Sacred-one-standing-and-moving, Stone-ribs, and Upward

[Told by John Sky of Those-born-at-Skedans]

By and by his younger brothers disappeared. It was not known whither they had gone. Morning came and his mother wept. Again when day broke she wept. One day, when she stopped crying, she said: “My eldest boy is as if he did not exist. When morning comes my mind is always the same” (i.e., without gladness).

After she had said this to him for some time he got tired of hearing it and said to his sister: “Sister, pour salt water into the box my mother owns so that I may bathe in it.” Then she put on her belt. She laid her mother’s stone box down near the door and poured water into it.

Then her brother crept over to it and just managed to crawl into it. After he had stayed in it for a while he could not keep his buttocks under water. Then his sister pressed down on his back with the poker which lay near the fire. After she had pressed down upon him for a while she took away the stick. There was a small depth of water over his back. Now she pressed him down again, and, when she removed it from him, his back was well under the water. Then he broke the sides of the box by stretching.

And again he called to his sister: “Sister, pour some water into another of your mother’s boxes.” Then she again poured some into one. He got into it and stretched his knees out in it. He broke that, too, at the joints.

And again he called to his sister: “Sister, pour some water into another.” Then he broke that also at the joints. He did the same thing to another one. He broke four with his knees.

Then he went into the sea. After he had remained there for a while something just touched him. He reached for it. He seized the tail of a flounder. Now he called to his sister: “Sister, roast and eat this.”

And after he had been in the water a while longer something again touched him. He reached for it. He seized half a halibut and threw it over to his sister. Then he said to his sister: “Roast that. Do not steam it.”

“Come hither, grandson.” At once he went to him. Then he said to him: “Now, grandson, turn your breast (or ‘face’) to me.” Immediately he turned his breast to him. He struck him with the knot. It was as when something is rubbed into fine pieces. And he struck him with the g̣ōdañxō′sgî. It became like the other. Then he said to him: “Now, grandson, turn your back to me.” And so he did. He struck him with the kwē′aogia′g̣adañ. He did not feel it. Then he struck him with the seaweed. He nearly knocked him over. Far off he recovered his balance.

“Wait a while, grandson. We will wrestle with (lit., “feel”) each other,” he said to him. “Now, grandson, let us try each other.” And they laid hold of each other. After he (the man) had shoved him about he almost threw him down. Then he turned away smiling. “Grandson, yours has more strength. Swim down the inlet.”

He went along; he went along and presently swam ashore at Sealion-town. Then he dried himself by the fire and went to bed. After he had been in bed for a while, and day had begun to break, he went out.

Now he went to it. He moved it aside with his hand. To his astonishment there was a painted house front there with the planks sewed together. And she said to him, “Come in to me, grandson. News has come that you want to borrow something of me.”

Then she hunted in her box. She bit off part of something for him. “Now, my son, here it is.” And she said to him: “When you get home and go up to Gū′łga lake, take along your bow. There you will shoot a mallard. Blow up its stomach and put its grease into it. I know that what destroyed your younger brothers lives there. You are going to restore your younger brothers. Eat some [of the grease].”

Then he went down upon the beach and picked up a big clam shell. Then he steamed the duck and put the duck grease into the clam shell. He took out the duck meat to eat. Then he put a [hot] stone into the duck grease. At that time the duck grease boiled over. All the things that live in the forest said: “Be careful! the duck grease might spill.” Thus they made him ashamed. He did not eat the duck meat. When the duck grease settled down, he put it into the entrails.

This is why, when the earth quakes, the Raven people tell [him] to be careful of the duck grease. They say so because Sacred-one-standing-and-moving was a Raven.

Then he went away. He saved the feathers and the duck grease. And he came home. Then he went to bed.

Then he went home and stood up the dead children with the pole in front of the house. He kept them for the next day. And again he went thither and took the two children. After he had looked around for a while, he pulled out a large two-headed cedar, stump and all. After he had split it, a wren jumped around him chirping: “Tcꜝê tcꜝê, my sinews.”

