A small, unlucky man, unable to find success in hunting, fishing, or daily tasks, grows despondent and decides to die outside his village. As he lies awaiting death, two ravens argue over his fate. One offers a knife in his beak, which the man seizes. Refusing to return it despite the raven’s warnings, he attempts to return to the village but suddenly ages and dies, cursed by his decision.
Source:
The Eskimo about Bering Strait
by Edward William Nelson
[Smithsonian Institution]
Bureau of American Ethnology
Eighteenth Annual Report
Washington, 1900
► Themes of the story
Transformation: The protagonist undergoes a sudden physical change—rapid aging leading to death—after taking the raven’s knife, symbolizing the consequences of his actions.
Divine Intervention: The ravens, often seen as spiritual or supernatural beings in Inuit culture, influence the man’s fate by offering the knife and cursing him upon his refusal to return it.
Tragic Flaw: The man’s inability to succeed in his tasks and his subsequent despair lead him to make fatal decisions, highlighting personal weaknesses that result in his downfall.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Inuit peoples
from St. Michael
Once there was a small, ugly-face young man who could never find anything that he looked for. Whenever he went out with his sled for wood, he returned without any, because he could never succeed in finding any, not the least piece. Then he entered the kashim and sat down in his place over the entrance way. When he sat down there he would remain quiet for a long time. The one sitting beside him sometimes gave him water, which he would drink and then become quite still again. If forced to go out, he would put on his boots and go, but would return again very soon and sit as before. Once when thirsty he went out to the water hole for a drink, but when he came to the place he could not find the water hole, as it seemed not to be there. Then he returned to the kashim again without drinking and sat down in his place, the one beside him giving him water.
► Continue reading…
At night in bed, not being able to sleep and being thirsty, he went out to find his elder brother’s house. After much searching he could not find the place, so went back to the kashim and lay down. Awaking in the morning, he took some fishing tackle and went fishing. When he came to the water he could not find it, and after looking for it unsuccessfully he returned without fishing. Thus he came back once more without anything and was hungry also when he sat in his place as usual.
Then he thought, “If I go to pick berries I suppose I will not be able to find any.” Taking a wooden bucket he went for berries. After looking, but failing to find any, he returned to his place in the kashim. The next morning, becoming hungry, he took his arrows and went hunting for wild geese. Not finding any, and seeing nothing else, he returned again. Other men brought back hair seals they had killed. The One-who-finds-nothing took his kaiak and putting it into the water went out seal hunting. He hunted long for the seals, but there seemed to be none; and seeing nothing, he came back to his place in the kashim.
Winter came, and he thought, “I do not know what to do with myself.” The next day he took his miserable bed and rolled it up with his poor tool bag, put the bundle on his back, and went out to the land ward side of the village, beyond the houses, and sat down. Being seated, he took his bundle from his back and, opening it, untied his tool bag. This being done, he scattered the tools about him and threw away the bag. Then he spread down his bed and, sitting upon it, lay back, saying, “Here will I die.”
There he lay all night without moving. When the sun came up he heard a Raven croaking, and then its mate. He remained quiet and the Raven came, alighting near him with its mate just beyond. The nearest Raven spoke, saying, “Look! here is something to eat. We have not eaten, and we had better not wait. Let us have his eyes.” The farthest Raven answered, “No, he is not dead.” “Why does he lie there, then, as if he were dead?” said the first Raven. “No, he is not dead; for look there, there is no smoke 1 by him,” replied the second one.
Then the first Raven became enraged and cast himself about, saying, “Why is he thrown out, then? Look at his things scattered about him.” “I do not wish any of it,” said the mate, “there is no smoke by him. I will leave you.” And he flew away. “All right: you can fly off,” said the first Raven; “I will have his eyes.”
Then the man opened his eyes very slightly and looked sidewise at the Raven. This one, coming toward the small, ugly-face young man, stood there holding up his beak, which became a fine knife. He went nearer, and between his eyelashes the man saw, raised by the hilt, a fine knife. He thought, “I have no knife.” Then the point came close to him. He thought again, “I have no knife.” He suddenly caught it and snatched it away from the Raven.
Back sprang Raven, and the man sat up. “Give me my knife,” said Raven. The man answered, saying, “I have no knife, and this shall be my knife. The Raven replied, “I will pay you for it with all kinds of game.” “No,” said the man, “I will not give it back. I always go out hunting and can get nothing.” “Then,” said the Raven, “if you wish to go back to the village you will not reach there when you try.” “I have no knife,” replied the man. Here the Raven coughed and fell down, saying, “Thus will you do. Keep my knife, if you prize it,” said he, and flew away.
The man sat up, still keeping the knife. Then he started to go back to the village. As he was going his throat contracted, his back bent over in front, and he rested his hands on his knees. Suddenly he became an old man. He could not walk. He lay on his face. He did not stir. He was dead.
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Dreamtime Whispers 