474 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ann. 31 



a shaman, who is called Devoured By Martens. The martens that 

 have eaten him are put into his body, and he receives a vessel of 

 blood, which is to be his supernatural power (348). Another shaman 

 is taken away by the supernatural powers. After four days he is 

 found lying on the floor of the house, and whistling is heard around 

 the body. When he recovers, he has obtained great power (332, 333). 



The shaman TsEgu'ksk" is taken to the house of a supernatural being 

 at the bottom of the sea, called G'it-k'staql. This being gives him a 

 song, a club in the shape of a land otter, and a small box, the lid of 

 which is carved in the shape of a whale. He also gives him a cham- 

 ber-vessel made of wood. His club is capable of cutting the ice. 

 The box may assume the shape of a killer whale, and also cuts the 

 ice (N 231). ' 



Novices into whom supernatural powers enter fall back in a faint, 

 except the strongest ones. Vomiting of blood is a sign that a person 

 has attained supernatural power (332). 



Hostile supernatural powers may overcome even strong shamans. 

 Thus we hear of two hermaphrodite-shamans overcoming others by 

 means of their helper blood (348). 



There are male as well as female shamans. A hostile female shaman 

 is mentioned on 1 51 . She kills people who enter her den by poisoning 

 them. A female shaman is said to be most powerful of all the shamans 

 of a village (163). 



It is the duty of the shaman to cure the sick, who in return love 

 him (333). On 331 we are told that the shaman heals the sick, 

 punishes those who do not believe in him, helps those who pay him 

 well, and kills his enemies. He is able to see things that happen in 

 the country of supernatural beings. Thus a shaman sees what is 

 going on in the house of the Spring Salmon. He sees them start on 

 their journey up Skeena River, ami knows that they will arrive eight 

 days after the breaking-up of the ice (199). Shamans are able to 

 see the whereabouts of lost persons. A female shaman points out 

 the house of a Snail to which a princess has been taken (163; see also 

 169). A great shaman finds a lost prince (198). A dying shaman 

 foretells how he will come back to life (329). He is forewarned of 

 impending evil by his protecting power (328, 329), and in all his work 

 he is helped by the powers (34S). The Diseases are afraid of a pow- 

 erful shaman (333), and he is hated by the Ghosts (326). A practicing 

 shaman wears a crown of grizzly-bear claws on his head, a. ring set 

 with carved bones around his neck, and a dancing-apron. He has a 

 rattle in his right hand, and a white eagle tail in the left. His face 

 is black with charcoal, and he wears eagle down in his hair (323). 

 At another place the description of his attire is the same, but it 

 is said that he has red paint on his face (198). Another one wears 

 a ring of red-cedar bark (83). The bones of his neck-ring are de- 



