Gunakadeit: Legendary Tlingit Figure Poster
Designed and sold by Gary Means
$23.60
Style
PosterHeavy poster paper, semigloss finish
$23.60
Product features
- Blank walls suck, so bring some life to your dorm, bedroom, office, studio, wherever
- Printed on 185gsm semi gloss poster paper
- Custom cut - refer to size chart for finished measurements
- Includes a 3/16 inch (5mm) white border to assist in framing
- Since every item is made just for you by your local third-party fulfiller, there may be slight variances in the product received
Gunakadeit: Legendary Tlingit Figure
Gunakadeit is a figure from Haida and Tlingit legends. A handsome young man marries the daughter of the chief but stays up late gambling with his friends, then sleeping in late the next day. He is despised by his mother-in-law.
Eventually he realizes the errors of his ways, but doesn't want his nagging mother-in-law to take credit for his change of heart. So he secretly begins purification rituals.
After a time he traps, kills, and skins a seamonster that lives nearby. He learns that when he wears the skin of the monster he takes on all the powers of the monster. He is able to capture any sea creature.The only stipulation is that he not wear the skin during daylight hours.
To atone for his lazy ways, each night he dons the skin and captures food which he lays at the doorstep of his mother-in-law. One night he leaves two salmon. The next night it is two halibut.
In the morning the mother-in-law finds the offering, but claims that it is her powers as a shaman that have brought the food to the village. Each morning this is repeated. Her pride grows correspndingly larger as the gifts grow larger. Fish, then two seals, then two sea lions.
The larger game take longer and far more effort. The son-in-law is exhausted each morning.
One night it is time to bring two Killer Whales to the village. It takes him all night to subdue the whales. He drags them ashore just as the sun is rising. As the suns rays hit him, he falls dead, imprisoned in the seamonster form.
However, everyone can see that the monster's face is his face. They realize that it has been he that has been delivering food to the village. They all turn to look at the chief's wife. She covers her face, shrieks, then dies of shame right on the spot.
This story is sometimes called, "The Lazy Son-in-Law." There are variations of this story. I came across the story years ago and this is what I remember. If I have any of the details wrong, please let me know.
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