NELSON] RAVEN CREATION MYTH 455 



In this way Raven continued for several days making birds, fishes, 

 and animals, showing them to Man, and explaining their uses. 



After this he flew away to the sky and was gone four days, when 

 he returned, bringing back a salmon for the use of Man. Looking 

 about he saw that the ponds and lakes were silent and lonely, so he 

 created many water insects upon their surfaces, and from the same 

 clay he made the beaver and the muskrat to frequent their borders. 

 Then, also, were made flies, mosquitoes, and various other land and 

 water insects, it being explained to Man that these were made to 

 enliven and make cheerful the earth. At that time the mosquito was 

 like the house-fly in its habits and did not bite as it does now. 



Man was shown the muskrat and told to take its skin for clothing. 

 He was also told that the beavers would live along the streams and 

 build strong houses and that he must follow their example, and like 

 wise that the beavers would be very cunning and only good hunters 

 would be able to take them. 



At this time the woman gave birth to a child, and Raven directed 

 Man how to feed and care for it, telling him that it would grow into a 

 man like himself. As soon as the child was born, Raven and Man took 

 it to a creek, rubbed it over with clay, and then returned with it to his 

 stopping place on the knoll. The next morning the child was running 

 about pulling up grass and other plants which Raven had caused to 

 grow near by; on the third day the child became a full-grown man. 



After this Raven thought that if he did not create something to 

 make men afraid they would destroy everything he had made to 

 inhabit the earth. Then he went to a creek near by, where he formed 

 a bear and gave it life, jumping to one side quickly as the bear stood 

 up and looked fiercely about. Man was then called and told that the 

 bear would be very fierce and would tear him to pieces if he disturbed 

 it. Then were made different kinds of seals, and their names and habits 

 were explained to man. Raven also taught Man to make rawhide lines 

 from sealskin, and snares for deer, but cautioned him to wait until the 

 deer were abundant before he snared any of them. 



In time the woman was with child again, and Raven said it would 

 be a girl and they must rub her over with clay as soon as she was 

 born, and that after she was grown she must marry her brother. Then 

 Raven went away to the place of the pea vine, where the first man was 

 found. While he was gone a girl was born and the pair did as they 

 were told, and the next day the girl walked about. On the third day 

 she became a full-grown woman, and was married to the young man as 

 directed by Raven, in order that the earth might be peopled more 

 rapidly. 



When Raven reached the pea vine he found three other men had 

 just fallen from the pea pod that gave the first one. These men, like 

 the first, were looking about them in wonder, and Raven led them away 

 in an opposite direction from that in which he had taken the first man, 

 afterward bringing them to firm laud close to the sea. Here they 



