The story of the lame hunter

A lame hunter, struggling to match others in hunting, spotted a distant bear on drift ice. Desperate to prove himself, he invoked his torngak for help. Miraculously, the bear became blind, allowing the hunter to kill it with ease. His success not only provided much-needed food but also earned him respect and admiration from fellow hunters and the community living in snow-houses.

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

Divine Intervention: The hunter’s plea to his torngak (spirit helper) results in the bear’s blindness, enabling him to make the kill.

Transformation: The hunter’s status evolves from being underestimated due to his lameness to being celebrated for his successful hunt.

Community and Isolation: Initially marginalized because of his physical limitation, the hunter’s achievement leads to his acceptance and admiration within the community.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

There was once a hunter who was lame, and, although he was a good hunter, he found it very hard to keep up with the other men, when they went hunting for seals and bears. One day he went up on a hill to spy for seal on the ice. He saw a bear far off on the ice. Now he could not get near the bear, because he could not walk fast enough, and the bear was making for the drift ice.

So he wished his torngak would come to his aid, and he moaned and groaned as if in great pain. He closed his eyes and said, “If I could get to that bear, nobody would be able to say that I was a poor hunter any more. I would be the best hunter, for none of the others are killing anything, and the people are going hungry.”

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When he opened his eyes, he saw that the bear was walking about and stumbling as if it could not see. Then he knew that his torngak had indeed helped him and made the bear blind. He limped out on to the rough ice, and got near enough to kill the bear with his bow and arrows. He gained the good favour of all the other hunters by his deed, and of all the Eskimo living in snow-houses at the hunting ground.

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The orphan boy and the Moon Man

Near Okkak, a marked rock is tied to a tale about a poor orphan boy. Abused by his caretakers, he prayed to the man in the moon for help. The moon man descended, whipped him into great strength, and returned to the sky. Fueled by rage, the boy killed his tormentors, sparing only a kind girl who became his wife. He rose as the village leader.

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 orphan boy undergoes a significant change, both physically and in his social status, after his encounter with the Moon Man.

Divine Intervention: The Moon Man descends from the sky to assist the boy, directly influencing his fate.

Revenge and Justice: The boy enacts vengeance upon his abusers, which leads to a restoration of order and his rise to leadership.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

Near Okkak there is a rock, curiously marked with what the Eskimo say are the blood and brains of the people in the following story.

A long time ago there lived in a village near Okkak a poor orphan boy. He had no relatives and the people he lived with treated him very badly. They made him sleep in the entrance tunnel with the dogs and flung him only bones to pick. They would not give him a knife, but the little daughter of the house gave him one secretly, and carried him bits of food when she could do so. Her kindness pleased him very much, and made him long to escape and improve his hard condition in life.

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One night he was lying on the ground, outside the passageway, trying to think of a plan for escape, and gazing at the moon. The more he gazed at it, the more he thought he discerned the outlines of the face of a man in it. Finally he was sure it was a man, and cried out to him to come down and help him escape from his hard life.

The man in the moon heard him, and came down. He took the little orphan boy down to the beach and beat him with a big whip. Every time he struck him he grew bigger and stronger. When he had finished, the little orphan boy was so strong, he could throw about big boulders like so many pebbles. Then the moon man went back up into the sky. The boy practised lifting and throwing big rocks all night; then he went home. When the people with whom he lived saw how big and strong he had grown, and remembered how they had abused him, they were very much afraid. But the minute he saw them, he went mad with anger. He seized them by the legs and dashed their brains out on the rocks. The boy killed everyone but the little girl who had been kind to him. He took her for his wife. He took all the possessions of his former housemates, and became the head man of the village.

Story of the narwhal

A snow-blind young man, cruelly neglected by his mother, survives thanks to his sister’s secret help. Tricked into believing he missed killing a bear, he discovers his mother’s deceit and plots revenge. When his sight returns, he hunts a whale and ties the line to his mother, dragging her into the sea. Her cries echo among the whales, believed to linger eternally.

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

Family Dynamics: The narrative delves into complex familial relationships, highlighting the mother’s cruelty towards her son and the sister’s secretive support, showcasing both betrayal and loyalty within a family unit.

Revenge and Justice: The son’s calculated retribution against his mother for her deceit and mistreatment underscores the pursuit of justice and the consequences of betrayal.

Supernatural Beings: The transformation of the mother into a being whose cries are eternally echoed among the whales introduces an element of the supernatural, blending human actions with mystical outcomes.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

There was once a young man who lived with his mother and sister. He was snow-blind, and for some reason his mother wished to get rid of him. She tried to starve him. But his sister on the sly, used to bring him bits of meat. He could not hunt because he was snow-blind. But one day a bear came to the snow-house, and his mother guided his bow so that he could shoot the bear through the window. He shot the bear, and killed him. But his mother did not want him to know that he had killed the bear, so she told him that he had missed it, and that his arrow had stuck into the hard ice on the side of the snow-house. So she was living on the meat of the bear, she and her daughter, while her son was starving.

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But his sister managed to feed him something on the sly. At first she would not tell him where the meat came from, but he kept questioning her, and at last she told him that he had killed the bear. Then he knew that his mother was trying to starve him, and he planned to be revenged on her. So in the spring, after the ice had broken up, when he had got his sight back, he used to hunt for white whales along the shore.

One day he and his mother and sister were all standing on the beach, and he was waiting with his harpoon to strike a whale.

He struck one with his whale harpoon, which had a long line attached. He tied the end around his mother’s waist; as the whale swam out to sea, it dragged her down the beach and into the water. As she went, she kept crying, innialuma, “My son did it.” When the whale went down, she would go down too, and when it came up, she would come up too, crying, innialuma, “My son did it,” over and over again. Finally she disappeared.

She still lives with the white whales, and in the spring, when they are going along the shore, the people can hear her crying, luma, luma, innialuma, and say that she is still alive among them.

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.

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.

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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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