A mother, desiring her daughter’s husbands, tricks her into climbing a tree to collect owl feathers. The daughter transforms into an owl, and the mother impersonates her to seduce the sons-in-law. Upon discovering the deceit, they kill the mother. The transformed daughter refuses to return, choosing to remain an owl.
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
Transformation: The daughter undergoes a physical change, turning into an owl after climbing the tree, highlighting themes of metamorphosis.
Trickster: The mother deceives her daughter into climbing the tree, intending to transform her and take her place, showcasing cunning behavior.
Revenge and Justice: The sons-in-law, upon discovering the mother’s deceit and believing their wife is dead, exact retribution by killing the mother.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Kaska people
A woman lived with her daughter, who had two husbands who were brothers. She was visited by two men who, she thought, were her sons-in-law. She made up her mind to get rid of her daughter and have her sons-in-law for herself. She told her daughter to climb up a tree where the owl lived, and get some owl-feathers for her. Her daughter refused, saying that she was afraid she might turn into an owl; but her mother persuaded her that there was no danger. When half way up the tree, the girl’s clothes dropped off, and feathers began to grow on her, and she became an owl. The old woman dressed in her daughter’s clothes, fixed up her face and hair to make herself look young, and then sat down in a new camp she had made to await the coming of her sons-in-law.
► Continue reading…
After they came home, she remarked as she was eating, “I am young yet, see how sharp my teeth are!” and again, as she got up, “I am young yet, see how quickly I can get up! I am like a young woman.” The men noticed that she got up slowly like an old person; and this, with the remarks she had made, caused them to be suspicious. They pulled back her head and her hair, and recognized her as their mother-in-law. Thinking she had killed their wife, they killed her, and then went to their old camp. On the way they passed the tree where their wife was, and saw her.
They begged of her to come back to them; but she answered, “No, you have killed my mother, so I shall remain an owl.”
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