In this Kaska tale, only Bear possesses fire, kept in a fire-stone tied to his belt. A small bird, feigning cold, picks at Bear’s lice and secretly severs the string holding the stone. The bird steals the stone, passing it through a relay of animals to Fox, who distributes fire to all tribes. Later, Fox attempts to ensure human resurrection by throwing a stick into water, but Bear’s interference leads to permanent death.
Source:
Kaska Tales
by James A. Teit
The American Folklore Society
Journal of American Folklore
Vol.30, No.118, pp. 427-473
October-December, 1917
► Themes of the story
Origin of Things: The narrative explains the origin of fire among tribes and the establishment of death as a permanent state for humans.
Trickster: The little bird employs cunning to steal the fire-stone from Bear, showcasing the trickster archetype.
Transformation: The tale illustrates a significant change in the human condition, transitioning from a state of potential immortality to the acceptance of permanent death.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Kaska people
Long ago the people had no fire. Of all the people, only Bear had fire. He had a fire-stone, with which he could make fire at any time. He jealously guarded this stone, and always kept it tied to his belt. One day he was lying down by the fire in his lodge when a little bird came in and approached the fire. Bear said, “What do you want?” and the bird answered, “I am nearly frozen, and have come in to warm myself.” Bear told it to come and pick his lice. The little bird assented, and began to hop all over Bear, picking his lice. While doing this, it also picked the string which fastened the fire-stone to Bear’s belt. When the string was completely picked asunder, the bird suddenly snatched the stone and flew off with it.
► Continue reading…
Now the animals had already arranged for the stealing of the fire, and waited in line, one behind another. Bear chased the bird, and caught up with it just as it reached the first animal of the line. As it threw the fire to him, he ran with it; and, as Bear in turn overtook him, he passed it on to the next; and so on. At last the fire was passed to Fox, who ran up a high mountain with it. Bear was so exhausted that he could not follow Fox, and turned back. Fox broke up the fire-stone on the top of the mountain, and threw the fragments a piece to each tribe. Thus the many tribes all over the earth obtained fire; and this is why there is fire in the rocks and woods everywhere now.
Fox then descended to a creek and threw a stick down into the water, saying, “When people die, they shall come back to life again, even as this stick rises again to the surface of the water; also old people, when they die, shall come back young again.” Just then Bear came there, and, feeling angry because the people had stolen his fire, he threw a big rock into the water on top of the stick, so that the stick never came up again. Bear then said, “Henceforth, when people die, they shall be dead always, and shall never come back again.” If Fox’s stick had come up again after being hit by the rock, Fox would have won, and people would have had their lives renewed each time they died. There thus would have been no real death. Bear now, having no fire, said, “I will make a hole in the earth, so I shall be able to keep warm in the winter-time. I shall make my hole right on the trail.” Fox said, “If you make your house right on the trail, people will always find you. Make it on the mountains.” This is why bears now make dens in the mountains.
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