31. Yax*st!al.
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Tradition of the A'waiLEla.
(Recorded by George Hunt.)
The ancestors of the Inlet people lived at Nord-Side. halfway up Olachen Place. They had for their chief First-Property-Giver, and he had for his prince a young man named Property-Giver.
When it was almost winter, the chief, First-Property-Giver, invited his tribe to come into the house late at night. Then he said to his tribe that he was going to give a winter-dance that winter, and that he wanted to invite in the DEna'x*da?xu, for they lived in Olachen Place. His tribe agreed at once to the word of their chief. Then his prince, Property-Giver, disappeared, and also the son of the younger brother of First-Property-Giver. He was also a young man whose name was Property-Giver-of-the-World. Then the two young men disappeared. They were going to be qEbEkwê'l, what is called by the Kwâ'g*ul ghost-dancers.
In the morning, as soon as day came, the young men of the ancestors of the Inlet tribe launched their large canoe. They were going to invite in the DEna'x*da?xu at Olachen Place. As soon as they arrived at the village site of the DEna'x*da?xu of Olachen Place, they were met by the Cannibal which (dance) had been found accidentally by a mountain-goat hunter at the upper end of the river of Humpback Place.
The inviters of the Inlet tribe did not know the dance that is named Cannibal, for this was the only one who had that dance, and they were not afraid when they were Met by him. Then the Cannibal took one of the crew of the inviters of the Inlet tribe out of the canoe and
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swallowed him alive. The crew of the inviters of the Inlet tribe were just in time (were too late in getting frightened) after one of them was dead, As soon as the Cannibal was satiated, he went into his secret room. The name of the Cannibal was Eating-Alive-Everywhere.
However, the crew of the inviters stepped out of the canoe. Immediately they were invited in by Great-Mountain, the chief of the DEna'x*da?xu; and after they had eaten, the head man of the inviters called the ancestors of the DEna'x*da?xu on behalf of First-Property-Giver. The DEna'x*da?xu said at once that they would start the next morning; for they were proud because they were the only ones who had the Cannibal.
In the morning, as soon as day came, the ancestors of the DEna'x*da?xu loaded their canoes, and the inviters also loaded their canoe and started. They came out of Olachen Place, and in the evening they made a fire at DzElê'dês, above North Side. The inviters, however, went right to the village of North-Side, for it is not far from DzElê'dês; for they wished to tell their chief about the Cannibal of the DEna'x*da?xu.
As soon as they arrived on the beach of the house of the chief, they were invited in by their chief. Immediately the inviters stepped out of the canoe and sat down in the rear of the house into which the people were to be invited. Immediately the chief asked them for news, and at once their leader told about the Cannibal who had eaten one of their crew, and also that the DEna'x*da?xu had come to DzElê'dês. Then the chief fed his inviters. As soon as they had eaten, they went of the house.
Then the heart of First-Property-Giver was bad, for
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he did not know about what is called the Cannibal. He walked and went to the house of his prince, Property-Giver, who had disappeared. At once the chief spoke angrily to his prince, (saying) that he was asleep. He said to him, "Take care! Maybe you are asleep. You should be taken away (by the spirit), you who have disappeared." Thus he said, and took the tongs and struck his son over the knee. At once blood squirted out from the knee of his child where he had struck it. Then he called his son Ya'x*st!al because he was very lazy and because he was sleeping all the time.
Ya'x*st!al just cried and covered himself with his blanket that night. First-Property-Giver was sick at heart because he had not also a Cannibal to eat also some of the DEna'x*da?xu. Therefore he had done so to his child.
As soon as he had struck his son, he went out of the house. When all who were in the house with Ya'x*st!al were asleep, he arose from his bed and went out of the house. Then he walked in the night, and he went up the river of Steelhead-Salmon Place. He wanted to commit suicide and to die, for he felt very badly on account of what his father had done to him.
In the morning, when day came, he arrived at the lake of Steelhead-Salmon Place. Immediately he went into the water and rubbed his body with hemlock-branches. Then, after he had finished, he walked again. All that day he went along, the shore of the lake until he came to the end. Then he found a river at the end, and he walked up that night. Long after midnight he arrived at a lake, and at once he went into the water and, before the day came, he rubbed his body again with hemlock-branches.
