664 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ANN. 31 



Raven makes human beings of stone, bone, soil, and wood successively. lie blows 

 on them: they come to life, but die again. Then he makes man of grass, and he 

 lives: there/ore people die Tl 5. 



He asks the stones to get up and help him; they can not stand up. He says, 

 "Remain stones! " Then he tells the grass and salmonberry bushes to get up and help 

 him; they do so, and they become human beings: therefore people die M. 



He asks the stones to get up and help him; they move, but can not stand; then he 

 tells them'they shall always lie down; then he shakes a maple (k!as) tree; the leaves 

 drop down, arise, and become human beings: therefore people die Kai 236. 



The following two incidents are presumably related to the story of 

 Stone and Elderberry, although they show a closer relation to the 

 numerous stories of the interior relating to the introduction of death 

 through a controversy between two animals. 



N6a<|aua and Masmasala'nix desire to be immortal. A small bird wishes to build 

 its nest in their grave. They agree that they will die, but revive after four days. 

 The bird is not satisfied, and they agree that they will die and not revive. After 

 death they go up to the sky. The people mourn for them, and they return in the 

 form of drops of blood, which the women inhale and they are reborn Ri 5.214. 



Related to this is a brief incident told in a Kaigani story : 



When Raven first makes human beings, he ordains that they shall be immortal. 

 Wren, however, who lives underneath graves, objects, because he will have no 

 place in which to live. Therefore Raven makes man mortal to give the bird a place 

 to build its nest and to call Kai 238. 



The tales explaining how death is brought into this world, Ntl Teit 

 3.329, 330; Lil 356; Quin 111; Wish 115; Coos 43; Takelma 99; also 

 K 10.106 — do not belong here. 



(10) RAVEN PAINTS THE BIRDS 



(11 versions: Tla 6; Ska 127; Skc 128; BC 5.241; Neo 9.233; Ne6 9.287; Co 5.64; 

 Fraser Delta [Chilliwack] Hill-Tout; ' Kath 44; Quin 92; Chippewayan 7.350) 



In some of the versions of the Raven tale an incident is found in 

 which it is told that Raven painted all the birds, while in others the 

 origin of certain birds is explained by particular incidents. 



In the Tlingit version the painting of the birds is made part of the story of the 

 killing of the salmon (No. 19 of list, p. 568). After Raven has killed the salmon, he 

 sends the birds to get leaves. When they bring leaves from near by, he tells them 

 they are not clean. He sends them across two mountains. Meanwhile he roasts the 

 salmon, eats it, and puts the bones back into the ground. When the birds come 

 back, all the salmon is gone. Then the birds dress. Bluejay's hair is tied up. 

 Another bird has a braid tied into his hair Tin. 



In the Skidegate version Skc it is said that he decked out the birds when he first 

 started. All the birds were in his house, which was crowded. For this reason the 

 birds that were in the most crowded parts of the house have thin heads. He refuses 

 to decorate two birds, which go to Master Carpenter and are made the most beautiful 

 of all. 



In Ska there is a particular account of the reason why the eagle has peculiar nos- 

 trils. Raven induces the animals to throw sea eggs and abalone shells at him, and 



1 Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1902 I Belfast), p. 368. 