Then he went to get it, pulled out its sinews, spliced them together, and fastened the butt end and the top with them. And he put it all into the water. After the children had been again suspended above it for a while, the wā′sg̣o came up and got them. Then he knocked out the cross stick and he (the wā′sg̣o) carried it down. After he had carried it down, he floated up dead with it. Then he went to him and pulled him out.

He pulled him up on the shore and was going to cut him on the top of his head when it thundered. It also lightened. And the same thing happened when he started upon his back. But, when he started at the lower part of his back, nothing happened, and he cut him open along the belly. His younger brothers’ bones burst out from it.

After they had been there for a long time one disappeared. The next day another disappeared. All eight of them disappeared in the same manner, and he felt sad.

Then he went to Gū′łga, passed along to the point on the side toward the upper end of the inlet, and to his surprise heard the buzzing of distant conversation on the other side. Then he pulled off the ribbon with which he used to tie his hair and threw [one end of] it across. Upon this he walked over and [found] a crowd of spectators at the door of the middle house, in which people were talking. Then he passed through them and looked in.

In the rear of the house a certain thing hung, under which one lay face up. Out of it flames played at intervals. It was sizzling there. While he looked on the person was driven out by the fire. The supernatural beings filled the whole space in the rear of the house.

After he had sat there for a while, one stood up. He said: “Get Stone-ribs, and settle him under it (the earth) forever.” He heard what they said. By and by one went out. After a while he came back, and they asked him: “Is he coming?” And he said: “He is near.”

Presently he came in. Like a son of one of the supernatural beings, he wore a copper coat. He also had on a marten-skin coat. And as soon as he had entered he lay under [the fire]. It was burning upon his breast. Out from it sparks went.

She called for one of the servants who sat among them. “One-who-moves-heaven-by-the-rapidity-of-his-motion, go and call Swimming-russet-backed-thrush. I want to ask whether I went with him.” He said that he went with the chieftainess. She asked to have him called so that she might cross-question him about it.

Another day dawned for Stone-ribs. It was broad daylight for him, and the supernatural beings were as if shivering with fear at the prospect of having him settle down beneath them. Just before daylight he was driven out by the burning.

Now, after they had thought for a while, one stood up, saying: “Let them send for Sacred-one-standing-and-moving. They say that he bathed in the ocean so much in order to settle down under it.”

Then he went out of the house, threw his ribbon across again, and ran over upon it. And he said to his mother: “They are setting out to get me. You will go with me. She-upon-whose-feet-property-makes-a-noise will also go with me.” As soon as he had finished saying this, they came for him. And he said he would come by canoe by himself.

Then he went to get his wā′sg̣o skin, which he kept between the two heads of a cedar, and he put it on while he was still in the house. He walked about, too pretty to be looked at by anyone. Then they started across. His mother steered, and his sister was in the bow. He stood in the middle as they went. And his sister got off, then his mother, last himself.

They went up. His sister went ahead. She held the [duck] entrails in her hands. His mother had the feathers inside of her blanket. When he entered, the supernatural beings held their heads down to him. He looked grand. He entered wearing the wā′sg̣o skin.

And as soon as he entered he lay down underneath. He was sizzling from the fire. Again it burned at intervals. When it stopped burning, his sister greased [his skin] with the duck grease. His mother put feathers upon it.

Then he looked at it. Again it almost caught it in its flight. And after he had thought about it he went down to it. And, when he got there, a halibut was swimming about in the standing water. There were stripes of copper along its edges. Out of its nose hung a weasel. Now he caught the halibut in his hands. He was very glad to have it. And when he was going to split it around the edges with his finger nails it thundered; and when he was about to do the same thing along the under side it again thundered; and when he was about to split it along its upper surface it again thundered and lightning shot about. Then he [split] it along its tail; and when he had finished skinning it he put it on.

Then he went into the pond before him. Bullheads shot away from him. When he opened his mouth, lo! the bullheads all went into it. And he opened his mouth. From his mouth they came strongly and quickly. They floated about dead. He got out of it and put it in his armpit.

He had two coats. He had a copper coat and he had a marten-skin coat. Before he started off, he practiced before his mother with them on, and, when he nearly burst his mother’s house by swelling up, she cried to him to stop.

