The story of the fox-wife

A widower living alone notices his home is mysteriously maintained during his hunting trips. Curious, he discovers a fox entering his house, only to find it transform into a beautiful woman. They marry and live happily until a dispute over the lingering smell of fox causes her to don her fox skin and vanish, leaving him alone once more.

Source:
The Labrador Eskimo
by E.W. Hawkes
[Canada, Department of Mines]
Geological Survey, Memoir 91
Anthropological Series no. 14
Ottawa, 1916

► Themes of the story

Supernatural Beings: The tale features a fox that transforms into a human woman, highlighting interactions with supernatural entities.

Transformation: Central to the narrative is the fox’s ability to change form, symbolizing themes of physical transformation and the fluidity between animal and human realms.

Love and Betrayal: The relationship between the man and the fox-woman evolves into marriage, but ultimately ends in separation due to a misunderstanding, underscoring themes of love and the fragility of trust.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

Once there was a man who had lost his wife and who lived all alone. But every day, when he returned from hunting, he found that everything was in order as his wife would have done. There were no signs of anyone in the house, nor tracks outside. He could not understand it, and decided to find out who was taking care of the house. So, one day, instead of going to hunt, he hid himself a little way from the entrance, where he could observe if anyone went in. Finally he saw a fox enter. He thought that the fox was after his meat, so followed it into the house. What was his surprise to find, on entering, a beautiful woman dressed in skins. On the rack above the lamp hung the skin of a fox. He asked her to marry him, and she became his wife.

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They lived together for a long time happily, until one day the husband detected a strong odour in the house. He asked her where the smell came from. She replied that it was the odour of the fox, and if he was going to scold her, she would run away. She slipped on the fox-skin and was gone in a moment. The man never saw her again.

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The story of the Sun and Moon

A young girl discovers her mysterious nightly visitor is her brother by smearing soot and oil on herself. Horrified by the revelation, she cuts off her breasts, offering them to him in disgust. Enraged, her brother chases her until they ascend to the sky, transforming into the sun and moon. Their eternal pursuit explains eclipses, symbolizing their tragic connection.

Source:
The Labrador Eskimo
by E.W. Hawkes
[Canada, Department of Mines]
Geological Survey, Memoir 91
Anthropological Series no. 14
Ottawa, 1916

► Themes of the story

Transformation: The siblings’ metamorphosis into celestial bodies.

Forbidden Love: The taboo relationship between the brother and sister.

Cosmic Order and Chaos: Their transformation brings order to the cosmos, explaining natural phenomena like eclipses.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

At one time when all the rest of the people were in the singing-house (qa’g-i) a young girl was visited nightly by a man whose identity she could not discover. So she smeared some soot and oil on her breast to discover him. The next day, when she went to the qaggi to take her brother’s meal, she was horrified to see that he had a black streak on his face. She immediately took a knife and cut off her breasts, and placed them on the dish, saying, “Since you desire me, eat them.” Her brother was so angry that he chased her out of the kagi, and around and around the house. Finally, she ran up into the sky and he ran after her. They were changed into the sun and moon. The sun is constantly following the moon, but sometimes they meet (eclipse).

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The girl who married a whale

A girl walking along the shore wished for a husband and chose a whale’s skull, which came to life. She married the whale but was kept tied due to his jealousy. Escaping with her family, she distracted the pursuing whale by throwing her clothes into the sea. The whale, enraged, stranded himself and was killed, reverting to a bone.

Source:
The Labrador Eskimo
by E.W. Hawkes
[Canada, Department of Mines]
Geological Survey, Memoir 91
Anthropological Series no. 14
Ottawa, 1916

► Themes of the story

Supernatural Beings: The story features a whale’s skull that transforms into a living being, highlighting interactions with supernatural entities.

Forbidden Love: The girl’s union with a whale represents a romantic connection that defies natural and societal norms.

Cunning and Deception: The girl employs clever tactics to escape her jealous whale husband, demonstrating the use of wit to achieve freedom.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

Once a girl was walking along the shore. She wished she had a husband. She saw a whale’s skull lying on the sand. So she said, “I will take the whale bone for a husband.” It came to life and married her. She went to live with the whale in the sea. The whale was very jealous of her, and tied a line to her for fear she would escape.

