13. The Giant Devilfish

A long time ago a good hunter went out with four men in his canoe. They went around a large island. Soon they saw Killer Whales jumping here and there. There were many of them, and the hunters went ashore to hide from them. Soon they saw a good-sized Killer Whale jumping out of the water at the foot of a high precipice. Suddenly they saw that he floated dead on the surface, his belly upward, and all the Killer Whales were floating there.

The hunters had camped at this place in the evening. Early the following morning the chief hunter awoke and went out of their hut. There he saw many Killer Whales coming from all directions, for the prince of the Killer Whales had been killed by the Giant Devilfish on the preceding day when the hunters had passed the island. The Living Depths Horror was the den of the Giant Devilfish at the foot of that great precipice.

When the great monster had killed the prince of the Killer Whales, the chief of the Killer Whales sent his messengers to all parts of the world, and called his people to his village. He gave them a great feast, and told them that his only son had been killed by the great monster who lived at the foot of the great precipice. He said, “I want you to come and help me kill it, because it will always be very dangerous to our children.” Then all the chiefs of the Killer Whales agreed. Therefore they all assembled that morning when the hunter saw them all around on the water.

Now, the hunters all came out and saw them, and they heard them speak like men. All the Killer Whales have only four clans, like human beings. The chief of each clan called his warriors to kill the great monster. The crests of each clan of these Killer Whales are on their dorsal fins. The Eagles have a white line in the middle of the dorsal fin; the Wolves have a long dorsal fin like a wolf’s tail; the G̣anha’da have a short fin like a raven’s beak; and the G-ispawadwᴇ’da have a flat short dorsal fin with a round hole in the middle.

The chief of the Eagle Clan had been killed a few days before. Therefore he was the first to call his warrior to go and attack the monster. He jumped and dived into the deep sea and fought against the Giant. Devilfish. (The devilfish’s mouth is in the middle of its arms, and it draws its prey into it. In the middle of very many suckers is a skin which can be pulled back; and when this is drawn back, the sawlike edge of the mouth is pressed against. the victim.)

When the first warrior had been there a while, he came up dead, and one sucker from the arms also came. Another one was called. He dived down into the deep and continued to fight with the monster. He staid a little longer than the first one. Then he came up to the surface dead, and two giant arms also came to the surface.

Thus they continued to battle until the last warrior of the Killer Whales had gone and had cut off one arm. He also came up dead, and many dead Killer Whales were floating on the water.

Then the chief of the G·ispawadwᴇ’da called his warriors to fight the monster. The chief said, “I will” send two at a time.” All the Whales agreed to this, and two went down to the bottom at a time. Then half of the arms of the monster came up with their dead bodies. Another two went, and brought up another half of the arms that remained after the first two Whales had come up dead. When the warriors of the G·ispawadwᴇ’da had obtained two arms, all their warriors had perished.

Now, the Wolf Clan came forward, and the chief of the Wolves said, “I” will send down four of my Wolves at a time.” They all agreed to this. Therefore the chief sent out four warriors to fight the great Living Depths Horror. They staid there a little longer, and came up dead, and one giant arm came up floating on the water. Another four were sent down. They staid in the deep a long time, and then came up with many wounds on their dead bodies, and another giant arm floated on the water. Then all the Wolves’ warriors had perished.

Now, the Raven Clan came forward. The three clans had already obtained five of the monster’s giant arms, which floated among the dead bodies of the Killer Whales. Then the chief of the Raven Clan said, “You are a brave clan. You have obtained five giant arms of the monster of the deep. My relatives are weak. We can not do as much as you, but let us try all we can to do the best and fight. against the monster!’ Then he called one of his warriors. He called him by name. ‘Now, Bird Garment will go first! Kill that monster that has slain all our bravest people and our prince!” Then the young Killer Whale jumped on the water three times. He went down; and after he had been there a short time, a giant arm came up on the water, and Bird Garment also came up to the surface. He took a short rest; and the chief called him again. “Where are you now, Bird Garment?” He jumped three times, then he went down again. He staid a little longer, and another giant arm came up and drifted on the surface of the water. Bird Garment followed it. He had obtained two great arms, and he floated on the water, weary.

