boas] COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY 759 



Stories of Men who Marry Animals or Supernatural Beings 



(Nos. 16, 18, 24, 28, 35, 53) 



The reverse case — marriage? of men with animals or supernatural 

 beings — also occurs in this area. In our Tsimshian series there 

 are — 



The Hunters (No. 16, p. 145; also N 200). 



Plucking Out Eyes (No. 18, p. 154). 



The Chief who Married the Robin and the Sawbill Duck (No. 24, 



p. 179). 

 The Town of Chief Peace (No. 28, p. 207; Tl 244). 



In a somewhat different form the same idea occurs in — 



The Story of Asdi-wa'l (Ts 1.89). 



The Prince and Prince Wolf (No. 53, p. 317). 



In the Nass River series it is found in the story of 



Ts'ak- (p. 868, N 126). 



Among the Haida the same idea underlies the stories of — 



The Man who Married a Frog (Kai 260; also M 557; Tl 232). 

 The Man who Married the Daughter of the Devilfish Chief (Sk 292) 



Stories of this type are also found among the Athapascan tribes. 

 Two have been recorded from the Tstetsla'ut: 



The Man who Married the Marmot Woman (Tsts 263). 

 The Man who Married the Cloud Woman (Tsts 265). 



A number of others are recorded in Petitot's collections (Hare 

 Indians, Petitot 7.120). 



Most of these stories tell of a man who by his marriage with an 

 animal or a supernatural being becomes fortunate or acquires power, 

 makes a mistake by which he offends his wife, who then leaves him 

 and takes away the wealth, good luck, or power. 



The story of "The Hunters" has been discussed before (p. 741). 

 The essential elements of the tale in all the different versions are as 

 follows : 



A man goes hunting and meets a female Grizzly Bear. In some way he gains her 

 good will and marries her. After they have children, he longs to return home, to 

 which the She Grizzly Bear consents, making, however, the condition that he shall 

 not look at any other woman. As long as he obeys, she continues her friendly inter- 



