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p. 229

XXI.

Origin of the Jumping Dance. 1

p. 231

 1It was at TakimiLdiñ the Indian who became Kīxûnai used to live. He liked dances. When it rained much he used to say, "Come, let's dance, I don't like heavy rains." He went over the world looking at dances. Finally he went around the world. Over here northeast from us he saw a dance. They danced ten places near together. "I like that," he said. When he got back he said, "Come, let's dance. This is the way Indians will do

p. 232

here. I am going away. If Indians want to dance they will do it this way." He left directions that one woman and one man should fix the place. "The man will go north," he said, "the woman will go south." "The one who fixes the place will go this far," he said.

Here toward the northeast from us, he went to live where they always have the dance which he likes. After a time they found him among the redwoods. So often he had dressed for the dance his face had become black below the eyes. "This time only you will see me," he said. "When there is a dance at TakimiLdiñ it will be foggy along the base of the mountain toward the south. That is the place I will look from. This way it will be when the time comes. This way they will do. Whoever will do that will always think of me."

At every place woodpecker head-dresses they used to bring him, but he always took out his own. They always brought him the kiseaqōt in a storage basket. He never took that, he always took out his own. After a while he said to them, " Don't bring them to me. I have plenty of my own." After a while they brought mounted deer-skins to him. "I won't do that way," he said. "This only will be mine. Only this one I like. The Indians will quit this deer dance, only this one they will practise. Only this one I like."

Here across the ocean to the north he went. He was surprised to see they danced only once. "I don't like it," he said, "when they dance but once. Where I live it will be ten times that they will dance." When he had gone from us southeast he saw only twice they danced. "I don't like it," he said. He did not like it wherever he went. He always comes to the TakimiLdiñ dance. He likes that.


Footnotes

229:1 Told at Hupa, November 1901, by McCann. This is apparently another form of the formula told by Senaxon which is given above. The narrator called it one of his choicest stories, but said nothing of its ceremonial use.

231:1 Compare Powers' version in Contributions to North American Ethnology, Vol. iii, p. 80. The author feels like apologizing on behalf of himself and his Indian informants for the tameness of the form here given as compared with that produced by Mr. Powers and the Indian Agent.


Next: XXII. Formula of the Acorn Feast