Ukaleq, a renowned hunter, was killed by a Magic Bear—a creature fashioned by enemies—after a fierce chase. His grieving mother revived him through a mysterious ritual, abstaining from food and drink for five days. Later, during a village spirit calling, an old woman was exposed as the creator of the Magic Bear and died of shame. Ukaleq survived but abandoned bear hunting forever.
Source:
Eskimo Folk-Tales
collected by Knud Rasmussen
[Copenhagen, Christiania], 1921
► Themes of the story
Resurrection: Ukaleq’s return to life through his mother’s mysterious ritual is a literal example of resurrection.
Supernatural Beings: The Magic Bear, a creature fashioned by enemies, represents an encounter with a supernatural being.
Divine Punishment: The old woman who created the Magic Bear dies from shame when exposed, suggesting a form of divine or moral retribution for her actions.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Inuit peoples
Ukaleq, men say, was a strong man. Whenever he heard news of game, even if it were a great bear, he had only to go out after it, and he never failed to kill it. Once the winter came, and the ice grew firm, and then men began to go out hunting bears on the ice. One day there was a big bear. Ukaleq set off in chase, but he soon found that it was not to be easily brought down. The bear sighted Ukaleq, and turned to pursue him. Ukaleq fled, but grew tired at length. Now and again he managed to wound the beast, but was killed himself at last, and at the same time the bear fell down dead.
► Continue reading…
Now when his comrades came to look at the bear, its teeth began to whisper, and then they knew that Ukaleq had been killed by a Magic Bear [i.e. a creature fashioned by an enemy, after the same manner as a Tupilak]. And as there was no help for it, they took the dead man home with them. And then his mother said: “Lay him in the middle of the floor with a skin beneath him.”
She had kept the dress he had worn as a little child, and now that he was dead, she put it in her carrying bag, and went out with it to the cooking place in the passage. And when she got there, she said: “For five days I will neither eat nor drink.”
Then she began hushing the dress in the bag as if it were a child, and kept on hushing it until at last it began to move in the bag, and just as it had commenced to move, there came some out from the house and said: “Ukaleq is beginning to quiver.”
But she kept on hushing and hushing, and at last that which she had in the bag began trying to crawl out. But then there came one from the house and said: “Ukaleq has begun to breathe; he is sitting up.”
Hardly was this said when that which was in the bag sprang out, making the whole house shake. Then they made up a bed for Ukaleq on the side bench, and placed skins under him and made him sit up. And after five days had passed, and that without eating or drinking, he came to himself again, and commenced to go out hunting once more.
Then the winter came, and the winter was there, and the ice was over the sea, and when the ice had formed, they began to make spirit callings. The villages were close together, and all went visiting in other villages.
And at last Ukaleq set out with his family to a village near by, where there was to be a big spirit calling. The house where it was to be held was so big that there were three windows in it, and yet it was crowded with folk.
In the middle of the spirit calling, there was an old woman who was sitting cross-legged up on the bench, and she turned round towards the others and said:
“We heard last autumn that Ukaleq had been killed by a Magic Bear.” Hardly had she said those words when an old wifeless man turned towards her and said: “Was it by any chance your Magic Bear that killed him?”
Then the old woman turned towards the others and said: “Mine? Now where could I have kept such a thing?”
But after saying that she did not move. She even forgot to breathe, for shame at having been discovered by the wifeless man, and so she died on the spot.
After that Ukaleq went home, and never went out hunting bears again. Here ends this story.
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 