The man who married a grizzly bear

A hunter insults Grizzly Bear after slipping on its excrement. Soon after, he meets a woman who leads him to her home, where they live together for months, though it feels like days to him. Unbeknownst to him, she is a Grizzly Bear in human form. Eventually, his brothers, aided by his loyal dog, track him down. The man returns to his human family but remains connected to his Grizzly Bear wife and their children.

Source:
Tahltan Tales
by James A. Teit
The American Folklore Society
Journal of American Folklore
Vol.32, No.124, pp.198-250
April-June, 1917
Vol.34, No.133, pp.223-253
July-September, 1921
Vol.34, No.134, pp.335-356
October-December, 1921

► Themes of the story

Family Dynamics: The man’s relationships with both his human and grizzly bear families explore complex familial bonds and loyalties.

Conflict with Nature: The narrative delves into the tensions between humans and the natural world, exemplified by the man’s initial disrespect towards the grizzly bear and his subsequent immersion into her realm.

Love and Betrayal: The man’s union with the grizzly bear woman and his eventual return to his human family touch upon themes of love, fidelity, and the challenges of dual existence.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

A man who was married and had several children was hunting. He happened to step on some grizzly-bear excrement, which made him slip and fall. He was angry, and called Grizzly Bear nasty names. Shortly afterwards he met a nice-looking woman, who asked him if he cared to go with her. She said, “We shall go only a little way, then we will camp and lie down together.” The man agreed, and went with her. As they went along, he thought he was stepping over logs; but in reality each time he seemed to step over a log, he stepped over a mountain. After travelling a long way, they came to the house of the Grizzly woman. They entered, and staid there three months. The man thought it was only three nights. The woman asked him sometimes if he was hungry; and when he answered, “Yes,” she cooked dried salmon for him, and fed him dried berries after soaking them to freshen them. At the end of three months the woman, who was a shaman, sang.

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Then she said to her husband, “People are coming. Tomorrow your brothers will find us.” The man’s brothers were hunting in the neighborhood of where the Grizzly had her den. It was in the middle of winter, and they had their lost brother’s dog with them. He was called Tsa’shwa [this is used as a dog-name among the Tahltan and Tlingit (-hwa is said to mean “young man” in the Tlingit language)], and was very keen of scent. He found the old tracks of his master under the snow, and followed them. Now, bears feel the steps of people who walk on their tracks, for it is as though sparks fell on them. The bears turn these aside, and then the people lose the track. If bears do not pay attention to the sparks, the people can track them down. Now sparks of considerable force fell into the Grizzly woman’s den, for the brothers were drawing near. The woman pushed them back as fast as she could; but Tsa’shwa was cunning, and kept right on the tracks. The brothers followed him closely. At last the Grizzly woman became tired, and allowed the sparks to fall. Tsa’shwa and the brothers now came close to the den. His master recognized his voice and called him. Then the dog became excited. The hunters thought their brother must be there; but they were afraid to encounter the bear in its den, for they heard people talking inside. They thought the inmates of the den might not be bears. They returned to camp, although Tsa’shwa was loath to leave. When they had gone, the Grizzly woman advised her husband to leave. They went to a distant place, and took up their abode near a salmon creek. The next day the brothers came back to the den accompanied by another brother, but they found the den empty. For a long time the man lived with the Grizzly woman at the salmon creek, and no one discovered their house. He hunted and fished, and they always had plenty of food. His wife bore two children. One day she said, “You have a wife and children among the people. Go back and visit them.” He went in a canoe. His brothers and the people were glad to see him. He saw his former wife, but was afraid to talk to her. After a while he returned to his Grizzly-bear wife. Thus he visited his people three or four times. On his last visit his former wife intercepted him when he was about to leave, and asked him why he never spoke to her and to his children. She said, “How can I support your children? They are the same as fatherless.” He spoke with her. Then he feared something evil might happen: therefore he called upon a wise old man, and asked his advice. The old man told him what the result of his indiscretion would be. The hunter then requested the seer to watch him with his mind (or invisible seeing-power) and to tell the people what would happen to him. The old man promised to do so. Then the hunter, full of evil forebodings, returned to his Grizzly bear wife. As he approached the shore, he saw her weeping. She had known at once when the man had spoken to his former wife, and became sorry and wept. As he came close to the shore, the two cubs ran out into the water to meet him. Their mother followed. She caught the man in her arms and tore him to pieces.

