The Men Who Changed Wives : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 109 THE MEN WHO CHANGED WIVES THERE were once two men, Tallarssuaq and Navssrssuaq, and they changed wives. Tallarssuaq was a mischievous fellow, who was given to frightening people. One evening, sitting in the house with the other's wife, whom...
The Wife Who Lied : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 115 THE WIFE WHO LIED NAVARNPALUK, men say, came of a tribe of man-eaters, but when she grew up, she was taken to wife by one of a tribe that did not eat men. Once when she was going off on a visit to her own people, she put mittens on her feet...
Qujavarssuk : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 20 QUJVRSSUK A STRONG man had land at Ikerssuaq. The only other one there was an old man, one who lived on nothing but devil-fish; when the strong man had caught more than he needed, the old man had always plenty of meat, which was given him...
The Boy From The Bottom Of The Sea, Who Frightened : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 64 THE BOY FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, WHO FRIGHTENED THE PEOPLE OF THE HOUSE TO DEATH WELL, you seet 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...
Kumagdlak And The Living Arrows : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 93 KUMAGDLAK AND THE LIVING ARROWS KUMAGDLAK, men say, lived apart from his fellows. He had a wife, and she was the only living being in the place beside himself. One day his wife was out looking for stones to build a fireplace, and looking out...
Mak'ite : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 68 MAKTE MAKTE, 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...
Ukaleq : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 73 UKALEQ 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...
The Man Who Avenged The Widows : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 86 THE MAN WHO AVENGED THE WIDOWS THIS was in the old days, in those times when men were yet skilful rowers in kayaks. You know that there once came a great sickness which carried off all the older men, and the young men who were left alive did...
The Very Obstinate Man : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 56 THE VERY OBSTINATE MAN 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...
The Woman With The Iron Tail : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 83 THE WOMAN WITH THE IRON TAIL THERE was once a woman who had an iron tail. And more than this, she was also an eater of men. When a stranger came to visit her, she would wait until her guest had fallen asleep, and then she would jump up...
Atdlarneq, The Great Glutton : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 136 ATDLARNEQ, THE GREAT GLUTTON THIS is told of Atdlarneq: that he was a strong man, and if he rowed but a little way out in his kayak, he caught a seal. On no day did he fail to make a catch, and he was never content with only one. But one day...
The Man Who Stabbed His Wife In The Leg : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 98 THE MAN WHO STABBED HIS WIFE IN THE LEG THERE was once a man whose name was Neruvkq, and his wife was named Navarn, and she was of the "tunerssuit", the inland-dwellers. She had many brothers, and was herself their only sister. And they lived...
Sources Of Legends : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], Note.--The particular sources of the various legends are as follows: POLAR ESKIMO, SMITH SOUND-- page The two Friends who set off to travel round the world 15 The coming of Men, a long, long while ago 16 The woman who had a bear as a foster-son 40...
Frontispiece : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], FRONTISPIECE Man and wife from Angmagsalik.
The Coming Of Men, A Long, Long While Ago : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 16 THE COMING OF MEN, A LONG, LONG WHILE AGO OUR forefathers have told us much of the coming of earth, and of men, and it was a long, long while ago. Those who lived long before our day, they did not know how to store their words in little black...
Isigaligarssik : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 49 ISIGLIGRSSIK ISIGLIGRSSIK was a wifeless man, and he was very strong. One of the other men in his village was a wizard. Isigligrssik was taken to live in a house with many brothers, and they were very fond of him. When the wizard w...
The Soul That Lived In The Bodies Of All Beasts : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 100 THE SOUL THAT LIVED IN THE BODIES OF ALL BEASTS THERE was a man whose name was Avvang. And of him it is said that nothing could wound him. And he lived at Kangerdlugssuaq. At that time of the year when it is good to be out, and the days do...
Tungujuluk And Saunikoq : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 148 TUNGUJULUK AND SAUNIKOQ TUNGUJULUK and Saunikoq were men from one village. And both were wizards. When they heard a spirit calling, one would change into a bear, and the other into a walrus. Tungujuluk had a son, but Saunikoq had no children...
Papik, Who Killed His Wife's Brother : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 104 PAPIK, WHO KILLED HIS WIFE'S BROTHER THERE was once a man whose name was Papik, and it was his custom to go out hunting with his wife's brother, whose name was Ailaq. But whenever those two went out hunting together, it was always Ailaq who...
How The Fog Came : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 84 HOW THE FOG CAME THERE was a Mountain Spirit, which stole corpses from their graves and ate them when it came home. And a man, wishing to see who did this thing, let himself be buried alive. The Spirit came, and saw the new grave, and dug up...
