Bluejay and the storm-bound people

In a Tlingit village, a boy mocked a sacred sea plant, leading to unending storms and famine. The villagers were trapped in wintry weather, unable to hunt or fish, and began to starve. One day, a bluejay flew over the village carrying a branch with fresh berries, signaling that fine weather and food were available elsewhere. Encouraged, some villagers braved the storm, found abundant resources, and survived. Since then, the Tlingit revere the bluejay as a deliverer.

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

Divine Punishment: The community faces relentless storms and famine as retribution for the boy’s disrespect toward the sacred sea plant.

Sacred Spaces: The sea plant’s location is considered holy, and interacting with it requires reverence, highlighting the significance of sacred places in nature.

Harmony with Nature: The tale underscores the importance of respecting natural elements and living in balance with the environment to ensure communal well-being.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

In the Tlingit country a large number of people were living together at one place near the seashore, A sea-plant which the Tlingit venerate grew abundantly near this place. People were forbidden to speak to it except in the most respectful manner; for it was considered a harbinger of spring, and, if it did not renew its growth, spring might not come. Children were forbidden to name it or to talk to it, especially in the spring-time. One day, when spring-time was near, the son of one of the wealthiest men in the village talked to this plant, and made fun of it, saying, “Don’t grow out! My father has plenty of food yet. We don’t care when spring comes.” After this it was continual stormy, wintry weather at this place. The people could not go hunting or fishing; and no one ventured very far away, because of the storms. They thought that the whole coast was suffering in the same way; for they could not see far, their village being enveloped in a cloud.

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The people ran out of food, and were starving. The boy who had mocked the plant died; and all the people became very weak, so that they were unable to procure fire-wood. The people of other places saw a black cloud hanging over the village. They tried to go there, but were always beaten back by the storms. One day Bluejay flew over the village, carrying a branch with fresh berries. The people said, “Oh, what is it that Bluejay has in his beak? Berries must be ripe in some place.” Now, with great difficulty a few of the strongest people pushed through the storm zone. They found fine weather over the rest of the country, the salmon fishing was nearly over, and the berries were ripe. Thus Bluejay saved the lives of the people, who ever since have been grateful to him. The Tlingit reverence this bird because he acted as a deliverer.

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The gambler

A young boy, addicted to the stick-game, gambled away all his possessions, family, and fellow villagers to a mysterious stranger, Water-Man, who took them to his underwater home. Left alone, the boy met Mouse-Woman, who guided him through rituals to gain strength and an ally, Golden-Eyed Duck. With their help, he challenged Water-Man again, won back his people, and freed them from servitude.

► Themes of the story

Divine Intervention: The appearance of the small old woman, identified as Mouse-Woman, who provides guidance and magical assistance, represents a form of divine or supernatural intervention.

Quest: After losing his people to Water-Man, the boy embarks on a journey to retrieve them, undertaking challenges and seeking assistance from supernatural beings.

Transformation: The boy undergoes a significant transformation from a carefree gambler to a determined individual seeking redemption and the restoration of his community.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

A boy addicted to playing the stick-game spent all his time gambling. [In this stick-game, common to many Western tribes, one man has to guess a particular stick out of a number. The sticks are rolled in grass and shuffled. The method of playing varies from tribe to tribe.] When he heard of an important game of a noted gambler, even if in a distant place, he went there to play. He was very successful, and nearly always won. Thus he became wealthy, although he was a mere boy. His father was a wealthy man, and possessed many slaves. One night a strange man came to the village, and challenged the boy to play. He promptly accepted the challenge, and the two went outside to play. The man won all the boy’s goods. The boy bet his father’s slaves, and lost ten of them. Then the boy staked his mother against two slaves. He lost again. He staked his father, his uncle, all his relatives, and finally all the people of the village, and lost.

