boas] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 639 



escape his uncle's wrath. In Sk 8.75 and Sk 5.307 the ancestors of the 

 Haida appear on the land after the second flood. 



The lack of cause for the first deluge, which is in part introduced a 

 third time in the incident of Raven's adoption by Qingi — and the 

 lack of coherence manifested in Raven's return to his uncle, from 

 whom he had just fled — are the principal defects in the development 

 of this plot. The greatest confusion, however, is introduced by the 

 adoption ceremony, during which Raven's voraciousness develops. 

 This is based in the third version on the incident that Raven is found 

 as a helpless child, and taken up by the chief, while in the Haida 

 version no reason is given for the adoption which is connected with 

 Qingi's visit to Raven's uncle — a visit which is not connected with 

 the preceding or the following part of the tale. 



It seems to me certain that the adoption incident in the Haida 

 story can be due only to the incorporation of the analogous Tsim- 

 shian incident. The setting of the incident shows that we have 

 here the Tsimshian story of the feast of the sea monsters (p. 718) 

 introduced into the Raven story, and combined with the adoption of 

 Raven, which is the most important feature of the Tsimshian Raven 

 myth, because it accounts for his voraciousness. It is interesting 

 to note here that the eye-eating incident, which is so prominent in 

 the Haida version, occurs also quite independently of the Raven myth 

 in both Haida and Tsimshian tales. 



Although the Tlingit introduction to the myth seems most con- 

 sistent, it lacks close relation to what follows. There is particular 

 difficulty in all the versions relating to the origin of daylight. As will 

 be set forth more fully presently, Raven transforms himself into a 

 small leaf, is swallowed by the daughter of the owner of daylight, and 

 is reborn by her. Thus he is enabled to steal the daylight. In the 

 Tlingit versions Tl the owner of daylight is identified with Raven At 

 Head Of Nass River. Thus it happens that we have two conflicting 

 incidents. In one Raven seduces his uncle's (Raven At Head Of Nass 

 River's) wife, an act which leads to the deluge and to Raven's flight 

 to the sky and his return. In the other he revisits his uncle, is reborn 

 by his uncle's daughter, and obtains the daylight. In the second tale 

 no mention is made of the relationship between Raven and his uncle. 

 In Tla 3 the second incident opens the Raven tale. In Tib 119 it is 

 stated that he returns to Raven At Head Of Nass River. 



The owner of daylight of the Haida is not identified with Raven's 

 uncle, so that the incident does not conflict with the introduction. 



In the Nass River legend N 7, which belongs to the third type, the 

 boy flies up to heaven and steals the sun, instead of being dropped 

 down to earth. Later, however, N 36, he appears as the son of 

 the woman who swallowed the cedar leaf, and who becomes vora- 

 cious. No explicit mention is made of his fall from heaven, but it is 

 fairly certain that the tale discussed before is meant. 



