Ukaleq

Ukaleq, a renowned hunter, was killed by a Magic Bear—a creature fashioned by enemies—after a fierce chase. His grieving mother revived him through a mysterious ritual, abstaining from food and drink for five days. Later, during a village spirit calling, an old woman was exposed as the creator of the Magic Bear and died of shame. Ukaleq survived but abandoned bear hunting forever.

Source:
Eskimo Folk-Tales
collected by Knud Rasmussen
[Copenhagen, Christiania], 1921

► Themes of the story

Resurrection: Ukaleq’s return to life through his mother’s mysterious ritual is a literal example of resurrection.

Supernatural Beings: The Magic Bear, a creature fashioned by enemies, represents an encounter with a supernatural being.

Divine Punishment: The old woman who created the Magic Bear dies from shame when exposed, suggesting a form of divine or moral retribution for her actions.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

Ukaleq, men say, was a strong man. Whenever he heard news of game, even if it were a great bear, he had only to go out after it, and he never failed to kill it. Once the winter came, and the ice grew firm, and then men began to go out hunting bears on the ice. One day there was a big bear. Ukaleq set off in chase, but he soon found that it was not to be easily brought down. The bear sighted Ukaleq, and turned to pursue him. Ukaleq fled, but grew tired at length. Now and again he managed to wound the beast, but was killed himself at last, and at the same time the bear fell down dead.

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Now when his comrades came to look at the bear, its teeth began to whisper, and then they knew that Ukaleq had been killed by a Magic Bear [i.e. a creature fashioned by an enemy, after the same manner as a Tupilak]. And as there was no help for it, they took the dead man home with them. And then his mother said: “Lay him in the middle of the floor with a skin beneath him.”

She had kept the dress he had worn as a little child, and now that he was dead, she put it in her carrying bag, and went out with it to the cooking place in the passage. And when she got there, she said: “For five days I will neither eat nor drink.”

Then she began hushing the dress in the bag as if it were a child, and kept on hushing it until at last it began to move in the bag, and just as it had commenced to move, there came some out from the house and said: “Ukaleq is beginning to quiver.”

But she kept on hushing and hushing, and at last that which she had in the bag began trying to crawl out. But then there came one from the house and said: “Ukaleq has begun to breathe; he is sitting up.”

Hardly was this said when that which was in the bag sprang out, making the whole house shake. Then they made up a bed for Ukaleq on the side bench, and placed skins under him and made him sit up. And after five days had passed, and that without eating or drinking, he came to himself again, and commenced to go out hunting once more.

Then the winter came, and the winter was there, and the ice was over the sea, and when the ice had formed, they began to make spirit callings. The villages were close together, and all went visiting in other villages.

And at last Ukaleq set out with his family to a village near by, where there was to be a big spirit calling. The house where it was to be held was so big that there were three windows in it, and yet it was crowded with folk.

In the middle of the spirit calling, there was an old woman who was sitting cross-legged up on the bench, and she turned round towards the others and said:

“We heard last autumn that Ukaleq had been killed by a Magic Bear.” Hardly had she said those words when an old wifeless man turned towards her and said: “Was it by any chance your Magic Bear that killed him?”

Then the old woman turned towards the others and said: “Mine? Now where could I have kept such a thing?”

But after saying that she did not move. She even forgot to breathe, for shame at having been discovered by the wifeless man, and so she died on the spot.

After that Ukaleq went home, and never went out hunting bears again. Here ends this story.

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Asaloq

Asaloq, seeking his lost foster-brother, embarks southward with his wife in a skin-covered umiak. Facing perils like sea-lice and serpents, they arrive at a village of strongmen. Challenged to a wrestling match, Asaloq defeats all opponents, asserting dominance. Fleeing further south, he uses magic to evade pursuers. Ultimately, Asaloq and his wife reach Aluk, where their legacy endures.

Source:
Eskimo Folk-Tales
collected by Knud Rasmussen
[Copenhagen, Christiania], 1921

► Themes of the story

Quest: Asaloq embarks on a perilous journey southward in search of his lost foster-brother, facing numerous challenges along the way.

Supernatural Beings: Throughout his voyage, Asaloq encounters mystical creatures such as sea-lice and sea-serpents, highlighting interactions with the supernatural.

Cunning and Deception: Asaloq employs magic and clever tactics to evade his pursuers, demonstrating the use of wit to overcome obstacles.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

Asaloq, men say, had a foster-brother. Once when he had come home after having been out in his kayak, his foster-brother had disappeared. He sought for him everywhere, but being unable to find him, he built a big umiak, and when it was built, he covered it with three layers of skins. Then he rowed off southwards with his wife. And while they were rowing, they saw a black ripple on the sea ahead. When they came to the place, they saw that it was the sea-lice. And the outermost layer of skins on the boat was eaten away before they got through them.

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Now they rowed onwards again, and saw once more a black ripple ahead. When they came to the place, they saw that it was the sea-serpents. And once again they slipped through with the loss of one layer of skins.

Having now but one layer of skins left, they went in great fear of what they might chance to meet next. But without seeing anything strange, they rounded a point, and came in sight of a place with many houses. Hardly had they come into land when the strangers caught hold of their boat, and hauled it up, so that Asaloq had no need to help.

