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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
This book includes many accented characters with specific meanings. These will display using Unicode combining diacriticals. Some examples of how these will appear on this device:
ī i with a bar over it. ᴀ and ʟ Small capitol A and L. x̣, ỵ, ʟ̣ x, y and small capitol L with a dot under them. ł l with a cross bar through it.
Footnote anchors are denoted by [number], and the footnotes have been placed at the end of the story or song.
Tlingit transcriptions have been moved and consolidated to follow the corresponding paragraph. This has some impact on the pagination. Line numbers in the Tlingit have been renumbered to page-line number to allow for matching with external references. Line numbers appear at the right of the line.
The interlinear transcriptions of the Tlingit have been replicated with the English translation appearing directly under the original Tlingit. Due to differences in how the combining diacriticals display this spacing may not render correctly on every device. Phrase boundaries are delimited by at least two spaces on each side.
Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book.
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 39
TLINGIT MYTHS AND TEXTS
RECORDED BY
JOHN R. SWANTON
WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1909
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY,
Washington, D. C., May 20, 1908.
SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith for your consideration the manuscript of Tlingit Myths and Texts, by Dr. John R. Swanton, with the recommendation that it be published in this Bureau’s series of Bulletins.
Yours, respectfully, W. H. HOLMES, Chief.
The SECRETARY OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION,
Washington, D. C.
PHONETIC KEY
ā a longer and shorter forms of the Continental a, like a in far
â as in fall
ᴀ as in final; a close approximation to u in cut
ē e longer and shorter forms of the Continental e, like a in fate
ê as in bell
ī i longer and shorter forms of the Continental i, like ee in street
î as in hit
ō o longer and shorter forms of English o, as in flow
ū as in rule
u as in put
ᵘ ᵒ barely formed o and u sounds; rather qualities of the preceding consonant sounds than independent vowels
q the velar k, not found in English
g̣ the velar g corresponding to the preceding, not found in English
ỵ a sound similar to but deeper than the preceding, pronounced by the younger Indians almost like English y
x the velar spirant, pronounced like Spanish j or German ch
x̣ the palatal spirant, often mistaken for h
c like English sh in short
dz as in adze
ts as in sits
dj like English j and dg in judge
tc like English ch in church
ʟ not found in English, but resembling a rapid pronunciation of t and l, or of k and l
ʟ̣ not found in English, but resembling a rapid pronunciation of d and l
ł a spirant belonging to the same series as the preceding; not found in English though often represented by thl or hl
t, d, n, s, k, g, h, w, y approximate the sounds for which they stand in English though the agreement is by no means absolute
tǃ, sǃ, tsǃ, tcǃ, ʟǃ, kǃ, qǃ are similar to t, s, ts, tc, ʟ, k, q, but are accompanied by a catch in the breath which sometimes gives the impression of a pause, and sometimes sounds like a sharp click
kˊǃ when kǃ is pronounced very far forward in the mouth it is sometimes set off in this way, but the distinction between the two sounds is by no means clear
Labials are found only in a few words of foreign origin
TLINGIT MYTHS AND TEXTS
Recorded by
JOHN R. SWANTON