2. Pintail Duck Incantation
Sacred-Texts Asia
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2. Pintail-duck Incantation (valok-wan, Yelkekin Wan).1
(a Middle-anadyr Incantation.)
This is to call game. I call every game, every living thing, from the very first limit of creation. A young pintail-duck I use for my leader, it is (so clever) [in hiding] in hiding from everybody, not to be seen.
I call an old pintail-duck to be my leader. The lone reindeer-buck I make to wade into the water. Oh, let us try to adopt it (for the leader)! Let the leader give his call (before the reindeer)!2 This is finished.
Now, again I sing, "Just so, just so, oh, who are you?" I use the distance (of game) of yesterday, (I use) the distance of to-day. I make them appear before me. I cover my face with soot. To every species, to every kind of game, I become unknown; to every species (of animal) I become unrecognizable. Only the soot on my face, appears (to their eyes).
Taking off my breeches, I stand on
p. 128
the ground without any precautions. My buttocks have three eyes, and they keep watch for me. They see every hidden kel, and they make the kel close his eyes.
The foremost reindeer I make very slow, using the two legs of the small pintail-duck, forked in two (from its buttocks). Everything difficult to scent (I am using) all the time. Without any precaution I enter (the confines of) every place, I may sleep without care. All kinds of game have a liking for me, every kind of game has a great love for me.
Thus I have almost acquired a good careless sleep, The thing lying under my pillow I have for my leader. Blowing over it, I make it rebound (backwards), I make it scatter (backwards). That is all.
Told by Nikon Taratrn, a Middle Anadyr Chukchee man, in the village of Chikayeva, November, 1900.
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Footnotes
p. 127
1 Compare Vol. VII of this series, p. 497, No. 2.
2 The Chukchee of the Middle Anadyr live chiefly by hunting wild reindeer on the river. So this incantation refers to the hnnting of wild reindeer.
Index Previous Next
2. Pintail-duck Incantation (valok-wan, Yelkekin Wan).1
(a Middle-anadyr Incantation.)
This is to call game. I call every game, every living thing, from the very first limit of creation. A young pintail-duck I use for my leader, it is (so clever) [in hiding] in hiding from everybody, not to be seen.
I call an old pintail-duck to be my leader. The lone reindeer-buck I make to wade into the water. Oh, let us try to adopt it (for the leader)! Let the leader give his call (before the reindeer)!2 This is finished.
Now, again I sing, "Just so, just so, oh, who are you?" I use the distance (of game) of yesterday, (I use) the distance of to-day. I make them appear before me. I cover my face with soot. To every species, to every kind of game, I become unknown; to every species (of animal) I become unrecognizable. Only the soot on my face, appears (to their eyes).
Taking off my breeches, I stand on
p. 128
the ground without any precautions. My buttocks have three eyes, and they keep watch for me. They see every hidden kel, and they make the kel close his eyes.
The foremost reindeer I make very slow, using the two legs of the small pintail-duck, forked in two (from its buttocks). Everything difficult to scent (I am using) all the time. Without any precaution I enter (the confines of) every place, I may sleep without care. All kinds of game have a liking for me, every kind of game has a great love for me.
Thus I have almost acquired a good careless sleep, The thing lying under my pillow I have for my leader. Blowing over it, I make it rebound (backwards), I make it scatter (backwards). That is all.
Told by Nikon Taratrn, a Middle Anadyr Chukchee man, in the village of Chikayeva, November, 1900.
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Footnotes
p. 127
1 Compare Vol. VII of this series, p. 497, No. 2.
2 The Chukchee of the Middle Anadyr live chiefly by hunting wild reindeer on the river. So this incantation refers to the hnnting of wild reindeer.