One day the girl saw her father and brothers going by in an umiak. She called to them to take her aboard. Soon the whale discovered her escape. He came swimming furiously after the boat. When he was quite near, the girl took off her mittens and threw them into the water.

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While he was tearing them up, they gained a little. Then he came on again, making the water foam in his anger. Then she took off her boots and threw them into the water. While he was thrashing them with his tail, they made for the shore. But he caught them again, when they were close to the shore. Then the girl took off her qo’lituk [this is the term used in northern Labrador for the deerskin frock] and threw it into the water. While he was tearing this up, they landed. But he was so angry that he did not notice the land, and came on again. He stranded in the shallow water, and was easily killed by her father and brothers. Then he changed back into a bone.

The quarrel of the crow and the gull

The Crow and the Gull quarreled over allegiance: the Crow sided with the Eskimo, while the Gull supported the white man. They fought to determine whose side would prevail in strength and numbers. The Gull emerged victorious, explaining why white men became more numerous and powerful than the Eskimo in this tale.

Source:
The Labrador Eskimo
by E.W. Hawkes
[Canada, Department of Mines]
Geological Survey, Memoir 91
Anthropological Series no. 14
Ottawa, 1916

► Themes of the story

Good vs. Evil: The Crow and the Gull represent opposing forces, each advocating for a different group, highlighting the universal struggle between conflicting allegiances.

Prophecy and Fate: The outcome of their quarrel dictates the future strength and numbers of the Eskimo and white men, suggesting a predestined order resulting from their confrontation.

Cultural Heroes: The Crow and the Gull act as symbolic champions for their respective peoples, embodying the traits and destinies of the groups they represent.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

The Crow and the Gull had a quarrel.

The Crow was for the Eskimo, and the Gull for the white man. Whichever won the fight, his side was to be the strongest.

So they fought.

The Gull won.

That is why the white men are more numerous and stronger than the Eskimo.

► Continue reading…

How the trout was made

A legendary angekok, inspired by nature, crafted the first trout using a willow stick and his torngak’s power. Transforming the stick into a fish, he folded seaweed around it to protect it from the cold water. Naming it exa’lupik, the trout, he blessed it to serve the Eskimos. The trout’s side stripe marks the seam of the seaweed wrap.

Source:
The Labrador Eskimo
by E.W. Hawkes
[Canada, Department of Mines]
Geological Survey, Memoir 91
Anthropological Series no. 14
Ottawa, 1916

► Themes of the story

Creation: The story explains the origin of the trout, detailing how an angekok (a shaman) transformed a willow stick into a living fish, introducing this creature into the world.

Divine Intervention: The angekok, with the assistance of his torngak (spirit helper), uses supernatural powers to create the trout, showcasing the influence of spiritual beings in the natural world.

Transformation: The narrative centers on the metamorphosis of an inanimate object—a willow stick—into a living trout, highlighting themes of change and the infusion of life into the lifeless.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

Once upon a time a man who was a great angekok went out walking along the shore. He looked at the beautiful calm water and wished that he could make something to live in it out of something that grew on the land. So he looked around and saw some willows growing not far from him. He went over and broke off a little dry stick. Then he told his torngak to make it into something alive, and as he spoke he threw the stick into the water. It sank. After a short time a fish came up and said to him, “I am very wet and cold. I would rather grow on the land again.” So the man took the fish out of the water, and folded a piece of seaweed around it. Then he threw it back into the water and bade it go and be useful to all the Eskimo. He named it exa’lupik, the trout. The stripe that runs along the side of the trout is the seam where the folds of seaweed meet.

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The place where the caribou live

A powerful angekok sought to uncover the secret resting place of the caribou. Guided by his torngak, he traveled for two moons, finally reaching a massive turf-and-rock house guarded by a giant caribou king. The caribou entered the house in bands, protected by their leader. Though the angekok shared his vision, he withheld the location, fearing transformation into a mouse. The secret remains a hopeful mystery for the people.