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Origin of the grizzly-bear death-song

A woman married a grizzly bear and bore twin sons who appeared human but had bear-like features. During a village game where participants imitated bears, the mother and her sons donned bear skins, transforming into real bears. Overcome by their instincts, they attacked and killed many villagers. Filled with remorse, they retreated to the mountains, singing a mourning song. This “Grizzly-Bear Song” was heard and adopted by the people, becoming a traditional lament sung by hunters after killing a bear.

► Themes of the story

Loss and Renewal: The accidental killing of villagers by the transformed family leads to their departure and the creation of a mourning song, symbolizing loss and the emergence of a new cultural element.

Moral Lessons: The story imparts lessons about the consequences of actions and the importance of understanding and respecting the boundaries between human and animal realms.

Cultural Heroes: The bear-children and their mother become foundational figures in the culture, their story explaining the origin of a significant mourning song.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Once a woman was taken away by a grizzly bear and became his wife. She bore twins, and after a year she returned home with her children, who were half bear. They had some hair growing between the shoulders and around the wrists. The people often had games of playing bear, both children and elders. Some of them dressed in bear-skins, and the others hunted them, carrying sticks and wooden knives. When a person acting bear was overtaken, he stood up and fought. The Grizzly children were asked by the other children to play. They said, “We want you to show us how your father does.” The Bear children asked their mother’s permission, but she would not consent. Many times the cubs were asked, but their mother always refused. One day, however, she gave them their bear-skins. She also said, “I shall play bear too.” As soon as the three put on their skins, they looked like real bears.

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They ran uphill into a hole, and the people acting hunters chased them. The Indians shouted, “Hoh!” as men do when they want a bear to come out of his hole. The three bears came out of the hole and attacked the people. They killed most of them, and the others ran away. Then the grizzly bears went into the mountains and never came back. As they went along, they sang a mourning-song known as “The Grizzly-Bear Song,” because they were sorrowful for having killed their relatives. The people heard them singing, and learned the song.

This is said to have happened on the Upper Nass or Upper Skeena River: therefore, among the tribes to the south, hunters sing these mourning-songs for a bear whenever they kill one. The Grizzly twins were just like ordinary Indian children before they put on their bearskins (and were born as such).

The woman who married the black bear

A woman collecting berries slips on bear excrement and curses the bears. A man appears, offers to carry her berries, and leads her to his den, revealing himself as a bear. She transforms into a bear and becomes his mate, bearing two children. Visiting her people, they mock her bear-like children, prompting her to revert to bear form and attack, leading hunters to kill her and her offspring.

► Themes of the story

Forbidden Knowledge: The woman’s integration into the bear’s world exposes her to experiences and realms beyond typical human understanding.

Family Dynamics: The tale explores complex relationships, including the woman’s bond with her bear partner and their hybrid offspring, as well as her interactions with her human relatives.

Tragic Flaw: The woman’s inability to fully reconcile her dual identity and the ensuing rage when her children are mocked lead to her downfall and the destruction of her family.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Some women were coming down a steep side-hill, following one another Indian file. They had been out picking berries all day. The last woman slipped on some bear-excrement and fell. She was angry, and said, “Those dirty black bears defecate on the trail all the time!” Soon afterwards a man caught up with her and offered to carry her berries. She agreed, and went with him. She thought he was leading her to the camp, but he led her away to where he had his den. They entered and sat down. The bear bent his head down, but the woman sat upright. Bear said, “Bend your head forward as I do.”

