Tuagtuanguak fled from her persecuting brother-in-law, enduring a perilous journey across ice and desolate landscapes. Over five days, she repeatedly swooned, awakening each time with visions of a distant black spot, gaining angakok power along the way. After numerous trials, including supernatural leaps, she reached a northern settlement, married, and received gifts from spirits, only for them to mysteriously return to their owners.
Source:
Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo
by Henry Rink
[William Blackwood and Sons]
Edinburgh and London, 1875
► Themes of the story
Quest: Tuagtuanguak’s journey across treacherous ice and desolate landscapes in search of safety exemplifies a classic quest narrative, where the protagonist undertakes a challenging journey to achieve a significant goal.
Transformation: Throughout her ordeal, Tuagtuanguak acquires angakok (shamanic) powers, indicating a profound personal transformation as she gains spiritual strength and resilience.
Supernatural Beings: Her interactions with the ingnersuit (spirits) who bestow gifts upon her highlight the involvement of supernatural entities, a common element in mythological tales that underscores the connection between the human and spirit worlds.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Inuit peoples
Abridged version of the story.
A girl named Tuagtuanguak fled from her brother-in-law, who persecuted her. Running across the ice, she fell through; but having again got up, she ran on and on to the north constantly, viewing a black spot before her. Swooning several times, and again seeing the black spot on awaking, she meanwhile acquired angakok power. Going on in this way for five successive days, she came to a precipice, and setting out from its edge, she leaped across, but was somehow wafted back through the air to the same spot. This process she continued for five days. She then pursued her journey north, and came to an inhabited place, where she took up her abode, and afterwards got married. She visited the ingnersuit, and received presents from them; but while carrying them homewards the gifts were wafted out of her hands, and flew back to their first owners.
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Dreamtime Whispers 