East arrived in North America, they could discover no trace of the Thirteen Nations of Fairy there. They-and their Treasure Stones-had simply vanished! Where did they go? When? And why? There has come down only a single Native Amer- ican tale describing the eventual disappearance of the “Shining Ones,” an account of the Nootka people of Vancouver Island, British Columbia: “I have this story from my grandfather, and he had it from his grandfather, who heard it as a small child from his father’s father.* “This first grandfather was not a Nootka, nor was he one of the disgraceful Shalish on the mainland over there, who were always eating rotten fish. He was from the place where the Sun is bom, a land east of the Mountains of the Raven, further east even than the Blackfoot’s Sea of Grass. He was very old when he told this story, as old as two grandfathers nowadays. “His name was Yo-Rib, and he said his people were called the Yar-On. ** “Here is how the story goes: ‘In the time before I was born, strange canoes appeared one day on the Big Sea Water. They’re were many of them, coming on the waves like leaves on a stream in the autumn. Some were round as berry bowls and had round sails. Some were flat and long and wide with square sails. Oth- ers were tall, with the heads of snakes in front for a totem and had many paddles. It was a great wonder in those times. Out of those canoes came the Shining Ones. Many of them were smaller than the Yar-Ons, but
わしはこの伝説をじいさんからきいた。 じ
いさんはそのじいさんからきいたし、 そのじ
いさんはそのまたじいさんからきいた、とい
う話じゃ。
インディアンが使う“じいさん”というこ
とばは、たんに“老人”とか“賢者”を意味
することもあるがな。 それに、 伝説のなかで
使われるときは風や雲の霊を意味することも
あって、 そのときは “記憶” という意味にな
るそうだ。
このいちばん古いじいさんというのは、ヌ
トカ族のものではなかったんじゃ。 太陽が生
まれたところ、 大ガラスが棲んでいる東の山
よりさらにずっと東に行った海をこえた土地
からやってきた、という。
この話を、わしのじいさんのそのまたじい
さんに語ってきかせたのは、 彼がとても年老
いたときだったらしい。 名前はヨウリプと
いい、ヤー・ロンと呼ばれる部族民がいっし
よにくらしていたんじゃ。 おそらく、わしの
考えるところでは、1649年にほとんど絶滅し
42
てしまったケベック系のヒューロン族のこと
だろうがな。
ヨウ=リプの物語りはこうだ。
わしがまだ生まれるまえ、 大海原に奇妙な
カヌーが現われたんじゃ。 秋の川の流れにの
る枯葉のように、 波にのってたくさんのカヌ
ーがやってきた。 いちごを盛る鉢のように丸
い帆をもったカヌーもあれば、 四角い帆をも
ったひらたくて四角い大きなカヌーもあった。
それにへさきにトーテムの蛇頭をつけてたく
かい
さんの櫂をもった背の高いものもあった。 こ
うした光景は、当時としてはどぎもをぬくよ
うなことじゃったなあ。
そうしたカヌーから降りてきたのが “輝く
人びと”だったんだ。 みんなとても小さいか
らだなんじゃが、強い力をもっていた。 しか
も、やつらは、たいへんよく効く万能薬をも
っていたので、 とてもじゃないが皆殺しにな
どできんかったよ。 みかけもヤーロン族と
はだいぶちがっていた。 白人のように黄色い
髪をもち、 空色の眼をもった醜いやつもいた。
43
I heard this legend from my grandfather. And my grandfather heard it from his grandfather, and that grandfather heard it from his grandfather before him.
The word “grandfather” as used by Indians can simply mean “old man” or “wise man.” And when used in legends it can also mean the spirit of wind or cloud — in which case it takes on the meaning of “memory.”
This oldest grandfather was not a Nootka. He came from a land across the sea, far to the east — further east even than the eastern mountains where the great Raven dwells and where the sun is born.
It seems this story was told to my grandfather’s grandfather when he was very old. His name was Yo-Rib, and he lived together with people called the Yar-On. In my thinking, these were probably the Huron people of Quebec — nearly wiped out in 1649.
This is Yo-Rib’s story.
Before I was born, strange canoes appeared on the great ocean. Many canoes came riding the waves like fallen leaves carried on an autumn river current. Some had round sails like bowls for holding berries. Others were flat and wide and square with square sails. And there were tall ones with snake-head totems on their prows and many paddles. Such a sight was truly astonishing in those days.
And stepping down from those canoes were the “Shining People.” They all had very small bodies, but possessed great power. Moreover they carried medicines of remarkable effectiveness, so there was simply no way to kill them all. Their appearance was quite different from the Yar-On people too. Some were ugly, with yellow hair like white people and eyes the color of the sky.
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