Source:
The Labrador Eskimo
by E.W. Hawkes
[Canada, Department of Mines]
Geological Survey, Memoir 91
Anthropological Series no. 14
Ottawa, 1916

► Themes of the story

Forbidden Knowledge: The angekok seeks the hidden resting place of the caribou, a secret location that remains elusive to others.

Supernatural Beings: The story features the angekok (a shaman) and his torngak (spirit helper), highlighting interactions with spiritual entities.

Transformation: The angekok is warned that desiring to harm the caribou could result in his transformation into a mouse, emphasizing the consequences of certain actions.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

There was once a great angekok who felt it his duty to find out for the people the place where the caribou went to when they passed in great numbers into the interior. So he asked his torngak to show him where they went. His torngak told him the way to go. He told him to walk on and on, and not to stop until he told him. So the angekok started off. He walked day after day. For two moons he walked. His boots did not wear out because his torngak was with him.

At last, one day, his torngak said, “Stop! Make no noise, and wait till sunset. Then you will see the resting place of the caribou. You must not wish to kill what you see, or I’ll turn you into a mouse.”

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So the angekok did as he had been told. When the sun went down, he saw a very large house made of turf and rock. Standing across the door was a very big deer. It was the king of the caribou. He was so big that the other caribou could walk in under him without touching him.

The caribou came up in big bands, and all passed under the king into the house. When the last one had passed in, he lay down and kept guard over the others.

The angekok went home and told the people what he had seen. But he did not dare tell them where to find the wonderful place, for fear that they might desire to kill so many caribou and his torngak would turn him into a mouse. So the Eskimo know that there is a place where the reindeer live and stay with their king, but although they are always looking for it, they can never find it. But they hope to do so some time.

The regions below

In Eskimo belief, a spirit lingers near its earthly home for three days after death before journeying to the land of the nu’namiut, accessed through a dark tunnel guarded by a dog. There, spirits live in shadowy villages, relying on grave offerings for sustenance. Though free from cold and sleet, the underworld is dark and somber, reflecting the spirits’ dependence on the living.

Source:
The Labrador Eskimo
by E.W. Hawkes
[Canada, Department of Mines]
Geological Survey, Memoir 91
Anthropological Series no. 14
Ottawa, 1916

► Themes of the story

Underworld Journey: The spirit’s passage through a dark tunnel guarded by a dog to reach the land of the nu’namiut exemplifies a venture into the realm of the dead.

Ancestral Spirits: In the underworld, the spirit resides with relatives, reflecting the connection to and influence of forebears on the present.

Loss and Renewal: The transition from the earthly life to the underworld signifies a cycle of death and the continuation of existence in another form.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

For three days after an Eskimo dies, the spirit lingers around the scenes of its earthly existence. Then people must be very careful not to offend it. After taking a last look at its native village, it sets out for the land of the nu’namiut, “those who dwell in (beneath) the earth.” The way to the world beneath lies through a long dark tunnel guarded by a big dog (?). He is always on the lookout for unwary spirits. Having arrived at the land of the nu’namiut, the spirit finds them dwelling in villages much as on the earth. He seeks out the location of his relatives and lives with them. They lead a monotonous existence depending on the offerings made at their graves for food and drink. If their relatives neglect them, they go hungry and naked. There is no cold nor sleet in the world beneath, but it is dark and gloomy.

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The heavenly regions

The land and sea’s edges are bordered by an abyss, crossed only by a perilous path leading to the heavens. The sky, a dome with a passage for spirits, hosts only those who died voluntarily or violently, alongside the raven. These spirits, called selamiut or “sky-dwellers,” light the aurora, feast, and play. Their voices, heard as auroral sounds, invite whispered responses from earth.

Source:
The Labrador Eskimo
by E.W. Hawkes
[Canada, Department of Mines]
Geological Survey, Memoir 91
Anthropological Series no. 14
Ottawa, 1916

► Themes of the story

Journey to the Otherworld: The narrative describes a dangerous pathway over an abyss leading to the heavens, representing a voyage to a realm beyond human experience.

Supernatural Beings: The selamiut, or “sky-dwellers,” are spirits inhabiting the sky, interacting with the natural world by creating the aurora and producing sounds heard on earth.

