1887.] 4-0 [Boas. 



SO clear ; they call the latter Kants'oump (that is, "our father"), or Ata 

 ("the one above "), or Kikarae ("the chief"). His son, Kanikila, de- 

 scended from heaven to the earth, and was born again of a woman. 

 When he was grown up, he traveled all over the world, transforming men 

 into animals, and making friends with many chiefs. The same legend is 

 known to the Salish and the West Vancouver tribes. The Komoks call 

 the deity Kumsnootl (that is, "our elder brother ") ; the Kauitcia, Qiils ; 

 the West Vancouver tribes. Alls. He is their culture-hero. In the south- 

 ern part of Vancouver island it is said that he gave men the fire. The 

 Kwakiutl say that he created the salmon, and gave the law of the winter 

 dance. 



These two traditions — the raven legend and the legend of the sun and 

 the son of the deity — are mixed in numerous tribes, particularly among 

 the Kwakiutl. The Bilqula, on the other hand, have both these legends, 

 but a third oAe in addition. They say that four men — Yulatimot, Mas- 

 masalaniq, Matlapalitsek, Mallapeeqoek — descended from heaven after the 

 raven had liberated the sun. Then the tradition goes on : And Yulati- 

 mot thought, "Oh, might INIasmasalaaiq carve men out of cedar !" and 

 Masmasalaniq carved men ; and Yulatimot thought, " Oh, might Masmas- 

 alaniq make a canoe !" and Masmasalaniq made a canoe, etc. Yulatimot 

 gives Masmasalaniq his thoughts, and Masmasalaniq accomplishes them. 

 Thus these two spirits created men and gave them their arts. It is 

 remarkable, however, that by some individuals Yulatimot is described as 

 the raven himself, and he is represented in this way in masks, paintings, 

 and carvings. 



From these few remarks it will appear that the mythology of each tribe 

 can only be understood by studying it in connection with that of his 

 neighbors. 



Certain mythological ideas, however, are common to all tribes of the 

 north-west coast. The myth of the creation of the world is very uniform 

 among all tribes. The northern group say that in the beginning it was 

 dark until the Raven liberated the sun. The southern tribes say that 

 there was a sun from the beginning, but that daylight was kept in a box 

 by the chief of the sun, and that it was liberated by the Raven. After it 

 had become light, the earth, trees, fire, and water were made. It is 

 remarkable that all these were obtained from some chief who retained 

 them for his own use. Nothing was created. Thus the earth was pre- 

 pared for man, who descended in the shape of birds from heaven. When 

 they arrived on the earth, the' birds threw off their skins and became 

 men. These became the ancestors of the genles, and each of them 

 received a certain tract of land when the great transformer, Kanikila, met 

 him. Subdivisions of the gentes derive their origin from one of the de- 

 scendants of these first men. It is told, that in olden times certain men 

 descended into the sea, or went up the mountains, where the}'^ met with 

 some kind of spirit, who gave them his emblems. Thus they became the 

 ancestors of subgentes. 