After he had cried for a while, he said: “Ha, bow-shaped object; ha, bow-shaped object.” At that time she tried to stop him all the harder. As he wept he made the motion of handling a bow. By and by his mother pounded up some copper ornament she wore and she also finished arrows for him.

He was hunting birds. He did not sleep. And, one day when it was fine weather, they went for shellfish. They did not take his mother with them. Then, after it had been stormy for a while, it was again calm, and they went for shellfish.

Then he asked his mother if she owned a canoe. And, when his mother said that she did own one, he went along with them and his mother to get shellfish. While they were still going along the leading canoes had already landed. He landed his mother among the canoes which were floating about and remained floating back of them.

Now, when the baskets of those who had gone first were full, he lay down in his canoe, and, using the canoe as a drum, beat upon it with his bow. Then they made motions toward his face from the shore. They spoke in low voices. And they loaded their canoes and went off in terror. Before they had reached the village he told his mother to hurry up. Then she put the mussels in the bow. His mother seated him at the very stern, and they went landward from Qꜝā′g̣awa-i.

When they came to her, his mother said she was saved by blowing through her labret hole and putting her feet into the water. He listened.

After they had lived there for a while, it became stormy weather again. It was bad weather. When the mussels became spoiled for food, it was again calm, and they again went out after mussels. Some time after, he and his mother went out. After the baskets of those ahead had been filled, he struck upon the edges of the canoe. And again they opened and closed their hands to him for him to stop. After he had watched them for a while, they went away in fright, and he too went after them.

After they had gone on for a while, [Qꜝā′g̣awa-i] again pursued. He had five fins. Again, as soon as the current flowed into his mouth, they floated inward. Then he (the boy) closed his lips with his hands and shoved him back.

And, when they landed, they came down to meet her. They asked whether he came to the surface, and she said that she blew through her labret and put her foot into the sea. That was how she was saved, she said.

And again it was bad weather. After bad weather had lasted for some time, he went to a point toward the end of the town, entered his halibut skin, and went into the water. Presently he came to a broad trail, and, having traveled upon it for a while, arrived at the town of Qꜝā′g̣awa-i.

After he had peered into the houses, he looked into his (Qꜝā′g̣awa-i’s). In the rear of the house between the screens, which pointed toward each other, sat his daughter. He fell in love with her, so that he shook with desire.

Then, after he had gone around the town for a while, evening came, and he entered his house. He sat down in the rear of his house. His skin clothing had five fins upon it. He looked at it. Then they went to bed. And, as soon as he went to her, they lay together.

Then day broke and the town people went fishing. After the sounds had lasted for some time, he rose. To his surprise they were fishing right in front of the town. Then he went into his halibut skin. And, after he had swum around the edges of the canoes for a while, he opened his mouth for them and closed it quickly. They went quickly into his mouth. And, after he had kept his lips closed around them for a while, he opened his mouth.

Now he went up and went toward the place he started from. Then he went in. After he had sat there for a while, it was again evening, and he again went to meet the woman. He was very fond of her. He went to her and came back often. And as he lay with [Qꜝā′g̣awa-i’s] daughter, he listened to them talking about himself and nothing else.

When they were out fishing, he entered his skin. He opened his mouth for two [canoes] and spit them out shoreward.

And again he went away, and, after he had sat in the house for a while, evening came, and he went down to her. And he lay with [the chief’s] daughter.

He (the chief) was preparing to go out fishing with the others. They brought out his skin clothing, and they brought out his war spear and his arrow box. They put pitch on the points of these [arrows] in case he (Stone-ribs) had too much power for him. And he heard him say he was going to break his head with his teeth.

Presently day came, and he heard the sound they made as they went out fishing. When it stopped, he arose, swam off again, and came out on the surface near two canoes at one end. Then one waved a paddle. They did this for Qꜝā′g̣awa-i. He had not let out fishing lines. Instead his canoe floated quietly among them.

He went thither, and those who were there pointed into the water with their paddles. “It is lying right there,” they said to him. Then he seized his spear. He looked at it. It was too small, however, and he picked up an arrow instead. Then he speared it. He struck it in the side and pulled it up. Then he said: “Is this the thing that destroyed you?” and they said to him: “Do not speak like that. That is it.”

