456 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. 31 



Somewhere on the outskirts of the world is the house of Chief Pes- 

 tilence and his daughter. In the house live maimed persons, 1 who sit 

 on each side of the fire. Persons who are afflicted by disease may go 

 to him, and may be restored by a bath in his bathtub (188). 



At one place the trail to the house of a supernatural being who 

 evidently lives on the outskirts of the world is described. His house 

 is protected by burning mountains that can not be passed. Under 

 the mountain a trail passes, which itself is considered personified, and 

 the ends of which are each in charge of a Mouse Woman, who may lead 

 the visitor under the mountain to the supernatural being (N 127). 



The origin legends deal largely with the feats of Txa'msEm, the 

 Raven, who was born on Queen Charlotte Island (see p. 468). 



The Animals. — One set of stories, quite different in character from 

 the Raven cycle and from other stories that are widely spread among 

 the coast tribes, relate to the condition of the world as it was before 

 the Deluge, when the Tsimshian lived in Prairie Town at the head 

 of Skeena River, before their migration to the seacoast. 



At that time the animals lived also at Prairie Town, and in their 

 councils and through their acts gave to the world the present form. 

 Following are the data that may be obtained in regard to animal 

 society of that time : 



The Grizzly Bear was tyrannical and overbearing; the Dogs, imper- 

 tinent and stupid; while the Porcupine was the wisest of all the 

 animals. The Grizzly Bear maltreated Porcupine, and threw him 

 into the fire, therefore the hah on the backs of all porcupines looks 

 as though it had been singed (1.239). The Porcupine has power over 

 the weather, and by his song can produce a clear sky and cold (1.239). 

 In 1.233 his song first produces lightning, then cold. Porcupine's 

 playground is a large spruce tree (1.227). When he is angry, he 

 strikes the fire with his tail (N 77). The contents of the stomach of 

 Porcupine's wife are a remedy that removes porcupine quills from the 

 body; and the leaves that he chews, when rubbed on the face of a 

 person, make him beautiful (110). The Porcupine is the best singer 

 among all the animals (110). 



Beaver's playground is a lake. When he is happy, he strikes the 

 water with his tail (127, N 75) and dives (1.233). 



The animals, and their villages and houses, are also mentioned 

 many times in other tales. Renowned hunters are known to the 

 animals (245). It seems that these live, comparatively speaking, 

 near by. On 162 it is said that the houses of the supernatural 

 beings are not far away. A trail leads from the Bear village (1.155) 

 and from the Snail village (162) to the houses of the people. 



The villages of these beings are situated at the bottom of deep 

 valleys with precipitous, impassable sides (102, 141, 145, 164). 



1 Probably homosexual individuals, erroneously called hermaphrodites, are meant. 



