THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 



657 



When he thus returns, he is entirely naked. From the time when 

 he enters his house it becomes tabooed. A rope hung with red cedar 

 bark is stretched from the door of the house to a pole erected on the 

 beach, preventing the people from passing in front of the house and 

 compelling them to go behind. A large ring of red cedar bark is fas- 

 tened to the pole in front of the house. These remain on the house for 

 a day after the return of the novice. On the following day four men 

 put on bearskins and place rings of red cedar bark on their heads. Thus 

 attired, they go from house to house inviting the people to see thedance 

 of the novice and to learn his songs. When the people have assembled, 

 the uncle of the novice spreads blankets on the floor, on which the 

 youth dances. Then his uncle pays the 

 chiefs who tried to bring him back, and 

 distributes blankets among the other jieo- 

 ple also. He gives a feast, in which two 

 kinds of berries are served, each mixed 

 with grease. Chiefs are given large spoons 

 filled with grease. Their people help them 

 to eat the contents, as they must not 

 leave any of the food that they receive. 

 After the ceremony the novice is called 

 Laamg-a't (a i^erfect man). 



People who want to become members of 

 the olala' must have been shamans first. 



The following description of the initia- 

 tion of an olala' was given by a man who 

 had gone through the ceremony himself, 

 but who is a Christian now. It is a question 

 to my mind whether the ceremonies at the 

 grave, about which he told me, were actu- 

 ally performed, or whether he reflected only 

 the dread in which the olala' were held. 



During a festival when he was to be in- 

 itiated, his friends pretended to begin a ^''^" 

 quarrel. They drew knives and pretended to kill him. They let him 

 disappear, and cut oft' the head of a dummy, which had been skillfully 

 introduced. Then they laid the body down, covered it, and the women 

 began to mourn and to wail. His relatives gave a feast, distributed 

 blankets, slaves, canoes, and coppers, and burnt the body. In short, 

 they held a regular funeral. 



After his disappearance, the young man resorted to a grave. He 

 took the body oMt of the grave and wrapped the blanket about himself 

 and the body. Thus he lay with the corpse for a whole night. The 

 other olala' watched him from a distance. In the morning he put the 

 body back into the grave. He continued to do so for some time, in order 

 to acquire courage. All this time and for a whole year after he was 

 not seen by any member of the tribe except by the olala'. 

 NAT MUS 95 42 



Fig. 210. 



RATTLE WITH DESIGN REPEESENTINO 



THE KILLER WHALE. 



Haida. 



■at. No. 2(1584, U.S. N. M. Collecteil by J. G. 



