93 
ORIGIN 
The whale-like sea monster Hagwelawrh, is the familiar emblem of 
several families of the lower Skeena belonging to the same phratry. A 
Tsimsyan account explains its origin, and its memory is refreshed by fre- 
quent allusions, as it is said at times to appear at the estuary of the river; 
and its dangerous, snag-like fin (also a crest) is supposed to wreck native 
crafts. This seacoast myth is here transposed to suit inland require- 
ments. When the people of this family long ago lived at Temlaham, they 
used to dry fish at Anstegyawren lake (now Sealy lake, near South Hazel- 
ton). The level of the lake once rose and dropped in turn. A spirit, they 
discovered, dwelt under the water. They built a raft and challenged the 
monster with songs. When it rose to the surface, a long fin first appeared; 
then a Grizzly-bear-like monster, the Hagwelawrh. Two of its offsprings 
sprang from its body. They killed the Hagelawrh and adopted it as a 
crest. The ownership of this heraldic emblem on the upper Skeena, of 
itself discloses seacoast influences. 
The ghost-like Moth ( Lawrom-balerh ) seems a favourite emblem of 
this, and other closely related, families, since it is their special appanage. 
It was first ailopted by Yael, of Kispayaks, and passed on to his Gitseg- 
yukla relatives. A legend recounts how, during a famine and a drought, 
the people were dying of starvation on a plateau, up Segyukla river. They 
lived for a long while on mountain fern roots, decayed rose berries, and 
bones of salmon. Much weakened, they made snares for capturing 
mountain-goat, and built traps for fish, in the spring. They finally caught 
two mountain goats, on the bodies of which they saw a ghost-like monster, 
with a beak almost like a bird’s, the Moth, feeding greedily. They said, 
“It must be the ghost of one of our dead relatives partaking of food.” 
They killed the Moth and adopted its features as a crest, at Kispayaks. 
The name “Lawrom-balerh” itself is considered a Tsimsyan term — • 
another coast feature among the crests of these households. 
Winged-person ( Rarayem-gyet ) was first seen sitting on a mountain 
crest, by Seweemarh, a member of this house, who was hunting mountain 
goat in the company of Hlengwah,^ of Kitwanga. Its face was that of 
a human being, but it had the wings of a bird. Its attributes are believed 
to be the same as those of the Gilladal, which Hlengwah owns as a crest; 
in other words, it is another variant upon the Thunder-bird theme. 
The Hat-of-Tsagyem-hanak (of lying-woman) is a pictorial repre- 
sentation of a different type; it served to illustrate in part a spirit-name 
( narhnawk j, and it is still used as a headdress, rather than an independent 
crest.^ 
We are not acquainted with any letiological explanation of the Grouse 
emblem, which also obtains among some of the Tsimsyan kinsmen of the 
Gitksan Fireweeds. The origin of the Fire weed crest is discussed below 
( See Poles of Harhpegwawiu ). But there is no reason given why the phratry 
itself is called Fireweed, except that most of the clearings on the upper 
Skeena turn purple with fireweed blossoms in the summer. The Fireweed 
as a crest is used only by a few families of the Tsimsyan ; as a clan or rather 
family crest, not a phratric badge. 
>Of the Larhsail phratry. 
rrhe headdress of that name now in existence was made by Nagwa’awn of Hagwelget. Nagwa’on belongs 
to the Grizzly House of the Gitemdanyu phratry of the neighbouring Carriers. 
