Battle with the Ta’nnit

A nimble young woman defends herself against four fierce Ta’nnit warriors after her brothers are slain. She defeats a remaining warrior in an exhausting day-long spear duel, ultimately sparing his life. Consumed by shame and honor, he refuses to return home in defeat. Despite her mercy, he compels her to kill him, choosing death over dishonor.

Source
The Jessup North Pacific Expedition
edited by Franz Boas
Memoir of the American Museum
of Natural History – New York
Volume VIII
1. Chukchee Mythology
by Waldemar Bogoras
Leiden & New York, 1910

► Themes of the story

Good vs. Evil: The protagonist faces adversaries who have killed her brothers, representing a classic struggle between opposing forces.

Hero’s Journey: The young woman embarks on a transformative adventure, showcasing courage and skill in battle.

Sacrifice: The warrior chooses death over dishonor, highlighting the theme of giving up life for personal principles.

► From the same Region or People

North Asia
- Chukchee Lore

Learn more about the Chukchee people

Told by Rike’wgi, a Maritime Chukchee man, at Mariinsky Post, October, 1900.

In the olden times, in some (part of the country,) people were at war. There were a “set of brothers” with a sister. The girl was quite nimble (from constant exercise). They were attacked by Ta’nnit. There were probably three [of them] (of the Chukchee). [Two brothers are also “a set”.] The girl had a spear (made) of walrus-tusk. Four Ta’nnit warriors, (also) nimble, fought with spears. All four of them wanted to attack the girl. Her brothers (meanwhile) were all killed by the Ta’nnit.

The other Ta’nnit were also killed at the same time. The girl, the nimble one, was spoken to by the remaining Ta’nnin warrior, (who said,) “I do not want it. You are a woman. Let us stop this!” The girl said, “(Nay,) it is all right.” The Ta’nnin warrior said, “No, you are weak.” The girl said, “Well, now, try me first, (and see) whether you can do anything to me.”

► Continue reading…

Then she gathered up her tresses, and girt her body about the middle, also (arranged) her broad sleeves. Her spear was a short one. Oh, the Ta’nnin warrior said, “It is to no purpose. You are a woman.” — “You are too self-assured. Try me first!”

The girl stood on the defensive, holding up her spear made of walrus-tusk. They fought with spears the whole day long, until the sun (went down) [very far, the whole day]. Before sunset the Ta’nnin warrior began to lose his breath, and his tongue lolled (out of his mouth). He felt quite weak.

All at once he sat down upon the ground. The girl said, “I will not kill you. I am a woman. I feel confused on account of this.” The Ta’nnin warrior said, “Oh, oh! but it is by a Ta’nnin woman with a tattooed nose that I am treated like this!” [The Reindeer Chukchee and the Reindeer Koryak call each other mutually Ta’nnit. The Reindeer Chukchee women put their tattoo-lines on both sides of the nose.]

The Ta’nnin warrior was very nimble. He was really a very strong man. Then he said again, “Oh, oh, such a one, a Ta’nnin woman with a tattooed nose, I have met only now! I am not ashamed to return home. Well, now, dispose of me! I will not return home.”

A very nimble Ta’nnin warrior! “Still, I have also despatched many, [I will not return home].” The girl said again, “I will not kill you. I am a woman.” The man said, “Indeed, then if you will not kill me, I shall do something myself to my own body. Oho! these Ta’nnit (i.e., the Chukchee) are born (in life) better than we. Here is such a Ta’nnin woman with a tattooed nose! Kill me, now! Shall I come home without shame? Never! And, indeed, even if I should return home, my father would not allow me to live. He would say, ‘Oh, you were overpowered by a mere woman!’”

“Tell me, have you brothers still?” — “Yes, I have one brother.” — “This spear of mine give to your brother.” — “I cannot do this. They will blame me. They will say, ‘Where have you found this spear, being a woman?’”

“Surely, I will not go home. Take also this armor of mine. But first shall take a smoke of tobacco.” He would not listen to any persuasion. He wanted to die.

He had a smoke. As soon as he took the pipe out of his mouth, she stabbed him, and he fell on his back. (He lay there, touching the ground) merely with his calves, with his shoulder-blades, and with the other fleshy parts of his body. He lay (with the small of his back) quite on high. So strong was he. Then he died, and came to his end.

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The “Unnatural Uncle”

In a remote village, a cruel man repeatedly tried to kill his nephew, disguised as a girl to avoid suspicion. Despite several deadly traps involving a log, bluff, and clam, the resourceful boy survived each attempt. Ultimately, the boy exacted justice, rescuing his parents and banishing his uncle. The family found peace and safety in a distant land of eagle people.

