killed all her suitors. He invited them to a meal and made them sit down near the fire. Then he put four stones into his fire, and, when they were red-hot, he put them into a dish. Then he made them swallow the stones.