And now it was learned that these were folk who had a strong man in their midst. Asaloq had been but a short time in one of the houses, when they heard the sound of one coming from outside and in through the passage way; it was the strong man’s talebearer boy, and to make matters worse, a boy with a squint.

And now the people of the house said: “Now that wretched boy will most certainly tell him you are here.”

And indeed, the boy was just about to run out again, when they caught hold of him and set him up behind the lamp. But hardly had they turned their backs on him for a moment, when he slipped out before any could move, and they heard the sound of his running footsteps in the snow without.

And after a while, the window grew red with a constant filling of faces looking in to say: “We are sent to bid the stranger come.”

And since there was no help for it, Asaloq went up there with them. When he came into the house, it was full of people, and he looked round and saw the strong man far in on the big bench. And at the moment Asaloq caught sight of him, the strong man said in a deep voice: “Let us have a wrestling match.”

And as he spoke, the others drew out a skin from under the bench, and spread it on the floor. And after the skin had been spread out, food was brought in. And Asaloq ate till there was no more left. But as he rose, all that he had eaten fell out of his stomach. And then they began pulling arms. And now Asaloq began mightily pulling the arms of all the men there, until the skin was worn from his arm, leaving the flesh almost bare.

And when he had straightened out all their arms, he went out of that house the strongest of all, and went out to his umiak and rowed away southwards with his wife. And when they had rowed a little way, they came to a little island, and pitched their tent on the sunny side. And when Asaloq then went up on the hillside to look out, he saw many umiaks coming from the northward, and they camped on the shady side.

Then he heard them say: “Now search carefully about.” And others said: “He can hardly be on such a little island.”

And now Asaloq sang magic songs over them from the top of the hill, and at last he heard them say: “We may as well go home again.”

Now Asaloq stood and watched them row away, and not until they were out of sight did he set off again to the southward. At last they reached Aluk, and there their bones still rest.

Here ends this story.

Makite

Makite, an outcast due to his inability to hunt seals, retreats into the hills after his wife threatens to leave him. He encounters a lone-dweller and later defeats him after a tense conflict. Wandering on, Makite meets dwarfs embroiled in a mystical battle with inland-dwellers. After aiding the dwarfs, Makite builds a home adorned with mysterious candle-like objects from the hills, living there until his death.

Source:
Eskimo Folk-Tales
collected by Knud Rasmussen
[Copenhagen, Christiania], 1921

► Themes of the story

Conflict with Nature: Makite’s inability to catch seals highlights his struggle against natural forces, leading to his isolation.

Transformation: Throughout the narrative, Makite undergoes significant changes, both in his environment and personal growth.

Supernatural Beings: The story features encounters with mystical entities, such as the lone-dweller and dwarfs, emphasizing interactions with the supernatural.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

Makite, men say, took to wife the sister of many brothers, but he himself could never manage to catch a seal when he was out in his kayak. But his wife’s brothers caught seal in great numbers. And so it was that one day he heard his wife say she would leave him, because he never caught anything. And in his grief at hearing this, he said to himself: “This evening, when they are all asleep, I will go up into the hills and live there all alone.” When darkness had fallen, he set off up into the hills, but as he went, his wife’s father, who was standing outside, saw him going, and cried in to the others in the house: “Makite has gone up into the hills to live there all alone. Go after him.”

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The many brothers went out after him, but when they had nearly come up with him, he made his steps longer, and thus got farther and farther away from them, and at last they ceased to pursue him any more.

On his way he came to a house, and this was just as it was beginning to get light. He looked in, and saw that the hangings on the walls were of nothing but reindeer and foxes’ skins. And now he said to himself: “Hum — I may as well go in.”

But as he went in, the hinge of the door creaked, and then a strange, deep sound was heard inside the house, and it began to shake.

At the same moment, the master of the house came in and said: “Have you had nothing to eat yet?”

Makite said: “I will eat nothing until I know what are those things which look like candles, there in front of the window.”

Then the lone-dweller said: “That is no concern of one who is not himself a lone-dweller. Therefore he cannot tell you.”

But then Makite said: “If you do not tell me, I will kill you.”

And then at last he told.

“It may be you have seen today the great hills away in the blue to the south; if you go up to the top of the nearer hill, you will find nothing there, but he who climbs that one which lies farther away, and reaches the top, he will find such things there. But this cannot be done by one who is not a lone-dweller.”

And not until he had said all this did Makite eat.

Then they both went to rest. And just as he was near falling asleep, the lone-dweller began to quiver slightly, but he pretended to sleep. And before Makite could see what he was about, the lone-dweller had strung his bow, and Makite, therefore, seeing he was preparing to kill him, pretended to wake up, and then the other laid aside his bow so quickly that it seemed as if he had not held anything at all. At last, when it was nearly dawn, the lone-dweller fell asleep, and then Makite tried very cautiously to get out, but as he was about to pass through the doorway, he again happened to draw the door to after him, and again it creaked as before with a strange sound. When he looked in through the window, the lone-dweller was about to get up.

Now Makite had laid his great spear a little way above the house, and he ran to the place. When he looked round, he saw that the man from the house was already in chase. Then he came to a big rock, and as there was no help for it, he commenced to run round. When he had run round it for the third time, he grasped his harpoon firmly, and without turning round, thrust it out behind him, and struck something soft. He had struck the other in the side.