Source
Tales from Kodiak Island
collected by F.A. Golder
The Journal of American Folklore
Vol. 16, No. 61, Apr. – Jun., 1903

► Themes of the story

Good vs. Evil: The narrative highlights the struggle between the boy’s innocence and his uncle’s malevolence.

Trials and Tribulations: The boy faces and overcomes a series of life-threatening challenges set by his uncle.

Cunning and Deception: Both the boy and his uncle employ cunning and deceit—the uncle in his murderous plots and the boy in his survival strategies.

► 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.

In a village lived a man, known to his neighbors as “Unnatural Uncle.” When his nephews became a few years old, he would kill them. Two had already suffered death at his hands. After the second had disappeared, his wife went to the mother of the boys, and said: “Should another boy be born to you, let us conceal the fact from my husband, and make him believe the child a girl. In that case he will not harm him, and we may succeed in bringing him up.”

Not long after the above conversation another nephew was born. Unnatural Uncle, hearing that a child was born, sent his wife to ascertain the sex of the child. She, as had been agreed upon, reported the child a girl. “Let her live,” he said.

The two women tended and dressed the boy as if he were a girl. When he grew older, they told him to play with the girls, and impressed upon him that he should at all times imitate the ways, attitudes, and postures of the girls, especially when attending to the calls of nature. Unnatural Uncle watched the boy as he was growing up, and often wondered at his boyish looks. One day the boy, not knowing that his uncle was about and observing him, raised up his parka, and so exposed his body.

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“Ah,” said Unnatural Uncle to his wife, on reaching home, “this is the way you have fooled me. But I know everything now. Go and tell my nephew I wish to see him.”

With tears in her eyes the poor woman delivered the message to the nephew, told him of the disappearance of his brothers, and of his probable fate. The father and mother of the boy wept bitterly, for they were certain he would never return. The boy himself, although frightened, assured his parents to the contrary, and begged them not to worry, for he would come back safe and sound.

“Did my brothers have any playthings?” he asked before going.

He was shown to a box where their things were kept. In it he found a piece of a knife, some eagle-down, and a sour cranberry. These he hid about his person, and went to meet his uncle. The latter greeted him, and said : “Nephew, let us go and fetch some wood.”

When they came to a large forest, the boy remarked: “Here is good wood; let us take some of it, and go back.”

“Oh, no! There is better wood farther on,” said the uncle.

From the forest they stepped into a bare plain, “Let us go back. There is no wood here,” called the boy. But the uncle motioned to him to come on, telling him that they would soon find better wood. A little later they came to a big log. “Here is what I want,” exclaimed the uncle, and began splitting it. “Here, nephew, jump in, and get that wedge out,” called the uncle to the boy, as one of the wedges fell in. When the boy did so, the man knocked out the other wedges; the log closed in on the boy, and held him fast. “Stay there!” said Unnatural Uncle, and walked off.

For some time the boy remained in this helpless condition, planning a means of escape. At last he thought of his sour cranberry, and, taking it in his hand, he rubbed with it the interior of the log from edge to edge. The sourness of the berry caused the log to open its mouth, thus freeing him.

On his way back to the village, he gathered a bundle of wood, which he left at his uncle’s door, announcing the fact to him : “Here, uncle, I have brought you the wood.” The latter was both surprised and vexed at his failure, and determined more than ever to kill the boy. His wife, however, warned him: “You had better not harm the boy; you have killed his brothers, and if you hurt him, you will come to grief.”

“I will kill him, too,” he savagely replied.

When the boy reached his father’s home, he found them weeping and mourning. “Don’t weep!” he pleaded. “He cannot hurt me; no matter where he takes me, I will always come back.” In the morning he was again summoned to appear at his uncle’s. Before going, he entreated his parents not to feel uneasy, assuring them that no harm would befall him, and that he would be back. The uncle called the boy to go with him after some ducks and eggs. They passed several places abounding in ducks and eggs, and each time that the boy suggested, “Let us take these and go back,” the uncle replied: “Oh, no! There are better ducks and eggs farther on.” At last they came to a steep bluff, and, looking down, saw a great many ducks and eggs. “Go down carefully, nephew, and gather those ducks and eggs. Be quick, and come back as soon as you can.”