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The stranger took all he had won and departed, leaving the boy alone. This man was Water-Man (or Sea-Man). He took all the people to his house under a lake (or the sea). The boy had no one to gamble with, and nothing to bet. He wandered in and out of the houses, crying all the time. One day he saw smoke issuing from a bunch of grass. He found a house there, and a very small old woman inside. She was the small black mouse. She said,” Grandson, where are you going? What troubles you?” He answered, “I have gambled away everything I had, even my friends and all the people.” She asked him if he was hungry; and he answered, “Yes.” She put on a kettle, and split a single fish-egg with a wedge. She put half of it into the kettle to boil. When it was cooked, she put the food on a dish and placed it before the boy. He thought, “The food will not be enough;” but when he ate it, he found that he was quite satisfied. She told him to stay there that night, and added, “You must arise early in the morning, and wash just at daylight. Then go to the steep open place over there. You will see something growing there. Pull it out by the roots and eat it.” He did as directed, and after bathing went to the steep place, where he saw a beautiful plant growing. He ate it, and it made him sleepy. Next Mouse-Woman said, “Tomorrow morning bathe and go to the beach. There you will find something. Skin it, then take the skin, and push the body back into the water.” The boy returned with a sea-otter skin. He had fasted two mornings, and had used no fire at night. The old woman said to him, “Golden-Eyed Duck shall be your brother. When you play the stick-game, never point or choose a stick until he directs you.” He slept that night without fire, arose early, and continued to fast. As directed by Mouse-Woman, he went down to the edge of the sea, and challenged Water-Man to a game. The sea opened like a door, and Water-Man came out of his house. When it opened, the boy could see his parents and all the people working in a big house as slaves. He had hidden his duck-brother on his person. Water-Man had a trump-stick (eke’) which was really a fish; and when the boy pointed at it or chose it, it aways jumped aside. This was the reason he had always lost when playing with Water-Man. Duck noticed this, and warned the boy, who bet his otter-skin against his father. Duck instructed the boy to point a number of times near the fish-stick, so as to tire out the fish. Then he told him to point at it quickly. The boy won; and, acting on Duck’s advice, he won back his parents, relatives, and all the people and goods. They all returned to the village. This is why plants are used as charms to obtain good luck in gambling at the present day, and also this is why it is bad for young people to gamble too much.

The deserted woman

In a time of scarcity, an elderly woman was left behind by her tribe due to her frailty. Resourcefully, she crafted snares from sinew and caught numerous rabbits, providing herself with ample food and warm clothing. When scouts returned to check on her, they found her thriving. Upon the tribe’s return, she greeted them, dancing and singing about her survival and newfound prosperity.

► Themes of the story

Conflict with Nature: The woman faces the challenges of surviving alone in the wilderness, utilizing her skills to procure food and shelter.

Cunning and Deception: She cleverly uses available resources to create snares, ensuring her sustenance and survival.

Community and Isolation: Initially isolated from her tribe, she demonstrates self-reliance, ultimately leading to a reintegration with her community under changed circumstances.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

A long time ago an old woman was deserted by her people, who were short of food, and had to leave to look for game. As she was too weak to keep up with them, they left her behind in the old camp, with a fire.

After the people had gone, she hunted around and found some scraps of sinew, with which she made a string for a rabbit-snare. Many rabbits came to the deserted camp, as they love to do, and she caught some with her snare. She made many snares of the rabbit sinews. She caught many rabbits, and had plenty of food.

She also made rabbit-skin robes to wear and to sleep in. The people did not find much game where they had gone. After some time they sent two girls back to see if the old woman was alive and if there were signs of game near the old camp.

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They found the old woman with plenty of food, and well clad. They returned and told the people, who now moved back. As they approached, the old woman went out to meet them dressed in a large rabbit-skin robe, and danced, and sang:

You thought I would starve.
What did you think I would eat?
I am dancing now.
I wear a rabbit-skin robe.

