A wolverene destroys his sister

The wolverine, starving and desperate, deceives a bear into believing they are siblings destined to gather berries. Feigning a special berry-infused eye treatment, the wolverene lures her unsuspecting “sister” into a sweat house, then blinds and kills her with a concealed sharp stone. Through this cruel stratagem, the tale highlights the perils of misplaced trust and the cunning power of deception.

Source:
Ethnology of the Ungava District,
Hudson Bay Territory
by Lucien M. Turner
Smithsonian Institution
Bureau of American Ethnology
Annual Report 11, 1889-1890
Washington, 1894

► Themes of the story

Trickster: The wolverene embodies the classic trickster, using guile and false kinship to outwit the bear.

Illusion vs. Reality: The wolverene’s feigned sibling relationship and bogus sweat house treatment blur truth and appearances.

Moral Lessons: This narrative functions as a cautionary tale warning against naive trust and the dangers of deception.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Naskapi Lore

Learn more about the Naskapi people

A wolverene having wandered far, for several days without food, suddenly came upon a bear. The former, feeling very hungry, conceived the plan of destroying his larger prey by stratagem. The wolverene cautiously approached the bear and exclaimed: “Is that you, sister!” The bear turned around and saw the wolverene, but in a low tone, winch the wolverene did not hear, said to herself: “I did not know that J had a brother,” so ran quickly away. The wolverene continued to scream: “Come here, sister, our father has sent me to look for you. You were lost when you were a little girl out picking berries.” Thus spoken to, the bear approached the supposed brother, who informed her that he knew of a place, on the hill there, where a lot of nice berries were ready for eating, saying: “Do you not see the berries growing on that hill, sister?”

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The bear answered: “I cannot see so great a distance.” So the two went up the hillside where the berries grew. “When they arrived at the place, and it was some distance off, the bear asked: “How is it that your eyes are so good?” The wolverene replied: My father mashed a lot of cranberries into my eyes and put me into a sweat house.” The bear said: “I wish my eyes were as good as yours.” The wolverene answered: “I will make your eyes as good as mine if you will gather a lot of cranberries while I prepare a sweat house.” The bear went to gather berries while the other prepared the house during her absence. The wolverene selected a stone having a sharp edge, which she concealed under the moss in the sweat house, while she procured a larger stone for the pillow.

After the sweat house was completed the wolverene cried out: “Sister, the sweat house is finished!” The bear returned, bringing a quantity of berries. They both went into the sudatory, whereupon the wolverene instructed the bear to lie with her head upon the stone pillow, while he prepared the crushed berries to put in her eyes. He then said to her: “Now, sister, do not move; you may find the berries will hurt the eyes and make them very sore, but they will be better soon.” The wolverene filled the bear’s eyes full of the sour berries, which made her exclaim: “Brother, they arc making my eyes very sore.” The wolverene answered: “You will find them the better for that. After I get your eyes full of the berries I will blow my breath on them.” After the eyes of the bear were full of berries the wolverene said: “You are too good to be a sister,” so he struck her on the head with the sharp-edged stone and cleft her skull between the eyes and killed her.

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Story of the wolverene and the brant

Disguised as a brant, a wolverene summons waterfowl, dons their feathers, and joins their spring migration flight. Warned not to peer below over a point of land, he obeys once but looks down a second time upon hearing cries of Indians, tumbling to earth. Mistaken for a rotten goose by natives who strip his feathers, the creature is revealed dead and the lesson of curiosity forever marked.

Source:
Ethnology of the Ungava District,
Hudson Bay Territory
by Lucien M. Turner
Smithsonian Institution
Bureau of American Ethnology
Annual Report 11, 1889-1890
Washington, 1894

► Themes of the story

Origin of Things: The tale explains why brant geese fall when frightened by the clamor of Indians during spring migrations.

Trickster: The wolverene uses cunning disguise to infiltrate the flock of birds for its own aims.