Next day he said to his mother: “Mother, I intend to go away from you. I am not really your son. I came and helped you because you called for me as you wept. My mother’s place is in the middle of this island.”

At once his mother sang crying songs. And on account of her crying he thought he would stay a day more, and he stayed near her one night, but next day he went away.

As soon as he went out he put on his copper coat. Over this he put his marten-skin coat. Over both he put his Qꜝā′g̣awa-i skin and started around the west coast wearing them. The supernatural beings living there opened their doors for him. After he had traveled about for some time [he came to] one living in the middle of the island whose door was shut, and, as he passed by, reaching out sidewise he took hold of him, and his house fell flat toward the sea.

Then he turned back toward him. He pushed his arm into a rocky cave there, moved his arm about to make it larger, and gathered black cod together in his arms. When there were many in his arms he threw them into the cave. And he pushed him into the cave afterward. He (the man put into the cave) strung the fishing line with them, put some also into his canoe, and went away. He towed the string of black cod behind him.

By and by, however, he let himself go on over its belly, and it seized him. Even his insides it squeezed. Its claws even went through his copper coat. He tried to swell up. In vain. Then he entered the halibut skin and escaped between its claws. It got its skin back because it belonged to the same clan [as Qꜝā′g̣awa-i].

After he had traveled farther [he came to where] two persons were fishing from a canoe at the Cumshewa inlet fishing ground, in front of Ta′og̣ał bay. The bow man was making guesses as follows: “I wonder whether he who they say has been traveling around the west coast has passed this point.” Then the one in the stern said: “Horrors! what terrible thing will happen for what you have said. Let us go home.” And he himself cut the anchor line, and they went off in fright. Then he bit off half of their canoe and pushed the man in the stern along toward the shore. Near Ta′og̣ał he threw [the other] up from his mouth. He was changed into a rock there.

Then he went away. He stood up at Skedans bay, and inland, near the trees, he turned his back to the sunshine. Lo! he felt sleepy and lost consciousness. While he was in that condition [he heard] a noise like x̣ū. He looked toward it. Lo! he (an eagle) had his skin in his claws. Then he put on his copper coat and went after it.

Then they brought him in. And they brought in a large, water-tight basket, put stones into the fire, and, when they became red hot, put them into the water in the basket with tongs. When it boiled, they put him in, canoe and all. Then they shook up the basket with him in it, and, when it began to swell up, he held fast to the cross-seats. Then they went to him. They laughed at him because he was afraid.

After they had laughed at him for a while, his wife sat down hard upon the top of the house. She was crying aloud. At the same time she made holes in the top of the house with her fingers. Water dropped into it. She asked what they were doing to her husband. But just then he began to think of a copper drum he owned, [and it came to him]. When he began drumming on it with the tips of his fingers, the chief said: “Take him and throw him out, chiefs, my children.” Then they took him, and they threw him out along with the canoe. Immediately she took her husband and went away with him.

And, after he had stayed with his wife a while, he thought of the words that Farthest-one-out’s sons put into [their songs] about him. Then he slept apart from his wife. After he had done this for some time, he woke up one night. Lo! he heard his wife talking with some one. But he did not disturb himself, and, when day broke, he sharpened a mussel shell knife he owned. And, when they went to bed, he remained awake. The moon rose. When it became light, the end of a rainbow came through the smoke-hole. He looked at it. It extended to his wife’s [room]. Then the rainbow again drew itself out through the smoke-hole.

After some time had elapsed, he heard some one talking to his wife. When the talking ceased, he crept over thither. He seized the man’s hair and cut his head off. Then he went out and fastened his head over the door.

After many nights had passed, a woman came by canoe and stopped in front of him. After she had remained there for a while, she said: “Come, chief, throw down your nephew’s head to me.” He paid no attention to her. It was Djila′qons’ son, who had been in love with his wife, whose head he had cut off.

When they got home, she put her son’s head in its place, and he was restored. After he had had her as his wife for some time, and it was toward the end of autumn, the chief-woman began digging roots with the servants. One day, after they had come home, they appeared happy. He listened to them. He did not know why they acted that way. He got firewood in readiness for their return from digging roots. They came home together, and every time they were happy.

