boas] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 545 



to the other. The locality of the former they think to be above, and that of the latter 

 is somewhere beneath. The enjoyment of heaven and the privations of hell they 

 understand to be carnal. 



They do not suppose the wicked to be destitute of food any more than they were 

 here, but they are treated as slaves and are badly clothed. 



What is very strange, they imagine that as the various seasons leave them they ad- 

 vance to the abode of the wicked. For instance, when the fish get out of the reach of 

 their nets, they suppose they are then becoming the prey of the wicked beneath. 



The idea they entertain of God is that He is a great chief. They call Him by the same 

 term as they do their chiefs, only adding the word for above — thus, shimayet is "chief, " 

 and lakkah "above;" and hence the name of God with them is Shimayet Lakkah. 1 

 They believe that the Supreme Being never dies; that he takes great notice of what 

 is going on amongst men, and is frequently angry and punishes offenders. They 

 do not know who is the author of the Universe, nor do they expect that God is the 

 author of their own being. They have no fixed ideas about these things, I fully 

 believe; still they frequently appeal to God in trouble; they ask for pity and deliv- 

 erance. In great extremities of sickness they address God, saying it is not good for 

 them to die. 



Sometimes, when calamities are prolonged or thicken, they get enraged against 

 God, and vent their anger against Him, raising their eyes and hands in savage anger 

 to Heaven, and stamping their feet on the ground. They will reiterate language 

 which means "You are a great slave." This is their greatest term of reproach. 



If a special object is to be attained, they believe that by a rigid 

 fasting they can compel the deity to grant it. For seven days they 

 have to abstain from food and from seeing their wives. During these 

 days they have to lie in bed motionless. After seven days they may 

 rise, wash themselves, comb the right side of the head, and paint 

 the right side of the face. Then they may look at their wives. 

 A less rigid form of fasting extends over four days only. To make 

 the ceremony very successful, their wives must join them. If the 

 wife should not be true to the husband, the effect of the fasting is 

 destroyed. 



The following beliefs and customs are connected with their religious 

 ideas and ceremonies. Twins are believed to control the weather; 

 therefore they pray to wind and rain, "Calm down, breath of the 

 twins!" Whatever twins wish for is fulfilled: therefore they are 

 feared, as they can harm the man whom they hate. They can call 

 the olachen and salmon, and are therefore called SE-wi-lvd'n ("making 

 plentiful"). 



The olachen is called Tirilpm&'tk (" the Savior") . Certain ceremonies 

 are prescribed when the first fish are caught. They are roasted on 

 an instrument of elderberry wood, consisting of a rod about a yard 

 long, to which a short crossbar is tied near the butt end and which 

 serves as a handle. Another short crossbar is fastened to the rod 

 about one foot from its end, and a single twig is fastened to each of 

 the outer ends of this bar. These twigs are bent over and tied to the 



1 SEm'a'gid lax-ha', " the chief of the sky." 

 50633°— 31 eth— 16 35 