Illusion vs. Reality: The animals and later the Indians are deceived by the wolverene’s outward appearance as a brant.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Naskapi Lore

Learn more about the Naskapi people

A wolverene calling all the birds together addressed them thus: “Do you not know that I am your brother? Come to me and I will dress you in feathers.” After having dressed them up he made wings for himself and said: “Now, brothers, let us fly.” The brant told the wolverene, “You must not look below while we are flying over the point of land when you hear a noise below. Take a turn when we take a turn.”

The first turn they took the wolverene did not look below, but at the second turn they took, when they came over the point of land, the animal looked below when he heard the noise of the shouting Indians and down he came like a bundle of rags.

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When the Indians perceive a flock of these brant they make a loud clamor, which frightens the birds so much that they lose their senses, fall to the ground and are thus killed. These birds are only seen in the spring migrations and then in great multitudes, while in the fall it is rare to see even a single individual, as they have a different return route than in spring.

All the Indians ran up to him and exclaimed “There is a brant fallen down.” One of the old Indian women got hold of him and began to pluck his feathers off, then to disembowel him. She of course smelled the horrible stench and exclaimed, “This goose is not fit to eat as it is already rotten!” She gave the carcass to one of the children to throw away. Another old woman came up and inquired, “Where did you throw the brant goose to? How could it be rotten? It is not long since it was killed.” The former old woman replied to her, “Go and see, if you do not believe.” She went and found nothing but the dead wolverene.

The two sisters

Two squabbling sisters call upon the stars as husbands and are whisked to the sky—one to a gentle young star, the other to a cruel red-eyed giant. Fleeing back to earth with the help of a wise woman, they face further trials as the shape-changing wolverine (carcajou) and drake demand marriage through trickery. With cunning and courage—and a few sleeping roots—they finally outwit their supernatural pursuers and return home.

Source:
History and Folklore of
the Cowichan Indians
by Martha Douglas Harris
The Colonist
Printing and Publishing Company
Victoria, British Columbia, 1901
(Chapter: “Folklore of the Cree Indians”)

► Themes of the story

Transformation: The stars become human husbands and the carcajou and drake repeatedly shape-shift to trick the sisters.

Forbidden Knowledge: The elder sister’s curiosity leads her to look during descent, dooming them to the carcajou’s grasp.

Illusion vs. Reality: They’re fooled by a false baby, and later by logs dressed as women to escape the drake.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Cree Lore

Learn more about the Cree people

In the days of old, when the stars came down on earth and talked with men, two young girls lived. The eldest was a silly girl and a regular torment to her younger sister, who was her opposite in everything.

One summer evening they went down to the riverside, and, after bathing, lay down under a large tree and talked about many things. At last they spoke about the stars, and the elder began to say how she would like to marry that big shining star, and in fun the younger one chose the smallest star. Well, they fell asleep, and by and by awoke to find that the stars had come down as their husbands. The big star was a very old red-eyed man, but the small star was young and handsome.

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So they were carried up to the sky, and the younger sister was very happy. The elder sister, however, was very miserable, and kept teasing her sister to find a way to escape. At last, after a great deal of trouble, the younger sister consented to leave her star husband; so off they went to find some way of getting back to earth. They found a wise woman, who gave them a large basket, and, after tying them in and cautioning them not to open their eyes when she let them down to earth, she bound their eyes, and, taking a long rope, opened a door in the sky and let them down. Now, the eldest sister, whose great fault was curiosity, wished to know why they were not to look as they were going down. Her sister begged her to keep quiet, or they might get into trouble. She, however, insisted on seeing where they were going. As she looked they struck a tall tree, and there the basket stuck.

“Now, just see what you have done, you stupid girl. How are we going to get down?”

They could not move. They called to the animals that passed below, “Come and help us get down.” They all refused but the carcajou. Before he came up he wanted them to promise that they would marry him. After a long time they consented to the proposition. He clambered up the tree and wished to take the younger sister down first.

