A Raven, mocked by sea birds for eating carrion, flies to a mountain, where he encounters a Marmot. The Marmot tricks the Raven into dancing with flattery and mock praise. As the Raven dances with closed eyes, the Marmot escapes into his burrow, mocking the Raven’s foolishness. Humiliated, the Raven flees in anger, learning a lesson in pride and gullibility.
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
Trickster: The Marmot exemplifies the trickster archetype by cunningly deceiving the Raven, highlighting the use of wit to outsmart others.
Cunning and Deception: The story centers on the Marmot’s deceptive tactics to evade being eaten, showcasing the effectiveness of cleverness in overcoming threats.
Moral Lessons: The narrative imparts a lesson on the perils of pride and gullibility, illustrating how vanity can lead to one’s downfall.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Inuit peoples
a woman’s tale, from Norton Bay
Once a Raven was flying over a reef near the seashore, when he was seen by some Sea-birds that were perched on the rocks, and they began to revile him, crying, “Oh, you offal eater! Oh, you carrion eater! Oh, you black one!” until the Raven turned and flew away, crying, “Gnak, gnak, gnak! why do they revile me!” And he flew far away across the great water until he came to a mountain on the other side, where he stopped.
Looking about he saw just in front of him a marmot hole. The Raven stood by the hole watching, and very soon the Marmot came back bringing home some food. When the Marmot saw the Raven in front of his door he asked him to stand aside, but the Raven refused, saying, “They called me carrion eater, and I will show that I am not, for I will eat you.”
► Continue reading…
To this the Marmot answered, “All right; but I have heard that you are a very fine dancer; now, if you will dance, I will sing, and then you can eat me, but I wish to see you dance before I die.” This pleased the Raven so much that he agreed to dance, so the Mar mot sang, “Oh, Raven, Raven, Raven, how well you dance! Oh, Raven, Raven, Raven, how well you dance!” Then they stopped to rest, and the Marmot said, “I am very much pleased with your dancing, and now I will sing once more, so shut your eyes and dance your best.” The Raven closed his eyes and hopped clumsily about while the Mar mot sang, “Oh, Raven, Raven, Raven, what a graceful dancer! Oh, Raven, Raven, Raven, what a fool you are!” Then the Marmot, with a quick run, darted between the Raven’s legs and was safe in his hole. As soon as the Marmot was safe he put out the tip of his nose and laughed mockingly, saying, “Chi-kik-kik, chi-kik-kik, chi-kik-kik! You are the greatest fool I ever saw; what a comical figure you made while dancing; I could hardly keep from laughing; and just look at me; see how fat I am. Don’t you wish you could eat me!” And he tormented the Raven until the latter flew far away in a rage.
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