The boy saw the trap at a glance, and prepared for it by taking the eagle-down in each hand, between thumb and finger. As the boy took a step or two downward, the uncle gave him a push, causing him to lose his footing. “He will never come back alive from here,” smiled the uncle to himself, as he walked back. If he had remained awhile longer and looked down before going, he would have seen the boy descending gently instead of falling. The eagle-down kept him up in the air, and he lighted at his own pleasure safe and sound. After gathering all the ducks and eggs he wanted, he ascended by holding up the down, as before, and blowing under it. Up, up he went, and in a short time stood on the summit. It was night before he sighted his uncle’s home. At the door he deposited the birds and eggs, and shouted: “Here, uncle, are the ducks and eggs.”

“What! back again!” exclaimed the man very much mortified. His wife again pleaded with him to leave the boy in peace. “You will come to grief, if you don’t,” she said. “No; he cannot hurt me,” he replied angrily, and spent the remainder of the night thinking and planning.

Although he assured them that he would return, the boy’s parents did not have much faith in it; for he found them on his return weeping for him. This grieved him. “Why do you weep?” he said. “Didn’t I say I would come back ? He can take me to no place from which I cannot come back.”

In the evening of the third day the aunt appeared and said that her husband wished the boy. He told his parents not to be disturbed, and promised to come back soon. This time the uncle invited him to go with him after clams. The clams were very large, large enough to inclose a man. It was ebb tide, and they found plenty of clams not far from the beach. The boy suggested that they take these and go back, but the uncle put him off with, “There are better clams farther out.” They waded into the water, and then the man noticed an extraordinarily large clam. “Take him,” he said, but when the boy bent over, the clam took him in. So confident was Unnatural Uncle of his success this time that he uttered not a word, but with a triumphant grin on his face and a wave of his hand he walked away. The boy tried to force the valves apart, but not succeeding, he cut the ligament with his piece of a knife, compelling the clam to open up little by little until he was able to hop out. He gathered some clams, and left them at his uncle’s door as if nothing had happened. The man, on hearing the boy’s voice outside, was almost beside himself with rage. His wife did not attempt to pacify him. “I will say nothing more,” she said. “I have warned you, and if you persist in your ways, you will suffer.”

The next day Unnatural Uncle was busy making a box.

“What is it for?” asked his wife.

“A plaything for our nephew,” he replied.

In the evening the boy was sent for. On leaving his parents, he said: “Do not feel uneasy about my absence. This time I may be away a long time, but I will come back nevertheless.”

“Nephew, here is something to amuse you,” said his uncle. “Get inside of it, so that I may see whether it fits you.” It fitted him, so did the lid the box, and the rope the lid. He felt himself borne along, and from the noise of the waves he knew it was to the sea. The box was lowered, and with a shove it was set adrift. It was stormy, the waves beat over the box, and several times he gave himself up as lost. How long he drifted he had no idea; but at last he heard the waves dashing against the beach, and his heart rejoiced. Louder, and louder did the joyful peal sound. He gathered himself together for the sudden stop which soon came, only to feel himself afloat again the next moment. This experience he went through several times, before the box finally stopped and he realized he was on land once more.

As he lay there, many thoughts passed through his mind: where was he? was any one living there? would he be saved? or would the flood-tide set him adrift again? what were his people at home doing? These, and many other thoughts passed through his brain, when he was startled by hearing voices, which he recognized, a little later, as women’s. This is what he heard:

“I saw the box first,” said one.

“No, I saw it first,” said the other.

“I am sure I saw it before you,” said the first speaker again, “and, therefore, it is mine.”

“Well, you may have the box, but its contents shall belong to me,” replied the other.

They picked up the box, and began to carry it, but finding it somewhat heavy and being anxious to know what it contained, they stopped to untie it.

“If there are many things in there, I shall have some of them,” said the first speaker, who rued her bargain. The other one said nothing. Great was their surprise on beholding him. He was in turn surprised to see two such beautiful girls, the large village, the numerous people, and their peculiar appearance, for he was among the Eagle people in Eagle land. The full grown people, like the full grown eagles, had white faces and heads, while those of the young people, like those of young eagles, were dark. Eagle skins were hanging about all over the village; and it amused him to watch some of the people put on their eagle skins and change to eagles, and after flying around, take them off and become human beings again.

The girls, being the daughters of the village chief, led the boy to their father, each claiming him. When he had heard them both, the chief gave the boy to the older girl (the second speaker). With her he lived happily, but his thoughts would very often wander back to his former home, the people there, his parents; and the thought of his uncle’s cruelty to them would make his heart ache. His wife noted these spells of depression, and questioned him about them until he told her of his parents and uncle. She, like a good wife, bade him cheer up, and then went to have a talk with her father. He sent for his son-in-law, and advised him to put on his (chief’s) eagle skin, soar up high until he could see his village, fly over there, visit his parents, and bring them back with him. He did as he was told, and in a short time found himself in the village. Although he could see all other people, his parents were not in sight.

