The First Sea-Otters

In the village of Igagik, an Aleut girl, dishonored by a young man, seeks revenge by crippling him. Believing her brother died from a hunting accident, she mourns by reanimating him with a song, but they flee together, transforming into otters. Their parents, heartbroken, mourn their loss as their children become sea creatures, giving rise to the sea-otters.

Source
The Songs and Stories of the Aleuts
collected by F.A. Golder
The Journal of American Folklore
Vol. 20, No. 77, Apr. – Jun., 1907

► Themes of the story

Revenge and Justice: The sister seeks retribution against the young man who dishonored her.

Resurrection: The sister brings her deceased brother back to life through a ritualistic song and dance.

Origin of Things: The story provides an explanation for the existence of sea otters in Aleutian belief.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Aleutian Lore

Learn more about the Aleut people

Unga story

On the southern side of Unalaska Island, opposite the village of Chernovsky, there was once a village named Igagik. In that village lived a well known Aleut who had only two children, a son and a daughter. The son, when full grown, was a quick and bold hunter; the daughter, who was just reaching womanhood, was a model in her way. The parents and all other relatives could not rejoice sufficiently on looking on the young people, and considered themselves very fortunate; but a dreadful calamity, never heard of before nor since, befell them, and of a sudden destroyed their happiness. When the girl reached puberty she (according to the custom) was placed in confinement in a small barrabara, and no one besides her servant was allowed to go near her.

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Her brother, about this time, used to go out nearly every night bird hunting.

While yet in seclusion, and at night when the fire was already out, a certain young man commenced to visit the girl, and passionately made illicit proposals; she, fearing to disgrace her relations, would by no means consent. Finally, not being able to obtain his end by fair means, the young man obtained it by force. The girl, dishonored, determined to revenge herself, and she did it in a most cruel and degrading way. When leaving the barrabara (through a hole in the roof) the girl cut the sinews of both his legs right under the knees, and the unhappy youth, moaning, crawled away from there.

The following morning the girl’s parents sent to tell her that her beloved brother, while out hunting on the preceding night, fell on sharp rocks, cutting the sinews of his legs, and died immediately. This terrible news threw the girl for a short time into some kind of a stupor. She then ordered the servant to dress her in her very best clothes, i.e. to put on her the necklace, the bracelets, the earrings, the nose ornaments (made of wood), and to paint her cheeks; then she herself put on her very best parka (trimmed with fur seal and bills of small ducks, etc., and which is sewed like a long shirt without an opening in front) and tore it in front from top to bottom. Dressed in this fashion, she went, followed by her servant, to her father’s house, where her brother lay.

Her brother was really dead, and lay on the floor in the front part of the barrabara, his parents and friends around him weeping and lamenting. Instead of mourning, she began to sing a song in a very joyful strain: “You brother, brother of mine, come get up, get up and look on that on whose account you have deprived yourself of sleep!”

While singing this song she approached the corpse, shaking the folds of her torn parka and uncovering herself. When she had approached her brother in this manner his toes began to move; as she repeated her song and dance a second time the color came into his face; and at the end of the third performance he jumped up and tried to embrace her. She escaped him and ran outside, he after her, and after him his astonished parents and friends. The girl ran in such a way that her reanimated brother could not reach her, neither could his pursuers come up with him. At last, driven to the cliffy beach, and seeing no other way of escape, they threw themselves into the sea.

Their pursuers waited a long time, not taking their eyes off the spot, and, as it were, waiting for them to emerge. After a long time they appeared on the surface and were even alive; not as human beings, however, but as otters, and slowly swam from the shore, one going east, the other west. The broken-hearted parents followed their course with their eyes, crying and saying : —

“You children, our children, was it for this that we nursed and reared you, that you should shame us with your guilt, and that you should become wild beasts! We were hoping that you would support and bring peace and happiness to us,” etc.

In this manner did the parents mourn for their children all their lives; and from that time appeared in the sea sea-otters.

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The Lake-Monster

In a village plagued by a monstrous beast, a woman with five sons and a daughter, born with a feather parka, protects her children from the creature. Defying their mother’s warnings, the children, led by the girl, hunt the monster. Using the poisoned feathers from her parka, they kill the beast, and their descendants populate Bering Island.

Source
Eskimo and Aleut Stories from Alaska
collected by F.A. Golder
The Journal of American Folklore
Vol. 22, No. 83, Jan. – Mar., 1909

► Themes of the story

Family Dynamics: The narrative explores the relationship between the mother and her children, highlighting themes of protection, obedience, and defiance.

