148 
The Flying-frog (Geepceigem-ranad'o ), of the same owner, Weemenaw- 
zek. 
Three-across (Hrpugwelawn), originally the property of Ksemgitgee- 
gaenih, represented on two-house-posts as part man and part woman, with 
the Frog. 
(50) Poles and House Paintings at Kisgagas 
Kisgagas is one of the two uppermost villages of the Gitksan. It is 
situated on Babine (or Kisgagas) river, about 5 miles above its junction 
with the Skeena. 
There are only two totem-poles now standing in this village, and a 
third one (without carving, but with painted decorations) fallen and lying 
on the ground behind the potlatch houses. The only one of these three 
that really deserves the name of totem pole is that of Wa-igyct, of the Fire- 
weed phratry, which has been described above. ^ There do not seem to 
have been more than a few poles actually standing in Kisgagas at any time. 
Brief references were made by informants to totem poles and house 
paintings at Kisgagas. Some of these statements refer to totem poles and 
paintings as they may actually have existed; others are undoubtedly 
meant as a statement that the crests might have been used on totem poles 
and actually were used by relatives in other villages, such as Kispayaks, 
Gitwinlkul, and Gitenmaks. Here is a transcription of these scattered 
statements, as obtained in 1920, from various informants:^ 
One or two standing Bears ( Stnaih ) were carved on house posts, at the rear of the 
house of Neekyap (of the Wolf phratry). 
The crest of Hrpee-geegyet, also belonging to Neekyap, was carved on a pole; it con- 
sisted of the figures of four children. 
The main crest of Weeraih (of the Wolf phratry) was Without-knowledge (’A’wullayest) ; 
it was shown on a pole, and consisted of three Bears climbing the pole. It was also called 
To-cool-off (’Anptaltuj. The Wolf (Keebu) was placed at the top of that pole. 
The Wolf (Keebu) was shown on a totem pole of Hrkwawyemtu, a Wolf chief. Some 
of the other crests of Hrkwawyemtu were also used on poles: Standing-bear (Hcetkut- 
smaih), the man called Like-the-owl (Segutkweenurhs), and the Trka-ralp-qan, a pole 
through which was the entrance into the feast house. 
Tsaburh, another Wolf chief, had a front-house pole, through which was the ceremonial 
entrance. Its name was Kwisyara-raliutu. Many human faces were painted on both 
sides, on the house front. 
Another house-front post, used as ceremonial doorway, was that of Ananemrawt, 
a Wolf chief. This pole was known under the name of Man-in-half (Raldihgyet). The 
entrance was between the two halves of his body as represented on the pole. 
The head-chief of I^sgagas, Meluleq, of the Larhsail phratry, also had some of his 
crests represented in paint or carved on poles. The Eagle Mawdzeks was painted on the 
front of his house, according to one statement,^ or carved on his totem pole^. The Wild- 
celery (Geela^mawq) crest was represented as a plain, long pole, known under that name, 
which stood by the house of Meluleq until recently. Another of Melideq's crests, the 
Nose-like-cohoe (Tsarams’ceqh J, was also at one time painted around the walls of his house, 
inside. 
iCf. The poleofWa-igj/ei, p. 102. 
*Mrs Jimmy Williams (Meluleq), Paul Morrison ( Dzeeus), John Brown (Kweeyiihl), Charles Martin, and others . 
•From Paul Morrison (Dzeeus), of Kisgagas. 
•According to Meluleq (Mrs. Jimmy Williams). 