Having now killed this one, and as there was no help for it, he wandered on at hazard, and came to a great plain. And in the middle of the plain was something which looked like a house. And he went up to it and found it was the house of a dwarf, and no end of people coming out of it. One went in and another came out, and so they kept on. He tried to get into the passage, but could not even get his foot in.

Then he heard someone inside saying: “Heave up the passage way a little with your back, and then come in.”

When he came in, it was a big place, and the old creature spoke to him, and said: “When you go out, look towards the west; the inland-dwellers are coming.”

And when Makite went out, he looked towards the west, and there he saw a great black thing approaching, and when he then came in again, the old man went to the window and called out: “Here they are; they are close up now.”

And then the dwarfs went out to fight, and took up their posts on the plain, one party opposite the other, and none said a word.

But suddenly the dog that was with the inland folk gave a great bark, and there came a mighty wave of water, rolling right up to the dwarfs.

But when it had come quite close to them, it suddenly grew quite small. And then the dwarfs’ dog gave a bark. And at the same time the dwarfs’ wave arose, and washed right up over the inland folk, and drowned them, and only few of them escaped alive.

When they came home again, Makite built himself a house, and from the high hill fetched some of those things which looked like candles, and hung them up in his house. And he lived there in his house until he died.

And here ends this story.

When the ravens could speak

Long ago, ravens could speak but spoke only in opposites, using abusive words to express gratitude. Their deceitful nature angered an old man who, through magic, stripped them of speech, leaving them to shriek instead. Despite losing their voices, the ravens’ character remained unchanged, and they continue to be known as ill-tempered, thieving creatures to this day.

Source:
Eskimo Folk-Tales
collected by Knud Rasmussen
[Copenhagen, Christiania], 1921

► Themes of the story

Trickster: The ravens embody the trickster archetype by speaking in opposites and deceiving others with their words.

Divine Punishment: The old man’s magical intervention to remove the ravens’ ability to speak serves as a form of punishment for their deceitful behavior.

Transformation: The ravens undergo a significant change, losing their power of speech, which alters how they interact with the world.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

Once, long ago, there was a time when the ravens could talk. But the strange thing about the ravens’ speech was that their words had the opposite meaning. When they wanted to thank any one, they used words of abuse, and thus always said the reverse of what they meant. But as they were thus so full of lies, there came one day an old man, and by magic means took away their power of speech. And since that time the ravens can do no more than shriek. But the ravens’ nature has not changed, and to this day they are an ill-tempered, lying, thieving lot.

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The raven and the goose

The raven’s black color is attributed to its obstinacy in a tale about birds painting each other. The raven painted the goose black with elegant white patterns, which the goose admired. However, when the goose painted a similar pattern on the raven, it grew furious, deeming it ugly. Offended, the goose splashed the raven entirely black—explaining its dull color today.

Source:
Eskimo Folk-Tales
collected by Knud Rasmussen
[Copenhagen, Christiania], 1921

► Themes of the story

Transformation: The tale describes the physical change in the raven’s appearance, resulting in its entirely black color.

Cunning and Deception: The story involves elements of trickery and reactions to perceived deceit during the painting process.

Moral Lessons: The narrative imparts a lesson about the consequences of obstinacy and anger, leading to unintended outcomes.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

Do you know why the raven is so black, so dull and black in colour? It is all because of its own obstinacy. Now listen.

It happened in the days when all the birds were getting their colours and the pattern in their coats. And the raven and the goose happened to meet, and they agreed to paint each other.

The raven began, and painted the other black, with a nice white pattern showing between.

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The goose thought that very fine indeed, and began to do the same by the raven, painting it a coat exactly like its own.

But then the raven fell into a rage, and declared the pattern was frightfully ugly, and the goose, offended at all the fuss, simply splashed it black all over.

And now you know why the raven is black.

The boy from the bottom of the sea who frightened the people of the house to death

A tale of resilience and revenge, this story follows a woman fleeing her abusive husband, building a life under the sea, and raising a monstrous child. As the child grows strong, it ventures to the surface, terrifying villagers with its grotesque form. Guided by its mother, it avoids her past haunts, ultimately returning below, leaving death and awe in its wake.

Source:
Eskimo Folk-Tales
collected by Knud Rasmussen
[Copenhagen, Christiania], 1921

► Themes of the story

Transformation: The protagonist undergoes a significant change by moving from the human world to the bottom of the sea, where she builds a new life and gives birth to a child with unique, sea-inspired features.

Revenge and Justice: The story centers on the mother’s escape from her abusive husband and the subsequent actions of her son, who, upon reaching the surface, frightens villagers to death, symbolizing retribution for past wrongs.

Supernatural Beings: The tale features the birth of a child with extraordinary characteristics—eyes like jellyfish, hair of seaweed, and a mouth resembling a mussel—highlighting interactions with beings beyond the natural world.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

Well, you see, it was the usual thing: “The Obstinate One” had taken a wife, and of course he beat her, and when he wanted to make it an extra special beating, he took a box, and banged her about with that.

