Haida texts and myths

Big-tail.

Reading edition

[Told by Job Moody of the Witch people.]

Now he put tobacco into his mouth. After it he put in calcined shells. Then he went down to the house of Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea. And he entered his house. And Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea said to him: “Big-tail, bring that box of mine to me.” Then he put his box before him. They sat at either end.

And he reached his hand into the box for another one. When he took that out he also seized that. “What will happen when you sing for it?” “There will be two whales.” That, too, he refused.

Then Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea became angry. Now he said to him: “This he also refuses. What can you do, Big-tail? I will destroy you with a strong current of water.” And he said to him: “Let it flow at me. Human beings will laugh at you.”

Then he again asked him: “What will happen when one sings for it?” And he said to him: “There will be ten whales.” He also refused that. While they held the dancing hat between them, some handsome persons with curly hair over their foreheads and large eyes kept coming out from behind the screens and going back again. He wanted them and pointed at them. “Let those persons sing.” And he refused to give them away. All that time he also held the dance hat. By and by he let him have [these along with] the headdress. Then they struck the two persons on the nose and pushed them out.

In that house he learned how to tie on the strings of the headdress. When he had finished learning how the flicker feathers were going to be placed upon it, he went away from him again.

And, after he had sat there looking unhappy for a while, he said: “Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea is going to give a feast. The drum sounded because they are practicing songs. He is going to invite all the supernatural beings. I will go down again and look on.”

Some time after that his drum sounded again, he said, and he went down to him again. Then he entered his door, and Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea said to him, “Big-tail, I am going to invite the supernatural beings to a feast. Come and sit near me so that we may both look on.” Invitation had already been sent out.

After some time had passed, they began to come in. At that time he put Big-tail in his armpit. The killer whales came in through the doorway. The ends of their dorsal fins touched the roof of the house. And, where they were to sit, they came out of their skins and sat.

After they had continued to come in in this way for a while, a certain one who had to cramp his fins to enter came in and sat down.

During that time Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea held him in his armpit. He let him look at the supernatural beings. But the supernatural beings did not know it.

As before the house began to shake. Presently the feet of someone appeared coming in through the doorway. After some time had passed he stepped in, and the house shook. Then the supernatural beings said: “A”. He took a step with the other foot. Something with large, broad eyelids entered. Nothing happened.

The next one who came in also started to sing. Afterward he also came out from behind the screen wearing a mask. After they had sung a “Power-song” for him a while and put words into it, his face also split open. Something white and broad fell down around the house in front of the chiefs. Again it fell first by the vacant seat. When they put words into it again it split vertically. Then it again fell first by the vacant seat. After that it fell in front of the chiefs.

All the supernatural beings did the same thing. Sometimes one stood up with his fins on. In that way the sleight-of-hand performances went on.

After some time had passed Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea also began to dance. Then he made a good speech to the supernatural beings, after which he also sang. When he had got through singing he, too, came out wearing a big mask. He also wore a big fin. When they put words into the power song his mask also split. Out of that, too, something white fell. Some fell first by the vacant seat. Then they stopped singing the power song.

And next day he said: “Go out to hunt.” Then they found a whale floated ashore near by. And on account of that the Skidegate people ceased being hungry.

Some time later Supernatural-being-people-always-go-to begged him to accompany him. “Big-tail, go with me to see my elder brother.” And he did not know where he wanted him to go. Then he went with him as he requested. Then he launched a square canoe, he put Big-tail inside of his clothing, and they started off.

They went, went, went for a while, after which they came in sight of something white in the ocean like a mountain, and he let him look out at it. He said to him: “Big-tail, there is the house of my elder brother,” whereupon a strong wind arose, and they returned. They barely got home safe.

Then they dried themselves around the fire in the house of Supernatural-being-people-always-go-to. They talked with one another about it. He was among them. Then he said to him: “Big-tail, when another good day comes, come to go with me again.”

Some time afterward he went to his town again. And, when he entered, he asked him: “Big-tail, will you go with me again?” “Yes,” he said to him. At once they started off again. After they had paddled seaward for a while he said his house had again come in sight. He let him look out. In truth his great white house appeared at intervals over the waves. And again a strong wind arose from the house. It drove them back again.

He spoke through him for a while longer. Then he became lame. And, after he had sat in the house for a while, he said: “Let me go down to see why a drum is sounding in the house of Supernatural-being-looking-landward.” Then he chewed tobacco, lay down, and continued there for a while.