After he had done so, he walked again along the
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shore of the lake; and it had not been day long when he came to the end of the lake. Then he found a river at the end, and he again walked up the river. Then he began to hear different sounds of birds, making the sound of owls and of tallow-eaters (?), and the snapping sound of eagles, and the bluejay sound of bluejays, and all the different sounds of birds. Ya'x*st!al did not take notice of them, and he walked along fast. When it was nearly evening, he arrived at the lake, and again he went into the water, and again he rubbed his body with hemlock-branches. As soon as he had finished, he walked again along the shore of the lake. When night came, he came to the end. Then he took a rest, and he just sat down, but he did not sleep.
As soon as day approached, and when it became light in the morning, he walked again up the river at the end (of the lake), and he had not been walking long when he arrived at another lake at the foot of the large mountain named Gray-Face Mountain. Immediately he went into the water and rubbed his body with hemlock-branches. Then he dived; and as soon as he came up, he went out of the lake.
Then he tried to look for his blanket and his cape, and he could not find them. He was just sitting on the ground. Then he thought he would go into the lake again. He walked out to the water, and he turned his face landward when he dived. He kept his eyes open while he was under water, so that he could see his blanket and his cape which he had put down on the ground. His breath had not given out when he saw a small person come carrying away his blanket and his cape and put them down where they had been left by Ya'x*st!al. Ya'x*st!al was still watching the person when the person went away and hid behind a stump.
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Immediately Ya'x*st!al raised his head. He did not wish to go out of the lake. He only wished to draw breath, and then he dived again. He turned his face again while under water so that he watched his blanket and his cape. Again the small person came and took his blanket and his cape and went and carried them behind the stump.
Immediately Ya'x*st!al raised his head out of the water, and he kept his head above the water to draw a breath. As soon as he had drawn breath he dived again. Immediately the small person came and put his blanket and his cape down on the ground and ran again behind the stump. Immediately Ya'x*st!al raised his head, and he just kept his head above water; and as soon as he had drawn breath, he dived again. Immediately the small person came again walking, and took the blanket and the cape and tried to walk away with them.
As soon as Ya'x*st!al saw the small person take his blanket and his cape, he raised his head out of the water. He spoke at once, and said, "Oh, my dear! I have seen you for a long time." Immediately the small person stopped walking and turned around to Ya'x*st!al. "O friend! what are you doing, here? I am Mouse-Woman," she said.
Immediately Ya'x*st!al spoke to her. I came to get supernatural power, for I have disappeared on account of my father, who is going to give a winter-dance." Then Ya'x*st!al was questioned by Mouse-Woman in regard to the dance, and he said that it was qEbEkwê'l, that ghost-dance. Immediately Ya'x*st!al was called by Mouse-Woman
Click to enlarge
Cannibal Pole of Yax*st!al (see p. 433).
On top, man, underneath, raven with open beak and "antlers," which actually represent the raven's feet shown over the eyebrows; at the bottom, Dzô'noq!wa with open mouth, with man's face on forehead (from a sketch).
to go out of the water, and Ya'x*st!al at once went out of the water to go to the place where Mouse-Woman was standing. Then she said, "It is well that you found me, for I will help you. Only do not be afraid; and also have a strong mind, that you may get what you referred to as your dance, the Cannibal dance. If you will imitate me, [when] I show you about it." Thus said the small person to Ya'x*st!al.
Then Mouse-Woman called Ya'x*st!al to go and walk to a tall smooth spruce-tree of the right thickness, standing by the lake. As soon as they came to the foot (of the tree), Mouse-Woman spoke, and said, "Indeed, I have said that I will help you, that you may have good luck, friend; that you may get for your supernatural power the Cannibal dance, for this is the house of Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World, that we see at the far end of this lake. Now I will show you what you must learn to do if he should see you. If you should fail to do as he would do to you, he will just swallow you: therefore I wish you to watch all I do, and therefore I wished that we should come to this spruce-tree, for we will pretend it to be the Cannibal pole of Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World. Now I shall imitate the way he does when he comes home from hunting mountain-goats: for he repeats this the whole number of days, climbing up this his Cannibal pole; and he eats what is carried in each talon by him who sits on the top of the Cannibal pole snapping his beak, for he is the servant who gets food for Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World." Thus she said as Ya'x*st!al took his blanket from the ground.
