A girl walking along the shore wished for a husband and chose a whale’s skull, which came to life. She married the whale but was kept tied due to his jealousy. Escaping with her family, she distracted the pursuing whale by throwing her clothes into the sea. The whale, enraged, stranded himself and was killed, reverting to a bone.
Source:
The Labrador Eskimo
by E.W. Hawkes
[Canada, Department of Mines]
Geological Survey, Memoir 91
Anthropological Series no. 14
Ottawa, 1916
► Themes of the story
Supernatural Beings: The story features a whale’s skull that transforms into a living being, highlighting interactions with supernatural entities.
Forbidden Love: The girl’s union with a whale represents a romantic connection that defies natural and societal norms.
Cunning and Deception: The girl employs clever tactics to escape her jealous whale husband, demonstrating the use of wit to achieve freedom.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Inuit peoples
Once a girl was walking along the shore. She wished she had a husband. She saw a whale’s skull lying on the sand. So she said, “I will take the whale bone for a husband.” It came to life and married her. She went to live with the whale in the sea. The whale was very jealous of her, and tied a line to her for fear she would escape.
One day the girl saw her father and brothers going by in an umiak. She called to them to take her aboard. Soon the whale discovered her escape. He came swimming furiously after the boat. When he was quite near, the girl took off her mittens and threw them into the water.
► Continue reading…
While he was tearing them up, they gained a little. Then he came on again, making the water foam in his anger. Then she took off her boots and threw them into the water. While he was thrashing them with his tail, they made for the shore. But he caught them again, when they were close to the shore. Then the girl took off her qo’lituk [this is the term used in northern Labrador for the deerskin frock] and threw it into the water. While he was tearing this up, they landed. But he was so angry that he did not notice the land, and came on again. He stranded in the shallow water, and was easily killed by her father and brothers. Then he changed back into a bone.
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