Now, when he entered his house, Supernatural-being-looking-landward said to him: “I am glad to see you, Big-tail.” In those words he said he was glad to see him. At this time they raised up the stuff they were stirring up with a stick, and it stuck to it. Before he had eaten of that he went up, and, when he awoke, he said: “Why did I come away so soon? I ought to have eaten whale tongue with them.”

After he had sat there for another space of time, he said: “I wonder why a drum has been sounding in the house of Supernatural-being-looking-landward. Let me go down again.”

Then he chewed tobacco, and, while he lay there, he got into his house. Even while he was in the doorway he called to him: “Wait, Big-tail, you better not go up from me. I will invite the supernatural beings.”

And next day he repeated it to the people. “Let no one go anywhere. Supernatural-being-looking-landward says he will give some food to the human beings.” But still they all went out to look for food again up and down the inlet.

Now an old man in the house said: “The chief’s son would do it if he could. Even I will put out a few sea-eggs.” The first time he promised not the least thing happened. Because the old man said he would put out a little, they had more sea-eggs than they needed in Skidegate inlet.

This story is one of the most important for an understanding of shamanism among the Haida. The word used for “tail” here is applied to the tail of a fish or whale, and the word for “big,” qō′na, also involves the idea of great power.

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Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · In recent years more particularly associated with the smallpox. ↑Note 2 · Mouse-woman belonged to the Qā′gials qē′g̣awa-i of Skedans; he was born into the Seaward-Sqoā′ładas. ↑Note 3 · Fasting, drinking sea water, etc., to assist the shaman. ↑Note 4 · This supernatural being lived under a reef in front of Dead Tree point. He is said to have been identical with Qonā′tc (see the story of He-Note 5 · The outer (i.e., eastern) point of Alliford bay on the southern shore of Skidegate inlet. ↑Note 6 · Welcome point is just east of the preceding. ↑ a b Note 7 · That is, what will happen when one uses the songs belonging to this dancing hat. ↑Note 8 · One of the elaborate kind, with rows of weasel skins hanging from the back part. He obtains sea otters with this instead of whales. ↑Note 9 · Bare island, the outer of the two islands in front of Skidegate. ↑Note 10 · They became so numerous that he did not bother to count just how many he got. ↑Note 11 · That is, they now found the whales in the places where, at his command, they had before hunted unsuccessfully. ↑Note 12 · An onomatopœtic word imitating the blowing of a killer whale. Having just been with the killer whales, he makes this noise when he wakes up.Note 13 · His wife’s name: Haida, Yakułsī′. ↑Note 14 · See story of “How Master Carpenter began making a canoe to war with Southeast.” ↑Note 15 · The noted ancestress of the Eagles (see stories of Stone-ribs and Djila′qons) and Creek-woman at the head of a stream flowing into the West Note 16 · Creek-woman at the head of Telel creek, east coast of Graham island. See story of “Raven traveling,” note 37. ↑Note 17 · See the story of “How Master Carpenter began making a canoe to war with Southeast.” Tidal-wave owned the tube full of water which produced a Note 18 · In other words, he was wearing one of those composite masks of which such numbers have been taken from this coast. ↑ a b Note 19 · Or “Sacred-one-standing-and-moving;” see story quoted in note 17. ↑Note 20 · All ate from one long piece stretched around the entire room. ↑Note 21 · A kind of berry which I have not identified. ↑Note 22 · The word used here, tag̣ᴀ′nsgia, refers to a certain kind of root. ↑Note 23 · Fire being the gateway between the material and the spirit world. ↑Note 24 · I′ʟꜝgas, one of the names of Cape Ball, but applied to many other supernatural beings also. ↑Note 25 · The proper rendering of this sentence is doubtful, but the sense is as here indicated. ↑ a b Note 26 · Spit point, which closes the southern side of the entrance to Skidegate inlet. ↑Note 27 · According to some Qonā′tc became Supernatural-being-looking-landward at the end of his career, but others said most emphatically that it was Note 28 · That is, Ne-koon or Rose spit; a long sand spit that runs northeastward from the corner of Graham island between Dixon entrance and Hecate s Note 29 · An old town site just north of Lawn hill at the northern entrance of Skidegate inlet. ↑Note 30 · Toward Rose spit and toward Skidegate. ↑Note 31 · That is, the fern women; see the story of Sacred-one-standing-and-moving, note 18 and accompanying text. ↑Note 32 · In the neighborhood of Da′x̣ua. ↑Note 33 · A