Nuu-chah-nulth mythology is the historical oral history of the

Nuu-chah-nulth The Nuu-chah-nulth (; Nuučaan̓uł: ), also formerly referred to as the Nootka, Nutka, Aht, Nuuchahnulth or Tahkaht, are one of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast in Canada. The term Nuu-chah-nulth is used to describe fifte ...

, a group of indigenous peoples living on

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. * Many animals have a spirit associated with them; for example, Chulyen (crow) and Guguyni (raven) are

trickster In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story ( god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwi ...

gods. * Two brothers, Tihtipihin and Kwatyat, were willingly swallowed by a monster because they needed to rescue their mother, who had already been swallowed. The brothers then cut through the stomach and, with their mother, escaped. * Andaokut was born from the

mucus Mucus ( ) is a slippery aqueous secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. It is typically produced from cells found in mucous glands, although it may also originate from mixed glands, which contain both serous and mucous cells. It ...

or tears of a woman whose children had been stolen by Malahas (a malicious forest goddess). He rescued the children and killed Malahas.

Matlose

''Matlose'' is a famous

hobgoblin A hobgoblin is a household spirit, typically appearing in folklore, once considered helpful, but which since the spread of Christianity has often been considered mischievous. Shakespeare identifies the character of Puck in his ''A Midsummer Nig ...

of the Nootkas; he is a very Caliban of spirits; his head is like the head of something that might have been man but is not; his uncouth bulk is horrid with black bristles, his monstrous teeth and nails are like the claws of a bear. Whoever hears his terrible voice falls like one smitten, and his curved claws rend a prey into morsels with a single stroke.

Raven annoys octopus

One morning, as the tide went out, the old people came to sit and watch the ocean. As they sat there, they saw a woman walking along the beach. Her hair was long and strung into eight braids. Her name was Octopus. There was a digging stick in her hand. She was going to look for clams. She sat down on a rock at the edge of the water and began to dig. Soon, another person came along the beach. That person was tall with glossy black hair. "Look," one of the old people said, "Here comes Raven. He is going to bother Octopus." "Ah" another of the old people said. "That is not a good idea. You shouldn't bother Octopus!" Sure enough, just as the old people expected, Raven. walked right down to the rock where Octopus sat and began to bother her."

References

{{reflist First Nations culture