She did this, and at once changed into a bear. Now they lay down together to go to sleep. She put one of her hands out of the den. The bear told her not to do this, and she obeyed; but after a while she stretched out her hand again involuntarily.

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One day her brother was hunting below the den. She knew he was near and below her. She took some snow, kneaded it into a ball, and let it roll down the slope. The snowball hit the toe of her brother’s snowshoe. He looked up, and saw what looked like a small hole in the hillside. He examined the snowball, and saw that it had been kneaded and bore the marks of fingers. He returned to the camp and told the people. On the following day they went to the den, but found it empty. During the night the bear and the woman had gone off and made a new home near a salmon creek. Here they lived, and the woman bore two children to the bear. After a time the bear told her she might go back to her people and see them, but forbade her to talk to her former husband. [Some informants say that the bear was a grizzly, and not a black bear.] On this visit she reverted to her former human form. One time the people made fun of her children because they looked like bears and had long nails. Then she became angry, changed into a bear, and killed many people. Then some hunters killed her and her children.

War with the Sky people or Swan people

A man discovers his wife has been taken by a swan to the sky world, inhabited by bird-people who appear human at home but as birds on Earth. He and his companions journey to the sky, facing challenges and seeking guidance from various bird tribes. Eventually, he finds his wife among the Swan people and persuades her to return home.

► Themes of the story

Underworld Journey: The protagonist embarks on a perilous journey to a realm beyond the human world—the sky country inhabited by bird people—to retrieve his wife.

Love and Betrayal: The man’s pursuit of his abducted wife underscores his enduring love and determination to reunite with her.

Supernatural Beings: The narrative features interactions with beings possessing dual natures—birds that transform into humans in the sky realm.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

The sky country was inhabited by birds. When at home, these people were just like human beings; but when they came to the earth, they appeared in the form of birds. Once a man lost his wife, and discovered that she had been taken away by a swan. He started in pursuit, and followed their tracks, which led to the edge of the earth, where the sky moves up and down like clouds on the mountains. He saw that the tracks left the earth and passed under the edge of the sky. He turned back, and came again accompanied by many of his friends. The country became colder and colder as they proceeded northward. When they came to the end of the earth, the sky was moving up and down so fast that they could not pass over. One of the party had the sky (and swan) for his guardian. He made the sky move up and down slowly. The people jumped on, and followed the tracks until they came to where the Ducks lived.

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They asked them about the stolen woman, and they were told that she had passed with her husband long before. They came to the Geese and one after another to other birds, but they all gave the same answer. The weather was becoming warmer, for they were approaching the swan country, which is a long way down on the opposite slope of the sky. (They found that the sky sloped up to where it meets the earth. It was cold towards this end, and warm towards the other.) They came to two old Swan women. They asked them the same question they had asked the other birds, but they received no answer. One said to the other, “Tell them!” and the other said, “No.” Then the men took a knife, and threatened to cut off their heads if they did not tell. Then they told them that the woman had passed not long before, and was camped not far away. Soon they overtook a great many Swan people who were making camp. They saw the woman there, and waited until she came out to get brush. Her husband talked to her. She said, “You do not want me now. I am of no use to you.” He answered, “I want you, whether you are of use or not. You have not yet forgotten how you sewed for me and helped me on earth.” She answered, “Yes, I remember all I did for you.” He said, “Come out early in the morning and join us.” The Swan people suspected nothing, and all went to bed. When her Swan-husband was asleep, the woman ran away and joined the people. On the following morning, when the Swans found that the woman had run away and was already a long distance off, they followed, but turned back from near the edge of the sky, as the weather was too cold for them. It was winter-time there, and the Swans did not like the cold. The man with the sky (or swan) guardian made the sky move slowly at the edge of the earth. They jumped down, and in due time reached their own country.

