Origin of the Feast for the Dead

In a coastal village near a glacier, a sole survivor of a deadly illness wished to honor his deceased community with a feast. After inviting animals and trees without success, he approached the Ice people from the glacier. They accepted his invitation, attended the feast, and expressed gratitude. This event established the tradition of feasts for the dead, where food is shared among the living and offerings are made to the deceased.

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

Origin of Things: The narrative explains the inception of the feast for the dead, detailing its customs and significance.

Underworld Journey: By inviting the Ice people, who can be interpreted as entities from a realm associated with the dead, the story touches upon interactions with beings from the afterlife.

Ancestral Spirits: The feast is a means to honor and connect with the spirits of the departed, acknowledging their continued presence and influence.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

A long time ago, somewhere near the sea, there was a large village of people not far from a glacier. The people became sick, and all died except one man. He hunted, and carried in much meat. He wanted to give a feast for the dead, but there was no one to attend it. He invited the ducks and other birds to the feast, but they never responded. He called the trees and stumps, but they also gave no heed. Then he went to the glacier and invited the Ice people. He went again to see if they were coming, and saw much down and feathers stretching in a straight line across the water from the glacier to his own house. He thought, “They will come by this route in the morning.”

Early next day they came out of the glacier, and embarked in their canoes. They arrived, and ate until they were full. Then they thanked the man, saying, “We are poor, lowly people, and you invited us to the feast. Thank you!”

► Continue reading…

He answered, “I asked every one to the feast, but no one responded. Then I tried you, and I am glad you came. You have eaten now. My heart is at ease now regarding my deceased friends. I shall sleep well tonight. Thank you!” Before this, feasts for the dead were unknown. This was the first one. The Ice people now said, “Henceforth people must do this always. When a relative dies, they must make a feast for the other people to eat, and also hum some food in the fire, so that the dead people may also eat.” People have since done this until the present time.

Running and expanding this site requires resources: from maintaining our digital platform to sourcing and curating new content. With your help, we can grow our collection, improve accessibility, and bring these incredible narratives to an even wider audience. Your sponsorship enables us to keep the world’s stories alive and thriving. ♦ Visit our Support page

Atsentma’, or the Meat-Mother

Atsentma’ gave birth to various animals, starting with the smallest, a mouse, and culminating with the largest, a moose. She tested their agility on a vast blanket stretched over mountains, finding the mountain sheep to be the most adept. Atsentma’ then assigned each animal its habitat and diet before departing north, where she is believed to influence animal movements.

► Themes of the story

Creation: The tale explains how various animals came into existence.

Origin of Things: It provides explanations for natural phenomena, such as the sizes of animals and their habitats.

Harmony with Nature: The story emphasizes the interconnectedness between humans, animals, and the natural world, highlighting the balance and order established by Atsentma’.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Animals were born of a woman. Once a number of people were travelling together, among them a husband and wife, the latter in the eighth month of her pregnancy. As she could not keep up with the other people, they left her and her husband behind. At last she could not travel farther, and told her husband, “You had better leave me and hunt game. Come back in a few days and bring me meat.” Her husband then left her, and joined the people. In about a month’s time he came back.

Meanwhile his wife had given birth to a child. When he came near her lodge, he saw many animals, and heard many kinds of noises. The animals were all young, and were running about in the lodge playing. Without talking to his wife, he went back and told the people, for he was a little afraid. They would not believe what he told them, so some of them returned with him to see.

► Continue reading…

When they came near, they saw all kinds of animals running about in the lodge and playing, just as he had seen them. They now believed, and went ‘back and told the other people. The woman had given birth to all kinds of animals. The first-born was a mouse, and therefore mice are now very small. The next-born was a chipmunk, and thus each child born was larger than the preceding. The last-horn was the moose, and therefore he is very large.

Now the woman made a great blanket, like a huge moose-skin, and stretched it flat over the country. She tied one corner to Level Mountain [a long mountain-ridge or plateau north of Telegraph Creek, Stikine River], one corner to Dease Mountain [a mountain near Dease Lake], one corner to Tsextca’z Mountain [a mountain in the Tlepan district, south of Stikine River], and one corner to Atixza’ Mountain [a mountain on the south side of Stikine River, also known as Glacier and Sand Mountain]. She then called all her children, and told them to jump on the blanket one by one and run around. The blanket was springy, and moved up and down. Moose ran only a short distance when he was thrown off. Caribou ran much farther before bouncing off. Only Mountain-Sheep was able to run all round the blanket without being thrown off. Therefore the sheep is now the best runner of all the animals. He never tires and never falls down, and he can go in steep places anywhere. Having learned how each of her children could run, the woman now scattered her children over the country, assigning to each the locality best suited for him as habitat. The sheep and goat, being the surest-footed, were put in the most difficult country.

