The Northwest Coast Indians believed that in the beginning all living
things shared the world in a state of equality and mutual understanding.
They spoke the same language and the difference between them was
in their superficial external appearance. If, for convenience,
the body covering removed, the form underneath was identical with a
human form. This allowed a human to live with birds and animals
and return with their secrets to hand on to his people.
From this belief, the Indians developed a series of legends and myths,
many of which are illustrated in their totem pole carvings.
On a single pole there might be illustrated one simple tale or several
events in tribal history, legendary of actual. Almost every tribe
and clan prized a least one story of an encounter between an ancestor
and a spirit, usually in the guise of an animal. Following a series
of exciting adventures, the man would be granted the right to adopt
the animal as his crest. His descendants inherited this right,
and so carved a stylized and abstract likeness of their badge on their
poles.
The following are brief descriptions of the mask personalities which
appear on most poles.
WHALE, the much-feared Ruler
of the Deep, can be recognized by his dorsal fin. Understandably,
among a people who depended on the sea for their staple food, Whale
usually was the villain of Indian legends. One tale deals with
kidnapping of a beautiful young girl by Whale. Her husband was
able to rescue her only with the assistance of friendly birds and animals,
and after practicing black magic. It was common belief that should
a fisherman drown, his spirit would return in the guise of a Whale.
To insure a good catch, the Indians would precede each fishing
trip with a dance to the Killer Whale to show their goodwill.
RAVEN, center of many legends,
is a rogue-mischievous, sly, and thieving. Despite these characteristics,
he was an asset. One legend states that he stole the salmon from the
Beaver by rolling up their lake, absconding with it, and letting the
salmon loose in the rivers, thus giving the Indians their staple food.
He is also credited with stealing the sun from the chief who kept
it hidden in a box. He managed this by turning himself into a pine needle,
arranging to be swallowed by the chief's daughter and thus being born
into the chief's house as his grandson. Pampered child, he finally
persuaded his doting grandparent to give him the sun to play with, Seizing
his opportunity, he changed himself back into Raven, flew through
the smoke hole and flung the sun into the sky to provide light. Because
of the legend, Raven is often depicted with a disk in his straight beak.
WASGO (or SEA WOLF). The legend of Wasgo
concerns a young gambling man with a nagging mother-in-law. Dressed
in the skin of a sea monster, he caught various fish by night, and was
finally overpowered by a pair of whales. He returned only to take his
wife to an underwater home. Good luck will come to someone fortunate
enough to see him, his wife, or their offspring, the "Daughters of the
Creeks." Wasgo is depicted with the dead of a wolf, but the fins of
a killer whale.
BEAVER is always indicated by prominent
teeth and a crosshatched tail. His patience, wisdom, and craftsmanship
earned respect among the tribes, although his cunning ways caused him
to be held in some awe. One legend states that is was Beaver who felled
trees for the first Indian's home, and another credits him with bringing
fire to the Indians. The Beaver is a prized crest of the Eagle Clan,
won after a variety of legendary incidents had occurred in which Eagle
was the victor.
FROG was often used as a guardian symbol
because of his tendency to croak a warning when anything approached.
He also was credited with the ability to draw out evil supernatural
powers with his tongue. Hence he was sometimes carved with a very long
one. He figured often in legends dealing with a common theme - that
if one member of a community was needlessly cruel to an animal, the
whole community would suffer in a violent manner.
BEAR, as a symbol of earthly power, was
sometimes used to indicate the authority of a chief. His short snout,
large teeth, and paws make him an unmistakable figure, representing
a particularly great force and might. One crest, often seen, pictures
Bear Mother with her two cubs. This illustrates the myth of the Indian
maid who was captured y a Bear, turned into one herself, and married
to the son of the chief. She had two sons who were endowed wit supernatural
powers and who were able to take the form of Bear or Human at will.
She was finally rescued by her brother and returned to her people.
EAGLE was a symbol of wisdom, authority
and power. One legend concerns a young man of the Bear Clan, punished
by his chief by being set adrift in a canoe. The Eagle chief rescued
him and permitted him to marry his daughter. Many adventures followed.
During one of these, Bear, exhausted by his efforts to subdue and capture
a sea creature, is assisted by his Eagle wife.
THUNDERBIRD, lord of the skies and
source of the elements, was credited with animal, human and supernatural
powers. Legend explained that when storms occurred, Thunderbird was
capturing Whale, his only enemy and favorite food. As he sailed over
the ocean, looking for his prey, the spread of his gigantic wings would
darken the sky. Then, sighting Whale, he would swoop down and thunder
was in the flap of his mighty wings and lightning was the flash of his
eyes or the fire from his tongue, as he pierced his victim before carrying
him off to a mountain retreat. To the Indians, Thunderbird was a great
helper and assisted them in many ways. Recognized on totem poles by
his long, curved beak, Thunderbird is one of the best-known crests in
Indian Carving.