A woman fleeing from men found refuge in a snow-house owned by a bear who had transformed into a man. Unseen by her, the bear donned his skin, became a bear again, and hunted a seal. He skinned it and shared the catch with the woman, who later recounted the encounter, marveling at the bear’s generosity and unique snow-house.
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
Transformation: The bear’s ability to change into a human form highlights themes of physical transformation and the fluid boundaries between human and animal realms.
Supernatural Beings: The bear’s shapeshifting nature introduces a supernatural element, emphasizing the presence of extraordinary creatures within Inuit folklore.
Sacred Spaces: The snow-house serves as a sanctuary for the woman, symbolizing a sacred space where she finds refuge and encounters the bear’s generosity.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Inuit peoples
A woman ran away from men. She came to a snow-house, owned by a bear. The bear was inside, but he had changed himself to look like a man.
This woman, who was aglirtoq (under restrictions), went into the house. After a while the bear, who was also in the snow-house (but whom she had not seen, as the house was a double one), got up and went into the entrance passage, where he put on his big skin and thus became a bear.
Then he went down to the water and dived. He stayed under a long time, but finally reappeared, carrying a seal in his mouth.
► Continue reading…
This bear then skinned it, and brought the seal into the house. Then he cut up the seal he had caught, and gave that aglirtoq woman some of the skin [fat?] to eat. She gave her children some of the skin and then went away, going home. When she arrived, she told her story: “There is a bear who has a snow-house. I went in. He caught a seal and I ate of his catch. He gave me its skin to eat.”
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Dreamtime Whispers 