THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 



477 



The whistle (fig. 139, p. 492) is used by the dancer to imitate the 

 sound of the bird represented by the mask (fig. 138, p. 491). 



THE WOLP.^ 



1. I go to the seat of the chief of the wolves. Yihihi ahahi. 



2. I am takeu to the middle of the rear of the house of the wolves. Yihihi ahahi. 



3. Thus I obtained all the supernatural powers of the wolves. Yihihi ahahi. 



WOLF SONG, I-A'LASIQOALA.' 



1. I come barking ou the beach. I make the noise of distributions of blankets, for 



you will be as great as your ancestor, the first one of all the chiefs. 



2. Wonderful are the words of our chief, the wolf. It is said: We shall assemble 



with our children, asking him to give blankets, to give blankets to each tribe, 

 even to all the tribes of the world. Yihci. 



3. Let us try to pacify our chief, else ho will swing his death bringer and cut short 



our lives, and we shall fall before the chief of the wolves. Yibci. 



WALAS'AXA'.^ 



The Wrdas'axa' is a peculiar wolfs dance. It belongs to the legend 

 of O'maxt'a/laLc (see p. 382), who obtained it by marrying the daughter 

 of Qfiwatiliqala. The Walas'axa' is danced in 

 the following way: All the men of the tribe 

 dress in blankets and headdresses representing 

 the wolf. They hide behind a curtain which 

 stretches across the rear of the house, and when 

 the singers open their song, come forth from the 

 right-hand entrance of the curtain. There two 

 criers are stationed, who hold staffs and an- 

 nounce their arrival. As soon as a dancer ap- 

 pears, he turns and proceeds on a march around 

 the fire. The fists are held forward, the 



When the dancers 

 arrive in front of 

 the door, they 

 turn once and 

 then x^i'oceed 

 aronnd the fire, 



disappearing again behind the cnrtain, 

 at the left-hand side. When all have 

 disappeared, two more circuits are made 

 in the same manner. In the fourth cir- 

 cuit they stop when all have come out. 

 They squat down on hands and feet, imi- 

 tating the motions of wolves. They rest 

 on their toes and knuckles and turn 

 their heads to the right and to the left. 

 In fig. 140 (p. 493) and in Plate 37 a number of the masks used in the 

 Walas'axa' are shown. Some of these claim particular interest, as they 



thumbs erect (Plate 30). 



rig. 117. 



MASK OF NU'LMAL. 



Cat. No. 2669, U. S. N. M. 

 Wilkes Expedition. 



Pig. 118. 

 MASK OF NU'LMAL. 



Height, 9| inches ; black, reit. 



:.>. IW", Royal Ethnographic.%1 Museum, 

 Collected by A. Jacobsen. 



' Appendix, page 711. 



* The treat one from above. 