“Oh, no; you must take my eldest sister, or I won’t marry you.” So he was forced to take the elder down first. Then the young sister took her hair-string and wound it round and round the tree, and knotted it many times. Then the carcajou came to take her down. So they went on to his lodge, but before they reached the place the younger sister exclaimed that she had lost her hair-string, and that she must have it.

“Where did you lose it?”

“How do I know? Please go and look for it.”

Carcajou went to look for it, and after a long hunt he found it tied at the top of the tree. In the meantime the two sisters ran as quickly as they could, so as to escape from the carcajou, or wolverine. Towards evening they sat down to rest, and they heard a baby crying in the woods.

“Hist! There is a child crying,” said the elder. “I must go and find it.”

“No, no, please don’t go; perhaps it is only a trick of Carcajou.”

But this silly girl went off to look for the child. In a little while she came back with a child tied in a beautiful cradle, and she sang to it and kissed it, and made a great to do over it, when all at once she saw it change to Carcajou, who laughed heartily at them for trying to run away from him.

“So you thought you could deceive me, but I tell you that I can turn myself into anything, and you can’t escape me. Here, take your hair-string, and get my supper ready.”

The sisters went to work cooking the supper, and the younger one put in some roots that caused sleep. The carcajou liked his supper, and then rolled off into a deep sleep.

“Come, sister, let us be quick, for he will sleep for a very long time, and let us run away.”

How fast they ran, scarcely stopping to take breath. At last they came to a large river. Now, how could they cross? They called to the fish to come and help them, but they all refused. Just then a large drake flew down and swam towards them, and asked them what they wanted.

“Oh, brother, would you be so kind as to take us across the river?”

“Well, I don’t know; what will you give me? Will you marry me?”

They promised to be his wives. Then he crossed first one and then the other—he carried them on his back. He took them to his favourite swamp, and there gave them roots to eat.

“Now, this evening I am going to a big dance, but I won’t be away long, so keep up the fire and go to sleep.”

They promised faithfully. Then he bathed himself and plumed each feather till he shone, and put his song on his back, and off he flew.

Then the young sister hunted for two rotten logs, so she might dress them as women. At last she found what she wanted, and dressed them, and lay them down, and off they ran. By and by the drake came home and snuggled down between his wives. First one would pinch him, and then the other, and so on, till he woke. “Stop pinching me, I say!” Then he would sleep, but at last the pinching became so hard that he awoke, and found that instead of women he was lying between logs, just full of ants. The women escaped and got home safely.

The Raven

An elderly couple and their daughter welcome a bead-rich stranger, who demands removal of their dog, only to reveal himself as the Raven in disguise. When rain dissolves his lime coating, the daughter ties his tail, escaping his cheat. Later, deceiving villagers with moss rafts, the Raven regains his beak by tricking an old woman. The tale warns against appearances and cunning deception.

Source:
Athabascan Myths
by Frank Russell
The American Folklore Society
Journal of American Folklore
Vol.13, No.48, pp. 11-18
January-March, 1900

► Themes of the story

Trickster: The Raven repeatedly uses guile and disguise to deceive the family and villagers.

Moral Lessons: The tale warns listeners about trusting appearances and the danger of deceit.

Illusion vs. Reality: The story highlights the tension between the Raven’s human guise and his true form.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Gwichʼin Lore

Learn more about the Gwichʼin (Loucheux) people

The common raven, Corvus corax americanus, is quite abundant at McPherson and throughout the Loucheux country. It is usually called the “crow” by the whites in the far north, but the true crow, C. americanus, is not found in the Loucheux territory, the northern limit of its distribution being the mouth of the Liard River.