One day, when he had been beating her as usual, she ran away. And she was just about to have a child at that time. She walked straight out into the sea, and was nearly drowned, but suddenly she came to herself again, and found that she was at the bottom of the sea. And there she built herself a house.

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While she was down there, the child was born. And when she went to look at it, she nearly died of fright, it was so ugly. Its eyes were jellyfish, its hair of seaweed, and the mouth was like a mussel.

And now these two lived down there together. The child grew up, and when it was a little grown up, it could hear the children playing on the earth up above, and it said: “I should like to go up and see.”

“When you have grown stronger, then you may go,” said his mother. And then the boy began practising feats of strength, with stones. And at last he was able to pick up stones as big as a chest, and carry them into the house.

One evening, when it was dark, they heard again a calling from above. The children, not content with simply shouting at their play, began crying out: “Iyoi-iyoi-iyoi,” with all their might.

“Now I will go with you,” said the mother. “But you must not go into the houses nearest the shore, for there I often fled in when your father would have beaten me; I have suffered much evil up there. And when you thrust in your head, be sure to look as angry as you can.”

There were two houses on the shore, one a little way above the other. As they went up, the mother suddenly saw that her son was going into the one nearest the shore. And she cried: “Ha-a; Ha-a! When your father beat me, I always ran in there. Go to the one up above.”

And now the boy made his face fierce, and thrust in his head at the doorway, and all those inside fell down dead with fright. He would have beaten his father, but his father had died long since. Then he went down again to the bottom of the sea.

When the day dawned, the people from the house nearest the shore came out and said: “Ai! What footsteps are these, all full of seaweed?”

And seeing that the tracks led up to the house a little way above, they followed there, and found that all inside had died of fright.

The dwarfs

A man befriends a shy dwarf while kayaking and aids him in hunting a seal, showcasing his strength. Invited to the dwarf’s home, he earns admiration for his power and marries the dwarf’s beautiful daughter. They later visit the man’s kin, where tragedy strikes as a dog kills their child, prompting the dwarf family to leave. Haunted by dogs, the old dwarf uses magic but remains restless, forever evading his fears.

Source:
Eskimo Folk-Tales
collected by Knud Rasmussen
[Copenhagen, Christiania], 1921

► Themes of the story

Supernatural Beings: The protagonist encounters dwarfs, mystical creatures within Inuit mythology, highlighting interactions between humans and supernatural entities.

Transformation: The man’s life undergoes significant changes after meeting the dwarf, including marriage and the birth of a child, illustrating personal transformation through extraordinary experiences.

Conflict with Nature: The narrative involves hunting and survival in a harsh environment, reflecting the challenges humans face against natural forces.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

A man who was out in his kayak saw another kayak far off, and rowed up to it. When he came up with it, he saw that the man in it was a very little man, a dwarf.

“What do you want,” asked the dwarf, who was very much afraid of the man.

“I saw you from afar and rowed up,” said the man.

But the dwarf was plainly troubled and afraid.

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“I was hunting a little fjord seal which I cannot hit,” he said.

“Let me try,” said the other. And so they waited until it came up to breathe. Hardly had it come up, when the harpoons went flying towards it, and entered in between its shoulder-blades.

“Ai, ai — what a throw!” cried the dwarf in astonishment. And the man took the seal and made a tow-line fast.

Then the two kayaks set off together in towards land.

“Hum — hum. Wouldn’t care to… come and visit us?” said the dwarf suddenly. [The story-teller speaks the dwarf’s part throughout in a hurried and jerky manner, to illustrate the little man’s shyness.]

But this the man would gladly do.

“Hum — hum. I’ve a wife… and a daughter… very beautiful daughter… hum — hum. Many men wanted her… wouldn’t have them… can’t take her by force… very strong. Thought of taking her to wife myself… hum — hum. But she is too strong for me… own daughter.”

They rowed on a while, and then the little one spoke again.

“Hum — hum. Might perhaps do for you… you could manage her… what?”

“Let us first see her,” said the man. And now they rowed into a great deep fjord.

When they came to the place, they landed and went up at once to the house of the little old man. And those in the house did all they could that the stranger might be well pleased. When they had been sitting there a while, the old man said: “Hum — hum… our guest has made a catch… he comes to us bringing game.”

Now it was easy to see that they would gladly have tasted the flesh of that little seal. And so the guest said: “If you care to cook that meat, then set to work and cut it up as soon as you please. Cut it up and give to those who wish to eat of it.”

The little old man was delighted at this, and sent out his two women-folk to cut up that seal. But they stayed away a long while, and no one came in with any meat. So the little old man went out to look for them.

And there stood the two women, hauling at the little fjord seal, which they could not manage to drag up from the shore. They could not even manage it with the old man’s help. They hauled away, all three of them, bending their bodies to the ground in their efforts, but the seal would not move. Then at last the stranger came out, and he took that seal by the flipper with one hand, and carried it up that way.

“What strength, what strength! The man is a giant indeed,” cried the little folk. And they fell to work cutting up the seal, but to them it seemed as if they were cutting up a huge walrus, so hard did they find it to cut up that little seal.

And people came hurrying down from the houses up above, and all wished to share. The women of the house then shared out that seal. Each of the guests was given a little breastbone and no more, but this to them was a very great piece of meat. When they held such a piece in their hands, it reached to the ground, and their hands and clothes were covered with fat.