Then she told each one of her children what he should eat. She told Moose that he should browse on willows, and Caribou that he should eat moss. Now the woman, having finished her task, travelled north and disappeared. She never returned to the people. She lives now in the far north; and when people see the aurora, they say, “Atsentma’ is throwing fire [or burning sticks] out of her house.” Her name is Atsentma’, which means “meat-mother” [also “game-mother”]. She still controls the movements of her children, the animals, here on earth.

Meat-Mother and the caribou and moose

The Meat-Mother watches her children the game, and also the people. When people do not follow the taboos, and do not treat animals rightly, the latter tell their mother; and she punishes the people by taking the game away for a while, or by making it wild, and then the people starve. When she sees good people starving for want of game, she sends game to them, and they are made happy. This accounts for the great migrations of caribou. Sometimes Meat-Mother takes the caribou back, and keeps them with her for a year or two, because of something bad that people have done in some place. Then people have hard work hunting, and often starve. Then she takes pity on them, and tells the caribou to migrate there again. The caribou are her favorite children. The Moose children are the most apt to tell their mother of any disrespect shown them: therefore people have to be very careful as to how they treat moose.

The Warm and Cold Winds people

The Warm-Winds and Cold-Winds people are adversaries. When the Warm-Winds travel north, the Cold-Winds counter with frigid gusts, hail, and snow, forcing their retreat. Conversely, as the Cold-Winds move south, the Warm-Winds respond with heat and rain, causing the Cold-Winds to fear melting and withdraw. This ongoing struggle explains the balance between hot and cold weather.

► Themes of the story

Conflict with Nature: The story personifies natural elements, depicting a struggle between warm and cold forces that influence weather patterns.

Cosmic Order and Chaos: The tale illustrates the balance and tension between opposing natural forces, contributing to the world’s climatic equilibrium.

Origin of Things: The myth provides an explanation for the origin of weather patterns, attributing them to the actions of the Warm-Winds and Cold-Winds people.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

The Warm and Cold Winds people were enemies. When the Warm-Winds people walked abroad and travelled north, the Cold-Winds people were afraid, and made cold winds blow from the north to drive them back.

The farther north the Warm-Winds people came, the more afraid the Cold-Winds people became, and the harder and colder they made the winds blow, sending hail and snow with them. The Warm-Winds people always turned back in fear of freezing.

When the Cold-Winds people travelled south, the Warm-Winds people in turn became afraid, and blew their hot breaths on them and urinated on them. Their urine was rain. The Cold-Winds people became afraid of melting, and turned back.

► Continue reading…

Thus we see them striving at the present day, and each is still afraid of the other. When each stays in his own country, as they do sometimes for considerable lengths of time, there is no fighting; and the weather is neither hot nor cold, but temperate. When they travel near each other’s countries, then they become afraid, and send their winds against each other.

Second version. The Cold-Wind people lived in the far north, and the Warm-Wind people in the south. When the former talked to the latter, a cold wind blew. When the latter talked to the former, a warm wind blew. The speech of the Cold-Wind people was cold because it came from a cold place, and the people were as cold as ice. The speech of the Warm-Wind people was warm, because they were hot. The winds were the same as the breaths of these people. Their breaths blow the clouds. Raven (or some one else) ordained that these people send out the winds.

The Three Sister Rocks

A girl, ostracized for relations with a dog, bore three pups. Discovering her sons’ incest with their sister, she led the family north. While crossing the river, they transformed into stone: the three siblings became the rocks, with the smallest downstream, and the parents became rocks on opposite riverbanks.

Source:
Two Tahltan Traditions
by James A. Teit
The American Folklore Society
Journal of American Folklore
vol.22, no.85, pp.314-318
July-September, 1909

► Themes of the story

Transformation: The family members undergo a physical change, turning into stone formations.

Divine Punishment: The transformation into rocks can be interpreted as a form of retribution for transgressions.

