boas] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 657 



Iii most of the versions he makes the owner of the tides believe that 

 he has gathered sea eggs. 



He nibs the spruce needles down his back Sk, Hai 5 [he puts the points on the 

 woman's back, and she thinks they are sea eggs M; while Raven is eating, Mink 

 passes, and Raven calls him; the woman does not believe Mm, and he says, "Be 

 quiet, or I will stick the spines into your back!" since she continues, he slits open 

 the cliff with his knife and sticks the points into her Tla; he threatens to put the sea- 

 urchin spines into her body if she does not keep quiet T16]. 



The tide-owner is surprised, and lets the tide-line go Ts [stretches out his legs M, 

 Sk, Hai 5; the woman promises to let the tide down Tla. As soon as the tide-line is 

 let go [or the legs stretch out], the tide falls. [Mink runs out and says, "The tide ia 

 just beginning to fall." This is repeated three times Tla.] He goes to gather shell- 

 fish Ts [Raven and Eagle get sea eggs Sk; eatables M]. The tide-owner then promises 

 to let the tide turn twice a day Ts [promises to let the tide fall regularly Tla]. He 

 asks the Eagle, "How far down is the tide?" That tide was the lowest that ever 

 happened T15. 



Version Tib introduces here a new Flood which was predicted by 

 the shamans. This is not referred to in any other tale of this group. 



[Because the Raven did this to the owner of the tide, when a woman gels old and can 

 not do much work, there are spots all over her back. He also says to Mink that his food 

 shall be sea urchins. The tides originated in this way Tin.] 



In accordance with the distinctive character of the tale, theTs ver- 

 sion tells next how the woman whose mouth and eyes had been filled 

 with dust asks to be healed. 



The Tsimshian version joins here immediately the incident of the 

 loss of fresh water. 



Evidently the Tide Woman makes the fresh water disappear, and asks Raven, 

 " How can you get water to drink?" He says, "Under the roots of alder trees." 

 He can not find water, because Tide Woman has dried up all the brooks and creeks. 

 This story is given as the reason why the tide funis twice a day Ts. 



Farther to the south the legends relating to the origin of the tides 

 are of a quite different type. The Bellabella and Rivers Inlet people 

 tell of a being Ya'exoeqoa who lives at the bottom of the sea. At 

 one time Mink kept him under water until he gave him the tides Ri 5. 

 The Bellabella (H 5) tell that at one time he let the sea go back, and 

 the Raven then caught Red Cod. His sister Halx'a' (Rook) caught 

 Black Cod (see p. 692). 



Still farther south, among the Kwakiutl tribes, the tide is obtained 

 by Mink or Raven, who cut oft' the Wolf's tail and keep it until the 

 Wolf promises to give the tides (Xe 5; K 5; Ne 9.229; K 9.493; K 

 10; K 11.88, 94). 



Swan has recorded a tide myth from Cape Flattery, in which the 

 tides arc accounted for in the following manner: Raven marries the 

 daughter of East Wind and is given the tides as a marriage present, 

 after the discussion which is characteristic of Vancouver Island, as 

 to the amount of recession of the ebb tide. 

 50633°— 31 eth— 16 42 