This was in the evening. During the night he went out to sea, brought back a large whale, and placed it on the beach, knowing that all the villagers would come out for the meat. The first person to come to the village beach in the morning was Unnatural Uncle; and when he saw the whale, he aroused the village, and a little later all, except the boy’s father and mother, were there, cutting and storing up the whale. His parents were not permitted to come near the whale, and when some of the neighbors left some meat at their house. Unnatural Uncle scolded, and forbade it being done again. “I can forgive him the killing of my brothers, the attempts on my life, but I will revenge his treatment of my parents.” With these thoughts in his mind, the eagle left his perch, and flew over to the crowd. He circled over its head a little while, and then made a swoop at his uncle. “Ah, he knows that I am chief, and the whale is mine, and he asks me for a piece of meat.” Saying this, he threw a piece of meat at the eagle. The second time the eagle descended it was still nearer the man’s head, but he tried to laugh it off, and turn it to his glory. The people, however, did not see it that way, and warned him to keep out of the eagle’s clutches, for the eagle meant mischief. When the eagle dropped the third time, it was so near his head that he fell on his face. The fourth time the eagle swooped him, and flew off with him.

Not far from the shore was a high and steep rock, and on its summit the eagle put down the man, placing himself opposite. When he had taken off the skin, and disclosed himself, he said to his trembling uncle : “I could have forgiven you the death of my brothers, the four attempts on my life, but for the cruel treatment of my parents you shall pay. The whale I brought was for my parents and others, and not for you alone; but you took entire possession of it, and would not allow them even to approach it. I will not kill you without giving you a chance for your life. Swim back to the shore, and you shall be spared.” As he could not swim, Unnatural Uncle supplicated his nephew to take him back, but the latter, putting on the eagle skin, and hardening his eagle heart, clutched him, and from a dizzy height in the air dropped him into the sea.

From the beach the crowd watched the fatal act, understood and appreciated it, and, till it was dark, continued observing, from the distance, the eagle. When all had retired, he pulled off the skin, and set out for his father’s barrabara. He related to his parents his adventures, and invited them to accompany him to his adopted land, to which they gladly consented. Early in the morning he put on again his skin, and, taking a parent in each claw, flew with them to Eagle land, and there they are living now.

The Girl Who Went in Search of Her Lover

A beautiful girl defies her village’s misfortunes to search for her lost lover, only to encounter a cannibalistic shaman who killed him. Through cunning and courage, she outwits the shaman and his flesh-eating sisters, ultimately ending their reign of terror. Her daring journey brings peace to her village, transforming her into a celebrated hero and symbol of resilience.

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

Quest: The protagonist embarks on a perilous journey to find her lost lover, demonstrating determination and bravery.

Good vs. Evil: The narrative centers on the struggle between the virtuous girl and the malevolent shaman and his sisters.

Revenge and Justice: By defeating the shaman and his sisters, the protagonist avenges her lover’s death and restores peace to her village.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Aleutian Lore

Learn more about the Aleut people

A terrible misfortune befell the people of a very large village. Of all the hunters that left the village not one ever came back, nor was it known what became of them. In that village lived a very beautiful girl, who loved and was beloved by a brave young hunter and joyfully consented to become his wife; but the parents objecting, the marriage never came off. The disappointed lover decided to drown his grief in hunting, and, although cautioned by the old men, insisted on going and went. A week, a month, passed, and when he did not return, he was given up as lost. Not so the girl; she could not believe him dead, and concluded to go and search for him.

Secretly she made preparations, and one night, when all the other villagers were sleeping, stole out quietly, and, taking her father’s one-hatch bidarka and kamalayka (waterproof shirt made of intestines), started off. After going some distance from the village, she ceased paddling, closed her eyes, and began to sing. She sang a verse, then opened her eyes, and on noticing that the bidarka was drifting with the current, shut her eyes again and continued singing. At the end of the second verse, she looked about again, and, seeing the bidarka drifting as before, only faster, closed her eyes and sang a long time.

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When she looked around the next time, the bidarka was going very, very fast. Becoming alarmed, she tried unsuccessfully to change its course. The speed of the boat increased each moment; and soon she heard the mighty roar of falling waters.