There once lived an old couple who wished to see their only daughter married to a rich man. When any one arrived at their camp, the old man sent his son down to the landing to see if the stranger was provided with the necessary bone beads upon his clothing, in order that he might be received according to his rank. One day the boy came running in, saying that some one had come whom he would like to have for a brother-in-law, for he had a great number of fine beads. The mother went down to the river bank, and saw a richly dressed stranger, whom she also thought would make a suitable husband for her daughter. She noticed that the shore was wet and muddy, so she procured some bark and tore it into strips for the stranger to walk upon. He was invited to enter their tipi and was seated next the girl. A dog was tied in the corner of the lodge, and the visitor said, “I cannot eat while that dog is in here;” so the woman, thinking the man must be a very great personage to be so particular, took the dog away into the forest and killed it. The next morning as she went for wood, she noticed that the earth around the body of the dog was marked with bird tracks, and that its eyes had been picked out.

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When she returned to the camp she told what she had seen, and insisted upon having all present take off their moccasins that she might see their feet, as she had heard of the Raven deceiving people by appearing in the human form. The stranger, who was really the Raven, took his moccasins off, and slipped them on so quickly that his feet were not noticed. The girl had promised to marry him, and he insisted upon having her go away with him at once, as he feared that his true character would be discovered. He arranged to return in a few days, and took his bride down to his canoe. As soon as they set off down the river it began to rain. The Raven was seated in front of the woman, who noticed that the falling rain was washing out something white from his back; this made her suspicious, and she determined to escape from the canoe. Reaching forward, she succeeded in tying the tail of the Raven’s coat to a cross-bar of the canoe. She then asked to be set ashore for a minute, saying that she would come right back. He told her not to go far, but she started to run for home as soon as she got behind the trees. The Raven also tried to get ashore, but his tail was tied, and he could not succeed in his human form; so he resumed the form of the raven and cried out to the girl, “Once more I cheat you,” then he caw-cawed and flew away.

When the girl reported this to her mother the old woman asked her what she meant, and the girl answered that the rich son-in-law was the Raven, who had come to them dressed in his own lime, which the rain had melted, and so exposed the trick.

The Raven was always cheating the people, so they took his beak away from him. After a time he went away up the river and made a raft which he loaded with moss, and came floating down to the camps upon it. He told the people that his head was sore where his beak had been torn off, and that he was lying in the moss to cool it. Then he went away for two or three days, and made several rafts; as the people saw these coming down the river, they thought that there were a large number of people upon the rafts, who were coming to help the Raven regain his beak; so they held a council and decided to send the beak away in the hands of a young girl, that she might take it to an old woman who lived all alone at some distance from the camp. The Raven concealed himself among them and heard their plans, so when the girl came back he went to the old woman, and told her that the girl wished to have the beak returned. The old woman suspected nothing and gave him his beak, which he put on and flew away, cawing with pleasure at his success. The supposed people that had been seen upon the rafts proved to be nothing but the tufts or hummocks of bog moss which are commonly known as tetes de femmes.

A young man in search of a wife

A young man paddles along a river, encountering various female figures who claim not to be human. Each time he approaches, they transform into natural elements or animals—a birch tree, a rabbit, and a goose. Frustrated, he finally meets a shaman who, along with his companions, transforms into aquatic creatures, prompting the young man to become a hawk and fly away.

Source:
Ten’a Texts and Tales
(from Anvik, Alaska)
by John W. Chapman
The American Ethnological Society
Publications, Volume 6 (ed. Franz Boas)
E.J. Brill, Leyden, 1914

► Themes of the story

Illusion vs. Reality: Each encounter challenges the young man’s perception, as what seems to be human women are illusions masking their true forms.

Quest: The narrative follows the young man’s journey and efforts to find a wife, leading him through various encounters and challenges.