Origin of Things: The story provides an explanation for the existence of the “Three Sister Rocks” in the Stikine River.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

There are three large rocks in the Stikine River between Glenora and Telegraph Creek, known to the whites as “Three Sister Rocks.” The Tahltan tell the following story of their origin. Once a long time ago in the Tahltan country a number of people were living together. A girl of one family was discovered to have had connection with a dog, and this made her relatives and the other people so ashamed that they deserted her. After they had gone, she and the dog lived together as husband and wife. After a time she gave birth to three pups, — two males and a female. When they had grown to be big, the mother suspected the boys of having connection with their sister, and to make certain of this she smeared gum on the girl’s hands at bedtime.

► Continue reading…

Next morning she discovered the marks of their sister’s hands on the backs of both the boys. This confirmed her suspicions. She then left home with her husband and children, and journeyed north. Reaching the Stikine River, she crossed over to the north side, and then asked the children to follow. They crossed one above another in the stream, all holding hands. The father stayed on the south bank of the river and watched them. The youngest boy was downstream, his elder brother farthest upstream, their sister being between them. When they were in the middle of the river, their mother called to them to let go the youngest. They did as directed, the current taking him downstream. At the same time the other two disjoined hands; and immediately the whole group, including the parents, were transformed into stone. The dog-children now form the rocks in the river known as “The Three Sisters.” The smallest rock is more detached and farther downstream. The rocks on each side of the river opposite are the Dog and the Woman.

Ta-ka the Mosquito and Khandatagoot the Woodpecker

The gods convened to punish humanity’s selfishness, each assigning a specific affliction. Yaeethl the Raven, initially indifferent, eventually introduced Ta-ka the Mosquito as his chosen torment. Ta-ka befriended Khandatagoot the Woodpecker, exploiting his hospitality. One day, Ta-ka returned from hunting, engorged with blood, and enticed Khandatagoot to seek the same sustenance. This tale explains the origin of mosquitoes and their relentless pursuit of blood.

Source:
In the Time That Was
being legends of the Alaska Klingats
by J. Frederic Thorne (Kitchakahaech)
The Raven – Seattle, 1909

► Themes of the story

Origin of Things: The tale provides an explanation for the existence and behavior of mosquitoes.

Trickster: Yaeethl the Raven embodies the trickster archetype, introducing the mosquito as a cunning form of punishment.

Conflict with Nature: Humans must contend with the mosquito, a natural element that brings discomfort and challenges.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tlingit Lore

Learn more about Tlingit people

When the selfishness of men had driven the gods from the earth, the Great Ones held a council in Tskekowani, a potlach in the World Beyond. All the gods were there. They talked of the sins of men and of the punishments that should be visited upon them. Long they talked.

Then Theunghow, Chief of Gods, called each by name, and bade him name his sending.

And each god named a sickness, a pain, or a killing.

► Continue reading…

At one side stood Oonah the Death Shadow, and in his hand held his quiver. And as each punishment was named, into his quiver placed Oonah an arrow, sharp-pointed, swift-flying, death-carrying.

The quiver was full, and all had spoken, all save Yaeethl the Raven, who by the cook pot sat smiling, eating.

To Yaeethl spoke K’hoots the Grizzly, saying:

“Dost thou send nothing, Brother? Behold, the Quiver of Death is full, and from the Raven is there no arrow of punishment for men. What arrow gives Yaeethl?”

“Why bother me when I am eating? Is there not time after the pot is empty? Many arrows there are. Because men insult me shall gods spoil my eating?” Thus spoke the Raven as he scraped the pot.

Then Hekt the Frog urged, saying:

“Art thou a god, or is thy belly a god, that in the council the Raven takes no part?”

“A god am I, and a god have I been since the Beginning, thou son of wind and slime. But that my ears may be no longer troubled, a little punishment will I send, that the sons of men forget me not. No arrow from Yaeethl shall find place in Oonah’s quiver. Arrow and messenger both will I send. Thy punishments carry the peace of death, mine the torment of life.”

“And this punishment of thine?” asked Hekt sneering.

And Yaeethl, as from the pot he cleaned the last morsel, replied: “Ta-ka.”

Of all the punishments named by the gods the first to reach the earth was that of Yaeethl — Ta-ka the Mosquito.

To Khandatagoot the Woodpecker, the simple-minded, went Ta-ka, and from the Woodpecker claimed hospitality. And the rights of a stranger gave Khandatagoot to Ta-ka, gave him a place by the fire, and of his food a share, for his head a shelter, treating him as the son of a sister is treated Together they fished and hunted, together they ate and slept. Of the hunting and fishing the chief part was Khandatagoot’s, of the eating and sleeping Ta-ka’s, — Ta-ka who from Yaeethl came.

