Two cousins shared a bond, but envy consumed one when the other excelled in milestones like marriage, fatherhood, and hunting. Driven by resentment, he moved away and trained a vicious dog to kill travelers by feeding it food touched by human bones. However, the cousin and his son bravely confronted the beast and ultimately killed it together.
Source:
Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo
by Henry Rink
[William Blackwood and Sons]
Edinburgh and London, 1875
► Themes of the story
Family Dynamics: The story centers on two cousins whose relationship is strained by envy and competition, highlighting complex familial relationships.
Cunning and Deception: One cousin’s deceitful act of training a dog to attack travelers using human bones exemplifies the use of cunning and deceit to achieve malicious goals.
Revenge and Justice: The narrative concludes with the targeted cousin and his son confronting and killing the dangerous dog, serving as retribution and the restoration of justice.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Inuit peoples
Abridged version of the story.
Two cousins loved each other, but one of them having a passion for outdoing other people, grew irritated at seeing the other not only getting first married, but also having the first son, and that one catching seals before his own son had got a bird.
He then removed to another place, and his son trained a dog to tear men to pieces, by feeding it with food that had been in contact with human bones.
It had already devoured several travellers when the cousin and his son came and attacked the dangerous animal, and killed it between them.
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