Jid-Was and Dsa-Kokd-Suk

The following data is extracted from Indian Stories and Legends of the Stillaguamish and Allied Tribes.

Up near Big Lake in Skagit county stand the big rocks. They can be seen from the highway. Have you experienced a strange feeling when you passed them? Well this is why.

They are the soul thieves Jid-was the largest, Dsa-kokd-suk, the next in size, and a couple of smaller ones.

These rocks, malicious and crafty, stood in waiting to rob Indians of their souls. If man or woman were not in good health when they passed these rocks, they were in grave danger. Now and then, perhaps once in 5 years, some person would turn up crazy. Some would all of sudden run wild, dash right into the brush and stop all worn out. Others would jump around and sing senseless songs. Those who saw them knew what had happened, and immediately sent for the best tamanois (doctor) who would go to the rocks to recapture the victim's soul.

It tools extreme skill and cunning to do this, because the rocks began throwing the souls back and forth between them. But a good doctor of strong tamanois can do wonders.

When the soul was brought back and entered its owner the dementia dissapeared.

Many an Indian feeling week or timid traveled a long ways around to avoid the rocks.

Those who knew best the power of the rocky were the Tsil-ahlibs, the tribe of the Hatchu (Lakes).

Source: Indian Stories and Legends of the Stillaguamish and Allied Tribes

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