A tuneq marries an old woman and provides for them by hunting a ground-seal. Once the food is gone, they travel to a house with many people, where the tuneq departs. Sea-gulls then enter the house, are caught and cooked by the people. This echoes Greenlandic folklore of Avarunguak and a giant catching auks in a similar way.
Source:
Tales of the Smith Sound Eskimo
by Alfred L. Kroeber
[The American Folklore Society]
Journal of American Folklore
Vol.12, No.46, pp.166-182
July-September, 1899
► Themes of the story
Supernatural Beings: The tale involves a ‘tuneq,’ a supernatural entity from Inuit folklore, who marries a human woman.
Transformation: The narrative depicts a shift in the woman’s life as she transitions from her previous existence to living with the tuneq, adapting to new circumstances and experiences.
Sacred Spaces: The couple’s journey to different dwellings, including the tuneq’s house and another inhabited by multiple people, signifies transitions into spaces that hold particular significance within the story.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Inuit peoples
A tuneq married an old woman. After he had married her, they walked away and entered his house. The tuneq then went away to the sea, and soon returned, carrying a ground-seal on his back. This they cut up and lived upon, until they had eaten it all.
Then they went away until they came to a house where there were a number of people. They entered this, went to bed, and slept. Next day the tuneq went away. Thereupon a number of sea-gulls came to the house and went in. [In Greenland, Avarunguak visits a giant who catches auks in the same manner.] The people caught them, picked their feathers, cut them in pieces, put them in a pot over the fire, and ate them.
► Continue reading…
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 