Cunning and Deception: The children employ a clever strategy, using poisoned meat to deceive and defeat the monster.

Origin of Things: The tale concludes with an explanation of the origin of the inhabitants of Bering Island, linking the story to the beginnings of a community.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Aleutian Lore

Learn more about the Aleut people

Unga story

There was a large village close to a lake in which lived a frightful monster. This beast was fed by the people on game which they killed; but when this failed, human beings were substituted. After a time, of all the inhabitants there was left but one woman, who had her hut on the outskirts of the village. She gave birth (at one time) to five boys and one girl. The girl was born with a feather parka on her. The mother took good care of her children; and when they were big enough to run about, she permitted them “to go everywhere except on the south side.” They inquired the reason for this command and the cause of so many empty barabaras formerly occupied by people. The mother refused to answer their questions, but promised to do so some time in the future, when they were older.

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They were far from satisfied with this reply, and insisted on being told at once, and even threatened to disobey her instructions. Much against her inclination, and with fear and trembling, she told them, “On the south side there is a large lake, in which lives a monster so huge that his body reaches from one bank to the other. He has devoured all the people of the village; and I understand that he is coming closer now, for he has had nothing to eat for a long time. You must not go near the lake. One of these days he will come and eat us up.”

The children received the news coolly, and threatened to go the next day to kill the monster. “Ai-Ai-Yah!” cried the mother. “Don’t do it. There were many people strong and brave who could not kill him, and how will you do it?” But the children would not be dissuaded. Under the direction of the girl, the boys worked all night making bows and arrows. In the morning, in spite of the entreaties of their mother, they set out to hunt, and succeeded in killing a fur-seal, which the girl cooked and covered with feathers from her parka. Putting the meat on the platter, she started with it towards the lake, followed by her brothers. From a hill near by they had a good view of the lake and the monster, whose tail was above water. Here the girl ordered her brothers to wait out of danger, while she proceeded. When the monster saw her coming, he opened his mouth, drawing her to him; but before he had quite succeeded, he was obliged to go under. She took advantage of the opportunity, and, after putting down the meat, ran back as fast as she could. When she heard him emerge, she fell down on the ground, clutching with all her might some alder-bushes, and in this way escaped the fate of the meat, which the beast got into his mouth. After the monster had eaten, he went under the water; and in the mean time the girl gained the hill, where her brothers were waiting. They watched to see what would follow, and after a time they were made glad to see the monster appearing on the surface dead. The feathers of the parka in which the girl was born poisoned him, as they would any other animal. With this joyful news, the children hastened home to tell their mother. Around this place the family continued to live, and from them all the inhabitants of Bering Island are descended.

The Girl Who Married the Moon

Two cousins, enchanted by the moon, declare their love and play under its light until one is whisked away by a mysterious moon-man to become his wife. Curious and defiant, she disobeys his warnings, discovers celestial secrets, and faces consequences that bind her to share the moon’s labor. Thus, myth explains the moon’s waxing and waning.

Source
Tales from Kodiak Island
collected by F.A. Golder
The Journal of American Folklore
Vol. 16, No. 60, Jan. – Mar., 1903

► Themes of the story

Forbidden Knowledge: The girl is cautioned against looking behind certain curtains but succumbs to curiosity, uncovering hidden aspects of the moon’s existence.

Origin of Things: The tale provides an explanation for the moon’s waxing and waning phases, attributing them to the shared labor between the moon and the girl.

Love and Betrayal: The initial affection between the girl and the moon-man is tested by her disobedience, leading to a complex dynamic in their relationship.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Aleutian Lore

Learn more about the Aleut people

These tales were obtained by the author at Unga Island, Alaska, during a three years’ residence. They were told in the Russian language by Mrs. Reed, Nicoli Medvednikoff, Corneil Panamaroff, all natives of the island of Kodiak where they had heard them, and translated some literally, others more freely. The natives of Kodiak speak Russian almost as freely as they do their mother tongue. They call themselves “Aleuts,” and wherever that word is used, it refers to them, and not to the real Aleuts to the west. The author has but lately returned from Alaska.

Two girls, cousins, lived in a large village; and those evenings when the moon was out they went to the beach to play. Claiming the moon as their husband, they spent the night in gazing and making love to him. For shelter they had a propped-up bidarka (large skin boat), and in the course of the night they changed their positions several times, so as to be face to face with the moon. If on their return to their homes in the morning their parents questioned their whereabouts, they replied that they watched the moon till he passed from sight. Many of the people heard them remark on different occasions that they loved the moon, and wished they, too, were moons.