Cunning and Deception: The beings deceive the young man by presenting themselves as potential partners, only to reveal their true, non-human nature upon closer interaction.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Koyukon Lore

Learn more about Koyukon people

A young man is paddling along. As if expecting to hear something, he turns his head and listens. Hark! Some one is singing. It is a woman singing. “Ya-xa-nna,” she says, they say. Thereupon he disembarks. A woman stands on the beach. She has long hair, which she is washing in the current, and she is singing. He goes quietly up to her and catches her by the waist. “I’m not human, I’m not human!” says the woman. The man shuts his eyes tight (as she struggles). There is nothing but a birch lying in the water, the current flowing among its branches. The man is holding the birch. Angrily he got into his canoe and paddled off. Again he paddled along, and turned his head as though he expected to hear something, and listened.

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Hark! There is singing again, like another woman. “Another, the same as (the one who sang) just now!” he thinks. “Good enough!” he thinks. “Is it a woman, for sure, that is making this noise?” he thinks. Again he sees some one singing under the bushes. “A-ha-yu-ha-ha,” she says, they say. He gets out of the canoe. What a beautiful woman (he sees), girded with a deer-tooth belt, gathering willow-bark! He grasps her waist. “I’m not human, I’m not human!” she says.

He let her go. “Seems to me you are human, you make so much noise with your songs,” (said he.) She bounded away in the shape of a rabbit. Angrily he went off in his canoe. Again he listens. There is shouting. In the direction from which it comes he disembarks. Under the bushes he goes. What a crowd of people are here! They are playing ball upon the beach. What fine-looking people, men and women together! He keeps (out of sight) in the grass, (and) looks at them. “If they throw (push?) a woman upon me,” thinks he, “I will catch her.” At length they push one upon him. In a twinkling he catches her. He jumps up. “I’m not human, Tm not human!” says the woman, (as) she struggles. He lets her go. A Canada goose, she runs screaming away. The players became geese (and) flew away. Angrily the man got into his canoe. He went on, and again he listened. He hears a sound of men’s voices (and) disembarks. Back toward those who were speaking he went, under the bushes. There is a pond. Here are many men in the water, (and) some one is conjuring, a big man, a huge old man, a shaman, in an otter-skin parka. “Right here,” says he, it seems that you are now to perish.” “Nevertheless,” said they, “notwithstanding what you have told us, let us settle here.” Out of the grass bounds that young man. Down to the side of the shaman he bounds. The shaman became an otter. He dove and swam around; and all the men dove in the form of animals, mink and muskrats and divers and loons, and staid down at the bottom, while the young man became a hawk and flew off.

The man taken by Ku’staka’

A man quarrels with his wife and encounters a woman resembling her, who leads him to a house. An old woman there reveals it’s the dwelling of the Ku’staka’, malevolent spirits that manipulate minds. Realizing his peril, he escapes but remains mentally affected. Villagers eventually capture and cure him, restoring his sanity.

Source:
Tahltan Tales
by James A. Teit
The American Folklore Society
Journal of American Folklore
Vol.32, No.124, pp.198-250
April-June, 1917
Vol.34, No.133, pp.223-253
July-September, 1921
Vol.34, No.134, pp.335-356
October-December, 1921

► Themes of the story

Illusion vs. Reality: The man’s journey highlights the struggle between distinguishing truth from deception, as he grapples with the false reality imposed by the Ku’staka’.

Loss and Renewal: The protagonist experiences a loss of sanity and connection to his world but eventually undergoes a form of renewal as he regains his senses and returns home.

Forbidden Knowledge: The man gains insight into the existence and nature of the Ku’staka’, knowledge that is hidden and perilous, leading to his temporary madness.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tahltan Lore

Learn more about Tahltan people

Ku’staka’ is a kind of spirit being inhabiting certain parts of the country. They are common in the Tlingit country. They place people under their influence, and make them believe what they want. Finally the people become crazy and wander about. People who get lost are subject to their attacks. Some Indians, in speaking English, called them “monkey people.”

Once a Tlingit man had a quarrel with his wife, and went off in the morning without eating. He had forgotten his basket (?), and thought he would make one. He made a cut around a tree low down, and then climbed up to make the upper cut. He wore neither trousers nor leggings. A woman appeared at the foot of the tree, and spoke to him, saying, “Hurry up!” She looked like his wife, and he thought it was she. She said, “What is that I see up there?” and he answered, “These are my testicles.”