The body of this great Killer Whale was not hurt by the monster. He was only tired out.

Again his chief called him, and said, “Now, my brave man Bird Garment, where are you?) Try once more!” Then the brave Killer Whale jumped on the water and dived. He staid under the water for a long time, and all the Killer Whales thought that he had been killed by the monster of the deep. Finally he came up again with a giant arm in his mouth.

Then all the tribes of the Killer Whales shouted for joy and struck their tails on the water, saying, “Bird Garment is a warrior.” And when their shouting ceased, he said, “Only two of his long arms remain. Now, I desire you to be with me when I go down again.” Therefore the brave Killer Whales took courage, and many of them went down with Bird Garment. They bit off those arms, and Bird Garment went right to the heart of that fearful monster. Finally the two remaining arms were cut off from the body, and so all the brave Killer Whales brought up the great monster’s body, and the clan of Bird Garment became the first of all the clans of the Killer Whales. The Killer Whales had gained the victory over that great monster; but Bird Garment was the bravest among all of them, for he alone cut off three arms of the monster.

The hunters saw all these things, and they understood all the Killer Whales had said during the fight with the great monster.

Many years passed, and the young one of the old Devilfish was grownup. He lived in the same place, and was worse than the former one. He took down every person that passed by his place. Sometimes he took down canoes with the hunters and animals.

One day an Eagle seated on the top of a high cliff saw a spring-salmon passing that place. He flew down swiftly and caught the spring salmon with his long claws. The salmon struggled on the water, and another Eagle came down swiftly to help him. Then the young monster came up with his mouth wide open and swallowed the two Eagles and the spring salmon.

The two young Eagles were the children of an Eagle chief. He was very sorry to know that his two children had been caught by the Devilfish. He mourned many days, and his people came to comfort him, but he would not listen to them on account of his great love for his children.

At last one of his warriors said to him, “Call all the large birds, and we will make war against the monster.” Therefore the sad chief agreed. He sent his messengers and called all kinds of large birds. The Thunderbirds came, the great Mountain Eagles, Hawks, Ravens, and all kinds of birds: and when all the birds were in, Chief Eagle told them that the monster had killed his sons while they were catching a spring salmon at the foot of the precipice. He continued, “My people here like to go and fight him.”

After Chief Eagle had spoken, Thunderbird spoke, and said, ‘I will go with you; [ I hate him!” Mountain-Eagle Chief also said, “I will” go with you when you fight against him;” and Chief Hawk and Chief Raven said the same, and all the birds said the same.

On the following morning they went to the top of the precipice. Chief Eagle said, “One of my warriors shall go first, and all his fellows shall follow him.’ Therefore the Eagle warrior flew right down; and when the great monster saw him flapping his wings above his den, he came out, his mouth first, with which he intended to swallow all the Eagles. He opened his mouth and devoured all the Eagles.

Thunderbird came down next, thundering and lightening; and when the giant monster felt the water trembling, he put out two long arms. The lightning struck them, and the two arms were killed. Then all the birds flew down. The Devilfish was very angry. He opened his mouth, intending to swallow all of them.

When the Raven saw the mouth open, he flew down, went. right into the mouth, and plucked out the great monster’s heart with his sharp beak, and so the giant monster died there.

Thus another Raven clan also gained the victory. Therefore the Giant Devilfish is afraid of the Ravens up to this time.

When the people in olden times saw a devilfish coming up under a canoe, sometimes a man would sing out like a raven, “Caw, caw, caw!” Then the great monster would die before it came to the surface of the water. The devilfish would always die when it heard the sound of the raven’s voice; but if a person waited until the monster came to the surface of the water and then sang out, it Was in vain, and the great monster would swallow him, canoe and all. Therefore the hunters would watch for devilfish in the water. These two stories of the Devilfish are connected. His is the end.[1]