A woman with two husbands encounters a war party while retrieving a forgotten needle-case. After being assaulted, she returns with ptarmigan, lying about their origin. Her mother-in-law suspects deceit, and upon the husbands’ return, they confirm wrongdoing. They share a final meal, send their mother away, and then kill their wife for her betrayal. The war party arrives, but the brothers escape into the darkness.
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
Love and Betrayal: The woman’s infidelity and deception lead to a tragic outcome, highlighting the destructive consequences of betrayal within familial relationships.
Cunning and Deception: The woman’s attempt to conceal her actions demonstrates the use of deceit, and her mother-in-law’s suspicions showcase the dynamics of uncovering hidden truths.
Revenge and Justice: The brothers’ decision to kill their wife as retribution for her deceit reflects themes of justice and the lengths individuals may go to restore honor or balance.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Kaska people
A woman had two husbands who were brothers, and their mother lived with them. [Notice the common reference to women with two husbands in Kaska. It appears also in Tahltan myths. This does not occur in any Salish stories that I have collected.] She and her mother-in-law shifted camp while her husbands went hunting. When about to make camp, she noticed that she had forgotten her needle-case in the last camp, and she went back for it. On her return she fell in with a war-party of many men, who intended to attack her people. They had connection with her until she became quite exhausted. They told her not to tell the people, gave her a lot of ptarmigan, and let her go. She carried the birds to camp and gave them to her mother-in-law.
► Continue reading…
The latter asked her how she came by them, and she told her that she had killed them with stones. The old woman examined them, and saw that they had been killed with arrows. She said to her daughter-in-law, “Get some water for your husbands; they will be coming home soon.” When she had returned with the water, she immediately lay down and slept, for she was very tired. Just when the men were coming, the old woman spilled the water, then woke up her daughter-in-law and sent her for more water. She noticed that she was very lame. While she was gone, the woman showed the birds to her sons, who at once knew there was something wrong. They had brought home some fat caribou meat. They told their mother they would have a last big feed together, and that when the meal was finished she must go out and try to escape. They cooked and ate a hearty meal. When the repast was over, the old woman took the pails, pretending that she was going for water. She left the camp, and ran off into the woods. The men built up a huge fire so as to intensify the darkness surrounding it. They then attacked and killed their wife, because she had deceived them. The war-party heard her cries and rushed into the camp. The brothers ran out in the darkness and escaped. This is why since then women have been deceitful and hide their actions and wrong doings.
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