SONGS 299

(2) Recorded as song VII D 55, National Museum of Canada; quartet, Reuben
Schooner, leader, Jim Pollard, prompter and announcer, assisted by Té/-io Charlie
and Steamboat Annie.

(4) So many of Yextfin’s ancestors had been drowned that he considered such
a fate to be an inheritable tendency and mourned accordingly. This song was
composed for a memorial potlatch held after the drowning of three of his sons.

(c) Xem means, literally, the successive rising of the sun from day to day; it
has therefore, the significance of: The span of life is shortening.

(d) This wail replaces the usual wordless chorus.

(e) Raven. This is one of his rarely used chief’s names.

(f) The reference is to an incident related about Raven in the beginning of time.
He made, and gave life to a son who was his chief joy and delight. Afguntim
wondered what the creature might be and sent down one of his eagle-like super-
natural birds to seize him. Raven, ignorant of the reason for his son’s loss and
with no idea that he was being carefully guarded, was absolutely disconsolate.
The myth is recorded in vol. I, p. 83.

SHAMAN SONGS

In contrast to the carefully prepared and logically worded
mourning songs, many of those used by shamans are extremely
incoherent. This is natural in view of the belief, already
described, that the words and tune are given to a sick person at
the time that he is cured. Those who recover from an illness
are convinced that they must have received a supernatural
visitation, and at once begin to ponder on the song brought
to them at that time. A person of imaginative temperament
easily persuades himself that the words which begin to form
in his mind were actually brought by an agent, and, having
thus deluded himself, it is easy for him to convince others. The
coherence of the text thus depends upon the ability of the
patient, a factor which explains the extreme lack of skill in
many compositions. The examples here given are, perhaps,
unusually complete.

Song Used by Ninitsamlaix(a), a Kimsquit Man(d)

skaninitsimlaixes
the life-giving power(d) was made;

AW. as-mkwaltinumawdu
In the beginning(c)

oldindtsiwanudai
within them(e).

yao diai aiyaitutt

that is what we have given

[worDLEss cHorvs] (f)