Inside on the bench sat an old hag who now began trying to make herself agreeable to the guest. She squeezed up close to him and kept on talking to him, and looking at him kindly. She was old and ugly, and the man would have nothing to do with her. Suddenly he gave a loud whistle.

“Ugh — ugh!” cried the old hag in a fright, and fell down from the bench. Then she stumbled down into the passage way, and disappeared.

And now after they had feasted on the seal meat, those from the houses up above cried out: “Let the guest now come up here; we have foxes’ liver to eat!”

And as he did not come at once, they cried again. And then he went up. The house was full of people, all busy eating foxes’ liver.

“It is very hard to cut,” said the dwarfs. “It is dried.”

And the dwarfs worked away as hard as they could, but could not cut it through. But the guest took and munched and crunched as if it had been fresh meat.

“Ai, ai — see how he can eat,” cried some.

But all those in the house were very kind to him, and would gladly have seen him married into their family. And the young women had dressed their hair daintily with mussel shells, that the guest might think them the finer. But he cared for none of them, for the little old man’s daughter was the most beautiful.

And therefore he went down to that house again when it was time to go to rest. And he said he would have her to wife.

And so they lived happily together, and soon they had a child.

And now the man began to long for his own place and kin. He thought more and more of his old mother, who was still alive when he started off.

And so one day he said he was going to visit his home.

“We will all go with you,” said the little old man; “we will visit your kinsfolk.”

And so they made ready for the journey, and set out.

Now when they came to the place of real people, all these were greatly astonished to find their old comrade still alive. For they had thought him dead long since.

And the dwarf people lived happily enough among the real men, and after a little time they forgot to be troubled and afraid.

But one day when the little dwarf grandmother was sitting at the opening of the passage way with the little child, she dropped the child in the passage.

“Hlurp — hlurp — hlurp,” was all she heard. A great dog, his face black on one side and white on the other, lay there in the passage, and it ate up the child on the spot. “Ai — ai,” she cried. “Nothing is left but a little smear on the ground.”

And now the dwarf folk were filled with horror, and the little old man was for setting off at once. So they gathered their belongings together and set out.

And whenever they came to a village, they went up on shore, and the old man always went up with his tent-skins on his back.

“Are there any dogs here? Is there a great beast with a black-and-white face?” was always the first thing he asked.

“Yes, indeed.” And before they could turn round, the old man was back in his boat again, so great was his fear of dogs.

And at last the skin was worn quite away from his forehead with carrying of tent-skins up on to the shore in vain. [A heavy burden carried on the back is supported by a strap or thong passing over the forehead.]

One day they were lying-to, when a wind began to blow from the north.

“Are there dogs here?” asked the old man, and groaned, for his forehead was flayed and smarting, so often had he borne those tent-skins up and down. But before any could answer, he heard the barking of the dogs themselves. And in a moment he was back in his boat again.

The wind had grown stronger. The seas were frothing white, and the foam was scattered about.

Then the old dwarf stood up in his boat and cried:

“The sky is clearing to the east with crested clouds.”

Now this was a magic song, and as soon as he had sung it, the sea was calm and bright once more.

Then the old man went on again. So great was the power of his magic words that he could calm the sea. But for all that he had no peace, by reason of the dogs.

And he went on his way again, but whither he came at last I do not know.

The Very Obstinate Man

An obstinate man forces his mourning wife to sew his kayak, defying cultural norms. Her actions summon a sea monster and the Moon Man, leading to confrontations. Visiting the moon, he loses his heart due to recklessness but regains it after learning humility. Witnessing his wife’s improper mourning sparks self-awareness. After harpooning forbidden walrus, he returns changed, abandoning his obstinate ways and respecting traditions.

Source:
Eskimo Folk-Tales
collected by Knud Rasmussen
[Copenhagen, Christiania], 1921

► Themes of the story

Divine Intervention: The Moon Man, a celestial being, directly influences the protagonist’s fate, highlighting the impact of supernatural forces on human lives.

Transformation: The protagonist undergoes a significant change from obstinacy to humility after his encounters, illustrating personal growth and the potential for change.

Forbidden Knowledge: By defying cultural norms and engaging in prohibited actions, the protagonist gains profound insights into the consequences of his behavior, emphasizing the risks and revelations associated with seeking or ignoring forbidden practices.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

There was once an Obstinate Man — no one in the world could be as obstinate as he. And no one dared come near him, so obstinate was he, and he would always have his own way in everything.

Once it came about that his wife was in mourning. Her little child had died, and therefore she was obliged to remain idle at home; this is the custom of the ignorant, and this we also had to do when we were as ignorant as they. And while she sat thus idle and in mourning, her husband, that Obstinate One, came in one day and said: “You must sew the skin of my kayak.”

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“You know that I am not permitted to touch any kind of work,” said his wife.

“You must sew the skin of my kayak,” he said again. “Bring it down to the shore and sew it there.”

And so the woman, for all her mourning, was forced to go down to the shore and sew the skin of her husband’s kayak. But when she had been sewing a little, suddenly her thread began to make a little sound, and the little sound grew to a muttering, and louder and louder. And at last a monster came up out of the sea; a monster in the shape of a dog, and said: “Why are you sewing, you who are still in mourning?”