The Lynx; or, the woman stolen by Lynx

A lynx abducts a woman. Her husband tracks them to their first camp while the lynx is hunting rabbits. The husband instructs his wife to claim he is her father. Initially suspicious, the lynx eventually believes her. That night, the husband kills the lynx, transforming it into a real lynx with a short, round nose.

► Themes of the story

Transformation: The lynx undergoes a physical change, turning into its animal form after being clubbed by the husband.

Love and Betrayal: The narrative centers on the husband’s efforts to reclaim his wife after her abduction, highlighting themes of love and loyalty.

Cunning and Deception: The husband’s strategy involves deceiving the lynx by pretending to be the woman’s father, showcasing the use of wit to achieve his goal.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Once upon a time Lynx stole a woman. Her husband overtook them at their first camp, while Lynx was out hunting rabbits. The man instructed his wife to tell Lynx that he was her father. When Lynx came back, he wanted to shoot the man, but the woman called out that he was her father. Lynx sang as he came into the camp:

I do not know what makes me feel thus.
If he is your father, cook for him some good rabbit.

At first Lynx would not believe her; but finally he was persuaded, and went to bed with the woman. During the night the man clubbed him, and he turned into a real lynx. That is why the lynx has such a short round nose now.

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The girl who was stolen by owl

A young girl, denied food by her parents, is lured outside by an owl mimicking her grandmother’s voice. The owl abducts her to its tree lodge, feeding her live ants. The villagers’ mourning rituals intrigue the owl, leading it to ask the girl about them. Seizing the opportunity, the girl deceives and kills the owl, then escapes home. Upon warming by the fire, ants emerge from her body, and she dies.

► Themes of the story

Supernatural Beings: The owl in the story is portrayed with anthropomorphic qualities, capable of mimicking human speech and abducting the girl, indicating its supernatural nature.

Cunning and Deception: The owl deceives the girl by imitating her grandmother’s voice, luring her outside to facilitate the abduction.

Family Dynamics: The narrative highlights the relationships within the girl’s family, including her interactions with her parents and sister, and their reactions to her disappearance and return.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Once a number of people who were living at a salmon creek engaged in putting up fish for winter use. In one house lived a girl with her parents and sister. Her grandmother lived near by in another lodge. The girl had been playing in her grandmother’s lodge, and came home late, after her parents had gone to bed. She asked them for something to eat; but her parents did not want to get up, and told her to wait until the next morning. The girl cried and cried. Suddenly they heard some one speak outside with a voice like that of the grandmother, saying, “Come here! I’ll give you a piece of salmon.” The mother told the girl to go; but it was dark outside, and she was afraid. She continued to cry, and her mother urged her to go. She went out, and came back, saying, “That woman is not my grandmother.” Her mother said, “Surely it is she.” She went out again, and Owl took her. She screamed, and her parents got up. All the people searched for the girl.

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They followed her to the foot of a mountain, in which she disappeared. Her cries became fainter and fainter, and finally ceased altogether. Owl took her through the mountain to her lodge, which was in a hollow tree on the other side. The people dug into the mountain, but gave it up when they heard cries far away on the other side. They returned home and sang a dirge, accompanying it with beats of a long staff. Owl heard the noise, and said, “Let us go and see what the people are doing!” Owl went, and perched with the girl on the roof of one of the lodges, and watched. Owl asked, “Why are they singing?” and the girl answered, “Because they are sorry.” Owl said, “That is funny.” The people kept up the ceremony for several nights, and Owl watched each night. She thought it was nice, and asked the girl, “How do they do it? Do they hold the pole and bring one end down on their heads?” Owl thought this, because to her everything looked upside down. The girl answered, “Yes,” and Owl said she would like to try it. The girl said, “Very well. Let me help you!” When they came home, the girl made a long pole, sharpened one end, and put a heavy flat stone on the other. She stood above Owl, who was standing up straight. She put the sharp end of the stick on Owl’s head just where the skull was weakest. She pushed the stick and drove it in with the stone. Owl tried to pull the stick out, but did not succeed. When dying, she tore holes in the tree with her hands. The girl left, and returned to her people. She was weak, for Owl had fed her on live ants, telling her to swallow them without chewing. At last she reached the place where the people drew water, and sat down. Her sister came, and recognized her. When she told her parents that her sister had returned, the mother would not believe it. She said, “Don’t speak of her! Long ago Owl took her.” The girl returned, and told her sister that their parents would not believe her. Then the returned girl took off part of the fringe of her marten robe and sent it to her mother. She recognized it, and came out at once and took her in. She told her story. There was a good fire in the camp; and when the girl became warm, the ants stirred in her belly, and came out through her mouth, nose, ears, and even her eyes, and every opening in her body. Then she died.

