SPEECHES DELIVERED AT A FEAST WHEN A POLE WAS 

 ERECTED FOR THE DEAD" 



Some morning just at daylij^ht the chief who is about to erect the 

 pole and give the feast, no matter how great a chief he is, passes 

 along in front of the houses of the town, singing mourning songs for 

 the dead. Then the people know what is wrong and feel ])adly for 

 him. The memorial pole seems to bring evcrj^ recollection of the dead 

 back to him. Now is the time when the story of Raven is used. 



After that the chief stands in a place from which he can be heard 

 all over the village and calls successively for the different families on 

 the opposite side, which in this case we will suppose to be Raven. 

 He mentions the names of the greatest men in the family, alwa3^s with 

 the family chief's name first. 



Then he will perhaps speak as follows: 



"My father's ))rothers, ni}' grandfathers, people that I came from, 

 my ancestors, m}' mother's grandfathers,'' 3'ears ago they say that 

 this world was without daylight. Then one person knew that there 

 was daylight with Raven-at-head-of-Mass, and went quickly to his 

 daughter. When he was born he cried for the dajdight his grand- 

 father had. Then his grandfather gave it to him. At that time his 

 grandchild brought daylight out u})on the poor people he had made 

 in the world. He pitied them. This is the way with me. Darkness 

 is upon me. My mind is sick. Therefoi'e I am now begging daylight 

 from 3'ou, my grandfathers, my father's brothers, people I came from, 

 my ancestors, my mother's grandfathers. C an it l)e that you will give 

 the daylight to me as Raven-at-head-of-Nassgave it to his grand(^hild, 

 so that day will dawn upon me?"'" 



("AxsA'ni-hAS, Axll'lkl-hAS, Axdfike'qli, AxdfikAnu'qlu, 



(" My father's brothers, my grandfathers, my people I came from, my ancestors, 



AXLa'-irik!"-hAS, he tcla'k" kAduni'gin ya'Jlngit-a'ni kawucge'din. 



my mother's grand- these years ago they told us this world was without daylight, 



fathers, 



AdA'x Le'nAx qatc wusiku' Nas-cAki-ye'ltcIq! ye tiylye' qe'a. 



Then one man knew with Raven-at-head-of-Nass so was daylight. 



AdA'xayu Asl't cdjiuLiha'. AdA'x qogastl' yuqe'A dull'lk! A'di 



Then to his he went quickly. Then wlien he was the daylight his grand- things 



daughter " born father's 



5 aodziga'x. AdA'x Acdjl't wuduwAtf dull'lkl^tc. He adA'x 



he cried for. Then to hiin it was giwn [by] his grandfather. At this time 



qAUAcgide'x sitl'yi aoliye'xe irngitrrnt to qoa'ni, adA'x Aka' 



were poor people he had made world into people, then on them 



"Obtained from Katishan at Wrangell. 



'1 .\ddressing by these titles the five Raven clans at Wrangell. 

 ''See story 32, pp. 8'J-83. 

 374 