Then Mouse-Woman uttered the Cannibal cry, and went to the right, around the spruce-tree, looking upward. As soon as she had gone round the tree, she climbed-up, climbing the spruce-tree, and going up to a branch which
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was halfway up the tree. As soon as she arrived at the branch, she came down head downward; and as soon as she came halfway down the tree, she uttered the Cannibal cry, aloud. Then she came down.
Then she said, "O friend! you have seen what I have been doing. Now, go also and imitate me!" Thus said House-Woman to Ya'x*st!al. Immediately Ya'x*st!al took off his blanket, and immediately he tittered the Cannibal cry. Then he went to the right, around the foot of the spruce-tree As soon as he came back to where he had started from, he climbed up, trying to climb the tree; but he did not get up high, when he came down again. his manhood had given out.
As soon as he came to the place where Mouse-Woman was standing, Mouse-Woman spoke, and said to him, "Don't be weak of heart, else you will not get what you wished for. You did not go up this tree. Go on, and watch me when I go again! Watch me closely, that you may not fall (when you imitate) me." Thus she said, and uttered the Cannibal cry. Then she went to the right, around the foot of the tree; and as soon as she came back to the place where she had started from, she climbed up, and climbed the spruce-tree. As soon as site arrived at the branch, she turned back and came down, uttering the Cannibal cry.
As soon as she came down to the ground, she sent Ya'x*st!al to go again. Immediately Ya'x*st!al uttered the Cannibal cry, and he did the same as he had done before. Then he arrived halfway up the spruce-tree and came down again. Then Mouse-Woman spoke angrily because he had not gone up to the top of the spruce-tree; and Mouse-Woman repeated again what she had done before. As soon as she arrived at the branch, she came back and went down face downward. As soon as she came
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to the ground, she warned Ya'x*st!al to take care to make his heart strong, else he would not get up to the branch. "If you do not go up to the branch, you will not obtain your Cannibal dance." Thus she said.
Immediately Ya'x*st!al uttered the Cannibal cry and climbed up, and climbed the spruce-tree. He almost reached the branch, and came down. As soon as he stood on the ground, Mouse-Woman requested Ya'x*st!al to go again into the water of the lake. Immediately Ya'x*st!al obeyed her word. He went into the lake, and dived four times in the lake. Then he came out again. As soon as he came to the place where Mouse-Woman was standing, Mouse-Woman spoke to him, and said, "Now watch me really! for when I come down, I shall take you and swallow you whole, and you will go through me, and you will remain alive; and that will be the way that will be done to you by Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World when he will show you this; and you will also do the same to me when you go up; and do not be afraid!" Thus Mouse-Woman said, and uttered the Cannibal cry.
Then she went to the right, around the foot of the spruce-tree. As soon as she came back to the place where she had started from, she climbed up, and climbed, going up the tree, and reached the branch. As soon as she had reached the branch, she turned back and came down again. As soon as she came to the ground, she took Ya'x*st!al and swallowed him whole. As soon as she had swallowed Ya'x*st!al, he went right through, out at the anus of Mouse-Woman. She said, "That will be done to You by Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World, as I have done to you." Thus she said. "You go up also; and as soon as you reach the branch, when you come down, and when you come to the foot of the spruce-tree, take hold of me and swallow me whole." Thus she said.
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Then Ya'x*st!al uttered the Cannibal cry, and went to the right, around the foot of the spruce-tree. Then he climbed up, and climbed the tree, going to the branch. As soon as he reached the branch, he turned back and came back with his face downward. As soon as he came to the ground, he took Mouse-Woman and swallowed her whole; and as soon as he had swallowed her, she went right through, out of the anus of Ya'x*st!al.
