Creation Myths. I. Arrow Young Men : p. 5 CREATION MYTHS. I. ARROW YOUNG MEN (THE CREATION OF THE WORLD). Two young men were travelling. They stopped in the middle of their journey, (and one of them said,) "How would it be if we two should try it? What do you think about it?"--"It would be good if we two should try it," answered...
Creation Myths. 2. The Crow : 2. THE CROW (AND THE THUNDER-BIRD). The Crow's language used to be very loud. He was talking all the time. There was no low tide, and consequently he could not obtain any food. The Crow always knows the people's thoughts. Whatever one contemplates p. 15 (doing), he is able to tell it. When a pers...
Next. 29. The Women Who Married The Beaver : 29. THE WOMEN WHO MARRIED THE BEAVER. Two girls lived in Takimiya, and their relatives told them (to go) to Tsketc. A chief's son was living there. p. 175 He (had) lots of money and many sea-otter hides. The young man usually hunted sea-otters. And a Beaver worked (for him), and also a Muskr...
Creation Myths. 4. The Stealing Of Fire And Water : p. 39 4. THE STEALING OF FIRE AND WATER. The earth was inhabited. All kinds of people (lived) in a mixed-up fashion. They had no fire, nor water. Whenever they intended to eat something, they would put it under their arms, and dance with it. The old people would sit on it; and as soon as it became...
Miscellaneous Tales. 13. The Giant Woman : 13. THE GIANT WOMAN. ("Second Version".) She was all the time stealing people. Whenever she found a person, she would take him home. No one knew whither she carried them. This became the topic of their conversation. One morning many young men from the village came together. One of them said...
27. The Woman Who Married The Dog. Part 1 : 27. THE WOMAN WHO MARRIED THE DOG. A young girl lived in Takimiya. She had five elder brothers. She was always making baskets. Outside she had her separate little house. She used to work there. She also had a pretty little dog there. Many men wanted to buy her in marriage, but she did not want...
Miscellaneous Tales. 12. The Giant Woman : 12. THE GIANT WOMAN. ("First Version".) The Giantess was all the time enslaving people. Whenever she saw a man, she would thus say to him: "Come here, my husband!" The people got tired of it when they heard about it. Whenever a man died, she would carry away the things that were put in his grave...
Creation Myths. 9. The Fire Wind : 9. THE FIRE-WIND. One morning a hot wind blew. It blew from the west. The wind there was getting hotter. One man was talking thus: "Why is it that this wind is getting so very hot?" Dry was the world (river). Indeed, (to their) surprise, the fire-wind was seen as it was coming. Some people had...
Miscellaneous Tales. 18. Night Rainbow : 18. NIGHT-RAINBOW AND GRIZZLY BEAR. The Night-Rainbow people were living in a little place. Night- Rainbow-Old-Woman had five children. One morning they two--(one man and) his wife--went hunting. They p. 113 two came through a prairie. They two saw camas lying (on the ground). "It seems, a pers...
Next. 30. The Woman Who Became A Bear : 30. THE WOMAN WHO BECAME A BEAR. (There lived) a girl in Kwaitc, and she was lazy. She did not do a thing. Then she became "tetswis", 1 and they shut her up. They shut her up for five days. They did not give her any food, nor did they give her any water. She had a little brother. He used to bring...
Creation Myths. 8. The Girls And The Stars : 8. THE GIRLS AND THE STARS. People lived on a small place. Many people lived (there). So thus spoke the oldest sister: "How would it be if we should lie down outside? It's a beautiful night (to) lie down." They all were talking thus: "It will certainly be good if we lie down outside." They were all...
Creation Myths. 3. The Ascent To Heaven : p. 21 3. THE ASCENT TO HEAVEN. The world was already inhabited. H'tct! 1 lived in it. H'tct! 1 had a child. It was the old man's boy. They two lived together. His child had two wives and two children. One evening the old man went out. He stood outside, that old man. That old man went out...
Next. 24. The Revenge Of The Sky People : 24. THE REVENGE OF THE SKY PEOPLE. A man lived in Kiweet. He had an elder brother, who was always building canoes. Once he was working on a canoe, (when) a man came there to him. "What do you do with your canoe after you finish it?"--"I always sell my canoes." He kept on working, with his head bent...
Miscellaneous Tales. 19. The Pelican People : p. 127 19. THE PELICAN PEOPLE. (A man) was always afraid whenever he went out. In the evenings he would go out with a burning stick. Such was the habit of the young man. He always (did it) that way whenever he went out. Once he went out (and) spoke that way: "It seems as if from here I get...
Miscellaneous Tales. 10. The Woman Who Married : p. 55 MISCELLANEOUS TALES. 10. THE WOMAN WHO MARRIED THE SEAL. A woman went in a canoe down the river. Close to the shore she was travelling in a canoe. Suddenly she saw a man. "Halloo, my wife!" The man she saw was good-looking. "What are you always looking for?" Thus spoke the man. "I am looking...
Next. 21. The Long Night : p. 135 21. THE LONG NIGHT. Once in the summer it got evening, and day never came. And they all awoke as if it had been day-time. However, it continued to be dark like that. They did not know it when evening came. Now they would get sleepy and go to bed again. And when evening (would come), they...
Title Page : COOS TEXTS By LEO J. FRACHTENBERG Columbia University Contributions To Anthropology Volume I Columbia University Press, New York [1913] Scanned , July 2003. J.B. Hare, Redactor. This Text Is In The Public Domain. These Files May Be Used For Any Non-commercial Purpose, Provided This Notice...