Her life without her lover was not worth living, so closing her eyes, she resigned herself to her fate and awaited death. Very swiftly the boat rushed now; the roaring waters became dreadful; and her heart almost stopped beating when she felt herself going down, down, down, and suddenly coming to a standstill. She was not hurt, but could neither come out nor move. The bidarka was fast.

Dawn was approaching as she lay there, wondering what would become of her and what became of her lover. When it was broad daylight, she saw a bidarka, with one man in it, coming toward her. On coming closer, the man exclaimed, “Ha! Ha! I have another victim,” and placed a bow and arrow, having a two-edged knife on the end, near him for immediate use. But as he came a little nearer, he put back his weapons, saying to himself, “Seems to me that is a woman. No, it cannot be,” he added a moment later, and picked up his bow and arrow again, only to replace them, and crying out, “If you are a woman, speak up, and I will not kill you; for I do not kill women.” She assured him that she was a woman, and he came and took her out of the bidarka, seated her in his, and paddled off with her.

Reaching his home, a small barrabara, and occupied by him alone, she noticed many human heads; and in one, not yet badly decomposed, she recognized her lover’s. She did not say a word, but swore vengeance. The man told her that he would have her for his wife, and ordered her to cook something for him to eat, which she did of deer and seal meat. At bedtime, he pointed to a corner of the barrabara, telling her to lie there, while he slept in the opposite corner. Although this arrangement seemed queer to her, she obeyed without questioning.

The following morning he led her to a little small barrabara, and showed her a number of headless human bodies. “These,” said he, “I do not eat; but I have three sisters, living some distance from here, who eat human flesh only. It is for them that I killed these people. Each day I take one of these bodies to a different sister.” He then lifted up a corpse, and, taking his bow and arrow, walked off. The girl followed him to the place where the road forked. One path led to the right, another to the left, and the third continued straight before her. Noticing which he took, she returned to the barrabara, and busied herself the rest of the day, removing two of the posts from one of the walls, and digging an underground passage out. All the dirt she removed and dumped into the sea, and cunningly concealed the passage. Towards evening she cooked supper, and when he returned, they ate it in silence and then retired; she in her corner and he in his.

After breakfast the next morning, he carried away another corpse. She, taking the bow and arrow which he left behind, followed him secretly. Where the road divided, he took the path to the left, while she followed the one in the middle. After keeping it for a while, she cut across to the left path, and by hurrying managed to reach the home of his sister and kill her before he came there. From there she ran to the homes of the other sisters, killing them, and then back to the barrabara. He, coming to his sister’s, and finding her dead, hastened to the homes of the other sisters, and finding them dead also, suspected the criminal, and determined to kill her.

She was sitting on the barrabara when he came. “You killed my sisters and I will kill you,” he cried. He rushed for his bow and arrow, but they were not in their places, and when he discovered them in her hands, he began begging them of her, promising to do her no harm. At first she refused, but he pleaded and promised until she, trusting in his promises, gave them to him. As soon as he had them, he shouted, “Now you shall die,” and shot at her. But she, dropping through the smoke hole, was out of sight before the arrow could reach her; and while he was looking for the arrow, she crawled out through the underground passage, and perched herself anew on the barrabara. This sudden appearance was a mystery to him, since the door was closed. Again and again he shot at her, and each time she disappeared and appeared in the same mysterious manner. At last, seeing that he could not hurt her, he said, “Since I cannot kill you, take these, and kill me.”

“I do not want to kill you,” she said, “But I am afraid that you will kill me some day, when you think of my doings.”

He swore never to hurt her, and she came down. They ate supper, and retired in the usual manner; but as he was about to fall asleep, she moved close to him, and commenced talking to him, keeping him awake the whole night. Five days and nights she tortured him in this way, giving him no opportunity to sleep. On the sixth day, in spite of all that she could do, he fell into a deep sleep. Although she pulled and pinched him, he could not be aroused. She then brought a block of wood from outside, and, placing it under his neck, cut his head off with a knife which she stole from one of his sisters.

In his bidarka she put his bow and arrow and knife, and, seating herself in it, started on her homeward journey by way of the falls. But the falls were there no more; for they existed through the evil power of the man, who was a shaman; and when he died, his influence ceased; the river flowed smoothly and steadily in the old channel. Her bidarka she found drifted on the beach, and after repairing and placing his weapons in it, paddled away, and in good time came home.

When the people of the village learned her adventures, and that she killed the shaman, they rejoiced exceedingly. The old men decreed that the shaman’s weapons, which the girl had brought along, should be thrown on the garbage pile, where they would be polluted.