One evening, in company with other young people, they amused themselves on the beach. Night coming on, the others returned to their homes, but these two remained. When during the night the moon withdrew from sight, one of the girls complained:

“Why does the moon hide himself so suddenly? I like to play with him, and have light.” “I, too,” said the other. Although they thought it was close on to morning, and that the moon had vanished for the night, it was yet midnight with the moon behind the clouds.

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Up to this time they had not noticed their dishevelled hair, and when they now began to put it in order, they were startled by hearing a noise close to them, followed immediately by a young man. He looked at them for a moment, and then said: “You have been professing love for me since a long time. I have watched and observed you, and know you love me, therefore have I come for you. But as my work is hard, I can take only one of you, the more patient one.”

As each claimed superiority in that virtue, he said, “I will decide this point myself; I will take both of you. Now close your eyes, and keep them closed.” So saying, he grabbed each by the hair, and the next moment they were rushing through the air. The patience of one was soon exhausted, and, on peeping, she dropped down, down, down, leaving her hair behind her in his hands. In the morning she found herself near the bidarka, from which she had parted not long since. The other girl, however, kept her eyes closed, and in the morning found herself in a comfortable barrabara, the home of the moon. There as his wife she lived for a time, apparently happy in loving him. Generally he slept during the day, and was out during the night; but frequently he went away in the morning and returned in the evening; at other times he left in the middle of the day, and when he returned, it was night. His irregular going-out and coming-in puzzled her much; but he never offered to explain to her where he went and what he did in his absence.

This silence and indifference piqued her not a little. She bore it as long as she could, and then called him to account.

“You go out every day, every evening, every morning, and every night. Where do you go? What do you do? Who knows the kind of people you associate with, while I am left here behind.”

“I do not associate with the people here, for there are none of my kind here,” said he. “I have work to do, and cannot hang around you all the time.”

“If it is so hard, why don’t you take me with you to help you sometimes,” she asked.

“I have too much hard work to be bothered with you,” he replied.

“I brought you up here because I had no rest when you were down there. You and your lovely cousin were always staring and staring at me. No matter where I looked, your grins always met me. Now stop being foolish and wishing to go with me; for you cannot help me. Stay home, and be a good girl.”

“You don’t expect me to stay home all the time,” she said, weeping. “If I cannot go with you, may I not go out by myself occasionally?”

“Yes, go anywhere you like, except in the two barrabaras yonder. In the corner of each there is a curtain, under which you must on no account look.” Saying this, he left the barrabara, and that night he looked paler than usual.

Shortly after she went out for a walk; and although she went far and in different directions, she could see no people and only the three barrabaras aforementioned. Short trails there were many. Some of them she followed, and in each case stumbled on a man stretched out face down. It gave her much pleasure to kick them, which she invariably did. On being so disturbed, each would turn on her his one bright sparkling eye, and cry out : “Why do you kick me? I am working and am busy.” She kicked them till she was tired and then started home.

The two barrabaras were on her way, and of course, she had to look in. With the exception of a curtain in the corner, the first barrabara was bare. She could not resist the desire to look under the curtain, and when she did so, she beheld a half-moon, a quarter of a moon, and a small piece of a moon. In the second barrabara, she found a full moon, one almost full, and another more than half full. After thinking it over, she could see no harm in trying one on just to see how well it would become her. The one almost full pleased her best, so she put it on one side of her face, and there it stuck. Notwithstanding she cried, “Ai, Ai, Y-a-h’, Ai, Ai, Yah’,” tugged, and pulled it would not come off. Fearing her husband would arrive on the scene, she hastened home, threw herself on the bed, and covered up her face.

There he found her on his return, complaining that her face was paining her. He, however, suspected the real cause, and went out to investigate. On his return, he questioned her about the missing moon. “Yes,” she admitted; “I tried it on just for fun; and now I cannot take it off.” She expected him to fly into a rage, but he did nothing of the kind. Going up to her, he pulled it off gently. Seeing him in such unusual good humor, she related to him the adventures of the day, especially the sport she had with the one-eyed people scattered over the sky.

“They are stars,” he said reprovingly.

When she had concluded, he said to her: “Since of your own free will you put on this moon, wear it from now on, and help me in my hard work. I will begin the month, and go the rounds until the full moon; after that you will start in, and finish out the month, while I rest.” To this arrangement she consented, and ever since then the two have shared the hard work between them.