By and by, when they started off again, he went behind them. As they went along in a line, they beat upon thin boards held in their hands. They sang as they went. It sounded nice and sharp. The chief woman went in advance. He observed them stealthily.

Then they sat down at a certain point down the inlet, and sang there. The chief woman sat near the water. This he saw. By and by something having thick eyebrows came flying from above and sat near her. He was good looking. They lay with each other.

Then he went home, and, when they came home, he said to his wife, “Say! to-morrow you better not go. I will go. I will get a great quantity of roots of all kinds.” And next day he borrowed her belt and dress, and had his hair parted while still in the house. Now they sang as they walked. He went ahead of them.

He went to the edge of the water. He rolled away a rock with his hands and picked a sea-cucumber from the place where it had rested. Then he sat in the place where the chief woman used to sit. Shoreward the servants were also singing. By and by the person came flying down from above, sat near him, and lay down. And he cut off his penis. He put the sea-cucumber in its place. He went up from him making a noise.

Then he was happy, and he came home. He gave back the chief woman’s labret to her. Next day very early the servants rose, and, after they had eaten, they went outside. Just outside they sang the song. Again they went off in a crowd singing.

Now he again went along behind them. After the chief woman had seated herself, he came flying down again. They lay down. When the chief woman turned toward him, lo! a sea cucumber had been put into him. Then she wept. The servants also wept.

Then he went home and cut up firewood. And in the evening, when they came home, instead of being happy, the servants had tear marks on their faces. Then he asked them, “Why are you all sad? I guess you have become witches.” That was Snowy-owl with which the chief woman lay. For that reason he used these words.

After he had lived with his wife a while longer, some one said “The chief is coming.” Immediately they sent Marten into the woods. Then he pulled up a bunch of fern by the roots. He tied the stalks together and sat down by the edge of the fire toward the door. Five Land-otter-women sat in the corner of the house and one of them had Upward inside of her blanket.

Then another acted as shaman and pointed at the one who was hiding him. Then they started for her. Again Marten shoved the ferns into the fire. While it was dark they passed him to another one. She, too, they had stand up. There was nothing whatever upon her.

Again one acted as shaman. Again he pointed at one of them. There was not a sign of a thing upon her. Still another acted as shaman. When he pointed at the one who held him, they went for her. Then Upward changed himself into a cinder and hid himself at the edge of the smoke-hole.

Then the one who sat at the end of those who came by canoe with Raven acted as shaman. And, after they had sung a song for him for a while, he pointed up at him, and they went to get him. [He floated up] and after he had kept coming down for a while, lo! they brought Upward in.

Then they brought him before Wī′gît, and he pulled his arm off. And, after he had pulled his other arm off, he gave them to the one (shaman) who sat next to him. Now he pulled out both of his legs and gave them to the shamans. And his body, too, he cut in pieces and gave to them. Then they ate it. They consumed it all. And, after they had sat there for a while, they became sick in the stomach. They died. Their bodies were pulled away and thrown outside.

[The story of Stone-ribs as told by Tom Price of Those-born-in-the-Ninstints-country]

From the town of Łg̣adᴀ′n they began to go out fishing for black cod. Then a creature having five fins at an island lying seaward called Qꜝā′g̣awa-i pursued them. And canoes were rapidly carried into his mouth by a current of water. But still they feared that they were going to starve to death and went out fishing. Many escaped. Mussels grew upon that island only. That is why they went to it. And they would not touch their paddles to the edges of their canoes [for fear of making a noise].

And, after he had gone along for a while, [when he reached] point Skwai he became tired of walking and lay with his back against a rock. Then a sound like the rushing of wind came to his ears, and he looked in the direction of it. [An eagle] was almost touching a salt water pool in front of him in its flight.

Then he went thither, and, when he looked into the pool, [he saw] a small halibut floating there. Now he took it out. And, when he tried to cut it open along the side, all the supernatural beings protested. It also thundered. In whatever way he tried it, he was unsuccessful until he cut it open from its tail when nothing happened. Now he skinned it and dried the skin in the sunshine. He was glad to have it. And he went away with it.

