774 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [BTH.ANN.31 



In Rivers Inlet we have the story of the Salmon chief, who orders his daughters to 

 swim, and who then come back, each carrying a salmon. When one of the guests 

 (in this case Raven^ hides a bone of the nose of the salmon, her nose bleeds Ri 5.210. 



The same story is told by the Newettee. The Salmon chief clubs four boys. Raven 

 retains the occipital bone of the salmon. When the bones are thrown into the sea, one 

 of the boys has no pin for his blanket K 10.34U. 



The daughter of a chief marries a Dog. In the same house lives Sturgeon, who 

 throws the child into the water. It is transformed into a sturgeon. When the bones 

 are thrown into the water, the boy revives Sts 5.27. 



Two boys are taken to the Salmon village. Two boys are killed; but when the 

 bones are thrown into the water, they revive Quin 112. 



The same incident of the revival of the fish when its bones are thrown into the water 

 occurs in the Thunderbird story discussed on p. 713 Nu 5.104. 



The incident belongs also to other tales, and is found, for instance, 

 in the story of the origin of the salmon (K 9.173; Ne 10.391). 



A chief tries to make salmon of bark, but is unsuccessful. He visits the Salmon 

 chief, who orders him not to hide any bones of the salmon that he is given. One has 

 been stolen, and the chief is unable to recover it. When the visitors return and throw 

 the bone into the water, salmon originate. 



The Transformers Xais catch the Sun in order to obtain information in regard to the 

 home of the Salmon. They travel across the ocean, passing various obstacles, and 

 reach the home of the Salmon. The Salmon chief orders four youths to swim and 

 enter the salmon trap in a creek behind the village. They become salmon, are taken 

 out and roasted. When the bones are thrown into the sea, the four youths reappear. 

 On the following day the Transformers keep some head-bones, and one of the youths is 

 lacking the bones of cheek and nose. When the missing bones are thrown into the 

 water, the youth is well again Squ Hill-Tout 3.520. ' 



The description of the village contains also ' a reference to the 

 dancing Herrings: 



At the end of the village is the house of the Herrings, who are dancing. When any 

 one looks in through a knot-hole and puts a hemlock branch into the house, it is full 

 of herring spawn Ts 204. 



In one house the people are always dancing. When he looks in, his face is covered 

 with fish eggs. These are the Herrings Tl 313. 



The dancing Herrings are also mentioned in the Skidegate Raven legend. Raven 

 looks into the house in which the Herrings are dancing, and they spawn on his 

 mustache. Next he pushes in a hemlock branch, the Herrings spawn on it, he 

 draws it out and eats the spawn Sk 134. 



The Herring people are dancing at the end of the town before starting for the land of 

 human beings. The boy is told to 1 push in a branch , but not to look in. He disobeys, 

 his face is covered with herring spawn, and the branch is covered with it when he 

 pulls it out Kai 244. 



People arrive, who dance in their canoes. The person who is half rock tells him to 

 shove a hemlock branch into the house where they are dancing and not to look in. He 

 disobeys, and his head sticks to the house and is full of eggs. The hemlock boughs are 

 full of herring eggs Sk 9. 



This incident occurs also in the Raven tale Sk 135. 



Descriptions of the Salmon village are found also in the tales of 

 the origin of the salmon, discussed on p. 671. 



1 See also pp. 672, 699. 



