RELIGION gh

men to see these transformed beings habitually, but even now,
or at any rate until a few years ago, shamans were able to lift
the intervening veil. From accounts given by those who have
had such experience, the Bella Coola believe that fguntam
gave to birds and animals, as well as to humans, the boon of
fire, and it is only the unworthiness of men that makes them
unable to see the smoke rising from the houses of different
creatures. In former times, fortunate hunters were able to
do so, and consequently had phenomenal success. The smoke
that ascends from the fires of different animals corresponds in
colour to that of its owner; a mountain goat’s is white, a
beaver’s, black, a squirrel’s, red, a wolf’s, gray, and so on.
When a goat stamps the earth on a mountain, it rings hollow,
as indeed it is to those animals, for their home is within; and
when a hunter loses his quarry entirely, it is because the latter
has entered its house. Shamans are sometimes able to hear
the gatherings of animals under the peaks. Like human beings,
they dance to the accompaniment of music, and in all respects
behave like them. They have their times of joy and sorrow,
of success and failure. When ill they are cured by their own
shamans, grizzly bear, s7umug, and wolverine; these three also
dance to welcome the dead. All animals and birds are like
brothers, able to converse with each other and living harmon-
iously together in that other part of their life which only
shamans have seen. Porcupine is the oldest, and a hunter
always tries to kill one before passing to more important prey.
The animals know about the actions of human beings and
show their aversion to certain habits by refusing to allow
themselves to be seen by anyone practising them. For example,
they do not like people to drink water in which dog salmon
have been soaked, and no hunter would dream of partaking of
that food. Bella Coola mythology is full of accounts of human
beings who, with supernatural aid, were able to penetrate to
the homes of animals. Tales of this type would be unintellig-
ible without understanding the attitude of the people to the
animal and bird kingdoms.