Tlingit myths and texts / recorded by John R. Swanton.

  • John R. Swanton
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Tlingit myths and texts / recorded by John R. Swanton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [nuLL. r,9 for some way of bringing such a state about. Then he wandered through all the world in search of things to eat. After all the human beings had been destroyed Raven made new ones out of leaves. Because he made this new generation, people know that he must have changed all of the first peojile who had sur- vived the flood, into stones. Since human beings were made from leaves people always die off rapidly in the fall of the year when flowers and leaves are fallinsr. At the time when he made this world. Raven made a devilfish digging-stick and went around to all created things (shellfish appar- ently) saying, “Are you going to hurt human beings? Say now either yes or no.” Those that said “No” he jiassed by; those that said “Yes” he rooted up. He said to the people, “When the tide goes out, your food will be there. When the tide comes in, your food will be in the woods,” indicating bear and other forest aniimds. In Raven s time the butts of ferns (klwAlx) were already cooked, but, after some women had brought several of these in. Raven broke a stick over the fern roots. Therefore they became green like this stick. He also broke the roots up into many layers one above another. Devilfish were very fat then, and the people used to make grease out of them, but, when Raven came to a jilace where they were inakinf he said, “Give me a piece of that hard thing.” That is why its fat- ness left it. [Corvus appellavit saxum, quod erat tectum algis, “Pudenda, ubi crescunt crines.” Nepotes patris eius rogaverunt, “Esne capilla- tus?” Et ille respondit, “Sane, pudenda mea pilis vestita sunt.” At modo habebat in mente copias algarum, quae protegebant saxum in quo sedebat.] One time Raven invited all the tribes of little people and laid down bear skins for them to sit on. After they had come in and reached the bear skins, they shouted to one another, “Here is a swampy, open space.” That was the name they gave to those places on the skins from which the hair had fallen out. By and by Raven seized the bear skins and shook them over the fire, when all the little people flew into the eyes of the human beings. He said, “You shall be pupils in people’s eyes,” and ever since human beings have had them. Now he went on from this place and camped by himself. There he saw a large sculpin trying to get ashore below him, and he said to it, “My uncle’s son, come ashore here. Come way up. One time, when you and I were going along in our uncle’s canoe we fell into the Avater. So come up a little farther.” Raven Avas very hungry, and, Avhen the sculpin came ashore, he seized it by its big, broad tail intending to eat it. But it slipped tlirough his fingers. Tliis happened many times, and each time the sculpin’s tail became smaller. That is AAdiy it is so slender to-da}^. Then Raven said to it, “Erpm now on you shall be named sculpin (weq!).”
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