Grand Forks herald., 1917-03-31
STORY OF WOODEN 81.
WIFE TOLD in
INDIAN MYTH

Warrington. March .io:-The. burr
eau Of American ethnology has issued
AZ part Of. its thirty-first annual re-
port q comprehensive article on the
mythology of the Tsimshian Indians.
Considerable Information Ia recorded
concerning these Indians themselves,
their life. social organizations. alpha
bet, music, religious ideas and prac-
part Of the mythology Of America
In this connection the author, DR..
Frang Boas, honorary philologist Of
the bureau of American ethnology.
shows the bearing Of the Tsimshian
mythology on general mythical con-
cepts and in relation to the manner
of dissemination in northwestern
America.
Among number of these interest
ing myths recorded in the volume is
peculiar tale concerning young
Indian hunter who had a wooden
wife.
It seems that once upon time a
an expert woodworker, had a very
capable young wife. whom he loved
dearly. She was especially adept at
weaving the native dancing garments
and blankets. then much in vogue,
from yarn spun from the wool Of
mountain sheep killed by her hus-
band. Shortly after their marriage.
while they were on hunting trip,
the wife was taken Ill in the midst Of
her weaving. and soon died. Before
sne passed away, however, she called
her husband to her and said: "My
dear husband. keep your love for me
after I am dead. Don't go home too
soon."
The husband. deeply grieved, fol-
lowed her dying wish. He even kept
the dead body until he was forced to
bury 1t. and then he carved an image
of his wife out of red cedar. which
he set before the partly finished
dancing raiment still hanging where
1t was left by his late wife. So cum
ming was this woodman-artisan that
he arranged the wooden fingers of his
! Iay-ftgure wife in the threads Of the
unfinished garment. so that she ap-
peared to be busily engaged in its
construction. Not only that, he even
contrived clever system of manipu-
lating the figure: when the door was
opened its head turned toward him,
and he pretended that his wife-image
could speak.
Although this fact had been report
ed in the village. the story never oc-
Cured to two runaway Indian maid
ems who chanced to arrive at the
hunters. camp guarded solely by his
wooden wife. Peering through
knothole they behold woman ap-
parently weaving. and being very
hungry, opened the door to ask for
food: AS the door opened the head
of the figure before the weaving
frame turned to look at them, so
they asked for little food, bu, the
figure paid no attention to their in
curry. Only the fingers. twisted in
the yarn. moved
That is not a living being!" ex.
claimed the older sister. "I will go
near and look" So she approach
the silent figure, saying. will YOU
give us a little food. elder sister?'' at
the same time touching it on the
shoulder. which proved to he wood.
the mystery. was revealed to them
and they 'laughed-this was the
wooden figure of which they had
heard.
Soon they heard the hunter return
ing to camp, and hid themselves in a
corner behind some dried meat to.
await developments. He whistled as
he drew near. although his load was
very heavy and he was tired. Come
out my dear" he called to his wood
en- wife; "and look at this" indicating
his pacss-eef. raeat-and fat at-s=Tnen-ne=
mot so. my dear. I cannot, because
my yarn is twisted about my fingers,
After saying this. the hunter ran. in
to his wife. embraced and kissed her.
telling her that she was Very hand
some. Whereupon the two young
women laughed at him in secret. but
ne heard them and called them out
from fhoiy,. /, nIo
Strangely enough, he was not
angry. but spread a grizzly-bear skin
for them to sit on. and cooked them
many things toseat. The elder sister
ate g. great deal Of everything tina.
night. but the. younger sister, being
AFRAID, ate very sparingly. fortunate-
ly for her, as therelder sister was dis
gustingly Ill in the morning and did
not get up. This amused the hunter
her to get up and partake of the
breakfast he had prepared. The
younger sister arose, but the elder
sister cried. she was so ashamed.
In the meantime the hunter seems
to have fallen in love with the young-
er sister. for now he asked her to
marry him. This she agreed to do If
he would promise to destroy his
wooden wife. and never to reveal the
fact that her sister was sick from
overeating. The hunter promised, but
extracted her assurance that she
would not tell what he had done with
the wooden figure
Then" continues the myth. pub
lished by the bureau of American
ethnology. "they were married." And,
in fact. it is readily assumed that they
lived happily ever after" for, so the
story reveals: The young woman was
wise and kind. and proved better
wife than the first, especially in
weaving. Eventually. growing very
rich. the hunter returned to his ma