Then Mouse-Woman spoke, and said, "Oh, my dear! now you have imitated Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World. Go and walk to the far end of this lake. Look at what is standing there. It is the Cannibal pole of Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World. As soon as you reach the Cannibal pole, and when the raven in the middle of the Cannibal pole sees you, he will utter the raven cry, calling Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World. Just stand under the Cannibal pole, waiting for Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World to come. As soon as he comes home from mountain-goat hunting, he will go right to his Cannibal pole, and he will go up, climbing upward, climbing the pole, going to the "snapping-beak" sitting on top of the Cannibal pole. That is the servant who gets food for Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World throughout the whole number of days. We will not go together. When Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World arrives, he will ask you what you want, and then I shall show myself, and I shall say that you want supernatural power; and you shall never speak, for I shall still answer on your behalf, for I shall pretend to be able to hear (your thoughts)." Thus she said to him. Now go up!" Thus she said.
Immediately Ya'x*st!al walked, and went to the place where the Cannibal pole was standing. He did not walk for a long time when he arrived at the Cannibal pole. As soon as he stood under it, the raven in the middle
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of the Cannibal pole began to utter the raven cry, but Ya'x*st!al never looked at it. He had not been standing long under the Cannibal pole when he heard Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World coming, uttering the Cannibal cry, and also his whistles sounded like the different kinds of birds. It was not long before he stood under the Cannibal pole. Then Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World was startled when Ya'x*st!al stood by his side.
As soon as Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World recovered, he spoke, and said, "O friend! what are you doing here?' Immediately Mouse-Woman spoke at the other side of the Cannibal pole, and said, "The tribe has met for a winter-dance, and he has disappeared: therefore he came to get your dance to be a Cannibal." Thus said Mouse-Woman to Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World.
Immediately Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World agreed to her word. "Go on, and watch what I am going to do on my Cannibal pole, that you may take my place and climb up, climbing this pole, when I come down!" Thus said the great one, uttering the Cannibal cry. Then he did the same as Mouse-Woman had done when she had showed Ya'x*st!al; only this was different, that as soon as he got to the top of the Cannibal pole, and he turned down the Cannibal pole with his face downward, he uttered the Cannibal cry, and entered the mouth of the man on top of the Cannibal pole; and he came out at the mouth of the raven in the middle; and when his body was out of the raven in the middle, he uttered the Cannibal cry, and entered again the mouth of the man under the raven, and he came out of the mouth of the Dzô'noq!wa at the bottom of the Cannibal pole, and he uttered the Cannibal cry when he came out of it. Then he stood on the ground. Then he sent Ya'x*st!al to go up also. (See plate at end of volume.)
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Immediately Ya'x*st!al uttered the Cannibal cry, and he did the same as (the other one) had done. He just went to the top of the Dzô'noq!wa at the bottom when he came down again. Then Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World did the same as he had done before; and when he came down again, he sent Ya'x*st!al to go again, and Ya'x*st!al went again. He came to the top of the man on the forehead of the Dzô'noq!wa and came down again.
Then Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World went up again, and did just as he had done before. As soon as he had come down, he sent Ya'x*st!al to go again. He went at once, and he arrived on the antlers of the raven in the middle, and came down again. As soon as he came to the ground, he saw Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World watching. It was not long before he saw what he looked up for; for he saw the snapping beak, the Servant who was getting food, coming quickly, flying and holding in his talons two persons.
He came and sat on top in the middle of the head of the man on the Cannibal pole. Immediately Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World uttered the Cannibal cry and climbed up, climbing his Cannibal pole. As soon as he reached the snapping beak, he took the man from the right foot of the snapping beak. Then he swallowed him whole; and he returned along his Cannibal pole coming down, going through the mouths of the figures of his Cannibal pole. As soon as he arrived at the place where Ya'x*st!al was standing, he took him and swallowed him whole; but Ya'x*st!al went right through (and came out) at his anus.
Then Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World sent Ya'x*st!al to go also. He climbed up quickly, climbing the Cannibal pole. Then he arrived at the man on top, took the man that the snapping beak held in its left foot, and swallowed
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him whole. Then he returned along the Cannibal pole, and went in at the mouth of the man on top. Then he showed himself again through the mouth of the raven in the middle, and uttered the Cannibal cry. Then he went in through the mouth of the man under it, and he came and showed himself through the mouth of the Dzô'noq!wa at the bottom, and uttered the Cannibal cry. As soon as his body came out, he took Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World and swallowed him whole, and he also went right through (and came out) at his anus.
