LITERARY ASPECTS OF NORTH AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY. 
35 
There are innumerable variants of the trickster cycle, but this 
variability in the selection of episodes, motifs, dramatis personae, 
etc., is not really conditioned by literary considerations. It is 
due mainly to two facts; first, to a lack of definite association 
between episodes and motifs, it often being of little consequence 
what particular ones are selected from the vast stock-in-trade of 
any given folkloristic background; and, secondly, to borrowing 
both from within the tribe itself and from without. What we 
find here are passive accretions, losses, readjustments, etc., not 
really comparable to the conscious subordination of the parts 
to the whole or to the specific '‘thematic” developments of liter- 
ary productions . 1 
THE MYTH AS TRANSMITTED. 
The Indian has a firm belief in the existence of a “correct’* 
version for each myth, which seems to evidence itself in his re- 
fusal to tell a myth unless he knows it perfectly. The moment 
1 Swanton has discussed some of these problems in his paper entitled "Some practical 
aspects of the study of myths,” Joum. of American Folk-Lore, Vol. XXIII, pp. 5,6, in a general 
but very suggestive manner. He says, “Broadly we may distinguish between those myths 
which appear to be the special property of the people among whom they are found, and those 
which may be shown to be exotic. When a myth is learned by an individual belonging to 
another tribe, but still located in the country from which it was obtained, we have simple repe- 
tition of that myth. When, however, it is applied to some place or people within the limits 
of the tribe borrowing, it may be said to be 'adopted;' and, if the scene of it is laid at some 
particular place, it may be said to be ‘relocalized.’ When it is taken into an older story of the 
tribe borrowing it, we have ‘incorporation.’ This incorporation may be due to one of several 
causes. Stories referring to the origin of any natural feature or custom would by a Haida 
or Tlingit naturally be incorporated into the Raven story, because the larger number of such 
stories are gathered there. In other cases two stories are combined merely because they present 
certain superficial similarities, and we then have ‘combination on account of similars.’ Two 
stories resembling each other closely may in certain details become fused and reduced to one, 
or there may be ‘transfusion of elements' between them. In still another case we have a kind 
of ‘myth metathesis,’ the hero of one narrative having become a monster overcome by the 
hero in the other. 'Alteration of motive’ occurs where a myth told for one purpose in one place 
Is given a different explanation in another, here accounting for a certain crest, there for a place 
name, a custom, or the origin of a secret society. ‘Mythification’ might be applied to that 
presented by an historical Haida war-story into which has been implanted the common mythic 
story of a man ascending to the sky-world and throwing down timbers or coals thence. More 
important is the process by which a tale is rendered more and more consistent either (1) to 
agree with altered tribal circumstances, or (2) to keep pace with a rising level of intelligence and 
a consequently greater demand for consistency. The first of these is that process which gives 
rise to many folk-etymologies, explanations of names and things which have nothing to do 
with their real origin; while the second results in those elaborate attempts to explain myths 
as allegorical representations of real events. ‘Ritualization of myths’ takes place when an 
attempt Is made to weave together the sacred legends into a consistent tribal, clan, or society 
story, the telling of which is frequently accompanied by external ceremonies. . . 