The Owl-Woman

A man marries a young girl undergoing traditional training, marked by wearing a large-hooded robe. While relocating their camp, the girl is enchanted by an owl’s nest, climbs a tree, and transforms into an owl herself. Her mother attempts to deceive the son-in-law by wearing the girl’s robe, but he uncovers the truth. Efforts to retrieve his wife fail, emphasizing the cultural belief that adolescent girls should avoid looking upward to prevent such enchantments.

► Themes of the story

Magic and Enchantment: The story imparts a lesson on the cultural expectations and taboos for adolescent girls.

Family Dynamics: The interactions between the girl, her mother, and her husband highlight complex familial relationships.

Cunning and Deception: The mother’s attempt to deceive her son-in-law by disguising herself as her daughter showcases themes of deceit.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Once a man married a young girl who had not finished her training, and still wore the robe with large hood used by girls at this period. Her mother lived with them. The man was a good hunter, and always brought home plenty of meat. He brought home the paunch of a caribou for his wife to eat, for, being adolescent, she did not eat meat. That evening he said to his wife and mother-in-law, “We will move camp tomorrow. You women will carry everything over there; and I shall go hunting, and join you at night.” The following morning the women started with their loads, and on their way passed a tree where the owl lived. The mother said, “Oh, there is an owl’s nest in this tree!” The girl looked up, and at once had a strong desire to go there. The owl’s influence had come over her. She said, “I will climb up to see it.” While she was doing so, she began to hoot, and went into the nest, where she disappeared.

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When her mother called her, she looked down, and said, “I shall eat you.” Her mother noticed that her daughter’s face already looked like that of an owl. Her clothes had dropped off on her way up the tree. Her mother now picked them up and put them on, intending to deceive her son-in-law. She hid her face with the hood. The man came home. He mistook the old woman for his wife, and asked her where her mother was. The woman answered, “She has gone out.” The man gave her a paunch to cook and eat. As the old woman had very few teeth, she put charcoal in her mouth along with the food to make a crunching-noise. She thought the sound was exactly like that of some one chewing: so she said to her son-in-law, “Don’t you think I chew well? Listen to me.” He was made suspicious by this question, and thought the sound was different from that of some one chewing. He pulled back the hood, and discovered that she was his mother-in-law. He asked her where his wife was; and she answered, “On a big tree. She has turned into an owl.” Her husband went to the tree and called his wife. She flew down repeatedly close to her husband’s head, saying, “I shall take my husband’s hair.” He tried to catch her, but in vain. The owl took the girl because she looked up. An adolescent girl should only look along the ground.

The woman who married a ghost

A wealthy man’s daughter elopes with a ghost who appears as a handsome man. She becomes the wife of two ghosts in Ghost-land, an underground realm. When visiting her family, the girl perceives her husbands as men, while her family sees only skulls. Her father persuades the ghosts to leave by offering goods. Later, the girl dies and permanently joins her husbands in Ghost-land.

► Themes of the story

Love and Betrayal: The story explores unconventional romantic bonds between a mortal woman and her ghostly husbands, highlighting the complexities of love that transcends the mortal realm.

Underworld Journey: The protagonist’s venture into Ghost-land, depicted as an underground domain, represents a journey into the realm of the dead.