Then Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World spoke, and said, "Oh, my dear! now you have obtained my dance. Only take care! Don't hurt it, else you will stay with me." Then he invited Ya'x*st!al into his house to teach him his four songs. It did not take long before he knew the four songs. Then Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World warned Ya'x*st!al (and told him) to take care; and (he told him) to swallow one man of his own tribe every fourth day. "If you do not do as I told you, you will stay with me, for I shall know what you are doing." Thus he said.
Then Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World called Ya'x*st!al out of the house, after he had put red cedar-bark and a neck-ring on him; and they went to the place where the Cannibal pole was standing. Then Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World pulled out the Cannibal pole, and he slapped it all along its whole length. Then it became thin; and then he slapped its ends with his right hand, and the Cannibal pole at once became short. Now it was the length of four of our fingers, and its thickness was that of our little finger. Then Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World tucked it in the cross neck-piece of the red cedar-bark head-ring of Ya'x*st!al. After he had done this, Ya'x*st!al
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was sent to go home. Ya'x*st!al came at once, walking,--Now he was wild with his cannibalism: therefore he did not know how long he was walking. Then he saw his uncles looking for him at the river of Steelhead-Salmon Place. Immediately Ya'x*st!al took hold of his little uncle and swallowed him whole.
Immediately he came, to his senses for a short time. Then he told his two uncles that he had been to the house of Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World, and that therefore he was now a Cannibal, and that he had to eat one man of his tribe every fourth day; "and also if I am not allowed to do so, I shall be taken away by Cannibal-at-North-End-of-World. Go on, clear our house! and after you have cleared our house, ask my father to ask Cooked-in-Water, his slave, to sit outside of the house, on the right-hand side of the door of our house, when I show myself." Thus said Ya'x*st!al. Now his name was Cannibal.
Immediately the two uncles of Cannibal went home and reported to his father, First-Property-Giver, what the Cannibal had said. Immediately the house was cleared that day. Then late in the night, when they had finished, and when day just came in the morning, Cannibal came, uttering the Cannibal cry behind the house of First-Property-Giver. Immediately he awakened all the uninitiated winter-dancers. There was no sound that was not made by the whistles of Cannibal.
As soon as all the uninitiated winter-dancers had come into the house, Cannibal came, uttering the Cannibal cry at the south end of the village. Then the uninitiated winter-dancers went out to capture the Cannibal; and as soon as the uninitiated winter-dancers had obtained Cannibal,
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[paragraph continues] First-Property-Giver asked Cooked-in-Water, the slave, to go and sit in front of the house, at the right-hand side of the door. The slave obeyed at once the words of his master. He had not been sitting long in front of the house, when Cannibal came and took him and swallowed him whole. As soon as he had eaten the whole slave, he entered the dance-house of his father, and he went to the rear of the house, and took off what was in the neck-piece of his head-ring of red cedar-bark and put it down.
Immediately the Cannibal pole was of the right size in thickness and length, and the carvings were on it. Immediately the Cannibal climbed up, climbing the pole. He went to the top and came back, and went through the mouths of the carvings. As soon as he had been up four times, he stopped. Then he himself sang the four songs, for the people did not know the songs of it.
After four days he was wild again. Then he took a chief of the clan Song-Dancers and swallowed him whole. Spouting-Whale was the name of that chief: therefore the Song-Dancers and the A'waîLEla hate each other up to this day.
Now the Cannibal was feared because he always swallowed people of his tribe. Therefore first menstrual flow of four virgins was taken,--their white cedar-bark which was soaked in menstrual blood. Then the Cannibal was taken and was tied to a stake in the rear end of the house. Then one of the pieces of white cedar-bark taken from one of the women was put down at his right side in front, another one at his right side behind him, and another one on the left-hand side in front of him, and one on the left-hand side behind him. Then they were lighted with fire. As soon as they began to burn, they were
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blown upon by the four virgins, so that the smoke went towards the Cannibal. As soon as the fire was extinguished, the Cannibal spoke, and said, "Good-by! You have brought me bad luck." Thus he said, and disappeared with the Cannibal pole.
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