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He was losing his mind, but did not know it. He was under the influence of the woman, and came down the tree. He thought the piece of bark or stick that he was carrying down was a finished basket. The woman said, “Let us go home!” He followed her, and after a while they came to a house and went in. The man thought it was his own house. He saw an old woman sitting there. She said to him, “What are you doing here?” He answered, “I have come home. Why do you ask?” She said, “This is not your house. Wake up, and try to go home! This is the house of the Ku’staka’. I am your aunt, and was lost in the woods a long time ago. I cannot go back now, and live here. Do not stay here; for these people are bad, and make people think what is not true.” The man came half to himself, and, looking around, saw that he was in a hole underneath the roots of a tree, and that the place was not at all like his camp. He ran for home, sometimes being crazy, and sometimes sane. He reached the camp, and thought he went in and the people would not talk to him. Instead he acted like the Ku’staka’, and threw stones and sticks at the camp. When the people came out to look, he ran away like a deer. Several nights he did this. At last he fell sound asleep on a large old log. The log was taken by the tide and carried out to sea. People saw it floating about, and thought they saw the body of a man on it. They approached the log noiselessly in canoes, and saw a naked man asleep. They seized and bound him, although he fought violently, like a crazy man. They took him home, and smoked him repeatedly, using dog’s-hair and rotten urine on the fire for the purpose. At last he became quite sane again, and told the people his adventures and how it felt to be possessed.

The woman who married a land otter

A man in Sitka, desperate to feed his hungry children, was aided by his sister, who had been captured by land otters. She brought food and invited him to her mysterious village, Transparent-village. Though welcomed, he noticed strange occurrences, such as his child growing a tail. He eventually left, discovering the village was an illusion of land-otter holes, returning with ample provisions.

Source:
Tlingit Myths and Texts
by John R. Swanton
[Smithsonian Institution]
Bureau of American Ethnology
Bulletin 39
Washington, 1909

► Themes of the story

Supernatural Beings: The story features land otters with the ability to transform and create illusions, interacting directly with humans.

Illusion vs. Reality: The protagonist perceives a vibrant village, which is later revealed to be an illusion masking land-otter holes, highlighting the deceptive appearances.

Transformation: The man’s child begins to grow a tail, indicating a physical transformation influenced by the supernatural environment.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Tlingit Lore

Learn more about the Tlingit people

Myth recorded in English at Wrangell, Alaska, in January-April 1904

A man at Sitka had three little children who were crying with hunger because he had nothing to give them. His sister had been captured by the land otters after having been nearly drowned. Then be said to the little ones, “You poor children, I wish your aunt were living.” Some time afterward that same evening he heard a load set down outside, and going out to look, he saw a very large basket filled with all kinds of dried meat and fish, and oil. The sister he had been wishing for had brought it. Then this woman herself came in and said, “I have brought that for the little ones. I will be right back again. I live only a short distance from here. We have a village there named Transparent-village (Kana’xa-dak-an). You must come and stay with us.” The man said that he was making a canoe and had to finish it, but she replied, “Your nephews are coming over, and they will finish your canoe for you.”

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After the food that his sister had brought him had given out she came to him again with more and said, “I have come after you now. Bring your little ones and come along. I see that you are having a hard time with them.”

So her brother prepared to go. Before he started he got some blue hellebore (sikc), which he soaked in water to make it very strong and bitter, and finally his sister’s boys came, fine-looking young men who were peculiar only in having very long braids of hair hanging down their backs. In reality these were their tails. He showed them where his canoe was so that they could go to work on it, and, after they had completed it roughly, they pulled it down for him.

Then the man started off with his family, and, sure enough, when he rounded the point what appeared to him like a fine village lay there. The people came to meet them, but his sister said, “Don’t stay right in the village. Stay here, a little distance away.”

