Week 11 Readning Notes: part b Alaskan Legends

Alaskan Legends

Myths and legends of Alaska story source Myths and Legends of Alaska edited by Katharine Berry Judson (1911)

Image: Canoe on misty water Photo by Andrew Montgomery on Unsplash

a man wondered down the Nass River
his name was Qa, the Raven
Tlingit call him Yel
he traveled the world
he built a house under a rock
Raven put man incharge of the hole in the rock
twice a day he opens the lid water rushes in, this is ebb tide
when he closes the lid the water rises and then it is flood tide
Tael, a Tlingit chief, hunted sea otters and was carried out to Qa's rock
current very strong could not escape it, Tael was drawn to the rock
he through is canoe line over a tree escapeing be carried down to the hole under the rock
he heard a noise, it was the man putting the lid on the hole
water began to rise, and he paddled rapidly away
the tide began to ebb again, thus he fastened his canoe to a large stone
waited till the tide came again
Tael was able to escape.