Eternal Life and Mortality: The tale delves into themes of life, death, and the afterlife, particularly through the woman’s transition from the mortal world to Ghost-land and her eventual death to permanently join her ghostly spouses.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Once an adolescent girl was living apart from the people. She was the daughter of a wealthy man who had much property and many slaves. One night a ghost asked her to elope with him. She consented to be his wife, as he appeared to her as a good-looking man. He took her to Ghost-land, which was underground, and not far away. As the girl did not appear in the morning, the people thought she was asleep, and her father sent some one to waken her. They found her place empty, and thought she must have eloped with some man. Her father sent slaves to search in all the houses, and he counted all the men. She could not be found anywhere. When the girl arrived in Ghost-land, she became the wife of two men. She had plenty to eat, as the Ghosts were good hunters. After a while her husbands said, “Let us go and see your people! Probably you would like to visit your father.” They went to her father’s house and stood outside.

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The people said to her father, “Your daughter has come.” He told them to tell her to come in, and, if she had any husband, to invite him in also. They made places for them in the house, and the girl entered with two skulls rolling behind her. She took her seat, and the skulls took places one on each side of her. Her father told the slaves to cook food for them and to give them to eat. All the people kept looking at the skulls, and could not eat. The girl could not see any skulls, but instead two good-looking men. On the other hand, the people could not see any men, but only the skulls. The ghosts ate with their wife, and conversed with her; but the people could not hear them. The girl asked her father if her husbands might go hunting in one of his canoes. He told them to use a canoe that was on the river. When night came, the ghosts left, and took the canoe. They camped over one day, [day was the same as night to us, for they travelled and hunted at night] and returned the following night. They came rolling into the house, as before. The girl was glad to see them, and told her father that there was meat in the canoe. He went to see for himself, and, finding it quite full, he ordered his slaves to carry the meat up to the house. The girl told her father that her husbands said they would leave soon, and they wished to know whether he would allow her to go with them. Her father asked if they would return some time; and she answered, “No, we shall not come back.” Her father said, “Well, you must not go with them. I will pay them with much property, and they must leave you.” He made a pile of goods, and gave it to them before they retired to sleep with their wife. On the following morning they were gone, and the goods had also disappeared. This is why nowadays, if a husband ill-treats his wife, her father takes her back, and pays the husband for releasing her. The girl staid with her father, but seemed to think much of Ghost-land. She told that it was a good land, better than here, and the people were good. They did not quarrel and fight. Her father said, “Yes, I know, but the people there are ghosts.” She would not believe this. Before leaving, her husbands had told her they would come back for her soon. They meant that she was going to die. After a while she died, and went to Ghost-land to remain there as a ghost.

The ghosts who live underground are always seen as skulls rolling along the ground. People are afraid of them; for when they are seen, many deaths will occur. Other ghosts are like shadows, and harmless.

A tse’dextsi story; or, the girl who married the dog-man

A wealthy man’s daughter secretly marries a dog that transforms into a handsome man. They elope, but she discovers his true nature and kills him. Returning home, she gives birth to five puppies. Shunned by her community, she survives alone. Observing her pups shedding their skins to become children, she burns the skins, permanently transforming them into human form. They later reunite with their community.

► Themes of the story

Transformation: The husband transforms between human and dog forms, and the children shed their dog skins to become human.

Family Dynamics: The narrative explores complex relationships within the family, including the woman’s marriage to the dog-man and her role as a mother to their unique children.

Community and Isolation: The woman and her children experience isolation after being deserted by their community and later seek reintegration.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about the Tahltan people

Tse’dextsi mean “rocks sitting down,” with reference to the rocks at this place, which were the Dog-Man’s wife and children.