The deserted orphan and the goat chief

An orphaned boy, abandoned with his grandmother by their tribe, dreams of a wealthy chief who offers assistance. Following the chief’s guidance, the boy fasts for eight days, gaining supernatural powers. He then moves mountains closer, restores his grandmother’s health, and constructs a house in a canyon. Using his newfound abilities, he calls game into their home, ensuring they have ample food.

► Themes of the story

Divine Intervention: The boy receives guidance from a supernatural chief in a vision, which significantly influences his actions and fate.

Transformation: The boy gains extraordinary powers, allowing him to manipulate the environment and provide for his grandmother, marking a significant change in his abilities and circumstances.

Sacred Spaces: The boy and his grandmother move to a canyon in the mountains, a location that becomes central to their survival and the unfolding of the boy’s newfound powers.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

This story is said to belong to the Raven phratry and to be of Tlingit origin; at least, the Tlingit tell a similar story, and the families that tell it use goat-horns and goat-masks as crests. Probably they claim the deserted boy as one of their ancestors. The Tahltan refer to this story as an example of the good results that will accrue from strict observance of taboos.

An orphan boy lived with his grandmother. [Some people say that she was his only relative, but in the story an uncle is mentioned.] It was good weather; but the people were short of food, and therefore moved their camp. As the old woman was unable to walk, they deserted her, leaving her a little food, but no fire. They wanted to take the boy with them, but he would not leave his grandmother. The boy went outside of the village a little distance. Here he heard a sound, and, becoming afraid, he returned. That night he dreamed that some one talked to him, saying, “Why did you run away from the sound you heard? I want to help you. Leave your grandmother when she is asleep, and go to where you heard the sound.” He awoke, and went to the place designated. When he reached there, he saw a house, which he entered. Within were many people. A well-dressed wealthy chief spoke to him, and asked why he staid with his grandmother. He said, “Because she is my relative. I cannot desert her.” The chief asked if they had any food; and he answered, “No.” The chief said, “Well, you will starve, then.” The boy answered, “I am willing to starve with my grandmother.” The chief then told him, that, if he would do as he directed him, he would obtain plenty of food. He said, “Near your camp there is a deep canyon. Make your house there between two steep rocks. Make it with sharp goat-horns [not clear; maybe they used sharp goat-horns for cutting rocks or digging], but first abstain from food and drink for eight days.

