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20. Yini'a-ñawġut and Kĭlu's Marriage with Fish-Man. 3

Big-Raven lived with his family. Kĭlu' said to Yini'a-ñawġut, "Let us go for a walk!" They went out walking, and they took a fish-head for (travelling-)provisions. They came to a certain place and began to eat. (Kĭlu') threw at her (cousin) the cheek-bone of a fish. She sped away, and said, "Yi'ni has become a kamak." That one said, "I have not become a kamak."--"Enough, indeed, you have become a kamak!"

She tried to detach it, but could not do it, so she fell asleep. Kĭlu' said, (when) she came home, and they said to her, "Where is Yi'ni?" (She said, "Yi'ni) became a kamak." Then Yini'a-ñawġut awoke. There was Fish-Man combing his hair, and a load of winter-fish was (there also).

He said to her, "Enough, wake up!" She got up. He married her. They lived there, and caught plenty of fish. After some time they came home to Big-Raven's house. "They brought your daughter."--"Which daughter may come here" Our daughter became a kamak."

"Here I am! I came."

p. 88 p. 89

Kĭlu" began to envy (her cousin on account of) her Fish husband. (She said,) "Yi'ni, how did it happen to you?"--"You did this thing to me."--"But your husband is a good one."

"Čan*ai', let us go out for a walk!" They went out, came to a place, and began to eat. They also took a (fish-)head for (all) provisions. "Čan*ai, throw a bone at me!" The other one said, "I will not throw]." (Kĭlu') said, "(Do it!). We shall gain much by it."

She threw the bone at her, but it did not stick (to her face). She took it and glued it on with her saliva. At last it was (sticking) all right. "Čan*ai'! leave me (alone)!" She left her (and went away). "Čan*ai', I did not become a kamak." (The other one) again came back. She said again, "Leave me (alone)! Go home and say, 'She has become a kamak!'"

Big-Raven said, "It is her own mind. Let her be (wherever she desires)."Kĭlu' [falsely] pretended to be crying, then she fell asleep. She also woke up; and there was Fish-Man. He said, "Enough, it is all your pretensions." She got up, and Fish-Man married her. They also staid there and caught plenty of fish.

After some time they went home, to Big-Raven's house. People said, "They have brought Kĭlu'."--"Our Kĭlu' became a kamak." She said, "I am here, I came! Fish-Man married me." There (both Fish-Men) lived. They were quite successful in catching fish. Yini'a-ñawġut and her cousin brought forth sons. They bore some male children. That is all.


Footnotes

87:1 The respective rôles of Big-Kamak and his wife are evidently confused in this tale. Thus the husband, killed not long ago, would seem to be alive again. Similar confusion is met in several other tales, Chukchee and Koryak (cf. for instance, Bogoras, Chukchee Mythology, Publications of the Jesup North Pacific Expedition, vol. viii, part ii, No. 1, pp. 15, 19).

87:2 Both Kamaks seem to have revived after having been killed.

87:3 Compare Jochelson, The Koryak, No. 109, p. 296.


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