ON THE NOKTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 241 



legends referring to the sun are numerous, one of the most important 

 being the visit to the sun. There are many legends referring to the raven 

 and to the mink, and here for the first time we find the coyote playing an 

 important part in the mythology. 



The heroes of the myths of the Kutonaqa are the sun and the coyote. 

 These myths are more closely connected with those of their south-eastern 

 neighbours than with those of the north-west coast Indians. It is, how- 

 ever, of interest to notice that the legend of a chain of arrows reaching 

 up to the sky, and a conquest of the sky, which is so important in the 

 Salish tales, occurs here also. One of the most interesting legends is that 

 of the origin of the sun. The animals tried by turns to act as the sun, 

 but none succeeded. The coyote almost succeeded, but as he made it 

 too hot, and as he told everything he saw going on upon the earth, he 

 was also compelled to give up his place in the sky, and then the two sons 

 of the lynx became sun and moon. Later on, the coyote became the 

 father-in-law of the sun, and many are the tales that refer to his adven- 

 tures. He plays a part similar to that of the raven in the tales of the 

 Tlingit. 



Keligton, Shamanism, Moktuary Customs. 



A study of mythology and of customs shows that the Indians of this 

 province worshipped principally the sun or the heaven. The Tlingit 

 and Haida pray to the moon, and in praying blow feathers up as an 

 offering. They also pray to mountains, and believe that the animals 

 of their crest protect them, although they are not forbidden to kill them. 

 They believe in the transmigration of souls, the soul of the deceased being 

 born again in a child of the same gens. The souls of animals return in 

 the same way in their young. Sickness is to a great extent ascribed to 

 witchcraft, and it is the duty of the shaman to cure the sick and to find 

 out the witch. The shaman is initiated by acquiring a spirit. Cleanli- 

 ness is considered as being agreeable to the spirits ; therefore the novice 

 must bathe frequently. Great powers are ascribed to people who 

 abstained from sexual intercourse. The dead, except shamans, are 

 burned, and the ashes put up in small boxes. Shamans are buried near 

 the beach, one cofiBn being deposited on top of the other. 



The Tsimshian have a supreme deity called Leqa'. Prayers are fre- 

 quently not addressed to him directly, but to spirits, the Neqno'q, who 

 convey them to him. Most of the prayers have conventional forms. In 

 praying for clear weather for instance, they say : ' Neqno'q, Neqno'q, chief,, 

 chief, have mercy ! Look down upon thy people under thee. Pall up • 

 thy foot and wipe thy face ! ' They think that the existence of man is 

 pleasing to the deity, and that he enjoys the smoke rising from their 

 fires. They pray: ' Have mercy upon us! Else there will be nobody to- 

 make the smoke rise up to thee. Have pity upon us ! ' The Tsimshian 

 believe that the dead live in a country similar to our own, and that they 

 are never in want. The dead are buried, but the heart is taken out and 

 buried apart. Chiefs are sometimes burnt, and so are shamans. If a 

 series of deaths occurred in a family, the mourners used to cut off" the 

 first joint of the fourth finger, in order to put an end to the misfortunes 

 of their family. 



The Kwakiutl worship the sun. It is not quite clear whether they 

 worship K'anikila, the wanderer, besides, or whether they address their 

 prayers only to the sun. Their dances are closely connected with their 

 1888. E 



