A woman dissatisfied with her husband secretly visits a large, hollow birch tree inhabited by two giant ants that embrace her. Suspicious of her nightly absences, her husband follows her and witnesses the encounter. Distressed, he abandons their home. The woman attempts to track him but never succeeds, leaving their fates unknown.
Source:
Chipewyan Tales
by Robert Harry Lowie
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 3
New York, 1912
► Themes of the story
Love and Betrayal: The woman’s infidelity and the resulting betrayal of her husband are central to the narrative.
Cunning and Deception: The woman deceives her husband by pretending to gather firewood while secretly meeting the ants.
Conflict with Nature: The woman’s unnatural relationship with the ants represents a transgression against natural order.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Chipewyan people
There was a woman who did not care for her husband. Every evening she went out to gather firewood for the night. However, she never got enough to last through the night, so she would leave in the middle of the night under pretext of fetching more. In reality she went to a rotten birch tree as large as a lodge, in which two large ants were dwelling. These would embrace her. At length her husband grew suspicious and followed her one night. He saw her tapping the tree and turning her back towards it. The ants came out and embraced her. When the man saw this, he turned back home and left the country. Not finding him on her return, his wife tracked him, but never found him. Perhaps they are still traveling that way today.
► 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 