Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 22.djvu/350

 33 8 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [N. s., 22, 1920

The underworld or Country of the Souls is situated very far from the surface of the earth. A shaman traveling there with the aid of his guardian-spirit requires two days and two nights for that trip and, be it remembered, these guardians travel with lightning rapidity. The road is good and broad, and the underworld itself is a large valley with neither hills nor mountains. Through the center of the underworld runs a river, about a quarter of a mile wide, and the souls dwell on both banks of this river, occupying houses exactly like those of the living Quileute. The river divides the underworld into two equal parts. On one side live those souls who have died long ago, while on the nearer bank dwell the souls of recently departed Indians. The river is crossed by means of a canoe, and for that reason the Quileute Indians bury their dead in canoes. The soul of a poor Indian whose relatives cannot afford a canoerburial, crosses the river by walking on the fishtrap owned in common by all the inhabitants of the underworld. The trail is at first dark and dim but, as one progresses farther down, it becomes lighter and lighter until the Country of the Souls is reached, where the sun shines with the same brightness as in the world above.

At a distance situated about one third from the upper world there stands a house called ttapeli'ttl "mat-house" in which the traveling souls stay over night, resting and acquiring new strength for a continuation of their journey. The trail leads right through this house. In the morning the souls resume their journey and reach pretty soon a lake called L/o'le'sida' "sticky water" which is so situated that each soul must wade through it in order to continue the trip. The water of this lake, when partaken of by a soul, causes the actual death of its owner. Hence, a shaman going in quest of a lost soul, will always refrain from tasting this water. Beyond this lake there are berry-grounds where the souls pick salmon-berries and strawberries. These berries, too, may be eaten by the souls only. A shaman, who even touches them, drops dead. Farther down the road there is a pole stuck into the ground and continually springing over the trail. The souls have no trouble in passing by this pole. But the shaman, in order to pass by it safely, must have a special magic called yala'a'lo' taxe'lit "ghost guardian," 1

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