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Then you will receive great power from me.” He saw and heard all this as in a vision. When he awoke, he found himself lying on the ground, and neither house nor people were in sight. He thought he had been away a short time, but he had been absent several days. When he reached home, his grandmother asked him where he had been. She said, “I have been weeping for you many days. I thought you were dead.” Now he fasted as directed; and when the eight days had passed, he caused wind and rain-storms to visit that part of the coast to which his uncle and the people had gone. They could neither fish nor hunt, and soon were short of food. Now he said to his grandmother, “We will move up the mountains, and make a house in a canyon there.” She answered, “The mountains are far away, and I cannot walk.” The country in the vicinity of where they were was flat. The boy said, “I will make the mountains come nearer.” He stretched out his fingers and then contracted them; and the earth was contracted, so that the mountains stood close by. He said to his grandmother, “Now look out!” She looked, and saw that the mountains were now quite near by. Then he struck his grandmother’s legs and body with brush, and she became able to walk like a young woman. They went to the canyon in the mountains near by. He told his grandmother what to do, and she built a house. Perhaps it was of stone, but it had a door which opened and shut. He said to her, “I am going to call the game into the house, but you must not kill the first animal that enters. Wait until all are in.” He began to sing a song by means of which he called the game. Soon he said to his grandmother, “The game is coming. Open the door!” Then goats came in, and nearly filled the house. When all were in, he told her to shut the door and to kill them. She clubbed and butchered the game. The boy made his grandmother strong, so that she could skin and cut up the game quickly. He also made her able to carry all the meat and skins down and fill one of the houses of the deserted village. He asked his grandmother what kind of food she wished next; and she said, “Sheep.” He sang; and sheep came, and filled the house in the same way. When all the sheep-meat had been stored, he asked his grandmother what she desired next; and she said, “Halibut.” He said to her, “Go to the beach, and you will find them.” She went, and found many halibut on the beach. Then he caused many olachen to come ashore. His grandmother dried the halibut. She put the olachen into a pit, where she let them rot until they were ready to be boiled for trying out the oil. The boy put the fish and oil in his uncle’s house in the village. Now the people were starving. The boy’s uncle, who was chief, sent a male and a female slave back to the village to see if the old woman and boy were still alive, and to find out if there was any game. Meanwhile the boy and his grandmother had moved back to the village. The house which they had made in the canyon had vanished. The slaves arrived, and, seeing smoke, knew that the old woman and the boy must be alive. They looked into a house, and saw that it was full of meat. They found their master’s house full of olachen and olachen-oil. They ate their fill, and took some along when they returned. The boy said to them, “Don’t tell my uncle. Say I am dead.” The slaves returned, and told the people that the old woman and boy were dead. They were asked if they had found their bodies; and they said, “Yes, they were lying in the house.” After a while one of the slave-children cried for olachen. The chief heard him, and asked, “How does he know about olachen?” Then he said to the parents, “You are hiding something. If you do not tell me, I shall kill you.” Then they told him all, and said that the boy had charged them not to tell. The people at once broke camp, and went aboard their canoes to return to the village. The younger wife of the boy’s uncle dressed herself nicely and painted her face. When wiping her face with a towel, she scratched it with a shell that happened to be in the towel. When the people arrived at the village, the uncle said to his nephew, “Which one of my wives do you wish for your wife?” and he answered, “I don’t want the younger one, because she always ill-treated me. I will take the elder one, for she was always good to me.” The boy’s uncle gave him his elder wife, and appointed him to the inheritance of his family, name, and rank.

Story of Go’nexha’tca, the snail

A young girl adopts a snail as a pet, nurturing it until it grows to an enormous size. The snail secretly consumes the village’s oil reserves, leading the villagers to discover and kill it. The girl’s profound mourning introduces customs such as singing mourning songs and cutting hair during grief among her people.

► Themes of the story

Forbidden Knowledge: The girl’s secret nurturing of the snail and the hidden growth beneath her bed represent concealed actions that lead to unforeseen consequences.

Moral Lessons: The tale imparts lessons about the dangers of keeping secrets and the unforeseen consequences of actions, even when intentions are innocent.

Family Dynamics: The story highlights the relationships within the girl’s family, including her secretive behavior and the eventual collective mourning, showcasing the complexities of familial bonds.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Many people were living at a place called Cite’. Among them was a little girl of the Raven phratry who found a snail and made a pet of it. She wrapped it up, nursed it, and played with it, just as little girls do with dolls. It grew in size. When the girl grew up, she dug a hole under her seat and kept the snail there. She always talked to it just as one speaks to a baby; and, as a mother does, she put it to her breasts. At last it drew milk, and grew rapidly in length and bulk. The hole became too small for it; and it bored underground with its sharp tail. It bored underneath her parents’ house, and up through a vessel holding olachen-oil, and drank all the oil. Now it grew to an enormous size. With great rapidity it bored from one house to another, until it reached the last house of the village. In every house it bored a hole upwards, and drank all the oil that was stored there. When the people went to their oil-vessels, they found them empty, and wondered what had taken their oil.

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The snail lay with its head in the hole below the girl’s bed. Whenever the girl went into her room, she at once opened the hole, called it pet names, fondled it, and called it “my little boy” and by other endearing terms. She also sang cradle-songs to it, and composed songs out of love for it. Sometimes her mother asked her what she was doing; and she answered, “I am just fooling, and playing with a doll I have.”

