| The Legend of Sinulhkay' |
|
|
|
(The Two-Headed Serpent) Long ago at the big village of Sta7mes, there was a young man named Xwech'taal. He had just been married and was living in his father's longhouse.  Near the village of Sta7mes was a huge two-headed serpent, that was names Sinulhkay'. Its loud and frightening cries were often heard as it went among the lakes and rivers close by. One morning the people of the village heard it, as it was coming down the mountain across from them. As it went, it shrieked and moaned, coming closer and closer! When it came to the flatland, it slithered into the Squamish River, then swam across. The people of the village were very frightened! But it wasn't long, when the people saw it climbing up a mountain, its cries becoming fainter and fainter, then at last dying away. Xwech'taal's father knew, that only his son would gain the strength to kill that terrible beast! That even though Xwech'táal had just married, his father knew, that he must wake him up, to send him on his way, to go to look for the serpent, then to kill it! Xwech'taal was asleep with his new wife on their bull-rush sleeping mat. His father called out to him, but he did not move. After the long proposal ritual and the feasting, he was very exhausted. His father called to him, then called to him again, but he didn't get an answer! Then his father took a container of water and he spilled it on his son! Xwech'taal sat up suddenly, as his father said to him, "Xwech'taal, you must go to follow the serpent, then kill it! No matter how long it takes, only you can kill it! I know you want to stay here with your wife, but you can't refuse, you must go right now!" Xwech'taal felt ashamed as his wife was listening, but he could not say anything back to his father. He made a hole in the mat to let the water drain through, then kissed his wife goodbye. He told his wife, that he would return as soon as he killed Sinulhkay', and then told his wife not to get tired of waiting for him. Xwech'táal left following the serpent and when he got to where it had passed along, he felt strange, as if he was having convulsions. He came to a creek, where he began bathing to cleanse himself. And when he was done bathing, then he dried himself off with hemlock boughs. Day after day, as he followed the serpent, he continued the bathing to cleanse himself, but every time he came close to it again, he still felt strange! Xwech'taal continued in this way cleansing himself as he followed the serpent till the day would come when he could get close enough to kill Sinulhkay'. One day Xwech'taal was watching as Sinulhkay' was swimming across a lake. But it couldn't submerge its whole body in the water. When one head was submerged under, then the other was looking around, searching so that Xwech'taal had no way to get close to it. The serpent went on farther away with Xwech'taal continuing to follow it. After crossing many lakes, Sinulhkay' came to a long lake in which to submerge its whole body and its two heads. Resting nearby, day after day, Xwech'taal continued bathing to cleanse himself. When a year passed this way, Xwech'taal had a very special dream. In his dream a young woman wearing white appeared to him, she said to him, "Go find some pitch, that you make into four sharp little points like spears." The next day Xwech'táal collected the pitch, as he was told to do. Every day he continued bathing to cleanse himself. One night the young woman appeared in his dream. She said to him, "Xwech'táal, make a raft. My head will come to the surface and when my head appears, you can spear it with two of the pitch spears of the lake. My other head will come to the surface there, then you can spear it with the remaining two spears you have." When Xwech'táal awoke, he walked until he came to the long lake, just like he had been told. He made his raft there, then he waited. Suddenly, the serpent raised one of its ugly heads to the surface! Xwech'táal was ready. He threw the spears as hard as he could, Sinulhkay' was hit, one in its ear! Then he quickly paddled to the far end of the long lake. He was just arriving, as the remaining head surfaced, he then threw immediately the remaining two spears he was holding! He got Sinulhkay' just like he had with the first two spears! Then Xwech'táal fainted and fell overboard in the water. When he came to, he saw that the water had risen so high, that he was now high up on the mountain side! Then slowly the water dried up, until all of the lake was dried up! There on the bottom of the lake lay the body of Sinulhkay'! Xwech'taal waited there, continuing his cleansing. It wasn't long till all that remained, were the bones of Sinulhkay' lying there. Following the advice from a third dream, Xwech'taal then went down to look for a very special bone. Taking this bone, he would be able to feed all of the people! Then when he got hold of that bone, he immediately fainted! When he came to, he crossed a mountain toward the head of the Squamish River. Then, when he saw he was getting close to the Squamish River, he saw a herd of mountain goats. As he approached, the mountain goats didn't run from him, but just stood looking at him! At the same time he waved his helper, the bone club, and immediately they fell in convulsions. He then cut the necks of the ones he wanted and those he didn't want, he revived, so that they went on their way. Then he was there for a few days, cooking and drying that meat. And when he was finished what he was doing, he then wrapped up the dried meat in the skins of the mountain goats. Then he left looking to the Squamish River. And those people were all truly his own relatives. Then he got down to the Squamish River right across from a village he put down his pack. When the people of the village were looking at his pack he just waited until all of them came down to the beach. Then he stood up waving his helper the bone club! Then when all of his friends fell into convulsions he took a log and went across. Then he revived all his friends. Then the people of this village knew that Xwech'taal was very powerful. And when he had been there with them for a few days the Chief gave to him as his wife one of his children. It went like that from there to Sta7mes. At every village he was given a wife after he had waved his helper at them then revived them all. Finally, Xwech'taal got home to his house at Sta7mes. When the people of the village saw him coming with all those women then landing the canoe all of them rand down to the beach to look at who was arriving. Then again Xwech'taal waved his helper the magic bone and again they all fell like they were sick. He revived all of the people of the village except his first wife. She had tired of waiting and had taken another husband. Xwech'taal had been gone for four years! This is why we say to this day that we are one from the head of the Squamish to Sta7mes because of the wives of Xwech'taal! We are really one family. |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|