Sacred Spaces: The heavens serve as a sacred realm where specific spirits dwell, and the aurora acts as a bridge between this celestial domain and the earthly realm.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

The ends of the land and sea are bounded by an immense abyss, over which a narrow and dangerous pathway leads to the heavenly regions. The sky is a great dome of hard material arched over the earth. There is a hole in it through which the spirits pass to the true heavens. Only the spirits of those who have died a voluntary or violent death, and the raven, have been over this pathway. The spirits who live there light torches to guide the feet of new arrivals. This is the light of the aurora. They can be seen there feasting and playing football with a walrus skull. The whistling crackling noise which sometimes accompanies the aurora is the voices of these spirits trying to communicate with the people of the earth. They should always be answered in a whispering voice. Youths and small boys dance to the aurora. The heavenly spirits are called selamiut, “sky-dwellers,” those who live in the sky.

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Origin of the winds and rain

A giant spirit in the north breathes violent snowstorms, while spirits in the east and west bring soft winds and warm weather. Female spirits in the south send flowers and summer rain, storing water in sky bags. When they run, the water escapes as rain, and thunder echoes as the sound of their movements across the sky.

Source:
The Labrador Eskimo
by E.W. Hawkes
[Canada, Department of Mines]
Geological Survey, Memoir 91
Anthropological Series no. 14
Ottawa, 1916

► Themes of the story

Origin of Things: The story provides a rich explanation for natural phenomena like snow, wind, rain, and thunder, rooting them in a spiritual framework.

Supernatural Beings: It highlights the spirits as powerful entities controlling the weather, bridging the natural and spiritual worlds.

Harmony with Nature: The tale reflects an intrinsic understanding of and reverence for natural forces, showing humanity’s connection to and respect for the environment.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

There is a giant spirit who lives in the north. When he blows his breath, violent snowstorms occur.

Other spirits live in the east and west. They breathe soft winds and summer weather. Female spirits dwell to the south. They send the flowers and summer rain.

They live up in the sky and keep the rain in big bags. When they run across the sky the water escapes.

The thunder is the noise of their running across the sky.

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Origin of man and the animals

Torngarsoak, a great Torngak, created the first man, who found a wife and fathered the Eskimo. In one tale, puppies set adrift became intermediaries bringing Indians and white people to the world. Another story recounts a woman who married a dog and was cast into the sea by her father, where her severed fingers transformed into sea creatures, and she became a spirit beneath the ocean.

Source:
The Labrador Eskimo
by E.W. Hawkes
[Canada, Department of Mines]
Geological Survey, Memoir 91
Anthropological Series no. 14
Ottawa, 1916

► Themes of the story

Creation: It narrates the origins of humans and animals, detailing how the first man was created by Torngarsoak and how various creatures came into existence.

Transformation: The tale describes metamorphoses, such as a woman’s severed fingers becoming sea creatures and a man turning back into a dog.

Supernatural Beings: The involvement of Torngarsoak, a great Torngak (spirit), highlights interactions between humans and divine entities.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

In the north lives Torngarsoak, the great Torngak; he made man from nothing. The man travelled a long way, and found a woman. They married, and from them sprang all the Eskimo. One day Torngarsoak set some puppies adrift in a pair of old boots. The puppies drifted off in different directions. Finally one returned bringing with it the Indians; very much later the other puppy returned as a man, bringing people with white skins in a big umiak. They were the white people. The man then turned back into a dog.

There was a woman who married the dog. Her father was ashamed of her and took her in his umiak to a lonely island.

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When out to sea he threw her overboard. She seized hold of the side of the boat, but he cut off her fingers with his knife. The thumb became the walrus, the first finger the seal, and the middle finger the white bear.

The woman sank, and now lives at the bottom of the sea.

Another version:

One day an Eskimo was chopping down a tree. He noticed that the chips that fell into the water became water animals and the chips that fell on the land became land animals. That is how the animals were created.

Before this time the earth had been covered with water. Finally the water went away, and the dry land appeared. The seaweed and kelp became the grass and trees.