By and by he came to the town of Łg̣adᴀ′n. It was evening and he looked about among the houses. He looked for a place where a child had just been born. By and by he saw a child lying in the cradle. When they were asleep, he destroyed it. But he became born in its place. His [new] mother was named Gwā′g̣anat.

After he had shot birds for some time longer he said he had lost a black bird which he attempted to kill. He was sad about it. The next time he went out he brought it in skinned. That was the raven. Again he went out and flew around the island with its skin on. He flew down from above. He shot it in the country he called ʟdas.

After that the town people went to Qꜝā′g̣awa-i to get shell-fish, and his mother was with them. Then he cried after them. He was faint from crying. Now he told them plainly that he was going to kill Qꜝā′g̣awa-i. Then they took him with them. They fastened a weasel skin in his hair, and he took his copper bow and arrows.

After they had gathered mussels at the island for a while, they went off home from him. In that place he sang songs, and he beat upon the edges of his canoe with his bow, in lieu of a drum. They were unable to stop him. And when they went off from him he again sang the song.

At that time Qꜝā′g̣awa-i came after them. Then the canoe went into its mouth. And he came to himself in its belly, put on his halibut skin, and swelled up in its stomach. He killed it.

All of its five fins had the figures of human beings at the base. At that time he showed himself to be Stone-ribs. He told them that he was the son of Djila′qons. At that time he told them the crests they would use.

Then he traveled around the west coast, wearing the halibut skin. Now a big mountain called “Looking-at-his-own-shadow” called him in. He entered his house, and he was glad to meet him. After he had given him some dried food he gave him half of a whale to eat. When he had finished eating and was about to go out Looking-at-his-own-shadow laughed at him. Then he said: “Door, shut yourself.” And the stone hanging door fell. Now there was no way for him to go out.

Then, right in the house, he put on his halibut skin. And, after he had flopped around for a while, he got his fins under the edges of the hanging door and threw it up with his tail. When it fell back it broke. He shut all sorts of supernatural beings in, and they were entirely unable to get out. Only he (Stone-ribs) did it.

After that he entered the house of “Sunshine-on-his-breast.” He, however, treated him well. After he had been given something to eat, he went out of his house.

When he started to leave that place, they told him that Greatest-crab lived in the channel between the two islands. Still he went thither. Just as he had heard, it opened its claws for him. And, when he passed over it, it cut through the fins along the edges of his halibut skin with its teeth. Then Stone-ribs was sorry for this and went back to it. He swallowed the crab.

After that he let himself be seen upon this island. The supernatural beings were glad to see him because he saved the people from the thing that made the south end of the island empty. Only two treated him differently.

And after that he again arrived at the town of Łg̣adᴀ′n. Now he left his Qꜝā′g̣awa-i skin there. He took his copper bow and four arrows, but the weasel skin he tied in his hair. He wanted to show them to his mother so that she would be pleased. [Because he wore them] Those-born-at-Skedans have them as crests.

Then he went to his mother. And his mother was pleased with him. Now he showed the copper arrows and the [skin of] Qꜝā′g̣awa-i he had killed to his mother and said that future generations coming out from her should wear them as crests, besides possessing the songs.

This story, which practically includes three, is one of the most important and interesting of all Haida stories, for, while two of the preceding are largely Tsimshian and the Raven story is by no means confined to the Queen Charlotte islands, here we have heroes and places dealt with which are strictly insular, forming true Haida “hero tales.” The first two sections are of particular importance and were especially well known. The second version of the story of Stone-ribs is of peculiar interest as coming from a man of the town of Ninstints, where the descendants of the people of Łg̣adᴀ′n afterward lived, and where this particular myth appears to have been especially treasured. Sī′xa, the word which I have translated “Upward,” means more strictly “About-in-the-air,” referring perhaps to the escape of this hero from his house in the form of a cinder. “Stone-ribs” was the translation given me for G̣odᴀñxē′wat by my interpreter, but g̣ō′dᴀñ is also applied to one who discovers hidden things. The word for rib is xē′wī.

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