A woman and her children are left alone when ke’let—supernatural beings—approach their house. Warned by a mysterious neighbor’s corpse, she sacrifices a small dog, using its blood to encircle the house. Mistaking the blood for a deep river, the ke’let abandon their attack. When her husband returns, the woman reveals how she cleverly outwitted the beings.
Source
The Jessup North Pacific Expedition
edited by Franz Boas
Memoir of the American Museum
of Natural History – New York
Volume VIII
1. Chukchee Mythology
by Waldemar Bogoras
Leiden & New York, 1910
► Themes of the story
Cunning and Deception: The woman uses a clever ruse to protect her family.
Sacrifice: She sacrifices a small dog to create the illusion that deters the ke’let.
Guardian Figures: The mysterious neighbor’s corpse acts as a protector by warning the woman of the impending danger.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Chukchee people
Told by Aqa’nna, a Maritime Chukchee woman, at Mariinsky Post. October, 1900.
Once a small house stood alone in the wilderness. The ke’let were going to visit it. Only a woman and her children were at home. The man, her husband was with the herd. On the rear side of the house was a funeral-place, and there lay a corpse. One time the woman showed herself to the middle from the sleeping-room, and saw the dead one. In the evening the woman saw him. “Ah, ah! where are you from?” — “No. I am your neighbor. I came to see you. Oh, enough! You do not know. Ke’let are going to visit you, and they are already near by.”
A little dog was there, a tiny one, somewhere in the sleeping-room or in the outer tent. “Oh, there is no need of (grudging) this little dog. Now, then, I am going back. Come out and go with me, along my road.” She dressed herself, carried out the little dog and slaughtered it behind the house. Then she drew a line with blood all around the house, “Now, enter! They are coming yonder.”
► Continue reading…
“Oh, how is it, it stays on the other shore? What, now on the island? From what point must I begin? Let it be from there. Oh, it seems to be deep!” [He thought the blood of the dog was a deep river.]
He (the ke’le) thrust down his spear-shaft, but could not touch the ground. “Oh, it is deep! Let us leave it! Indeed, what shall we do?”
They left them. The next day the husband came, and saw the slaughtered dog lying by the entrance. He said, “Oh, good gracious! I left all of my house-mates quite safe, but what may have happened to them? He gave a start and forced an entrance. The woman appeared (from under the cover of the sleeping-room). “Halloo! What is the matter with you?” — “Nothing. We are all right.” Only when in the sleeping-room did she tell him.
Ended.
Running and expanding this site requires resources: from maintaining our digital platform to sourcing and curating new content. With your help, we can grow our collection, improve accessibility, and bring these incredible narratives to an even wider audience. Your sponsorship enables us to keep the world’s stories alive and thriving. ♦ Visit our Support page
Dreamtime Whispers 