“My husband will not listen to me, for he is so obstinate,” she said.

And then the mighty dog sprang ashore and fell upon that husband.

But that Obstinate One was not abashed; as usual, he thought he would get his own way, and his way now was to kill the dog. And they fought together, and the dog was killed.

But now the owner of the dog appeared, and he turned out to be the Moon Man.

And he fell upon that Obstinate One, but the Obstinate One would as usual not give way, but fell upon him in turn. He caught the Moon Man by the throat, and had nearly strangled him. He clenched and clenched, and the Moon Man was nearly strangled to death.

“There will be no more ebb-tide or flood if you strangle me,” said the Moon Man.

But the Obstinate One cared little for that; he only clutched the tighter.

“The seal will never breed again if you strangle me,” cried the Moon Man.

But the Obstinate One did not care at all, though the Moon Man threatened more and more.

“There will never be dawn or daylight again if you kill me,” said the Moon Man at last.

And at this the Obstinate One began to hesitate; he did not like the thought of living in the dark for ever. And he let the Moon Man go.

Then the Moon Man called his dog to life again, and made ready to leave that place. And he took his team and cast the dogs up into the air one by one, and they never came down again, and at last there was the whole team of sledge dogs hovering in the air.

“May I come and visit you in the Moon?” asked the Obstinate One. For he suddenly felt a great desire to do so.

“Yes, come if you please,” said the Moon Man. “But when you see a great rock in your way, take great care to drive round behind it. Do not pass it on the sunny side, for if you do, your heart will be torn out of you.”

And then the Moon Man cracked his whip, and drove off through the naked air.

Now the Obstinate One began making ready for his journey to the moon. It had been his custom to keep his dogs inside the house, and therefore they had a thick layer of ingrown dirt in their coats. Now he took them and cast them out into the sea, that they might become clean again. The dogs, little used to going out at all, were nearly frozen to death by that cold water; they ran about, shivering with the cold.

Then the Obstinate One took a dog, and cast it up in the air, but it fell down heavily to earth again. He took another and did so, and then a third, but they all fell down again. They were still too dirty.

But the Obstinate One would not give in, and now he cast them out into the sea once more.

And when he then a second time tried casting them up in the air, they stayed there. And now he made himself a sledge, threw his team up in the air, and drove off.

But when he came to the rock he was to drive round, this Obstinate One said to himself: “Why should I drive round a rock at all? I will go by the sunny side.”

When he came up alongside, he heard a woman singing drum songs, and whetting her knife; she kept on singing, and he could hear how the steel hummed as she worked.

Now he tried to overpower that old woman, but lost his senses. And when he came to himself, his heart was gone.

“I had better go round after all,” he thought to himself. And he went round by the shady side.

Thus he came up to the moon, and told there how he had lost his heart merely for trying to drive round a rock by the sunny side.

Then the Moon Man bade him lie down at full length on his back, with a black sealskin under, which he spread on the floor. This the Obstinate One did, and then the Moon Man fetched his heart from the woman and stuffed it in again.

And while he was there, the Moon Man took up one of the stones from the floor, and let him look down on to the earth. And there he saw his wife sitting on the bench, plaiting sinews for thread, and this although she was in mourning. A thick smoke rose from her body; the smoke of her evil thoughts. And her thoughts were evil because she was working before her mourning time was passed.

And her husband grew angry at this, forgetting that he had himself but newly bidden her work despite her mourning.

And after he had been there some time, the Moon Man opened a stone in the entrance to the passage way, and let him look down. The place was full of walrus, there were so many that they had to lie one on top of another.

“It is a joy to catch such beasts,” said the Moon Man, and the Obstinate One felt a great desire to harpoon one of them.

“But you must not, you cannot,” said the Moon Man, and promised him a share of the catch he had just made himself. But the Obstinate One would not be content with this; he took harpoons from the Moon Man’s store, and harpooned a walrus. Then he held it on the line — he was a man of very great strength, that Obstinate One — and managed to kill it. And in the same way he also dealt with another.

After his return from the Moon Man’s place, he left off being obstinate, and never again forced his wife to work while she was in mourning.

The insects that wooed a wifeless man

A wifeless man, scorned by his village, gains exceptional hunting prowess after saving a supernatural Noseless One. He prospers, winning a wife, but loses it all after revealing his secret. His wife abandons him, leading to surreal encounters with creatures in her refuge. Reuniting briefly, he sleeps under her spell, awakening seasons later to decay and solitude, returning to his bleak existence.

Source:
Eskimo Folk-Tales
collected by Knud Rasmussen
[Copenhagen, Christiania], 1921

► Themes of the story

Transformation: The protagonist evolves from a scorned, wifeless man to a successful hunter with a wife, highlighting significant personal change.

Supernatural Beings: The man’s encounter with a Noseless One, a creature from beneath the earth, introduces elements of the supernatural influencing mortal life.

Forbidden Knowledge: The man is warned not to reveal the source of his newfound success. Disregarding this caution leads to his downfall, emphasizing the perils of uncovering or disclosing forbidden truths.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

There was once a wifeless man. Yes, that is the way a story always begins. And it was his custom to run down to the girls whenever he saw them out playing. And the young girls always ran away from him into their houses.

