50 
who established the fortified village of Ta'awdzep, about 2 miles up Git- 
winlkul valley, behind the present village of Kitwanga. Before the pole 
was cut, it was quite a long one; but we could not obtain a detailed 
description of its figures. 
Two other totem poles of this family^ fell and disappeared many years 
ago. 
The first of them fell some years before 1888. It was carved by H®sem- 
hliyawn (of the Larhsail phratry, of Gitwinlkul)®; it was long and contained 
the same heraldic figures as the other poles of the same family. The second 
pole was erected many years later, under the direction of the present chief 
(Larahnitz). It was carved by Taesuh (of the Wolf phratry, of Gitwinlkul). 
The four carved house-poles in the house of Larahnitz represent: 
Soiil-put-on ( Kurh' awdzentuh) , at the rear of the house, on the left (Plate 
Vni, figure 4); on the right the Toad (Warh’as) (Plate VIII, figure 5); 
Whole-being (Marhkyawl) (Plate VIII, figure 6) on the right side of the 
entrance; on the left (Plate VIII, figure 7) presumably one of the Kitamat 
warriors, with the conical root hat as used on the seacoast. 
ORIGIN 
The crests of this family, as represented on the poles, fall into two 
groups, being derived from the once independent houses of Hlengwah and 
Arhkawt, now amalgamated. The crests that are more properly those of 
Hlengwah and originated down the Skeena are: the Whole-being, Raven- 
sailing-through-the-air, and the Thunder-bird (Geeladal). Those that 
were brought over from the Nass by Arhkawt’s ancestors are: the Flying- 
frog or Toad, and the semi-historical figures of the warrior Nseqt, the 
Man-crushing-log, the Strike-but-once war club, the Ptaw' door, and the 
small Kitamat warriors with conical hats. 
The Raven (Qaq) is one of the oldest crests and the most important 
in this phratry. It is in some ways often mistaken for the crest of the 
phratry itself, though actually it is not. The ancient relatives of Hlengwah 
in the Kitsalas and the Gitsees tribe also own it under various forms. 
Among the Gitsees, it is the main crest of Nees-yaranaet, who also had it 
carved and placed on top of a totem pole.^ The Raven-sailing-through- 
the-air ( Qansil ) as such seems to belong exclusively to the family of Hleng- 
wah. There is no myth, excepting the general cosmogonic myth, to account 
for its heraldic origin, which seems to be quite ancient. 
The Whole-being crest (called Marhkyawl, among the Gitksan, and 
Trhahkawlk, among the Tsimsyan) is also ancient, since it belongs in com- 
mon to the three branches of the clan in the Kitwanga, the Kitsalas, and 
the Gitsees tribes. Chief Hlengwah gave it first in his list as the most 
important or characteristic. Its origin as a carved figure on a pole is 
accounted for in tw'o narratives. The first, from Hlengwah himself, 
explains how it once surged out of the sea as part of the supernatural Snag. 
Part of this clan, at that time, was known under the name of Mcetsenaanurh,* 
‘According to Jim Larahnitz. 
‘Hsesemhliyawn died presumably about 25 or 30 years ago. The pole was carved, according to Larahnitz, 
“during hia uncle's lifetime,” when him.self, Larahnitz, was young: that is approximately 50 years ago, since he 
claims to have had something to do with the selection of the carver. 
•Its name is here "Place-where-Raven'Sleeps.” 
•Hlengwah said that this was then the equivalent of the Gitksan phratric name of Larhsail. 