The people of that place were very good to him and gave him all the halibut he wanted, but he always had the blue hellebore by him to keep from being injuriously affected. They were also in the habit of singing a cradle song for his youngest child which went this way, “The tail is growing. The tail is growing.” Then he examined the child, and in fact a tail was really growing upon it, so he chopped it off.

Finally the man’s sister told him that he was staying there a little too long, and he started back toward his village. As he went he looked back, and there was nothing to be seen but land-otter holes. Before they had appeared like painted houses. Then he returned to his own place with all kinds of food given him by the land otters.

The Red-Bud Tree

Four young princes, curious about the mysterious Red-Bud Tree, visited it during different seasons. The eldest saw it bare in early spring, the second with red buds, the third covered in green leaves, and the youngest adorned with bean-pods. They argued over its appearance, but the king explained they had all seen the same tree, illustrating how perspectives change with time.

Source:
More Jataka Tales
by Ellen C. Babbit
The Century Co., New York, 1922

► Themes of the story

Transformation: The tree undergoes physical changes throughout the seasons—bare branches, red buds, green leaves, and bean pods—symbolizing the natural cycles of transformation.

Moral Lessons: The princes learn that their individual observations are part of a larger, complete picture, teaching them about the value of perspective and the importance of considering different viewpoints before drawing conclusions.

Illusion vs. Reality: Each prince’s perception of the tree is limited to a single season, leading them to different conclusions about its true nature. This highlights the theme of distinguishing between appearance and the complete reality, emphasizing that understanding the full truth requires seeing beyond initial impressions.

► From the same Region or People

South Asia
- India
  - Buddhist Lore

Learn more about Jataka Tales

Once upon a time four young princes heard a story about a certain wonderful tree, called the Red-Bud Tree. No one of them had ever seen a Red-Bud Tree, and each prince wished to be the first to see one. So the eldest prince asked the driver of the king’s chariot to take him deep into the woods where this tree grew.

It was still very early in the spring and the tree had no leaves, nor buds. It was black and bare like a dead tree. The prince could not understand why this was called a Red-Bud Tree, but he asked no questions.

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Later in the spring, the next son went with the driver of the king’s chariot to see the Red-Bud Tree. At this time it was covered with red buds.

The tree was all covered with green leaves when the third son went into the woods a little later to see it. He asked no questions about it, but he could see no reason for calling it the Red-Bud Tree.

Some time after this the youngest prince begged to be taken to see the Red-Bud Tree. By this time it was covered with little bean-pods.

When he came back from the woods he ran into the garden where his brothers were playing, crying, “I have seen the Red-Bud Tree.”

“So have I,” said the eldest prince. “It did not look like much of a tree to me,” said he; “it looked like a dead tree. It was black and bare.”

“What makes you say that?” said the second son. “The tree has hundreds of beautiful red buds. This is why it is called the Red-Bud Tree.”

The third prince said: “Red buds, did you say? Why do you say it has red buds? It is covered with green leaves.”

The prince who had seen the tree last laughed at his brothers, saying: “I have just seen that tree, and it is not like a dead tree. It has neither red buds nor green leaves on it. It is covered with little bean-pods.”

The king heard them and waited until they stopped talking. Then he said: “My sons, you have all four seen the same tree, but each of you saw it at a different time of the year.”

Puagssuaq

A wifeless man spent his days hunting ptarmigan until he discovered an old couple in a hidden valley. Intrigued, he entered their dwelling unnoticed and observed the wife preparing to consult spirits. As the passage began to close, he narrowly escaped and ran home, fearing pursuit. Reaching safety, he recounted his eerie experience. The tale concludes without further incident.

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

► Themes of the story

Supernatural Beings: The protagonist encounters an old couple with mystical abilities, including the wife’s preparation to consult spirits, indicating interactions with supernatural elements.