Towards the end of the period of her puberty training, she went from house to house doing work for people, — sewing, and making robes and moccasins. Her mother became suspicious. One day, when the girl was absent, she went to her daughter’s bed and examined the place. She found below the bed a pit like a cellar. On opening it, the snail opened its mouth wide. She closed the pit quickly, ran out, and told her husband and sons. On the following day they sent the girl to the farthest house of the village. Then they prepared to attack the snail with spears and knives. The snail, when attacked, wriggled so much, that the ground burst in a number of places. At these places they cut through its body. After a while they killed it, and then covered up the places where the ground had been rent. The girl heard the commotion, and surmised that something had happened. However, the people of the house in which she was said nothing, and did not appear to be alarmed. When she reached home, she hurried to the hole where her pet was, and saw that it was dead. She reproached her brothers, saying, “Why did you kill your nephew? I was rearing something for you to make you powerful and strong.” She wept much, singing, “Oh, my little boy! Oh, his little feet! Oh, his little eyes, his little teeth, his ears, his nose, his mustache, his little hands!” She cried long, and would not be comforted. At last her mother broke down, and gave vent to her grief; then her brothers became affected, and joined in the crying; then her father, and finally all the people. The girl sang her cradle-songs while weeping. She cut her hair, and all the people did the same; and thus they mourned for their dear dead relative the snail. Because the girl suckled the snail, the women of the Raven phratry now have large breasts. Because the girl cried and sang, people now sing mourning-songs when a relative dies. Because the girl cut her hair, the people followed her example, and now cut their hair when a relative dies.

The fisherman and the killer-whales

A fisherman and his wife catch an unfamiliar fish, which they prepare and dry. When the wife washes her hands in the sea, Killer-Whales seize her in revenge. The fisherman seeks help from the Fish chief, who sends Shark to assist. Shark creates a distraction, enabling the couple’s escape. As they flee, Shark battles the pursuing Killer-Whales, allowing the couple to return home safely.

► Themes of the story

Underworld Journey: The fisherman’s journey to the underwater realm to rescue his wife.

Revenge and Justice: The Killer-Whales’ act of abducting the fisherman’s wife as retribution for killing their companion.

Cunning and Deception: Shark’s clever tactics to create a distraction and facilitate the rescue.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

A man was out fishing and drying halibut, and his wife helped him. One day he felt something very heavy on his hook, and could not pull it up. He tied the line to the thwart of the canoe, and paddled ashore. With much trouble he managed to land the fish on the beach. He called on his wife to kill it quickly, and she despatched it with her knife. She cut it up and hung it up to dry, as is done with halibut. They did not know what kind of a fish it was. It was quite strange to them, but they thought it might be good food. When the woman had finished her work, she went to the edge of the water to wash her hands. As soon as she put her hands into the water, something seized them and pulled her underneath the sea. She had been taken by the Killer-Whales, who had come to have revenge on the man for killing their friend. The man followed the trail of his wife and her captors under the sea.

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He came to the house of the Fish chief, and asked him if he knew where his wife was. The chief said, “Yes, the Killer-Whales have taken her to be their slave.” The man asked the chief if any fish of his company would care to help him get back his wife. The chief asked the fishes if any of them would volunteer, and Shark said he would go. Shark went ahead to Killer-Whale’s house, and hid the man outside the door. He went in, and saw that the Killer-Whales were about to eat their evening meal. Their chief said, “Make the fire blaze, that we may see well!” Shark was standing next to the fire. He jumped up quickly and put much wood on the fire, so that it blazed up. The chief then said, “Some one fetch water!” Shark seized the buckets and ran out to draw water. As he came in and was passing the fire, he stumbled purposely, and upset the buckets in the fire, thus causing a dense cloud of ashes and steam to arise. Quickly he caught up the woman, pushed her out into the arms of her husband, who was waiting, and followed them. Shark kept in the rear, and said to the man, “Keep a-going! If they overtake us, I shall fight them,” When the man and woman were nearly home, they looked back, and saw a severe fight in progress. Shark was fighting all the Killer-Whales, biting them with his sharp teeth, and tearing them with his rough skin.

