586 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [bth. ax.w 31 



25. Mink and Salmon Woman Ri 5.209; K 5.159. See No. 14 in 



Raven list, p. 568. 



26. Mink swallowed by Whale Ne 5.171. See No. 27, p. 569. 



27. Wolves steal Mink's gizzard Co 5.74 [musk-bag K 9.143]. See 



No. 38, p. 569. 



28. Mink pretends to be dead K 9.135, 139; Co 5.73; Sts 5.33. See 



No. 40, p. 569; No. 217, p. 580. See also Wish 105. 



29. Mink burns his sister's groins Co 5.71. See No. 41, p. 569. 



30. Mink loses his nose-ornament Ne 5.173. 



31. Steelhead salmon. See No. 19, p. 568. 



32. Mink makes a slave. See No. 29, p. 569. 



33. Southeast Wind. See No. 7, p. 567. 



34. Bungling host. See No. 32, p. 569. 



Transformer Myths 



Still another cycle, tbat of the culture hero, extends northward as 

 far as Bellabella. 



INTRODUCTIONS OF TRANSFORMER TALES 



Like the introductory parts of the Raven myth, those of the Trans- 

 former or culture-hero tales show considerable variation. Among 

 the Kwakiutl the Transformer, who is called Q!a'neqe £ lak 11 , and his 

 brother, are sent down from heaven (in Dawson 1 20; Ne 5.194) and are 

 adopted by Heron and his wife the Woodpecker (Haiali £ lak 11 , Dawson 

 20), who own a salmon weir. Whenever the latter come home with 

 salmon, they shout, "Enemies are coining!" The children discover 

 this, and kill and transform the old people (Ne 5.194; Ne 9.187; 

 Ne 11.185; Dawson 20, 21). 



Among the Chilcotin the Transformers are the descendants of the 

 dog who married a girl. The dog i.endix'tcux is recognized by the 

 girl as her lover by the marks of her hands, which she covers with white 

 paint, and which she presses on his back. She is deserted by the 

 people. Raven insults her, but Magpie pities her. She gives birth 

 to three pups, that play about in human shape when she is absent, 

 while on her return they put on their dog blankets. She burns the 

 blankets, and they remain boys, while the old dog succeeds in put- 

 ting on part of his blanket. He becomes a being half dog, half 

 human. The boys become expert hunters. The people return, and 

 they give food to Magpie; while Raven is punished for his malice. 

 Then the boys and the old dog set out and begin their work as trans- 

 formers (Chi'l 7-9). 



The tribes of the delta of Fraser River relate that the Transformers 

 are children of the Black Bear (Sts 5.19; Sts Hill-Tout 5.360). This 



1 G. M. Dawson, Notes and observations (in the Kwakiool People of Vancouver Island {Trans. Roy. Soc. 

 of Canada, vol. v, Section II, pp. 1-36. Montreal, 1888). 