And when the time of great hunting set in, and the kayak men lived in plenty, it always happened that he shamefully overslept himself every time he had made up his mind to go out hunting. He did not wake until the sun had gone down, and the hunters began to come in with their catch in tow.

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One day when he awoke as usual about sunset, he got into his kayak all the same, and rowed off. Hardly had he passed out of sight of the houses, when he heard a man crying: “My kayak has upset, help me.”

And he rowed over and righted him again, and then he saw that it was one of the Noseless Ones, the people from beneath the earth.

“Now I will give you all my hide thongs with ornaments of walrus tusk,” said the man who had upset.

“No,” said the wifeless man; “such things I am not fit to receive; the only thing I cannot overcome is my miserable sleepiness.”

“First come in with me to land,” said the Fire Man. And they went in together.

When they reached the place, the Noseless One said: “This is the man who saved my life when I was near to death.”

“I happened to save you because my course lay athwart your own,” said the wifeless man. “It is the first time for many days that I have been out at all in my kayak.”

“One beast and one only you may choose when you are on your homeward way. And be careful never to tell what you have seen, or it will go ill with your hunting hereafter.”

Those were the Fire Man’s words. And then the wifeless man rowed home.

But when the time for his expected return had come, he was nowhere to be seen, and the young girls began to rejoice at the misfortune which must have befallen him. For they could not bear the sight of that man.

But then suddenly he came in sight round the point, and at once all cried: “Here comes one who looks like the wifeless man.”

And then all the young unmarried girls ran into their houses.

“And the wifeless man has made a catch,” one cried.

And hardly had the evening begun to fall when the wifeless man went to rest, and hardly had the light appeared when the wifeless man went out hunting, long before his fellows. Hardly had the sun appeared in the sky, when the wifeless man came home with three seals. And his fellow-hunters were then but just preparing to set out.

Thus the days passed for that wifeless man. Early in the morning he would go out, and when the sun had only just begun to climb the sky, he would come home with his catch.

Then the unmarried girls began talking together.

“What has come to our wifeless man,” they said, and began to vie with one another in seeking his favour.

“Let me, let me,” they cried all together.

And the wifeless man turned towards them, and laughingly chose out the best in the flock.

And now they lived together, the wifeless man and the girl, and every day there was freshly caught seal meat to be cut up. At last she grew weary, and cried: “Why ever do you catch such a terrible lot?”

“H’m,” said he. “The seals come of themselves, and I catch them — that is all.”

But she kept on asking him, and so he said at last: “It was in this way. Once….” But having said thus much, he ceased, and went to rest. But it was long before he could sleep. And the sun was just over the houses of the village before he awoke and set out next day.

That day he caught but one seal.

In the evening, his wife began again asking and asking, and seeing that she would not desist, at last he said: “It was in this way. Once… well, I woke up in the evening, and rowed out, and heard a man crying for help, because his kayak had upset. And I rowed up to him and righted him again, and when I looked at him, it was one of the Noseless Ones.”

“’It was a good thing you were not idling about by the houses,’ said the Noseless One to me.

“’I had but just got into my kayak,’” said I.

And thus he told all that had happened to him that day, and from that time forward he lost his power of hunting, for now his old sleepiness came over him once more, and he lost all.

At last he had not even skins enough to give his wife for her clothes, and so she ran away and left him. He set off in chase, but she escaped through a crevice in the rocks, a narrow place whereby he could just pass.

Now he lay in wait there, and soon he heard a whispering inside: “You go out to him.”

And out crawled a blowfly, and said: “Take me.” — “I will not take you,” said the wifeless man, “for you pick your food from the muck-heaps.” The blowfly laughed and crawled back again, and he could hear it say: “He will not take me, because I pick my food from the muck-heaps.”

Then there was more whispering inside.

“Now you go out.”

And out came a fly.

“You may have me,” it said. “Thanks,” said the wifeless man, “but I do not care for you at all. You lay your eggs about anyhow, and your eyes are quite abominably big.” At this the fly laughed, and went inside with the same message as before.

Again there was a whispering inside.

“Take me,” said the cranefly. “No, your legs are too long,” said the wifeless man. And the cranefly went in again, laughing.

Then out came a centipede.

“Take me.” — “I will not take you,” said the wifeless man, “for you have far too many legs. Your body clings to the ground with all those legs, and your eyes are simply nasty.”

And the centipede laughed a cackling laugh and went in again.

They whispered together again in there, and out came a gnat.

“Take me,” said the gnat. “No thanks, you bite,” said the wifeless man. And the gnat went in again, laughing.

And then at last his wife bade him come in to her, since he would have none of the others, and at last he just managed to squeeze his body in through the crack, and then he took her to wife again.

“Comb my hair,” said the wifeless man, now very happy once more.

And his wife began, and said words above him thus: “Do not wake until the fulmar begins to cry: sleep until we hear a sound of young birds.”

And he fell asleep.

And when at last he awoke, he was all alone. The earth was blue with summer, and the fulmar cried noisily on the bird cliff. And it had been winter when he crawled in through the crack.

When he came down to his kayak, the skin was rotted through with age.

And then I suppose he reached home as usual, and now sits scratching himself at ease.

