October 26, 1888.] 



SCIENCE. 



195 



originated among the respective tril^es, or wliether they were influ- 

 enced by their former neighbors, it is impossible lo decide. In course 

 of time a common civilization of the coast tribes developed, and at 

 the same time the exchange of legends began. Certain elements 

 which had reference to their common mode of living must have 

 spread most rapidly. Thus the basis #f many legends is the late 

 arrival of the salmon and other fish, and consequent starvation. 

 or accidents to hunters and sealers. Just as frequently mention is 

 made of persons who were believed to be possessed by evil spirits, 

 and who were left alone to starve. Most of these elements are so 

 widespread and of so frequent occurrence, that no theory as to their 

 origin is possible. 



Setting aside this point, the legends may be arranged in a num- 

 ber of groups which approximately correspond to the linguistic 

 divisions. 



The legends of the Tlingit are principally known through the 

 researches of Vemiaminoff and Krause ; those of the Haida, through 

 Dawson. They may be considered as identical, as the existing 

 discrepancies are not greater than variants obtained from several 

 individuals of the same tribe. In both peoples the raven legend is 

 the basis of their systems of mythology, and in both of them the 

 interesting struggle between the Raven and his uncla occurs. 



The legends of the Tsimshian contain several elements foreign to 

 the tirst group. The study of their myths leaves the impression 

 that they originally worshipped the heaven, and that stars, trees, 

 and animals were the mediators between heaven and men. Sun 

 and moon were deities or mediators of great power. Mixed with 

 this idea we find the raven legend, and everywhere we notice the 

 endeavors to give each, the raven and the heaven, its proper im- 

 portance in the system of myths. Thus it happens that the Raven 

 is made the grandson of Heaven. Many characteristics of the 

 myths referring to heaven have the appearance of having been 

 adapted only with difficulty to the myths of the neighboring tribes, 

 and remind us of people living far to the south-east in the interior. 



The myths of the Kwakiutl are very remarkable. They are one 

 people, speaking one language with hardly any dialectic differences ; 

 and still the legends of the northern tribes are entirely different 

 from those of the southern tribes, while those of the central ones 

 are still of another character. The only legends that are common 

 to all of them refer to the great religious winter dance. It is 

 doubtful whether the legend of the Great Wanderer, who trans- 

 formed men into animals, is known to all of them, or whether it is 

 unknown to the most northern tribe, the Qaisla. 



Last of all we have to consider the Salish. The great heroes of 

 their myths are the Great Wanderer, whom I mentioned just now, 

 and the sun, many stories referring to whom are told. 



In an attempt to inquire into the origin of these legends, we 

 must study the etymologies of mythological names. It is true that 

 the greater number are derived from roots belonging to the lan- 

 guage of the tribe who tells the legend. A considerable number, 

 however, are borrowed words, and thus the origin of the legend is 

 indicated. This is, for instance, the case in regard to the mythical 

 figures which occur in the dances of the Kwakiutl. I found the 

 Kwakiutl names used by the Nutka, Salish, Tsimshian, and Haida. 

 This fact seems to indicate that these legends and customs have 

 spread at a comparatively recent date over the coast, and it is a 

 proof that they originated among the Kwakiutl. Another instance 

 of this kind may be observed among the Bilqula. The ancestors 

 of some of their clans have Kwakiutl names. Tfieir word for 

 shaman {atloqoala) is a modified form of the Kwakiutl word tlo- 

 koala. These facts prove a long and intimate intercourse between 

 both tribes. 



It is very difficult to arrive at an understanding of the original 

 myths of the Kwakiutl, as the northern tribes have only very few 

 of the customs and traditions peculiar to the southern tribes. Even 

 their social organization is not the same, matriarchate being pecul- 

 iar to the northern group, patriarchate to the southern. On ac- 

 count of philological considerations, I think that the social organi- 

 zation of the Kwakiutl was originally patriarchal, or it may be more 

 correct to say that the male and female line had equal rights. 

 This opinion is founded on the fact that even among the tribes 

 among whom matriarchate prevails at present, the same terms 

 are used for denoting relationship in the male and female lines- 



We have therefore to inquire how it happened that the northern 

 tribes of this people adopted the matriarchate. Undoubtedly this 

 is due to the influence of some of their neighbors. 



