THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 355 



The rivalry between chiefs, when carried so far that coppers are 

 destroyed and that grease feasts are given in order to destroy the 

 prestige of the rival, often develop into open enniitj". When a person 

 gives a grease feast, a great fire is lighted in the center of the house. 

 The flames leap up to the roof and the gue>sts are almost scorched by 

 the heat. Still the etiquette demands that they do not stir, else the 

 host's fire has conquered them. Even when the roof begins to burn 

 and the fire attacks the rafters, they must appear unconcerned. The 

 host alone has the right to send a man up to the roof to put out the fire. 

 While the feast is in progress the host sings a scathing song ridiculing 

 his rival and praising his own clan, the feats of his forefathers and his 

 own. Then the grease is filled in large spoons and passed to the rival 

 chief first. If a person thinks he has given a greater grease feast than 

 that offered by the host, he refuses the spoon. Then he runs out of 

 the house (g-e'qEmx'it=chief rises against his face) to fetch his copper 

 "to squelch with it the fire." The host proceeds at once to tie a cop- 

 per to each of his house posts. If he-should not do so, the person who 

 ^refused the spoon would on returning strike the i)osts with the copper, 

 which is considered equal to striking the chief's face (k'i'lxa). Then 

 the man who went to fetch his copper breaks it and gives it to the host. 

 This is called "squelching the host's fire." The host retaliates as 

 described above. 



The following songs show the manner in which rivals scathe each 

 other. 



First NEqa'pEnk'Em (=ten ftithom face) let his clan sing the follow- 

 ing song at a feast which he gave: ^ 



1. Our great famous chief is known even ontside of our world, oh! he is the 

 highest chief of all. [Then he sang:] The chiefs of all the tribes are my servants, 

 the chiefs of all the tribes are my speakers. They are pieces of copper which I have 

 broken. 



[The people:] Do not let our chief rise too high. Do not let him destroy too 

 much property, else we shall be made like broken pieces of copper by the great 

 breaker of coppers, the great splitter of coppers, the great chief who throws cop- 

 pers into the water, the great one who can not be surpassed by anybody, the one 

 surmounting all the chiefs. Long ago you went and burnt all the tribes to ashes. 

 You went and defeated the chief of all the tribes; you made Lxs people run away 

 and look for their relatives whom you had slain. You went and the fame of your 

 power was heard among the northern tribes. You went and gave blankets to every- 

 bodj-, chief of all tribes. 



2. Do not let us stand in frout of biia, of whom we are always hearing, even at 

 the outermost limits of this world. Do not let us steal from our chief, tribes! else 

 he will become enraged and will tie our hands. He will hang us, the chief of the 

 tribes. 



[Ne(p"i'pKnk*Eni sings:] Do not mind my greatness. My tribe alone is as great 

 as four tribes. I am standing on our fortress ; I am standing on top of the chiefs of 

 the tribes. I am Copper Face, Great Mountain, Supporter, Obstacle; my tribes are 

 my servants. 



At another feast he let his people sing:^ 



1. Do not look around, tribes! do not look arouiid, else we might see something 

 that will hurt us in the great house of this really great chief. 



See Appendix, page 667. i See Appendix, page 668. 