A wealthy man had a daughter who lived in a recess off the main part of the house. The entrance to her chamber was from the main room, and the girl could neither go out nor in without being seen. Her father’s old dog was in the habit of lying down at the entrance to her room, and was always in the way. Going in or coming out, she had to step over him or kick him out of the way. One night the old dog turned himself into a good-looking young man. Then he asked her if she would marry him. She consented; and forthwith they eloped, and made their camp on a distant mountain. The man proved to be a good hunter, and always brought home plenty of game. The girl noticed, however, that each time he went hunting, there was the sound of a dog barking in the direction whither he had gone. She asked her husband about this; and he said, “Your father’s dog comes here,” She asked, “Where is he now? I will feed him;” and he answered, “I called him, but he would not follow me. He must have gone off somewhere.” She also noticed that her husband put all the bones from their meals on the opposite side of the fire. He never threw them into the fire.

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At night she often heard crunching of bones, and thought that perhaps her father’s dog had come. In the morning, however, there was never any sign of the dog having been there. She also noticed that her husband, on his return from hunting, invariably lay down for a short time and went to sleep quickly, as dogs do. She thought much over these things, and at last made up her mind to watch one night. She saw her husband get up, change into a dog, chew the bones alongside the fire, then change back into a man and go to bed again. She made up her mind to kill him. She prepared a block of wood and had a club ready. On the following day, when he came home from hunting, she said to him, “Well, you are tired. Lie down and have a nap. Put your head on this block while I cook for you. When all is ready, I will wake you up.” While he slept, she hit him on the head. He changed into her father’s old dog, and died. Now she returned to her parents, told them how she had eloped and that now she was pregnant. They said, “If your children are human, it will be well; but if they are dogs, it will be bad.” One month afterwards she gave birth to four male and one female pups. The people were angry, and at once deserted her, leaving her without food. She would also have been without fire had not her maternal grandmother taken pity on her, hidden some fire in a pit, and secretly told her of it. The people had left in canoes.

The woman dug clams every day, and fed her children abundantly. Sometimes, when she returned home, as she approached the camp, she heard sounds of laughing and talking, as though children were playing in the lodge. She also noticed sticks lying about, as if children had been playing with them. She watched, and found that the boys had stripped off their dog-skins and had assumed the form of children. The girl, however, was ashamed to strip naked, and pulled her skin down, exposing the upper part of the body only. The boys had piled up their dog-skins while they were playing. The girl would run out from time to time to see if their mother was coming. The woman then went down to the beach to dig clams. She set up a stick, and put her hat and robe on it, to deceive the girl and make her think she was still on the beach. The mother then went back to the camp, and, creeping stealthily up behind the girl, seized her and pulled off her skin. She then seized the other skins and threw all into a hollow log that she had put on the fire before leaving.

The boys grew up to be good hunters, and always supplied the family with plenty of meat. Now the family left the coast and moved into the interior, where there was plenty of game. They hunted on the north side of the Stikine River in the Tahltan country. As they depleted the game in each place where they hunted, they often moved camp and hunted in new places. When they had finished hunting in the Level Mountain country north of Telegraph Creek, they made up their minds to move to the south side of Stikine River. They forded the river at “The Three Sisters,” a little above Glenora. The girl, who was adolescent, and therefore not supposed to look purposely at anything, wove a robe with a hood which came over her head and face. She sat down at the river’s edge to wait for her mother, who was resting herself on the edge of the bank above and had divested herself of her pack. The four boys had entered the water. Their mother was watching them, and seeing the foremost ones struggling in the current, and, as she thought, in danger of being drowned, she called out in her excitement. The girl then looked at her brothers, who at once became transformed into stone in the positions they occupied in the water. Then she and her mother and her pack also changed into stone; and all of them may now be seen as rocks at this place. These rocks are called “The Three Sister Rocks” by the whites, because of the three large rocks in the river close together. The Indians call the upper rock Aske’tleka’; the middle one, Kasketl; the one next to the lowest, Tsexhuxha’; and the lowest one, Tlkaia’uk. These rocks are the four brothers. The rocks known as the girl and mother are on the shore, and a rock which stands out at the mouth of the little creek near by is known as their pack. Because the Dog men hunted throughout the Tahltan country on the north side of the Stikine, and killed off so much game, marmots are scarce there now, while they are plentiful throughout the country on the south side of the river, where they did not hunt.