On a morning the Woodpecker fixed his canoe, and alone to the hunt went the Mosquito.

All day was Ta-ka gone. Low hung the sun when to camp he returned. Slow flying came the Mosquito, and as blood is red, so was the body of Ta-ka, and swelled mightily.

Then was the Woodpecker frightened, thinking his friend wounded, and crying, ran to help him. To the ground sank Ta-ka, but no wound could Khandatagoot find.

Many questions asked the Woodpecker, and to them Ta-ka replied:

“No hurt have I, but full is my belly, full of the choicest eating that ever made potlach. Yet much did I leave behind, the feasting of many months did I leave.”

Then was the belly of Khandatagoot pinched with hunger for this good eating, and of Ta-ka claimed his share.

On the tongue of the Woodpecker placed Ta-ka a drop, saying: “No more can I give of what I have eaten, but as you have shared with me, so shall I share with you. The fill of many bellies is there left.”

“Where is this sweet eating?” asked Khandatagoot, “Tell me the trail that I too may feast until my wings are heavy.”

“No trail is there, Brother. The red juice of a dead tree is this eating, a dead tree in the forest. Its name I know not, but hunt, and you shall find it. Go quickly, lest others get there first.”

And since then, the Woodpecker spends his days seeking in dead trees the red juice that flows in the veins of live men.

Kanuk

The story of Kanuk, a hero and ancestor of the Tlingit Wolf tribe, portrays him as an eternal being residing on Tikenum Island. He encounters El, another ancient entity, and demonstrates his superiority by conjuring a dense fog. Inviting El to his home, Kanuk guards a precious well of fresh water. El, transformed into a crow, attempts to steal the water but is thwarted, resulting in the crow’s black coloration.

Source:
Tlingit Myths
by Frank Alfred Golder
The American Folklore Society
Journal of American Folklore
vol.20, no.79, pp. 290-295
October-December, 1907

► Themes of the story

Creation: The narrative delves into primordial times, discussing the origins of the world and the establishment of natural elements, such as fresh water.

Trickster: El employs cunning tactics to deceive Kanuk, including placing dung around him to create a distraction and attempting to steal water in the guise of a crow.

Origin of Things: The tale provides an explanation for the crow’s black coloration, attributing it to El’s actions and subsequent punishment by Kanuk.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tlingit Lore

Learn more about Tlingit people

Kanuk, the hero and ancestor of the Wolf tribe of the Tlingit, is represented as a mysterious and eternal being, older and more powerful than El. Once upon a time Kanuk lived on a treeless island, Tikenum — sea-fortress — not far from Cape Ommaney. On that island is a small, square, stone well of fresh water, covered with a stone. Inside the well, on the stone, is a narrow horizontal line of a different color than the rest. This mark dates from the time, and indicates the quantity of water El drank and stole out of the well. The well is known as Kanuk’s Well, because formerly, when there was no fresh water elsewhere on the earth, Kanuk kept it in the well and guarded it jealously; he even built a barrabara over it and slept on the cover of the well.

► Continue reading…

One time Kanuk, while out at sea in his canoe, met El there in his canoe and asked him, “Have you been living long in this world?”

“I was born,” said El, “before the earth was in its present place; and have you been living here long?”

“Since the time when the liver came out from below,” said Kanuk.

“Yes,” said El, “you are older than I.”

While continuing their conversation, they went farther and farther from the shore, and Kanuk, thinking it a good time to demonstrate his strength and superiority, took off his hat and put it behind himself; instantly such a thick fog appeared that one, sitting in one end of a canoe, could not see the other end. During that time Kanuk paddled away from his companion. El, unable to see Kanuk, and not knowing which way to go, began to cry to him, “Achkani, Achkani,” but Kanuk made no answer; he called many times with the same result; finally, El, weeping, implored Kanuk to come to him. Kanuk then coming up to him, said, “What are you crying about?” Saying this, he put on his hat and the fog raised.

“Nu Achkani (my father-in-law and brother-in-law), you are stronger than I,” said El.

After this Kanuk invited El to go home with him to his island; there they refreshed themselves, and fresh water was one of the many things that El had. It tasted so sweet and good that he could not get enough to satisfy him, and he was too bashful to ask for more. When dinner was over, El commenced to tell about his origin and the history of the world. At first Kanuk listened attentively, then drowsily, and at last fell into a sound sleep in his usual place on the cover of the well. While he was sleeping El quietly placed some dung under and around Kanuk, and then going outside, called, “Achkani, wake up, look around you; you are, it seems, not well.”

