10. The Four Great Chiefs of the Winds

There are four great chiefs in the four corners of the world. The North Wind is the first of all; the South Wind, the second; the East Wind, the third; and the West Wind, the fourth. The three chiefs hate the North Wind, because the North Wind makes the world pale ill whiter. The South Wind wants the world to be always green, as in spring; and East Wind wants the same as South Wind; and also West Wind wishes for the same.

Therefore South Wind made war against North Wind. South Wind invited his neighbors East Wind and West Wind. They assembled, and the strong South Wind went first, and a strong southeasterly gale blew very hard. Then the East Wind also blew very hard, and they joined in battle.

Finally North Wind was vanquished, and the three Winds won the victory over North Wind. Therefore North Wind promised that the world should be green for six months, but South Wind would not consent to it. His two neighbors, however, compelled him to do so. Therefore South Wind agreed, and they made a law that the South Wind should sometimes blow in winter with rain, while the North Wind makes everything cold and frozen; and in spring the three Winds should play, in order to melt the frozen ground; and in summer the West Wind was to blow softly over the land and.comfort the pale world with its lovely breezes.

Now, when they made this law, the gentle Wind said, “Let the whole world have peace once or twice a year—once before autumn, and once before spring.” They all agreed to these words and went to their homes.

South Wind had five children—four boys and one girl. The names of these children were Proud Rain-Wind (Ksdiyaxł-haiwas), and the next one Excrement Face (Y!ān-dzaxł), and the third one Rain Under The Knee (Lu-mᴇkmī’gum ts!ᴇm-sait), and the fourth one Going Behind The Mountains (Gilhak-gâsk) and the girl’s name was Drops Of A Spring Of Water (Ksa-lū°wal-gwa’nᴇks).

West Wind had two children. His elder son’s name was Evening Clouds (Sᴇsa’ksgum sā° tgi-va’°sat), and his younger son’s name was Red Evening Clouds (Bī’ltsᴇgum ławugumks).

East Wind had two children. His elder son’s name was Clouds Falling On The Mountain Top (Hapka’bᴇks a na-ga-ts uwan-sganī’st), and his younger son’s name was Red Morning Clouds (Bī’ltsᴇgum ganłā’q).

North Wind’s wife had two children who were twins—the one named Frozen (Gwatk-sa), the other named Freezer (sat).

One of the sons of North Wind wanted to marry South Wind’s daughter, but South Wind’s sons did not want to let their only sister marry him. The following year North Wind came to South Wind and asked for his daughter for his other son, who wanted to marry Drops Of A Spring Of Water. Then South Wind consented, and let him have her to be his wife. Chief North Wind invited all the different Winds; and when the guests were all in his house, South Wind brought his daughter, with very strong winds and heavy rains. Now, the prince and the princess were married; and after the celebration was over, South Wind went back from the north to his own country, with strong winds and rain.

The voung princess lived with her husband in the house of her father-in-law and with her sister-in-law. She was always with her wherever she went. Now the winter months had come on, and the north wind blew hard, and there was ice on all the rivers, lakes, and ponds. Everything was frozen.

North Wind’s people said that it was a very warm season, but the daughter of South Wind felt very cold every day. She was sitting in the cold icy house without a fire, crying, while the people in the house felt quite warm. At night, when she was in bed with her husband, she was almost frozen.

One day she went out as usual, and sat down on the beach at high-water mark. Then she took her salmon-knife, took a piece of yellow-cedar wood, and carved it in the shape of a duck. When she had finished it, she said to her little wedge, “Go to my father’s country and tell them what is happening to me in this far country!” Then the wooden wedge became a wild duck.

Chief South Wind and his chieftainess were sitting in front of their house, and one morning they saw a duck diving in the water. The Duck said, “Since new moon your daughter has been cast out by Frozen.” The duck dived again, came up, and repeated the same, “Since new moon your daughter has been cast out by Frozen.”

Then South Wind said to his four sons, “My sons, go north and bring back your sister from the house of Chief North Wind!” Therefore Proud Rain-Wind went northward through the air in the form of a large cloud: but before he had gone halfway a strong north wind began to blow, and all the clouds were driven away. The sister was sitting out there, and saw her brother coming. She cried aloud when he was driven away.

Again Chief South Wind said, “Now, you go, my second son!” Then Excrement Face went northward. Then the princess saw a black cloud come toward her. When the black cloud had come halfway, the north wind began to blow very hard, and drove it away. Then the princess cried bitterly, and said, “Oh, my brother Excrement Face has been driven away!”

Now Chief South Wind said to his third son, “Go up there, my son Rain Under The Knee!’ He went: and showers of rain came, and soon he had passed more than half the distance. The north wind blew very hard, and the rain froze and he was driven away. Then the princess cried more bitterly, and said, as before, * Oh, my brother Rain Under The Knee has been driven away!”

Then the father said to his last son, ‘Go north, my son Going Behind Mountains, and bring back your sister!’ At midnight Going Behind Mountains went swiftly northward in the shape of a cloud, sharp at each end. Then the north wind began to blow harder and harder, but the cloud Going Behind Mountains was not driven away. Its sharp ends passed all the mountains and slowly went northward. The princess was crying, fearing that her last brother might be driven away as the others had been, for she knew that she would die there on the ice if he should not succeed.

Now, the little cloud stopped a while and went on slowly. At last it reached the village of North Wind and gained a great victory on that day. Therefore the north wind ceased to blow. Then all the brothers came with heavy rain, and all the ice was melted away, and the house of North Wind was full of water from the heavy rain; and the sister-in-law of the princess was floating about in the house, saying, * Take me with you, sister-in-law, lest I perish in this cold water!” and the princess took the floating piece of ice and put it on her right leg. Therefore women’s legs are cold up to this day.

Now, when the ice was nearly melted, Chief North Wind said to the four princes, “Take away your sister, and come no more to my country!”

Then the four brothers said, We shall take away from you two months, and you shall have only four months.” Chief North Wind did not reply. The four brothers continued, “If you do not agree to this, we shall kill you right now.”

Therefore North Wind agreed to what they said. Therefore the winter lasts four months, and the three chiefs have among them eight months.

Now, the four brothers and their sister went to their own country; and when they arrived at their father’s house, the father was very glad to see his daughter back again. Therefore he invited the neighboring Winds with them children. He told them of the hard life that his daughter had led when she lived in the house of North Wind. He continued, “She was in such distress that I [had to send my sons to take her back, and my sons fought for many days with the people of North Wind. At last my sons won the victory over them. The reason why I [sent my sons was to take away from North Wind two months, and let him keep only four months.”

West Wind said, * Let each of us have three months! North Wind shall have only three months in winter, South Wind shall have three months in the fall, I will have three months in summer, and East Wind shall have three months in spring.’ Then the three chiefs agreed. Therefore the seasons have three months throughout the year. The new law they made was better than the first.

The chiefs went up to North Wind and told him se, and he also agreed, and therefore this law among the winds continues up to this day.