K'unigseq : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 38 KNIGSEQ THERE was once a wizard whose name was Knigseq. One day, when he was about to call on his helping spirits and make a flight down into the underworId, he gave orders that the floor should be swilled with salt water, to take off...
Illustrations : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 13 ILLUSTRATIONS Man and wife from Angmagssalik "Frontispiece" TO FACE PAGE Making a tupilak. Note the bones of various animals used. The monster is on the point of coming to life. 18 Hunter in kayak. The creature behind is a monster th...
The Two Friends Who Set Off To Travel Round : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 15 ESKIMO FOLK-TALES THE TWO FRIENDS WHO SET OFF TO TRAVEL ROUND THE WORLD ONCE there were two men who desired to travel round the world, that they might tell others what was the manner of it. This was in the days when men were still many...
Nerrivik : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 113 NERRIVIK A BIRD once wished to marry a woman. He got himself a fine sealskin coat, and having weak eyes, made spectacles out of a walrus tusk, for he was greatly set upon looking as nice as possible. Then he set off, in the shape of a m...
The Raven Who Wanted A Wife : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 77 THE RAVEN WHO WANTED A WIFE A LITTLE sparrow was mourning for her husband who was lost. She was very fond of him, for he caught worms for her. As she sat there weeping, a raven came up to her and asked: "Why are you weeping?" "I am weeping...
Qalag'anguase, Who Passed To The Land Of Ghosts : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 46 QALAGNGUAS, WHO PASSED TO THE LAND OF GHOSTS THERE was once a boy whose name was Qalagnguas; his parents lived at a place where the tides were strong. And one day they ate seaweed, and died of it. Then there was only one sister to look after...
The Woman Who Had A Bear As A Foster Son : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 40 THE WOMAN WHO HAD A BEAR AS A FOSTER-SON THERE was once an old woman living in a place where others lived. She lived nearest the shore, and when those who lived in houses up above had been out hunting, they gave her both meat and blubber...
Asaloq : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 71 ASALQ ASALQ, 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 w...
K'anagssuaq : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 154 KNAGSSUAQ KNAGSSUAQ, men say, went out from his own place to live on a little island, and there took to wife the only sister of many brothers. And while he lived there with her, it happened once that the cold became so great that the se...
The Man Who Became A Star : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 82 THE MAN WHO BECAME A STAR THERE was once an old man who stood out on the ice waiting for the seal to come up to their breathing holes to breathe. But on the shore, just opposite where he was, a crowd of children were playing in a ravine...
When The Ravens Could Speak : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 67 WHEN THE RAVENS COULD SPEAK 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...
Qasiagssaq, The Great Liar : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 123 QASIAGSSAQ, THE GREAT LIAR QASIAGSSAQ, men say, was a great liar. His wife was called Qigdlugsuk. He could never sleep well at night, and being sleepless, he always woke his fellow-villagers when they were to go out hunting in the morning...
Ikardl'ituarssuk : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 75 KARDLTUARSSUK KARDLTUARSSUK, men say, had a little brother; they lived at a place where there were many other houses. One autumn the sea was frozen right out from the coast, without a speck of open water for a long way out. After this, there...
The Inland Dwellers Of Etah : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 97 THE INLAND-DWELLERS OF ETAH THERE came a sledge driving round to the east of Etah, up into the land, near the great lake. Suddenly the dogs scented something, and dashed off inland over a great plain. Then they checked, and sniffed...
The Dwarfs : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 60 THE DWARFS 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...
The Eagle And The Whale : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 130 THE EAGLE AND THE WHALE IN a certain village there lived many brothers. And they had two sisters, both of an age to marry, and often urged them to take husband, but they would not. At last one of the men said: "What sort of a husband do you...
The Raven And The Goose : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 66 THE RAVEN AND THE GOOSE 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...
Imarasugssuaq, Who Ate His Wives : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 44 MARASUGSSUAQ, WHO ATE HIS WIVES IT is said that the great marasugssuaq was wont to eat his wives. He fattened them up, giving them nothing but salmon to eat, and nothing at all to drink. Once when he had just lost his wife in the usual way...
Atarssuaq : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 142 TRSSUAQ TRSSUAQ had many enemies. But his many enemies tried in vain to hurt him, and they could not kill him. Then it happened that his wife bore him a son. trssuaq came back from his hunting one day, and found that he had a son. Then he...