Kanuk woke up and felt around, and believing what El said, ran to the beach to wash himself. In the mean time El pushed the cover oil the well, and drank all the water he could, and, changing to a crow, tilled his bill with water and started to fly out by way of the chimney, but was mysteriously held back when almost at the top. Kanuk, returning from his wash, made a fire, and began smoking his guest until he turned black. This explains why the crow, who was formerly white, is now black. Finally Kanuk, pitying El, let him go, and he (El) flew away to his earth, and dripped the water on it, as was mentioned before.

Origin of a low-caste name

In a northern village, hunters discovered a mute boy on the rocks and took him in. He exhibited destructive behavior, breaking tools, damaging clothing, and causing trouble. Unable to manage him, the villagers returned him to the rock where he was found. Afterward, the weather improved, leading them to believe he was a “rock-man’s son.”

Source:
Tlingit Myths and Texts
by John R. Swanton
[Smithsonian Institution]
Bureau of American Ethnology
Bulletin 39
Washington, 1909

► Themes of the story

Origin of Things: The narrative explains the origin of a low-caste name within the Tlingit culture.

Conflict with Nature: The boy’s presence is associated with adverse weather conditions, such as persistent rain, suggesting a struggle against natural forces.

Community and Isolation: The boy’s inability to integrate into the community and his eventual return to isolation on the rocks highlight themes of belonging and estrangement.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tlingit Lore

Learn more about the Tlingit people

The story was obtained at Wrangell.

There was a certain village in the north from which the people were fond of going hunting. By and by three men went out, and finally came to the rocks among which they always hunted. After they reached the rocks they saw a little boy. Then they took him aboard, thinking it was strange that be should be there. When they spoke to him he did not reply. After that they came home. They kept him as their friend. Whenever they gave him something to eat he ate nothing. Only after everyone had gone to bed did he eat. Whatever thing he touched would spill on him. He was whimsical and they could do nothing with him. He was also lazy. When he was asked to chop wood he broke all of their stone axes. The axes were then valuable. Then the people who had kept him were very sorry. When he played with the children he hurt them badly.

► Continue reading…

Afterward the people who kept him would have to pay for the injuries. If he made something with a knife he would break it. Right after a skin shirt had been put upon him it was in rags. If shoes were put on his feet they were soon in pieces. He drank a great deal of water. He was a great eater. He was a dirty little fellow. He was a crybaby. If they gave him anything to take to another place he lost it. So he made a great deal of trouble for the people.

Then they said of him, “He is really a man of the rocks.” All the town people agreed to take him back to the place where he had been found. After he had been brought in it was very rainy. Then the people who had saved him got into their canoe and carried him back. They put him on the very same rock from which they had taken him. Then they went back. They reached home. The world was now calm. The rain also had ceased. Then the town people were all talking about it. They said to one another, “What could it have been?” and no one knew. Finally the town people said, “Don’t you see it was a rock-man’s son?”

Origin of the frog crest among the Kiksa’di

A couple camping in Gaya’ bay hears a mysterious song. Investigating, they discover a small frog producing the melody. The husband gives the frog to his wife, and they bring it back to Sitka. This event leads to the Kiksa’di clan adopting the frog as their crest, symbolizing the origin of their association with the frog.

Source:
Tlingit Myths and Texts
by John R. Swanton
[Smithsonian Institution]
Bureau of American Ethnology
Bulletin 39
Washington, 1909

► Themes of the story

Origin of Things: The tale explains the origin of the frog crest among the Kiksa’di clan.

Mythical Creatures: The frog, producing a mysterious song, plays a central role in the story.

Sacred Objects: The frog becomes a symbol of significance for the Kiksa’di clan.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tlingit Lore

Learn more about the Tlingit people

The story was obtained at Sitka.

A married couple went from Sitka into Gaya’ bay, and camped at Ga’xgu-an. They were there for perhaps a month. One morning they started out hunting. Then they heard a song on Gaya’ bay. They listened. They did not hear plainly. [The man’s] wife said to him, “Do you hear it?” He said, “I hear the thing making a noise over there.” “Turn toward it,” they said. They went toward it and saw it. It was a little frog which the man let float down to his wife in the stern. He said, “It is for you.” So they brought it to Sitka. This is how the little frog’s song came to be known, and this is why the Kiksa’di claim the frog.