The sisters who married stars

Two sisters, living apart from their community, whimsically wished upon stars to become their husbands. That night, they were transported to the sky, marrying the stars they had chosen. After some time, they yearned for Earth and crafted a rope from skins to descend. Upon returning, they found themselves atop a tall tree. With the help of Wolverene, they safely reached the ground.

► Themes of the story

Journey to the Otherworld: The sisters are taken from Earth to the sky realm to live with their star husbands, representing a voyage to a realm beyond human experience.

Supernatural Beings: The stars personify supernatural entities who interact directly with the sisters, influencing their fate.

Cunning and Deception: The sisters employ clever tactics to descend from the sky and later to manage their interactions with Wolverene, showcasing the use of wit to navigate complex situations.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Two adolescent sisters who were living together were staying apart from the other people. One evening when about to retire, they were playing and joking with each other. Happening to look up at the stars, one of them said, “Do you see that nice star? That is my husband. I wish he would come here and take me!” The other sister looked around among the stars, and picked out one which seemed very beautiful. She said, “That one is my husband. I wish he would come for me!” Soon after this the girls fell asleep. In the morning they found themselves in the sky. The stars they had chosen had taken them up during the night. They lived with these men as their husbands. The star men were great hunters, and always killed an abundance of game. The women had to carry home all the meat and skins. After a while they discovered a hole in the sky, and they used to watch the people moving on the earth below.

► Continue reading…

They thought by what means they might be able to descend to earth, and, according to the elder sister’s suggestion, they secretly cut up skins and made a long rope. They told their husbands that some animal was eating the skins. When they thought the rope was long enough, the elder sister said, “I will go down first. If you feel me shake the rope, you will know that I have reached the ground. If I do not shake it, and all the rope is out, you will know that it is too short, and you must pull me up again. If you follow me, tie the end of the rope to the cross-stick over the hole, pull it up, and come down yourself.” Their husbands were out hunting. Both sisters reached the earth in safety. The rope was not quite long enough, but they alighted on top of a tall tree.

The younger woman had just got clear of the rope when the star men arrived, and, finding that their wives had descended, cut the upper end of the rope, which fell down and lopped off all the side branches of the tree. The women could not descend, and sat in the top of the tree, where a few branches were left. They called for help on the various animals that passed near the tree; but some passed without paying any heed, and others promised to help on their return. At last Wolverene came along, and they called to him. He said to them, “Yes, I can carry you down.” He climbed the tree and began to play with the girls. The elder girl said to her sister, “Keep him off until after he has carried us down.” She said to Wolverene, “You must carry us down first.” He carried the elder one down, and wanted to play with her, but she would not let him until he had carried down her sister. When he came to her, he wanted to do likewise; but she said, “You must carry me down first.” When he brought her down, he asked for his reward; and the sisters said, “We are hungry; you must get us meat first.” He brought the meat, and asked them again. They said, “Let us eat first.” When they had finished, he asked again; and they said, “We are thirsty; bring us water first.” Wolverene was now getting tired, but he brought the water. They said to him, “Take us up to the top of yonder steep bluff, and then we shall really give you what you want.” He took them there, and the women prepared a bed to sleep in. Wolverene wanted to sleep farthest from the steep bluff, but they made him take the place over the precipice. He lay down next to the younger sister, and immediately the elder one pushed him off. He fell over the cliff and was killed. Now the sisters left, and looked for the camp of their people. One night Bush-Tailed Rat entered their camp and killed and ate one of them. The other escaped and reached the people, who had given the women up for dead. The surviving sister told the people of her adventures and how the stars were fine-looking people.

Because of this story the Indians believe that it is dangerous to wish for the stars; for they may come and take you away, as they did the sisters in the story. Because Wolverene carried these women on his back, the wolverene at the present day can carry meat on his back.