The blind man and the loon

A blind man relies on his wife to hunt. After successfully shooting a caribou, his wife deceives him, claims he missed, and abandons him. Distraught, he encounters a loon who restores his sight through repeated dives. The loon advises him to confront his wife for her betrayal. Upon finding her, he kills her using her own leg.

► Themes of the story

Love and Betrayal: The man’s wife deceives and abandons him, highlighting themes of betrayal.

Revenge and Justice: After regaining his sight, the man seeks retribution against his wife for her treachery.

Healers and Cures: The loon’s role in miraculously healing the man’s blindness.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Once there was an old blind man who travelled with his wife. When game was in sight, he drew his hand over his arrow, then his wife held up his arms, and he shot, never missing his mark. One day he shot a caribou in this way, but his wife told him he had missed. She said, “You are useless now. I am going to leave you.” She went to where the caribou lay, butchered it, and dried the meat. Meanwhile her husband was weeping bitterly. He crawled about, not knowing where he was going, while his wife had plenty to eat. He heard a loon cry, and crawled towards the sound. At last he felt the water of a lake. Loon came to him and asked him why he was crying. The man said, “Because I have missed a caribou, and my wife has deserted me.” Loon said, “Get on my back, I will take you along with me.” The man was afraid. Loon dived with a rock on his back to the other side of the lake and back again. Again he dived with a heavier rock and returned.

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Now the man climbed on Loon’s back. Loon dived from one end of the lake to the other, and then asked the man if he could see. The man answered, “Yes, a little.” Four times Loon dived with him; and when they came up the last time, the man had recovered his eyesight. [Some Indians believe that the loon is a good guardian spirit for shamans, and that those who possess it can cure eye-diseases.] Loon told the man to kill his wife for lying to him and deserting him. He went to her, and found her eating caribou-meat. When she saw him approaching, she said, “I was just going to look for you.” He cut off her leg and killed her with it. [Stories telling how a person is killed with his own arm, leg, head, etc., occur among the Carrier.]

Another Version. A man with his wife and children were camped near a large lake. Here they had snares set for caribou, and nets for fish. They caught hardly any fish and no caribou, and were starving. To make matters worse, the man became blind. The woman then attended to the snares and nets. One day she found a caribou in one of the snares. Taking the children, she deserted her husband, went to where the caribou was, and camped there. Her husband crawled to the lake to have a drink, and then lay down and fell asleep. Something talked to him. It was Loon, asking him why he lay there. The man said, “I was deserted by my wife, came here to drink, and fell asleep.” Loon said, “Your wife is eating caribou-meat over there. I will take you to where she is.” The man was afraid, but finally was persuaded to take hold of Loon around the neck. Loon then dived with him to the end of the lake and came up. He asked the man if he could see; and he answered, “A little.” Loon dived back to where he had started from, and asked the man again if he could see. He answered, “I can see much better, but my sight is still dim.” Then he dived with him a third time, and went towards the place where the caribou-snares were. Loon asked the man again if he could see; and he said, “Very well. I can see everything.” Now Loon gave him a stone knife with which to kill his wife. When he came near where she was, she saw him coming. She cried, and said to the children, “Let us go to your father! Poor man! he is blind.” The husband paid no attention to her, and forthwith killed her and her children.

Story of Tcix’qa’; or, the hunter who could not kill game

A young man, mocked for his poor hunting skills, deceives a woman into marrying him by darkening his thumbs to appear as the best hunter. Unable to provide game, he resorts to a desperate act, leading to his death. The story explains why women often prefer skilled hunters and attributes the red tips of certain lichens to this event.

► Themes of the story

Tragic Flaw: The young man’s dishonesty and laziness prevent him from becoming a proficient hunter, leading to his downfall.

Origin of Things: The tale explains the behaviour of women toward hunters and the way the lichens are coloured.