Forbidden Knowledge: The man’s curiosity leads him to secretly observe the couple’s ritual, exposing him to hidden or restricted practices that he was not meant to witness.

Illusion vs. Reality: The protagonist initially mistakes the couple’s dwelling for a stone, and the closing passageway adds to the uncertainty, blurring the line between what is real and what is perceived.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

There was once a wifeless man who always went out hunting ptarmigan. It became his custom always to go out hunting ptarmigan every day. And when he was out one day, hunting ptarmigan as was his custom, he came to a place whence he could see out over a rocky valley. And it looked a good place to go. And he went there. But before he had come to the bottom of the valley, he caught sight of something that looked like a stone. And when he could see quite clearly that it was not a stone at all, he went up to it. He walked and walked, and came to it at last.

► Continue reading…

Then he looked in, and saw an old couple sitting alone in there. And when he had seen this, he crawled very silently in through the passage way. And having come inside, he looked first a long time at them, and then he gave a little whistle. But nothing happened when he did so, and therefore he whistled a second time. And this time they heard the whistle, and the man nudged his wife and said: “You, Puagssuaq, you can talk with the spirits. Take counsel with them now.”

When he had said this, the wifeless man whistled again. And at this whistling, the man looked at his wife again and said earnestly: “Listen! It sounds as if that might be the voice of a shore-dweller; one who catches miserable fish.”

And now the wifeless man saw that the old one’s wife was letting down her hair. And this was because she was now about to ask counsel of the spirits.

And he was now about to look at them again, when he saw that the passage way about him was beginning to close up. And it was already nearly closed up. But then it opened again of itself. Then the wifeless man thought only of coming out again from that place, and when the passage way again opened, he slipped out. And then he began running as fast as he could.

For a long time he ran on, with the thought that some one would surely come after him. But at last he came up the hillside, without having been pursued at all.

And when he came home, he told what had happened.

Here ends this story.

The Igdlok

A grieving man, mourning his cousin’s death by a sorcerer-created bear, sought danger for distraction, killing an amarok. One evening, a one-footed stranger joined him, sharing similar grief and praising the amarok meat served. However, the guest abruptly vanished, revealing himself as an igdlokok—a half-bodied supernatural being. The man’s discovery of his unusual footprints confirmed the eerie encounter.

Source:
Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo
by Henry Rink
[William Blackwood and Sons]
Edinburgh and London, 1875

► Themes of the story

Supernatural Beings: The narrative features an igdlokok, a half-bodied supernatural entity from Inuit folklore, who mysteriously visits the protagonist.

Loss and Renewal: The protagonist is driven by grief over his cousin’s death, leading him to seek dangerous encounters, such as killing an amarok, as a means of coping and finding purpose.

Illusion vs. Reality: The unexpected appearance and sudden disappearance of the one-footed stranger blur the lines between the real and the supernatural, challenging the protagonist’s perception of reality.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about the Inuit peoples

Abridged version of the story.

A man had lost his beloved cousin and friend, who in his sight had been torn to pieces by one of those bears that are made by sorcery. In his despair be went out to encounter and brave all kinds of danger by way of excitement; and he first killed an amarok.

One evening, when staying at home, he was surprised in his lonely house by a stranger dropping in, who explained that he also having lost his brother was roaming about for excitement. Being very talkative, he spent the evening there very pleasantly, until the hostess, who had boiled some flesh of the amarok, came and served it before the men.

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The guest then burst out in loud praises of its delicious flavour and tempting appearance; but before he had taken a morsel he went on, “But I see the dish is all aslope,” and the same instant arose and vanished through the entrance. The host immediately followed him; and on examining his footsteps in the snow, he found them to be made by only one foot, so that the guest must have been an igdlokok (whose body is only the one half of the human body cut in twain).

In another similar story there are two guests, who at their sudden disappearance manifest themselves as certain stars (siagtut or kilugtussat). The mysterious words about the sloping dish are the same.