ON THE NORTH- WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. G71 



necessary that this dissemination should always follow one direction ; it 

 may have proceeded either way. In this manner a complex tale may 

 dwindle down by gradual dissemination, but new elements may also be 

 embodied in it. 



It may be well to give an example of this phenomenon. The most 

 popular tradition of the North Pacific coast is that of the raven. Its 

 most characteristic form is found among the Tlingit, Tsimshian, and 

 Haida. As we go southward, the connection between the adventures 

 becomes looser, and their number less. It appears that the traditions 

 are j^reserved quite fully as far south as the north end of Vancouver 

 Island. Farther south the number of raven-tales which are known to the 

 Indians diminislies very much. At Nahwitti, near the north point of 

 Vancouver Island, thirteen tales out of a whole of eighteen exist. The 

 Coniox have only eight, the Nootka six, and the Coast Salish only three. 

 Furthermore, the traditions are found at Nahwitti in the same connection 

 as farther north, while farther south they are very much modified. The 

 tale of the origin of daylight, which was liberated by the raven, may 

 serve as an instance. He had taken the shape of the leaf of a cedar, 

 was swallowed by the daughter of the owner of the daylight, and then 

 born again ; afterwards he broke the box in which the daylight was kept. 

 Among the Nootka, only the transformation into the leaf of a cedar, 

 which is swallowed by a girl and then bom again, remains. Among the 

 Coast Salish the more important passages survive, telling how the raven 

 by a ruse compelled the owner of the daylight to let it out of the box in 

 which he kept it. The same story is found as far south as Grey's Harbour 

 in Washington. The adventure of the pitch, which the raven kills by 

 exposing it to the sunshine, intending to use it for calking his canoe, is 

 found far south, but in an entirely new connection, embodied in the 

 tradition of the origin of sun and moon. 



But there are also certain adventures embodied in the raven myths of 

 the north, which probably had their origin in other parts of America. 

 Among these may be mentioned the tale of how the raven was invited 

 and reciprocated. The seal puts his hands near the fire, and grease drips 

 out of them into a dish, which he gives to the raven. Then the latter 

 tries to imitate him, but burns his hands, &c. This tale is found, in one 

 or the other form, all over North America, and there is no proof that it 

 originally belonged to the raven myth of Alaska, Other examples may 

 be found in the collection of traditions published by F. Boas.' 



The proposition that dissemination has taken place among neighbour- 

 ing tribes will probably not encounter any opposition. Starting from 

 this point of view, we may advance the following considerations : — 



If we have a full collection of the tales and myths of all the tribes of 

 a certain region, and then tabulate the number of incidents which all 

 the collections from each tribe have in common with any selected tribe, 

 the number of common incidents will be the larger the more intimate the 

 relation of the two tribes, and the nearer they live together. This is 

 what we observe in a tabulation of the material collected on the North 

 Pacific coast. On the whole, the nearer the people, the greater the 

 number of common elements of traditions ; the farther apart, the less their 

 number. 



' Tndianische Saqen von der Nbrd-PacifiscTien Kiiste AmeriJms, pp. vi-363. 

 Berlin, 1895. 