Cultural Heroes: The story reflects societal values and serves as a cautionary tale within the Tahltan culture, highlighting the traits admired and admonished in their community.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Tcix’qa’ is said to be the name for the camp or lodge which adolescent boys use.

A number of young men were living together in a camp or lodge such as young men use at the age of puberty. Nearly every day they went hunting. One of them never killed any game, and the others laughed at him. In the same place lived a wealthy man who had a young marriageable daughter. He thought it was time for her to marry; and one day he said to her, “Carry a dish of food to the young men’s lodge. Give it to the best hunter, and then sit down beside him [thus proposing marriage] and become his wife. You will be able to tell the best hunter by examining the young men’s hands. The one who has the darkest mark at the base of the thumbs is the best hunter.” [It is believed that good hunters have darker skin on the part of the thumb adjoining the palm than poor hunters] The young man who was an indifferent hunter happened to overhear these instructions. He went to the camp-fire and blackened the front part of his thumbs with charcoal. Then he sat down among the other young men and exposed his thumbs, that the girl might see them.

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In the evening the girl came, peered in through the brush of the lodge, and looked at the hands of the young men. She noticed that Tcix’qa’s thumbs were much darker than any of the others: therefore she entered the lodge, gave him the food, and sat down beside him. On the following day all the young men went hunting. They staid out two days; but, as usual, Tcix’qa’ had no game. They all laughed at him, and said that marrying had not changed his luck. [It is believed that marrying often changes a person’s luck.] After his marriage he left the young men’s camp and went to live with his wife and father-in-law. He went hunting with the latter, but never killed anything. His father-in-law thought this was strange for a man chosen as the best hunter of all the young men. He resolved to watch him, to learn why the youth did not kill any game. He saw him going after a caribou. He just ran a short distance, then stopped and walked on with long strides, to make people believe by his track that he had been running. The father-in-law went home, and said to his daughter, “Now I see what your husband does. He is no good. He cannot run, and therefore he never gets any game.” At last Tcix’qa’ felt bad because he could get no game. He cut his anus and pulled out about a yard of his intestines, cut them off, and put them in a bag. Then he plugged the hole with moss and went home. When he reached there, he threw down the bag beside his wife, and told her to cook the contents. His wife said, “He has killed game at last,” and hurried to cook it. Her father stopped her, saying, “It smells bad. Let him cook it himself! There is something wrong.” He hung the intestines on a stick above the fire to cook. When he reached up, the plug fell out of his anus, followed by his entrails and blood, and he died right there. This is why today women always fancy the best hunters, but some choose and marry men who are very poor hunters. Also this is why lichens (Cladonia hellidiflora) have red tips, for the man used them as a plug. The red are the blood-stains.

The hunter who could not run

A young man struggles with hunting due to his inability to run without fear. His uncle observes this and subjects him to rigorous training, including making him carry heavy loads up steep mountains and enduring intense steam in a sweat-house. Over time, the youth overcomes his fears and becomes a proficient hunter.

► Themes of the story

Hero’s Journey: The narrative follows the youth’s transformative adventure, guided by his uncle, leading him to overcome personal limitations and achieve greatness as a hunter.

Cultural Heroes: The uncle serves as a foundational figure, imparting essential survival skills and cultural values to the youth, thereby shaping his role in society.

Moral Lessons: The story imparts lessons on perseverance, discipline, and the importance of mentorship in personal development.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

A young man lived with his uncle, who made many arrows for him. The youth always shot them away, and came back from hunting without arrows or game. His uncle thought he would watch him. He saw some caribou running away from the youth, who ran after them just a little way. Then he walked with long strides to make people think that he had been running. His uncle then ran ahead, killed all the caribou, and waited for the youth to come up. He was walking comfortably. His uncle asked him why he was not running, and said, “You will never catch any game in that way. Caribou run fast.” The youth answered, “When I run a short time, my heart begins to beat so hard, that I become afraid and have to walk.” They carried the meat to camp. Now the youth’s uncle took him hunting sheep, and killed several. He made his nephew carry a whole sheep up a steep mountain. He made him run. At first he ran, and then he walked.

