The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-09-21
ALASKAN CANAIDALS.
GOLD SEEKERS WILL SEE THEM
ON THEIR WAY.
Believe in Monsters and Dwell
Amid Imaginary Hordes of
Horned Demons.

Along the coast OF Alaska dwell some
very queer aborigines, as the gold seek
ers f1ocking to the Klondike country
will surely discover. They do the most
of the freighting across the passes into
the interior, carrying loads on their
backs, but their population during
centuries has been so shut away from
other tribes by gigantic ranges of
snow-clad mountains that they have
developed a peculiar culture and GUS
toms unknown anywhere else. Hence
the exceptional value Of a monograph
about them prepared by DR.. Franz
Boaz a distinguished ethnologist,
which is TO be published shortly by
the National Museum.
These natives may be said to live
largely in a world of imagination, in
asmuch as their customs and habits
of living are based to d great exent
upon ideas and beliefs wholly super
natural Creation, from their point of
view. is peopled by strange monsters
and demons, which, while normally
hostile to man, may be rendered friend
ly and even helpful with the aid of
certain ceremonials of a quasi religious
character.
VI CAdIlplS, IL d w ash
ington special to the Cincinnati En-
quirer," the most important of these
monsters is a serpent which has a head
at each end of it's body and a human
head in the middle. To touch this
strange monster these natives believe
is death, all the joints of the victim
becoming dislocated, but specially ia
vored individuals are enabled to per-
form wonderful feats by wearing a belt
of it's skin, while its eyes, used as
sling stones, will kill any animal, even
whales. Another Of these fabulous be-
ings is a wild woman who lives in the
woods She has enormous breasts, and
carries a basket, into which she puts
children whom she steals for the pur-
pose of eating.
One of the most remarkable of the
festivals celebrated by the Indians is
a carnival of ghosts, which is held each
winter 1t seems to be derived from
tradition that tells of a journey made
by an adventurous individual to a re-
gion beneath the earth, inhabited by
phantoms. The celebration itself is
mimic representation of the visit to
hades aforesaid, and the performer
who represents the submundane tray
elers wears a necklace and headdress
set round with skulls.
Cannibalism is very conspicuous in
the myths current among these people,
who have themselves been eaters of
human flesh up to a recent period. In
deed. though the whites are supposed
to have put a stop to such practices,
it would seem that secret indulgence
ILL.,
with.
Quite a number of strange demons
are worshipped as guardian spirits
among them a cannibal demon that
lives on the mountains and is always
engaged in the pursuit of human be-
ings for his table. The smoke of his
chimney is the color of blood, and he
has female slave who gets food for
him by catching men and collecting
corpses. In his house is a fabulous
bird. with an immensely long beak,
which lives on the brains of persons
whose skulls it fractures with its bill.
who is so unfortunate as to
encounter the canniba1 spirit may be
transformed into a grizzly bear. On
the other hand, if he can please the
demon, he may obtain power to handle
fire without being burned.
Another guardian spirit is fearsome
warrior who lives in the far North.
He travels constantly, and never leaves
his canoe. BY obtaining his protec-
ton a man may become invulnerable
or he may acquire power to catch the
invisible disease demon. This demon
is at all times flying about in the air
in the form of a worm. The fortunate
protege of the warrior spirit catching
the worm can throw it into the body of
an enemy who will die at once. The
suggestion Of the modern germ theory
of disease contained in this belief is
quite interesting Not to be neglected
among the guardian spirits are certain
ghosts which bestow the power Of re-
turning to life after death.
Dr. Boaz has secured for the National
Museum large number of masks, such
as are worn by the Indians of the
Alaskan Coast in their ceremonials
Some of them are of enormous size and
grotesque.