Isigaligarssik

Isigaligarssik, a strong but wifeless man, marries a widow’s daughter. A jealous village wizard steals his wife and mocks him repeatedly during spirit-calling ceremonies. Despite warnings, Isigaligarssik confronts the wizard, who attacks him. Using a childhood charm, Isigaligarssik heals and challenges the wizard to a bow duel. Cleverly outmaneuvering the wizard, he fatally shoots him, reclaiming his wife and living happily with her until death.

Source:
Eskimo Folk-Tales
collected by Knud Rasmussen
[Copenhagen, Christiania], 1921

► Themes of the story

Cunning and Deception: Isigaligarssik employs cleverness to outmaneuver the wizard, ultimately reclaiming his wife.

Revenge and Justice: The narrative centers on Isigaligarssik’s quest to avenge the wrongs inflicted upon him by the wizard, culminating in a duel that restores his honor.

Supernatural Beings: The presence of the wizard, with his mystical abilities and spirit-calling ceremonies, introduces elements of the supernatural into the tale.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

Isigaligarssik was a wifeless man, and he was very strong. One of the other men in his village was a wizard. Isigaligarssik was taken to live in a house with many brothers, and they were very fond of him.

When the wizard was about to call upon his spirits, it was his custom to call in through the window: “Only the married men may come and hear.” And when they who were to hear the spirit calling went out, a little widow and her daughter and Isigaligarssik always stayed behind together in the house.

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Once, when all had gone out to hear the wizard, as was their custom, these three were thus left alone together. Isigaligarssik sat by the little lamp on the side bench, at work.

Suddenly he heard the widow’s daughter saying something in her mother’s ear, and then her mother turned towards him and said: “This little girl would like to have you.”

Isigaligarssik would also like to have her, and before the others of the house had come back, they were man and wife. Thus when the others of the house had finished and came back, Isigaligarssik had found a wife, and his house-fellows were very glad of this.

Next day, as soon as it was dark, one called, as was the custom: “Let only those who have wives come and hear.” And Isigaligarssik, who had before had no wife, felt now a great desire to go and hear this. But as soon as he had come in, the great wizard said to Isigaligarssik’s wife: “Come here; here.”

When she had sat down, he told her to take off her shoes, and then he put them up on the drying frame. Then they made a spirit calling, and when that was ended, the wizard said to Isigaligarssik: “Go away now; you will never have this dear little wife of yours again.”

And then Isigaligarssik had to go home without a wife. And Isigaligarssik had to live without a wife. And every time there was a spirit calling, and he went in, the wizard would say: “Ho, what are you doing here, you who have no wife?”

But now anger grew up slowly in him at this, and once when he came home, he said: “That wizard in there has mocked me well, but next time he asks me, I shall know what to answer.”

But the others of the village warned him, and said: “No, no; you must not answer him. For if you answer him, then he will kill you.”

But one evening when the bad wizard mocked him as usual Isigaligarssik said: “Ho, and what of you who took my wife away?”

Now the wizard stood up at once, and when Isigaligarssik bent down towards the entrance to creep out, the wizard took a knife, and stabbed him with a great wound.

Isigaligarssik ran quickly home to his house, and said to his wife’s mother: “Go quickly now and take the dress I wore when I was little. [The first dress worn by a child is supposed to act as a charm against wounds if the former wearer can put it on when a grown man.] It is in the chest there.”

And when she took it out, it was so small that it did not look like a dress at all, but it was very pretty. And he ordered her then to dip it in the water bucket. When it was wet, he was able to put it on, and when the lacing thong at the bottom touched the wound, it was healed.

Now when his house-fellows came out after the spirit-calling they thought to find him lying dead outside the entrance. They followed the blood spoor, and at last he had gone into the house. When they came in, he had not a single wound, and all were very glad for that he was healed again. And now he said: “Tomorrow I will go bow-shooting with him.”

Then they slept, and awakened, and Isigaligarssik opened his little chest and searched it, and took out a bow that was so small it could hardly be seen in his hands. He strung that bow, and went out, and said: “Come out now and see.”

Then they went out, and he went down to the wizard’s house, and called through the window: “Big man in there; come out now and let us shoot with the bow!” And when he had said this, he went and stood by a little river. When he turned to look round, the wizard was already by the passage of his house, aiming with his bow.

He said: “Come here.” And then Isigaligarssik drew up spittle in his mouth and spat straight down beside his feet.

“Come here,” he said then, to the great wizard. Then he went over to him, and came nearer and nearer, and stopped just before him. Now the wizard aimed with his bow towards him, and when he did this, the house-fellows cried to Isigaligarssik: “Make yourself small!” And he made himself so small that only his head could be seen moving backwards and forwards. The wizard shot and missed. And a second time he shot and missed.

Then Isigaligarssik stood up, and took the arrow, and broke it across and said: “Go home; you cannot hit.” And then the wizard went off, turning many times to look round. At last, when he bent down to get into his house through the passage way, Isigaligarssik aimed and shot at him. And they heard only the sound of his fall. The arrow was very little, and yet for all that it sent him all doubled up through the entrance, so that he fell down in the passage.

In this way Isigaligarssik won his wife again, and he lived with her afterwards until death.