Eaten Moon Mask
Fishing and clamming continued as usual, except preparations were also underway for the celebration feast when the suitor party arrived at the next full moon. Everyone felt the excitement and worked urgently to prepare a proper welcome for the guests. Other tribes had heard of the coming potlatch and traders came almost every day, selling savory herbs, healing roots, mica face paint, crushing tools, jade axes and knives, cougar and bear claw necklaces, strings of shell money and stacks of dog-hair blankets.
By now the story of her butterfly vision had spread among the tribes and Uma-kwee was pleased to hear that Chea-noose traders were willing to pay high prices for the salmon jerky made by the Butterfly Woman.
Everyone wanted to hear about the worm that turned into the supernatural butterfly -- except for some of the elder matrons who worried that spiritual story telling should be saved for winter. They warned that something bad might happen if Uma-kwee kept bragging.
Later that midsummer a sign in the skies appeared that seemed to confirm the warnings.
The foundation for the wedding house was being dug and the freshly split cedar beams were stacked nearby. At mid day the people looked up from their work at an almost full moon and were terrified to see that a black crescent shaped bite taken out of the heavenly orb. The bite was only a sliver at first, but grew as if someone was eating a piece of food.
The old whalers met with the chiefs and explained that when they were young men they had seen such a heavenly sign before.
“It is the supernatural codfish who swims in the clouds eating up the moon’s light. We must dance to drive him away.”
They knew that what ate the moon must be giant ling cod swimming in the cloud ocean because the wide mouths of codfish are able to swallow large objects and because the color of the bite taken out of the moon matched the dark gray skin of the fish. And everyone knew that when you look at the sides of a ling cod, you find tiny moon images – marks left when ancestors of the fish ate up the moonlight that settles on the surface of the ocean in the past.
Drummers hit drums and all the people found wood poles to hit in time with the singing. Many people climbed up on the roof boards of the lodges to hit the beams. The whole village was full of the pounding rhythm that caused the dogs to run to the forest and the young children to cry. The sons of the chiefs gathered to dance together before the houses. There was no time for the dances to paint their faces or dress in regalia. Instead, they danced to the codfish catching song, over and over. Sure enough, the codfish of the sky world was driven away and the bite grew smaller until it disappeared and the moon shown almost full as before.
The people discussed whether the bite in the moon was a good or bad omen. Some thought that perhaps such an astonishing sight in the heavens meant that it would be bad to hold a suitor testing potlatch this year. But, Chief Katee'qwa put on his mountain lion headpiece and ermine tail decorated cape and stood outside his lodge to announce:
“We know that moon was given to show us the way in darkness. We must celebrate for our singing has driven away the eater of moonlight. By preserving the fullness of the moon, we ensure the safe steps of our daughter towards marriage. It is a good sign.”
This is how the wedding lodge received its name, House-of-the-Moon-Saved-from-the Codfish. Ever since that summer, at every special feast in the house, the main dish served was roasted codfish filled with fat camas bulbs. This was to remind the people that the spirit of the Cloud Codfish could be prevented from doing harm when the people join together to sing, pray and dance before Wonderful Doer, the one who delivers us from evil.
Continued
By now the story of her butterfly vision had spread among the tribes and Uma-kwee was pleased to hear that Chea-noose traders were willing to pay high prices for the salmon jerky made by the Butterfly Woman.
Everyone wanted to hear about the worm that turned into the supernatural butterfly -- except for some of the elder matrons who worried that spiritual story telling should be saved for winter. They warned that something bad might happen if Uma-kwee kept bragging.
Later that midsummer a sign in the skies appeared that seemed to confirm the warnings.
The foundation for the wedding house was being dug and the freshly split cedar beams were stacked nearby. At mid day the people looked up from their work at an almost full moon and were terrified to see that a black crescent shaped bite taken out of the heavenly orb. The bite was only a sliver at first, but grew as if someone was eating a piece of food.
The old whalers met with the chiefs and explained that when they were young men they had seen such a heavenly sign before.
“It is the supernatural codfish who swims in the clouds eating up the moon’s light. We must dance to drive him away.”
They knew that what ate the moon must be giant ling cod swimming in the cloud ocean because the wide mouths of codfish are able to swallow large objects and because the color of the bite taken out of the moon matched the dark gray skin of the fish. And everyone knew that when you look at the sides of a ling cod, you find tiny moon images – marks left when ancestors of the fish ate up the moonlight that settles on the surface of the ocean in the past.
Drummers hit drums and all the people found wood poles to hit in time with the singing. Many people climbed up on the roof boards of the lodges to hit the beams. The whole village was full of the pounding rhythm that caused the dogs to run to the forest and the young children to cry. The sons of the chiefs gathered to dance together before the houses. There was no time for the dances to paint their faces or dress in regalia. Instead, they danced to the codfish catching song, over and over. Sure enough, the codfish of the sky world was driven away and the bite grew smaller until it disappeared and the moon shown almost full as before.
The people discussed whether the bite in the moon was a good or bad omen. Some thought that perhaps such an astonishing sight in the heavens meant that it would be bad to hold a suitor testing potlatch this year. But, Chief Katee'qwa put on his mountain lion headpiece and ermine tail decorated cape and stood outside his lodge to announce:
“We know that moon was given to show us the way in darkness. We must celebrate for our singing has driven away the eater of moonlight. By preserving the fullness of the moon, we ensure the safe steps of our daughter towards marriage. It is a good sign.”
This is how the wedding lodge received its name, House-of-the-Moon-Saved-from-the Codfish. Ever since that summer, at every special feast in the house, the main dish served was roasted codfish filled with fat camas bulbs. This was to remind the people that the spirit of the Cloud Codfish could be prevented from doing harm when the people join together to sing, pray and dance before Wonderful Doer, the one who delivers us from evil.
Continued
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