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304 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

(2) Recorded as song VII D 42b, National Museum of Canada; singer, Jim
Pollard.

(4) That is: The supernatural one held me in his carefully cupped hands. The
theme is worded as if the shaman were speaking and describing the way he was
carried away to some far-off spot for treatment.

Fragment of a Song Used by Atkusiyuotem, a Bella Coola Woman(a)

Anusukgomattualduks aiyawasoyo-nx”ais | dasosqwiainulim dikusiutdai
Laughed Sonx”*(8) when they(c)started | my rite as
shaman(d).
: [WORDLEss cHoRUs]
Kaitstukwlao

See how wretched I am(e).

The rest of this song has been forgotten.

(2) Recorded as song VII D 42a, National Museum of Canada; singer, Lame
Charlie.

(4) That is: The sky laughed. Shamans often use grandiloquent expressions
such as this.

(c) Refers to supernatural beings in general.

(d) It is not known how this woman received her power except that it was
from a salmon.

(e) The singer entered fully into the spirit of this song, and ended his singing
by calling out these words and chattering his teeth as shamans are wont to do.

Fragment of a Song Used by Kusiyot, a Bella Coola Woman(a)

dimanstsudat xGOSt
is our father (c)?

Susinxdkila Susinxdkila

The sun(d),
The rest of this song has been forgotten(d).

the sun,

(a) Recorded as song VII D 34a, National Museum of Canada; singer, Jim
Pollard.

(4) This is the sun’s name as chief.

(c) The meaning of this word is unknown. When the song was sung, the people
used to follow the shaman to the river and throw water over themselves four times,
accompanied by the crying out of this word.

(d) It seems highly probable that incoherent songs such as this were commonly
used by shamans. Kusiyot herself is supposed to have derived her power from
Ttitcaplizin-a, but no explanation could be learnt for the rite of washing.

The most fragmentary of all shaman songs are those used
by sndxom. Although the last survivor of this type of vi-_
sionary died many years ago, all the older Bella Coola state