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Shamans' Songs
Shamans' songs are supposed to be the voices of their spirits singing. The songs are
usually traditional and are known to all the men of the sib, since they must sing for the
shaman during his seances. New songs are also said to be acquired when the shaman is in
retreat in the woods.
Teqwedi Shaman's Song: Spirit of Children of the Sun
1954, 6-1-A; recorded by Jenny Jack on May 10.
(Not transcribed.)
1954, 6-1-J; recorded by Nick Milton on May 12.
This song has Tsimshian words, and was first obtained
by the Yakutat shaman, Xatgawet (pp. 679-680, 710-
712). The last Teqwedi shaman to have these spirits was
Tek-'ic, who died about 1890 without a successor. It
has been sung since his death by the Teqwedi as a sib
song at potlatches. Jenny Jack (Teqwedi) sang it in
memory of Tek-'ic's nephew, Jim Kardeetoo, the morning
after he died.
The song is in two parts: the first has a fast, irregular
tempo; the second is slower and smoother, so that it
sounds like two songs. Two versions of the song were
obtained.
The recording by Jenny Jack (1954, 6-1-A) lasts 1:26
minutes, but omits the repetitions in the version sung
by Nick Milton (1954, 6-1-J), which lasts 2:11 minutes.
Both singers recorded explanations in Tlingit of the
song.
The words were dictated by Jenny Jack, but these
omit many of the vocables. Although the song is supposed
to be sung by the shaman's spirits, the Children
of the Sun, no informant was able to explain the meaning.
The two versions are almost identical for Part I,
but vary somewhat for Part II.
Part I (6-1-J; sung twice)
A ya hoi', ya-ha wa-i ya-hoi', 'i-hi', 'i-hi',
B ya-ha ha-wa ha-ya hoi', 'i-hi, 'i-hi',
A' Ih'^an-di-hi, Ih^an-di(hi) nax nu yu-wai', Ih'^an-dihi,
(B') Ih'^an di-hi nax nu (huq) yu-wa, 'i-hi, 'i-hi,
B ya-ha ha-w ya-hoi', 'i-hi, 'i-hi,
1280
Note how the music and words seem to fall into the
foUowing structure:
Refrain: A
Stanza: A'
Refrain: B
B
B' (in which the words do not quite fit
the musical phrases)
The version by Jenny Jack (6-1-A) is the same except
that Part I is not repeated; ye-hei' is substituted for
'i-hi' (end of A, B, B'); the beginning of Phrase B is
ya-'ax instead of ya-ha; and the final Phrase B ends in
'u! instead of 'i-hi, 'i-hi.
A
B
A
B
X
Part II (6-1-J)
Refrain
'a ha, 'a-wa-ha, 'a-ya-ha, 'a hi, 'a-ya-ha,
ya-ya, 'a-wa 'i-hi, 'a-ya-ha, 'i-hi, 'a-ya-ha,
Stanza (sung twice)
'a-ha cu-wa-ki-ta, 'a-ni cu-wa, ha,
na-qa tla-wa yi-hi, 'a-ya-ha, 'i-hi, 'a-ya-ha
Conclusion
'a-ha, 'a-hi, 'a-ya
hutca' — "The end!"
The structure here is:
Refrain: A B
Stanza: A B (repeated)
Conclusion:
X
During the course of the song, the pitch rises a whole
tone. McAllester comments on the unusual form of the