► Continue reading…

How the Sitka Kiksa’di obtained the frog

A man and his wife, lost in fog while canoeing in a bay, hear a powerful, echoing song. As the fog lifts, they trace the haunting melody to a tiny frog. Disputing ownership, the man relents, and the wife ceremonially leaves the frog by a lake. This event marks the origin of the Sitka Kiksa’di people, who honor the frog as significant to their lineage.

Source:
Tlingit Myths and Texts
by John R. Swanton
[Smithsonian Institution]
Bureau of American Ethnology
Bulletin 39
Washington, 1909

► Themes of the story

Origin of Things: It narrates the origin of the Kiksa’di clan’s association with the frog, explaining a cultural practice.

Supernatural Beings: The frog’s powerful, echoing song and its significant role suggest a supernatural element influencing mortal affairs.

Cultural Heroes: The man and his wife serve as foundational figures whose actions lead to the establishment of a significant clan symbol.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tlingit Lore

Learn more about the Tlingit people

Myth recorded in English at Wrangell, Alaska, in January-April 1904

A man and his wife were crossing the mouth of a big bay named le’yaq, when it became so foggy that they could not even see the water around their canoe and stopped where they were. Then, quite a distance away in the thick fog, they heard singing, and it continued for so long a time that they learned the song by heart. The words of this song are:

We picked up a man; you picked up a man
They captured a man; you’ve captured a man.

The voice was so powerful that they could hear it reecho among all the mountains.

When the fog began to rise so that they could look under it a little they heard the song coming nearer and nearer.

► Continue reading…

They looked about and finally saw that it came from a very little frog. To make sure of it they paddled along for some time in the direction it was taking. Then the man said, “This frog is going to be mine. I am going to claim it,” and his wife answered, “No, it is going to be mine. I am going to claim it.” But, after they had disputed for some time, the man finally let it go to his wife.

Then the woman took it ashore, treating it like a child, carried it up to the woods, put it down by a lake and left it there. From that time on, her people have been Kiksa’di. That is how the Sitka Kiksa’di came to claim the frog.

The halibut that divided the Queen Charlotte Islands

This tale from the Queen Charlotte Islands recounts the origins of their fragmented geography. A fisherman, struggling to catch halibut, finally lands a tiny one. His wife’s disdain leads her to discard it, but the halibut grows into a colossal, destructive force, breaking apart the unified landmass into today’s islands. The once-singular village was destroyed, scattering its inhabitants across the archipelago.

Source:
Tlingit Myths and Texts
by John R. Swanton
[Smithsonian Institution]
Bureau of American Ethnology
Bulletin 39
Washington, 1909

► Themes of the story

Origin of Things: This story explains the fragmented geography of the Queen Charlotte Islands, detailing how a giant halibut’s actions led to the division of a once-unified landmass into separate islands.

Transformation: The narrative centers on the halibut’s transformation from a small fish into a colossal creature, whose growth and subsequent actions cause significant changes to the environment and the lives of the inhabitants.

Conflict with Nature: The tale illustrates a dramatic interaction between humans and a supernatural aspect of nature, where the fisherman’s catch leads to unforeseen natural upheavals that alter the landscape and disrupt human settlements.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tlingit Lore

Learn more about the Tlingit people

Myth recorded in English at Wrangell, Alaska, in January-April 1904

Formerly there was but one village on the Queen Charlotte islands (Deki’ qoan a’ni, Town-far-out). Everyday the people used to go out from this village to fish for halibut, and all were successful except one man. Though the people all about his canoe were pulling in fish he caught nothing day after day, and he became angry. One calm day, however, he had a bite. Pulling at his line he found that something very strong was attached to it. After he had pulled it up a short distance it would pull the line away from him, and each time he let it go for fear of losing it. When he at last got it up, however, it was only a little halibut about as big as a flounder. He could not catch anything else. In the evening, after this man had brought his halibut ashore and had entered his house, he said, “I have a very small halibut. It might bring me luck.” His wife took up her knife and went down to it, but when she saw that little fish she took it by the tail and threw it up on the beach.

► Continue reading…

Then the halibut, which was still alive, began to flop up and down faster and faster. Presently the woman saw a larger halibut lying there. Everybody now watched it, and it kept flopping and increasing in size until it became as large as a paddle. By and by it grew to the size of a large piece of red-cedar bark prepared for roofing, and at length it covered the entire beach. Toward evening it was a veritable monster, which smashed the whole town in pieces by its motions. Before that the Queen Charlotte group formed one large solid body of land, but the halibut broke it into the various portions that exist today. At that same time the people of this single village were scattered all over the group.