Ang'angujuk : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 139 NGNGJUK IT is said that ngngjuk's father was very strong. They had no other neighbours, but lived there three of them all alone. One day when the mother was going to scrape meat from a skin, she let the child play at kayak outside...
The Great Bear : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 81 THE GREAT BEAR A WOMAN ran away from her home because her child had died. On her way she came to a house. In the passage way there lay skins of bears. And she went in. And now it was revealed that the people who lived in there were bears...
Artuk, Who Did All Forbidden Things : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 110 ARTUK, WHO DID ALL FORBIDDEN THINGS A MAN whose name was Artuk had buried his wife, but refused to remain aloof from doings which those who have been busied with the dead are forbidden to share. He said he did not hold by such old customs...
Patussorssuaq, Who Killed His Uncle : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 107 PTUSSORSSUAQ, WHO KILLED HIS UNCLE THERE lived a woman at Kgkat, and she was very beautiful, and Altaq was he who had her to wife. And at the same place lived Ptussorssuaq, and Altaq was his uncle. He also had a wife, but was yet fonder...
Nuk'unguasik, Who Escaped From The Tupilak : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 18 NUKNGUASIK, WHO ESCAPED FROM THE TUPILAK* NUKNGUASIK, it is said, had land in a place with many brothers. When the brothers made a catch, they gave him meat for the pot; he himself had no wife. One day he rowed northward in his kayak...
The Guillemot That Could Talk : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 152 THE GUILLEMOT THAT COULD TALK A MAN from the south heard one day of a guillemot that could talk. It was said that this bird was to be found somewhere in the north, and therefore he set off to the northward. And toiled along north and north...
Title Page : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], ESKIMO FOLK-TALES "COLLECTED BY" KNUD RASMUSSEN "EDITED AND RENDERED INTO ENGLISH BY" W. WORSTER "WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY NATIVE ESKIMO ARTISTS" [LONDON, 1921] Reduced To HTML By Christopher M. Weimer, May 2003. This Text Is In The Public Dom...
The Man Who Took A Vixen To Wife : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 79 THE MAN WHO TOOK A VIXEN TO WIFE THERE was once a man who wished to have a wife unlike all other wives, and so he caught a little fox, a vixen, and took it home to his tent. One day when he had been out hunting, he was surprised to find...
Kagssagssuk, The Homeless Boy Who Became : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 117 KGSSAGSSUK, THE HOMELESS BOY WHO BECAME A STRONG MAN ONE day, it is said, when the men and women in the place had gone to a spirit calling, the children were left behind, all in one big house, where they played, making a great noise...
Atungait, Who Went A Wandering : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 90 ATUNGAIT, WHO WENT A-WANDERING ATUNGAIT, that great man, had once, it is said, a fancy to go out on a sledge trip with a strong woman. He took a ribbon seal and had it flayed, and forbade his wife to scrape the meat side clean, so th...
The Giant Dog : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 95 THE GIANT DOG THERE was once a man who had a giant dog. It could swim in the sea, and was so big that it could haul whale and narwhal to shore. The narwhal it would hook on to its side teeth, and swim with them hanging there. The man who...
The Thunder Spirits : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 111 THE THUNDER SPIRITS TWO sisters, men say, were playing together, and their father could not bear to hear the noise they made, for he had but few children, and was thus not wont to hear any kind of noise. At last he began to scold them...
Anarteq : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 150 ANARTEQ THERE was once an old man, and he had only one son, and that son was called Anarteq. But he had many daughters. They were very fond of going out reindeer hunting to the eastward of their own place, in a fjord. And when they came...
Puagssuaq : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 146 PUAGSSUAQ 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...
Introduction : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 5 INTRODUCTION THESE stories were collected in various parts of Greenland, taken down from the lips of the Eskimo story-tellers themselves, by Knud Rasmussen, the Danish explorer. No man is better qualified to tell the story of Greenl...
The Insects That Wooed A Wifeless Man : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 52 THE INSECTS THAT WOOED A WIFELESS MAN 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...
The Two Little Outcasts : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 133 THE TWO LITTLE OUTCASTS THERE were two little boys and they had no father and no mother, and they went out every day hunting ptarmigan, and they had never any weapons save a bow. And when they had been out hunting ptarmigan, the men of th...
The Man Who Went Out To Search For His Son : * "Eskimo Folk-Tales", by Knud Rasmussen, [1921], p. 88 THE MAN WHO WENT OUT TO SEARCH FOR HIS SON ONCE in the days, of our forefathers, a man went out along the coasts, making search for his son. For that son had gone out in his kayak and had not returned. One day he saw a giant beside a gre...