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His uncle followed close behind, and pushed him when he went too slowly. The youth nearly dropped, but his uncle made him go to the top without stopping. Then his uncle said to him, “You will not die. You will never be out of breath.” The next day he took him to a sweat-house, in which he made much steam. The youth tried to run out, saying that his heart was sick and that he was going to die. His uncle said to him, “You cannot get out until the sweat-house begins to cool off,” and he held him down. Thus he trained him in the sweat-house and by making him run and climb steep slopes. In the end he became a great hunter.

Story of Dca’ndui

Dca’ndui, a renowned hunter, struggled to catch marmots as his traps were mysteriously sprung. After fasting and strengthening his traps, he captured Wolverene, who offered assistance. Wolverene advised Dca’ndui to fast and save his urine, which Wolverene used for cleansing, leading to successful hunts. He also warned against eating a specific marmot bone; when Dca’ndui disobeyed, bad weather ensued. Upon confession, Wolverene rectified the situation, resulting in abundant meat. Dca’ndui returned home with a massive load, attributing his success to Wolverene’s guidance.

► Themes of the story

Forbidden Knowledge: The tale emphasizes the importance of adhering to specific taboos, such as avoiding the consumption of certain marmot bones, and the consequences of violating them.

Moral Lessons: The story imparts ethical teachings about honesty, respect for traditions, and the repercussions of one’s actions.

Harmony with Nature: The narrative underscores the significance of living in balance with the natural world and respecting its inherent rules.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Dca’ndui was a celebrated hunter who killed and trapped all kinds of game. Once he went trapping marmots, but could not catch any because his traps were sprung. Although he watched, he could not find out what sprung them. He fasted three days, and then made his deadfalls heavier. Again he fasted three days, and this time he caught somebody by the hand. The man begged him to spare him, and told him that he would go to his camp with him and help him. Dca’ndui agreed; and the man, who was Wolverene, accompanied him. Wolverene told Dca’ndui to fast for three more days and to save all the urine. Dca’ndui wondered what he wanted to do with the urine, and watched through a hole in his blanket. When it was nearly daylight, he saw Wolverene get up and wash himself in the urine and then dry himself. That day they both set traps. Next day Wolverene had a marmot in each of his traps, while Dca’ndui had none.

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Wolverene now told Dca’ndui that he must not eat the small bone at the back of the knees of marmots. He wondered why Wolverene had told him that, and one day he ate one. Then came a spell of rain, snow, wind, and bad weather. All the marmots staid in their holes, and they could not catch any. Wolverene charged Dca’ndui with having eaten the forbidden bone, but he denied it. Then Wolverene went and examined his excrement and found it. He said to Dca’ndui, “You lied about not eating the bone, but I found it.” He wrapped it in feathers and burned it, saying, “Tomorrow good weather will come.” After this they caught many marmots in their traps, and they soon had the camp full of meat.

When Dca’ndui was ready to go home. Wolverene said he would carry the meat for him. Dca’ndui made up a pack for Wolverene of about the same size and weight as he himself could carry. Wolverene said it was too light, so Dca’ndui added more to it. Wolverene said, “I can carry more;” so he added more. At last all the meat was in Wolverene’s pack, and he walked off with it as a man does with an ordinary load. When they arrived on the outskirts of the village. Wolverene put down his load and returned. He told Dca’ndui not to tell any one that he had helped him. When Dca’ndui arrived home, the people asked him what luck he had had. He answered, “Poor luck. I have a very small pack of meat. I left it some little distance away.” He told a man to go out and bring it in. The man could not move it, so he came back and told all the people to go and see it. They went out, and it took all of them to carry it in. They thought Dca’ndui must be a very strong man. This is why wolverenes can carry such heavy loads now, and also why the Indians never eat the small bones at the backs of marmots knees.