!<\v ANTON] HAIDA TEXTS AND MYTHS 311 



Story of the shamax, (I.a'ndox's-father 



[Told by Abrahai]! of Thoso-borii-at-Qlil'dAsgo.] 



G.A'ndox's father was making- a canoe inland from one end of Sea- 

 grass town.' One evening, when he came home, he dropped dead^ 

 on the sand at the end of the town. Then the>' ran to him, and carried 

 iiim over to his house. 



QoMai'yek" spoke through him (irst. Whenever his uncles became 

 sliamans. he always made a hole in their minds first. He did not tell 

 his name. Instead he turned about around the house. After they 

 had taken him in and came to know that it was QoMai'yek, they began 

 to sing a song for him. After thev had carried liim around the fire 

 four times he began turning around. 



Afterward Hu'dAgiag.Aii also spoke through him. He acted like 

 the former one. When he had ceased to act SAqaiyu'l* spoke through 

 hiiu. When they sang for him he walked about entirely on the ends 

 of his toes. 



After he had spoken through him for a while, a certain person fell 

 sick. When he was almost dead they got him. Then he fasted four 

 nights. At the end of that time, just before daybreak, he went out to 

 look for his soul. Two other persons went with him. He went round 

 the town on both sides of the houses. By and by he seized his soul. 

 He made a noise like that of a j^oung sea otter. 



At once his companions seized him and carried him toward the 

 house. When they carried them (shamans) so, they were very careful, 

 because the shaman had the soul between his hands. 



While they were carrying him along the trail, a Smaller-part-of-vil- 

 lage's-stomach ^ came out of the ground. Then SAqaiyu'l said to him: 

 "Get it, master. Throw the man's soul awa3\" "No, lam afraid 

 the}' would laugh at me. I am also afraid of being put to shame." 

 Then SAqai^'u'l said to him: "You will not sit among the chiefs in the 

 rear of the house. You will sit among the slaves near the door." 



All that time they were singing for him in the house he had left. 

 Presentl}', after the}^ had carried him into the house, they put a mat 

 over him and the sick man. There he put his soul into his mouth. 

 Immediately he was saved. 



Pestilence" married one of the daughters' of the Moon. When he 

 heard the news about his sister in some way, WuMtcIixai^'a** went to 

 get his sister. He put on a steel coat and launched his canoe. His 

 canoe was covered with boards. Then he knocked down the rock 