A study of the mythologies of the coast shows that among the 

 northern tribes, who have a matriarchal organization, the raven 

 legend occurs in the same form in which we find it among the 

 Tsimshian. It shows the same connection with the sun-myths 

 which it has among the latter. Besides this, the division intogentes 

 of these tribes is similar to that of the Tsimshian, who have four 

 gentes and no phratries, while the Kwakiutl have three gentes and 

 no phratries. Tlie Haida and Tlingit, on the other hand, have nu- 

 merous gentes. which are arranged in two phratries, — the raven and 

 the eagle. The crests of the Tsimshian are the eagle, raven, wolf, 

 and bear ; those of the Kwakiutl, the raven, eagle, and bear. For 

 these reasons it seems that the Tsimshian have modified the cus- 

 toms of the northern Kwakiutl. 



There is one important consideration which leads us to the con- 

 clusion that the Kwakiutl were never immediately influenced by 

 the Haida. It is the fact that none of their customs are found 

 among the latter, except when carried there by the Tsimshian. 

 Only a few Tsimshian tribes practise all the dances of the Kwakiutl, 

 and it was only in the beginning of this century that the Haida be- 

 gan to borrow them from the Tsimshian. It might seem that the 

 Tsimshian themselves imitated these dances only recently, as they 

 have not spread over the whole people ; but it must be borne in mind 

 that the right of performing the dances is acquired only by means 

 of marriage, and that it is watched with great jealousy. It is well 

 known that such prerogatives are frequently preserved for long pe- 

 riods. Nevertheless it appears remarkable that these dances have 

 not spread any further through intermarriage, if the reverse influ- 

 ence of the Tsimshian upon the Kwakiutl was sufficient to modify 

 their social organization entirely. 



I am inclined to believe that another custom of the North- West 

 Americans besides their dances originated among the Kwakiutl. 

 I mean the use of heraldic columns. This view may seem unjusti- 

 fied, considering the fact that such columns are made nowhere with 

 greater care than in the northern regions, among the Tsimshian 

 and Haida, and that farther north and south they are less frequent 

 and less elaborately carved. The Haida, however, frequently took 

 up foreign ideas with great energy, and developed them independ- 

 ently. We mentioned above the winter dances, which undoubt- 

 edly originated among the Kwakiutl. The use of red cedar-bark 

 is connected with these dances. A glance at the existing col- 

 lections shows that the Haida have more elaborate and varied 

 forms of rings than any other tribe. This variety leads us to the 

 conclusion that their dances are of similar diversity. It appears 

 that this tribe has a remarkable faculty of adaptation. 



This fact is important m considering the history of the use of 

 heraldic columns. The division into gentes has a far greater im- 

 portance in the life of the Haida than in that of any other tribe of 

 the coast, although the mythologic foundation and the division it- 

 self are the same. The gentes and phratries of the Haida and 

 Tlingit are identical; but while the former use hardly any heraldic 

 columns, and do not tattoo themselves to any great extent, the col- 

 umns of the Haida surpass those of the Tsimshian in size and 

 beauty of workmanship. The faint traces of tattooing found among 

 the Tsimshian are developed among them into an elaborate art ; 

 breast, arms, legs, feet, and back being tattooed. 



A study of the legends of all these tribes shows that only the 

 traditions of the Kwakiutl frequently allude to heraldic columns. 

 It is true that such tales may origmate in the desire to give greater 

 importance to the possessor of such a column ; and this is the more ^ 

 probable, as the Kwakiutl are very vain : but I think the columns 

 are mentioned too frequently, and they are too intimately con- 

 nected with important myths, to allow us to hold this idea. 



I turn to considering the Coast Salish tribes. It is well known 

 that tribes of this linguistic stock inhabit the greater part of south- 

 ern British Columbia and Washington Territory- : therefore the tribes 

 of the interior must be considered in our inquiry. The mode of life 

 of the inland divisions of this people is entirely different from 

 that of the coast tribes. The latter live in large houses, which are 

 similar to those of the northern coast tribes except that they are 

 longer. They are fishermen, and use the canoe as extensively as 