Creation Myths. 5. The Origin Of Death : 5. THE ORIGIN OF DEATH. They two were cousins, and lived together. Both of them were married, and both had little boys. One morning the child (of one of them) became sick. It was sick a long time; then it died. It made (the father) feel sorry when it died. So they buried it. The next morning he did...
Miscellaneous Tales. 14. The Giant Women : 14. THE GIANT WOMEN. ("Third Version".) People were living on a small place. Some old woman had five children and two little grandsons. One morning they went (away) severally. The grandsons remained alone. In the evenings she taught the grandsons (to) dance. Indeed, the two children were dancing...
Next. 22. The Underground People : 22. THE UNDERGROUND PEOPLE. There was a village in Coos (Bay) called Baltiasa. The people (had) underground houses. Way (down) inside these underground (houses were). The people were big, p. 137 tall. Their fish-poles (were) big. Whatever they caught (hung on their poles), they would swing it far...
Next. 25. The Woman Who Married The Merman : 25. THE WOMAN WHO MARRIED THE MERMAN. There was a village (called) Takimiya. There lived five young men, and they had one younger sister. They lived in Takimiya. She was the head (of the family). From everywhere they wanted to buy her. But she did not want a husband. She would always swim...
Miscellaneous Tales. 11. Spider Old Woman : 11. SPIDER-OLD-WOMAN. Spider-Old-Woman had five children. One morning she was travelling outside. She walked somewhat far (off). (Her children) were given battle (by the people) from below. Spider-Old-Woman was not at home. They (began) to fight. Not long (afterwards) they were killed. One wom...
Creation Myths. 7. Origin Of The Coos People : 7. ORIGIN OF THE COOS PEOPLE. One man was travelling. He was a "bone-man." An old man met him. "Why are you walking all the time? Why do you talk? Why are people angry with you?" He grabbed him. They two fought. Then the man was killed and torn to pieces. His intestines were taken out. He laid down...
Miscellaneous Tales. 17. The Five Shadows : 17. THE FIVE SHADOWS. There lived five brothers. One morning (one) saw a shadow. He was surprised (that) this (shadow) person here was, standing. He always used to hunt deer. "Halloo, cousin!' Thus he spoke. "Sit down here, quickly!" Then he gave him food. Thus spoke the man who came: "Stand close...
Creation Myths. 6. The Flood : 6. THE FLOOD. When (one day) the flood-tide (came), there (was) no ebb-tide. (Everything was) full of water. Not long (afterwards) the water (reached) its full (mark). The earth was entirely filled with people. There were too many people, and they looked at the water as it (reached) its full (mark)...
Next. 28. The Woman Who Married The Bear : 28. THE WOMAN WHO MARRIED THE BEAR. One (day) a young girl went into the forest to pick berries. As she was walking, she saw a young man playing. She kept on going there (until) the two met. And he (was) a pretty, young man. And he asked the young girl, "Shall I take you home?" Then she w...
Tales Collected : 26. THE WOMAN WHO MARRIED THE WOLF. A girl lived in Takimiya. (She had) five younger brothers. Everybody wanted to buy her, but she did not want a husband. In the afternoon she was always chopping wood. She had five pack-ropes. Once she went to pack (wood). p. 165 She came back four times...
27. The Woman Who Married The Dog : p. 187 32. THE MAN WHO MARRIED THE BIRD. A young man was living in Siuslaw. He always gambled. Whatever clothes (he had) they would win from him. His old people no longer had anything. Because of this they scolded him. They would give him hardly any food. (They) had nothing. So one day he took his...
Introduction : p. 1 INTRODUCTION. THE texts contained in the present volume represent two different collections. The first nineteen myths were collected by me in the summer of 1909, under the auspices of the Bureau of American Ethnology. My sole informant was Jim Buchanan, a Coos Indian, living in Acme, Lane...
Miscellaneous Tales. 15. The Girl And Her Pet : 15. THE GIRL AND HER PET. Five brothers lived (together). Their father and mother were alive. Their sister was in the habit of bathing all the time. She used to go bathing early in the morning, and would go bathing in the evening. She would always (do) that way. Once she went bathing. The young...
Next. 23. The Country Of The Souls : 23. THE COUNTRY OF THE SOULS. A man (was) sick for a long time. He (had) three children. Thus he said to his children: "If I die, you shall let (make) me lie five days, then you shall bury me." In the next house (there was a) sick woman, and she died. And (the man too) died the next day. When he...
Next. 31. Eagle Woman : 31. EAGLE-WOMAN. There was a woman living in Takimiya. (She was an) Eagle. When somebody came there, she would marry him. Thus she would say to her husband: "We two will go there. There is lots of fun." And she would take him to a small lake. The lake appeared to (be full of) soft pitch. Her...
Miscellaneous Tales. 16. The Five Grizzly Bears : 16. THE FIVE GRIZZLY-BEARS. They lived there (together). They were five brothers. No man ever could pass by there. Whenever (they) saw any one pass there, they killed him right away. Even if two persons passed by, still they would kill them. A little farther away many people were living. Everywhere...
Next. 20. The Battle In The Air : p. 133 TALES COLLECTED BY HARRY HULL ST. CLAIR, 2D. 20. THE BATTLE IN THE AIR. Two young men met. One (had a) fisher-dog, one (had) a fur-seal (as) his dog. He had filled (a seal-skin) with gravel, and just sewed it together. He (had) no dog. He just made it that way. Somewhat far away his gravel...
