boas] COMPARATIVE STUDY OP TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 645 



The old man's remark here recalls the uncle's remark in the Ten'a version. Evi- 

 dently he alone understands why the child is crying. 



A peculiar conclusion occurs both in Tlingit and in Tsimshian. 



While running away with the daylight, Raven At Head Of Nass River said, "That 

 old manuring Raven has gotten all my things! " Tla. [While he was carrying away 

 the box, a man said, "Giant is running away with the max" and thus he received 

 the name Giant Nh; a man said, "TxamsEm is running away with the max!" N6 23.] 



The introduction in some of the Eskimo versions is quite different 

 in character. Nelson 461 gives the following account: 



Raven had taken away the sun and put it in a bag. He would let it ou1 only 

 for a day or two at a time. Raven's brother, who wished to secure the sun, pre- 

 tended to die and was buried. Then he took his Raven mask and coat from a tree 

 and went to a spring where the villagers drew water. Raven's wife came to get 

 water and drank a little. Then he fell into the ladle in the form of a small leaf, 

 which she swallowed. She coughed, but could not dislodge it. After a few days 

 she gave birth to a boy, who very soon crept and then ran about. He cried for 

 the sun; and his father, who was very fond of him, let him have it, but then put 

 it back again. When no one was looking, he took it out, put on his Raven mask, and 

 flew away with it. His father shouted, "Don't hide it! " Then he tore off the skin 

 covering from the sun and put it back where it belonged. 



In the Kodiak version the child cries until the chief who is asleep tells the people 

 to let him have the boxes. In the first one is the night; in the second, moon and stars; 

 in the third, the sun. He takes away the second and third, gives them to his people, 

 and receives in return the house chief's two daughters (Golder). 



The version told by the Bellabella is closely related to the Tsim- 

 shian, Haida, and Tlingit versions. 



A chief keeps the rays of the sun, rainbow, fog, and sun in four boxes suspended 

 from a rafter. Raven transforms himself first into a small fish, then into a needle of 

 a conifer. These are taken to the chief's wife in water, but she throws them out. 

 He transforms himself into a berry, then hides in a clam, but the chief tainess does not 

 eat either. Finally he lets himself drop into mountain-goat tallow, and the woman 

 swallows him. After seven months she gives birth to a child. The child wants to 

 play with the sun box. He creeps about in the house pointing at it. The people 

 make toys for him, which do not satisfy him. He is given one after another the box 

 containing the sun's rays, rainbow, and fog to play with, last of all the sun box. 

 which he rolls about. He cries, wanting to play on the street, where he assumes the 

 form of a raven and carries the box away H ap 884. 



Attached to this story is the incident of Raven and the fishermen, 

 which is characteristic of the Tsimshian versions (see No. 2, p. 649). 



The version told by tbe Rivers Inlet tribe is closely related to those 

 of the north. 



Raven, called here He'mask-as or K!wek!waxa'we f , goes to the house of ME'nis, the 

 owner of the sun, whose daughter is Lata'q'ai'yugwa. He drops into the spring in 

 the form of a leaf of a coniferous tree, and is blown aside by the girl. He takes the 

 shape of berries. She sees them reflected in the water, picks them, anil swallows them. 

 After four days a boy is born, who grows up quickly, talks after the first day. He 

 begins to cry, and his grandfather makes for him successively, according to his request, 

 a salmon weir, bow and four arrows, paddle and canoe of sea-lion skin. Then the boy 

 asks for the box hanging on the rafter, which is first let down. Finally it is put into 

 the bow of his canoe. He opens it, and it becomes daylight Ria 5. 



