tements of fact
or interpretations taken from published anthropological or historic works
are indicated by citations in the customary manner. Information based on
conversations or other private communications with other investigators is
so designated. All statements of fact which are not credited to these two
sources are taken from my own field notes and represent statements of my
informants.

MYTHOLOGY

Washo mythology has been presented in the form of interlinear texts by
Dangberg (1927) and in Lowie's Ethnographic Notes (1939, pp. 333-351).
There are two versions of the creation myth, one describing the creation
of Paiute, Washo, and Diggers from the seeds of the cattail by the Creator
Woman, and the second attributing the creation of Indians to the Creation
Man, who formed the three groups from among his sons to keep them from
quarreling. Lowie also reports the common theme of several previous
inhabitations of the earth. The most important myth, or at least the one
which is still commonly told and seems to be the favorite among the Washo,
devotes itself to the adventures of Damalali (short-tailed weasel) and
Pewetseli (long-tailed weasel). These heroes are responsible for many of
the natural features of the region so references to this myth are rather
frequent. The Coyote, in the form of a rather malevolent and stupid
trickster, and the Wolf, a generally patriarchal and protective figure,
appear in several myths, as do cannibalistic giants and a giant bird, the
an.

Figures which appear only incidentally in the myths as recounted are
elaborated almost infinitely in what might best be termed folk fantasy.

Water Babies

Most prominent of these figures are the Water Babies (Stewart 1941, p.
444, 2574). In the mythology, Water Baby figures as the creature
responsible for the many lakes of the eastern Sierra. Killed and scalped
by the rascally Damalali, Water Baby commands the waters of the area to
rise until the weasel returns the scalp to avoid drowning. The waters left
in mountain valleys as the flood receded formed the lakes.

The Water Baby is not confined to mythology. My informants were able to
describe the appearance of a Water Baby in detail, to supply me with
population figures, and to recount an almost endless series of incidents
in which Water Babies were involved.

All informants agreed that the Water Baby is a creature about one and
one-half feet tall, gray in color, with extremel