Atarsuatsiak and his brothers, notorious killers near Upernivik, Greenland, tattooed their foreheads with marks symbolizing their murders. Atarsuatsiak’s forehead displayed a full row of such marks. His violent reputation led neighboring communities to conspire against him, eventually plotting his death at a location he frequented to visit his concubine.
Source:
Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo
by Henry Rink
[William Blackwood and Sons]
Edinburgh and London, 1875
► Themes of the story
Revenge and Justice: The neighboring communities conspired to kill Atarsuatsiak as retribution for his numerous murders, seeking to restore order and justice.
Tragic Flaw: Atarsuatsiak’s violent nature and pride in his killings, symbolized by the tattoos on his forehead, ultimately led to his downfall.
Conflict with Authority: Atarsuatsiak’s defiance of societal norms and laws through his murderous actions brought him into conflict with the collective authority of the neighboring communities, who then plotted his demise.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Inuit peoples
Abridged version of the story.
Atarsuatsiak and his brothers were a set of fearful manslayers, living in the country about Upernivik (Greenland), who had their heads tattooed with a separate mark for each murder they had committed.
On Atarsuatsiak these marks formed a whole row along his forehead from one side to the other.
At last the people of the neighbouring places resolved upon having him killed at a place to which he used to resort in order to visit his concubine.
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