66 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 67 



Qalpai'nx k-Ets-axa qasuwai'nx kwas tsqewilt li'wiLx. "Xa-axa 

 mu°'hu ayai'mi. Mu^'hun Lo'iltx.^ Xa-axa ayai'm LEa'laut." 

 Temu'^'hu k-e'a hilkwalsai'nx. 'Liya^ qa'^'tsE pai"yux" ts-hi'- 

 tEk--slo, temu'^'hu tsqe'wulnx. Hak-au^ tas hi'tslEm k-exk-ai'xa. 

 5 Pxe'pxeltsusi'Hixamt si'lliustEx. "K--la'-En mu°'hu mEhilkwai'- 

 sln?" 'Liya^ qa^'tsE LEyo'laltnx, temu°'hu t!a'mstxam, k--hau'k-s 

 hi'k-e 'k-ta's le'wi' pitsustlxauwa'ln. "K--na'k-s-Eu ts-k-a'ltsuk* 

 pitsustlxauwa'ln?" — "K'u'ku-slo, k-is-axa ita' k- !e'tsk'ik--slo."^ 

 Temu'^'hu ts-hi°'q!Ek- k'is k-a'ku-slo pitsust Ixauwa'a. Temu^'hu 

 10 ts-hatsi'lalk- k-is liu'^'k-i pitsust Ixauwa'a.^ Temu'^'hu - i'mstE 

 tla'mstam. Temu'^'hu tslsa'inx. Temu'^'liu mis a'mta Itsai'slnx, 

 tem-axa mu°'hu ik-xe'-slo. 



Mu°'hu Itla'mslyu. 



5. S^u'ku, the Transformer* 



(Collected by Fan-and in 1900) 



Tern psi'nLxat-s-liI'tslEmjm'tsx, Ihiya-ttlEiiu'tiLx. Lxu'mta kwas 



15 xam^, tern kusti^tsi kwas xam^.^ Temu^'hu 'Liya^ qa^'tsE mu'- 



kusiLx ® yatsx, tern ma'yExa kuts-hi'yak"aux. "Tsa^'mE hi'k'e 



xe'iLk'e stis ^ mEla'mxadoxam." Temu^^'hu k-e'a 'Liya^ qa'^'tsE 



saux ^ mu'^'hti k'e'a niEla'mxaddox. Qau'wis kus S^u'ku ma'mtiat- 



sax.^ 



20 Temu°'hu is xa'mEt-s-pi'tskum tern mEya'saux kus 'S^ii'ku 



ts-qwa'nk*. "K-in ayai'm Lx-i'ldtit is hi'tslEm na'k's." Temu°'hu 



ustaisu^yai'nx qakuts-mu'tsk-ak-/" te'mlta 'La^yai'nx. Te'mlta 



hi'k'e qa^'ltE yEai'nx qakuts-mii'tsk'ak-. Temu^'hti k'e'a spai'tx. 



Temu'^'hii mis k'aux ayai'mi, te'maux mu'^'hu spai'tx kutsi'tsk" !- 



25 ik-aux." Te'maux mu'^'hii 'Liya^ qa^'tsE ya'xar, temau'x mu°'hu 



1 Wll- TO KILL. 



2 This, according to the narrator, accounts for the meanness of the southern and eastern tribes— the 

 Siuslaw and Kalapuya Indians. 



3 Compare Frachtenberg, Coos Texts, p. 48. 



* This myth is told poorly, there being numerous omissions concerning the identity of the principal 

 actors, due undoubtedly to the fact that the story was first narrated in EngUsh and then translated into 

 Alsea by another informant. In spite of these deficiencies, however, it is by far the most important myth 

 in this collection. Aside from its linguistic value, it throws considerable light on the position of Alsea 

 mythology with relation to the folklore, of the neighboring tribes. Thus it proves that, in common with 

 the other coast tribes of northern California, Oregon, and Wasliington, Alsea mythology has a distinct 

 character to whom is assigned the role of Culture Hero and Trickster. This Culture Hero is not to be con- 

 fused with Coyote, who maintains throughout Alsea folklore a separate position as Transformer and (chiefly) 

 Trickster. S^ii'ku is imquestionably identical with Entsix of Cliinook mythology, "Earth-Maker" of 

 Maidu folklore, Daldal of the Takelma, Hii'tcit! of the Coos, and Xowa^laci of the Joshua Indians. See 

 Boas, Chinook Texts, pp. 113 et seq.; Dixon, Maidu Texts, pp. 4 et seq.; Sapir, Takelma Texts, 

 pp. 21 et seq.; Frachtenberg, Coos Texts, pp. 20 et seq.; Frachtenberg, Shasta and Athapascan Myths 

 from Oregon, pp. 224 et seq. This story contains, in addition to the cultural exploits of the Transformer, 

 many well-known episodes recorded also among other tribes, as Stealing of Fire, Skin Shifter, Magic Flight, 

 Diving Contest, and Growing Tree. Both my informants claimed never to have heard tliis myth; but 

 their negative testimony must be taken cum grano sails, since Tom Jackson was, relatively speaking, a 

 young man, and William Smith had an exceedingly faulty memory. 



6 S^u'ku was the third. 



6 Abbreviated for te'mkusiLX. 



' Contracted for sis'tis; sis + -st. 



Footnotes continued on p. 67. 



