Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-07-25
India Mythology.

From the Tacullycountry we pass north
and west to the coast Inhabited by the
Thlinkeets, among whom the myth Of a
great Bird, or of great hero deity, whose
favoritc disguise is the shape of bird,
assumes the most elaborate appearance
and importance. Here the name of this
great Somebody is Yehl, the Grow or Ra-
ven, creator of most things, and especi-
ally, the Thlinkeets. Very dark, damp,
and chaotic was the world in the begin
ming; nothing with breath or body moved
there except Ychl in the likeness Of a
raven he brooded over the mist, his black
wings beat down the vast confusion, the
waters went back before him and the dry
land appeared. The Thlinkects were
placed on the earth-though how or when
does not exactly appear-while the world
was still in darkness, and without sun or
or moon or stars. A certain Thlinkeet, we
are further informed, had wife and sis
ter. OF the wife he was devouringly jeal-
Gus, and when employed in tho woods at
his trade of building canoes, he had her
constantly watched by eight red birds of
the kind called kun. To make assurance
surer, he even used to coop her up in a
kind of box every time he left home. All
his while his sister, widow it would ap-
pear, was bringing up certain sons she
had, fine tall fellows, rapidly approaching
manhood. The jealous uncle could not
endure the thought of their being in the
neighborhood Of his wife. So he in
weighed them one by one, time after time,
out to sea with him on pretense of fish
ing, and drowned them there. The poor
mother was left desolate, she went to the
sea- shore to weep for her children. A
tlolphin-some say awhale-saw her there,
and pitied her; the beast told her to swal-
low small pebble and drink some sea-
water. She did so, and in eight months
was delivered of child. That child was
Yell, who thus took upon himself hui
man shape, and grew up mighty hunter
and notable archer, One day large bird
appeared to him, having long tail like
magpie, and long glittering bill as of
metal; the name of the bird was Kutz-
ghatushl, that is Crane that can soar to
heaven. Yehl shot the bird, skinned it.,
and whenever he wished to fly clothed
himselfi in its skim
Now Yell had grown to manhood, and
he determined to avcnge himself upon his
uncle for the death of his brothers; so he
opened the box in which the well guarded
wife was shut mp. Instantly the eight
faithful birds flew off and told the hus-
band, who set out for his home in muir
derous mood Most cunning, however, in
his patience, he greeted Yell with com
posure, and invited him in his canoe for n
short trip to sea. Having padded out
some way he flung himself on the young
man and forced him overheard. Then he
put his canoe about and made lcisurely
for tho land, rid, as he thought, Of another
enemy. But Yehl swan in quietly another
way, and stood up in his uncle's house.
The baflled murderer was beside himself
with fury, he imprecated with potent
curse deluge upon all the earth, we'll
content to perish himself so he involved
his rival in the common destruction, for
jealousy is cruel as the grave. The flood
came, tho waters rose and rose; but Yehl
clothed himself in his bird-skin and scared
up to heaven, where he struck his beak
into cloud, and remained till tho waters
we're assuaged.
After this affair Ychl had many adven-
lures, so many that zone man cannot know
them all, as the Thlinkeets say. One of
the most useful things he did was to sup
ply light to mankind-with whom, as APP
pears, the earth had been again peopled
after the delugc. Now all the light in the
world was stored away in three boxes,
among the riches Of certain mysterious
old Chief who guarded his treasure close
ly. Yehl set his wits to work to secure
the boxes; he determined to be born into
the chiefs family. The chief had one
daughter upon whom he dotted, and Yell,
transforming himself into blade Of grass,
got into the girls drinking cup and was
swallowed by her. In due time she gave
birth to son, who was Yehl, thus Sec
ond time born ola woman into the world.
Very proud was the old chief of his grand
son, loving him oven as he loved his daugh-
ter, so that Ychl became to be decidedly
spoiled child. He fell crying one day,
working himself almost into TT; he
kicked and scratched and howled, and
turned the famil hut into a pandemonium
asonly an infant plague can. He screamed
for one Of the three boxes; he would have
box; nothing but box should ever APP
pease him! The indulgent grandfather
gave him one of tho boxes; he clutch I'd
it, stopped crying, and crawled of into
tho yard to play. Playing, he contrived
to wrench the lid of, and 10 tho beautiful
heaven was thick with stars and the box
empty. Tho old man wcpt for the loss OF
his stars, but he did not scold his grand
son, he loved him too blindly for that.
fehl had succeeded in getting the stars
into the ARMAMENT, and be proceeded to
repeat his successful trick, to do the like
bV the moon and sun A nav be i'm