SONGS 271

the ésulkun, prompter, is equally important, though less ob-
vious. As many as one hundred songs may be in constant use
in the course of a single £usiut season, and it is impossible for
any one individual to remember them sufficiently well never
to become confused when calling them out. Consequently, one
or more prompters sit beside the announcer, ready to whisper
to him the words of the next subdivision. Prompters are ex-
pected to be thoroughly familiar with the myths of all per-
formers and, since they neither announce nor sing, they are
able to concentrate their whole attention on remembering the
words which have been considered suitable.

This somewhat complicated mechanism ensures a minimum
of error in all important rites. Mistakes do creep in, however,
and it is related with glee how on one occasion the singers com-
pletely forgot a text and substituted a description of a mask
used at the rite in question. Moreover, even the solemnity
of a kusiut dance cannot entirely check the love of the Bella
Coola for practical joking. A blind singer once laid down his
stick for a moment, whereupon one of his companions kicked
it away. It appears to be virtually impossible for a man to
sing unless he can accompany himself by tapping, and the
frantic efforts of the sightless one to recover his baton almost
betrayed his companions into obvious mirth. Occasionally,
too, a prompter neglects his task? and the announcer is forced
to improvise, while the leader endeavours to conceal the error
by lengthening the pause between subdivisions.

Marriage songs, shaman songs, non-ceremonial songs, and
a few others of special type are sung by an individual, unac-
companied. The technique is, therefore, quite different from
that just described. Dance songs of all kinds should, if com-
plete, have the three parts; these are indicated as 4, B, and C

*During the winter of 1923-4 there was only one man in Bella Coola with suffi-
cient skill and poise to act as announcer and prompter. He found it impossible
to perform both duties and requested the aid of the writer as prompter. The texts
were written down, and it was the writer’s duty to sit beside the announcer, waiting
for a nudge signifying that he had forgotten the next subdivision. From personal
experience the writer can state that the task of prompter is wearying in the extreme.

por tee oe