place near the site of New Gold Harbor at the eastern end of Maude island, Skidegate inlet. ↑Note 34 · Selwyn inlet. ↑Note 35 · Unidentified. ↑Note 36 · A cape in the inlet. ↑Note 37 · Mouse-woman adopted him.1 Presently, after she had lived at Skidegate for a while, supernatural powers began to try him. After some time he Note 38 · Then he prepared to dance upon the surface of the ocean. He was going out after whales. Then they began to observe the regulations.2 [They d Note 39 · Then he asked them for his name. “What kind of supernatural being am I?” he said. Then they guessed at his name. By and by an old man said: Note 40 · While he was speaking through him he said to him: “How many whales are there going to be?” He said to him: “One floats at Point-tꜝā′łᴀs.”4 A Note 41 · After another long space of time had elapsed, Welcome-point’s5 son spoke through him. He put words into his song inside of his father’s hous Note 42 · Then he took out a dancing hat with sea gulls carved upon it. And at the very edges of the box Big-tail stopped him as he held it. And he as Note 43 · And, when they talked well to each other again, he took another out. While they yet held this one between them, he saw it was a chief’s danc Note 44 · Then he imitated the headdress. And, when it was finished, he danced with it on. And he began to say: “The sea otter will come floating.” An Note 45 · Afterward they kept on being found in this way. When one was out in a good place where currents met, he did not count whether there were fif Note 46 · Then they began finding whales in the place where he had told them there were whales, although they had not found them. They now found them,Note 47 · Afterward, when he had acted as a shaman does for a while, he said: “I wonder what is going on in the house of Supernatural-being-at-whose-v Note 48 · And, after he had slept for a while, he spoke again in the same way as formerly, “Tcōxō′.”11 Then he got up carefully and gave away all off Note 49 · After that the house creaked. A strong current flowed in through the doorway. In it a great amount of seaweed was mingled. Through the doorw Note 50 · Some time after that something came along making a rattling noise. By and by she came in with a crowd of female servants. Djila′qons14 it wa Note 51 · But Woman-sitting-and-smelling15 walked in before her. After having sat there for a while she raised herself up. She began to talk to Djila′Note 52 · Some time after they say that Pestilence16 came in. His canoe was like a white man’s vessel. Sparks flew out of it. They went through the ho Note 53 · Then the nephew of Supernatural-being-at-whose-voice-the-ravens-sit-on-the-sea went out and said: “You are not the only one who has supernat Note 54 · Big-tail was guessing. “I guess it is he on whom we live [for whom the vacant space is left]. It is for The-one-below.”19 Note 55 · There was a great pile of property for those in the house. Before they entered their provisions came rolling in before them through the door Note 56 · Then Big-tail also went to Skidegate. After he had performed for a time in the same way as formerly, and, when they were starving, all began Note 57 · And, when they again got into the house, he called to him: “Big-tail, do not go with me again. My elder brother refuses to let you see the i Note 58 · Some time after he got back Yä′yū25 spoke through him. He made things happen by speaking through him. Four whales floated about. He did the Note 59 · Then he lay down. He lay there for a while and entered his house. Then some persons, with their fins together, stirred up soapberries in som Note 60 · Immediately he invited the people. They came in at once. When all got in he began to dance before them. They who came in wore fins. He dress Note 61 · Now they began eating what they had stirred up. They say they were whales’ tongues. Now, when this was over, the coast between Skidegate inl Note 62 · A long time after that they again began to starve. And there was nothing to eat at Skidegate. Then they took him to Da′x̣ua29, and they live Note 63 · One time he performed all night. Then Supernatural-being-looking-landward said to him: “Big-tail, have them stop making the little supernatu Note 64 · That night he again sang a song for himself. In the night the wind blew in from the sea. At daybreak he stopped singing. The day after that Note 65 · At that time the slaves at Skidegate starved to death. Then a man of the Seaward-sqoā′ładas set snares at ʟā′stᴀlañ33 for cormorants. His sl Note 66 · Some time after this people went to Skedans, and he wanted to go with them; and he went. And he arrived there with them. And the day after t Note 67 · Then they said to him: “Hurry, Big-tail, and come.” And he entered the house of Ku′ndjîgit.36 “Is it you, Big-tail?” And he said it was, and