440 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [on. ask. 31 



which all tho ocean-beings have been invited, and in return gives his 

 human visitors a number of crests (287-288). 



Visitors who come to a village after slaying a sea monster are 

 called to the chief's house, the people dance for them, and they are 

 feasted. Then the nephew of the visiting 'chief announces that his 

 uncle wishes to marry one of the village chief's relatives. The old 

 people choose one of the village chief's wives, and the whole village 

 gives property to the young couple (224). 



A chief invites the sea monsters, feeds them, gives his presents, 

 and in return requests the two most dangerous ones to take places 

 where they will not imperil canoes (277) . 



The Mountain-Goat tribe send messengers to invite a whole tribe 

 to a great festival, and ask them to erect a village near their own, in 

 which to live during the festivities (132). 



A chief who receives gifts of food from his daughter's relatives 

 (N 231) or from his wife's relatives (Robin) distributes them among 

 his guests. 



A man who gives many potlatches becomes a great chief (1.189, 

 N 194). 



When the son of a daughter married among strangers comes to live 

 with his mother's father, all the tribes are invited, so that they may 

 know him. On 171 one tribe has been forgotten, who then kill the 

 youth because they do not know him. 



When a chief of high rank is not invited to a festival, his friends 

 will not come either (275) . 



Marriage and Death 



Marriage. — The normal type of marriage, as described in the tra- 

 ditions, is that between a young man and his mother's brother's 

 daughter. Thus a deserted boy marries his youngest uncle's daugh- 

 ter (231), or his uncle's younger daughter (176); a mother requests 

 her daughter to marry her cousin (244) ; a princess marries her cousin 

 (234, 238, 244). Evidently this narrow restriction of marriage often 

 found resistance. This is expressed by the characteristic type of 

 stories of a girt who refuses to marry her cousin (166, 186). In 

 one case it is even said that the girl hates her cousin whom she is to 

 marry (166). 



Very peculiar is the remark (1S5) that a prince is to marry his 

 mother's brother's daughter in order to inherit his uncle's house. 

 This sounds as though the recorder considered this marriage essential 

 in order to secure the succession. This, however, was certainly not 

 the old condition of affairs. 



On 154 it is stated more loosely that a prince marries one of his 

 father's relatives, moaning by this, obviously, one of the father's clan. 

 In several cases a girl adopted by a man is described as marrying one 



