To Cure A Sick Man. Part 3
Sacred-Texts Asia
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p. 185
3. (war With The Tant.)
There lived two brothers, ntourn and Aqalqan. Their houses were very poor. Some Tant warriors came, ten in number, all driving reindeer, and also all able-bodied. They murdered all the people near the lake. ntourn and Aqalqan were both absent, hunting reindeer. The Tant began to kill their house-mates. At that time both came back. Ten Tant warriors were standing side by side. The two on the ends were quite weak. The fifth, the middle one, was the strongest of all. The one on the left end said, "How shall we kill them?" That on the right end said, "Let it be by shooting!" The strong one said, "You are a weakling, I am able to bind them hand and foot, and then to take them alive to the Tann women."
Aqalqan said, "We shall see!" They fought. One warrior struck Aqalqan upon the breast with his spear. He hit his armor of thong-seal-hide, Aqalqan fell down, "a, a, a!" cried all the Tant, "Not yet," said Aqalqan, "I am still alive, My hands are not bound, nor my feet either." Lying down, he made a thrust with his long spear. His spear-head was much stronger than that of the Tann. He pierced the Tann all through, and killed him. His companion was still more active. Even before Aqalqan had killed his adversary, he had killed those on the right and on the left side, and destroyed them all. They gathered the reindeer, and took all the belongings of those killed.
Then they went home, and found their house-mates half starving.1 They slaughtered reindeer and gave their friends to eat. The next year ten other Tann warriors came again. Aqalqan went to meet them, driving a single reindeer. Then he said, "Can I save myself with the help of this single reindeer? I will rather be wholly without reindeer!" So he stabbed the animal with his knife. The reindeer rushed forward, broke through the Tann file, then fell down. They fought, Aqalqan killed all the Tant, but he was also mortally wounded by them. While he was lying there, Keretkun2 came to him and said, "I am sorry for you! I may bring you back to life!" -- "Do it," said the corpse. '"If you will promise to follow my orders, I will make you alive, as before." -- "I promise to do so." -- "Then listen! A Tann will pass by, driving a reindeer-team, That is the object of your thanksgiving ceremonial. Over him and his reindeer carefully celebrate it!" -- "All right!" He made him alive. A Tann passed by, driving a reindeer-team. He struck him with a spear and killed him, and carried the body home. Upon this, he celebrated the thanksgiving ceremonial. His head was the object of the ceremonial, and also his two reindeer. Thus he was restored to life, The end.
Told by Paanto, a Maritime Chukchee man, at Mariinsky Post, October, 1900.
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Footnotes
p. 185
1 From what was told before, one would suppose that the fight was near the houses. Discrepencies of this kind are not rare in Chukchee stories.
2 Benevolent spirit (cf. Vol. VII of this series, p. 316).
Index Previous Next
p. 185
3. (war With The Tant.)
There lived two brothers, ntourn and Aqalqan. Their houses were very poor. Some Tant warriors came, ten in number, all driving reindeer, and also all able-bodied. They murdered all the people near the lake. ntourn and Aqalqan were both absent, hunting reindeer. The Tant began to kill their house-mates. At that time both came back. Ten Tant warriors were standing side by side. The two on the ends were quite weak. The fifth, the middle one, was the strongest of all. The one on the left end said, "How shall we kill them?" That on the right end said, "Let it be by shooting!" The strong one said, "You are a weakling, I am able to bind them hand and foot, and then to take them alive to the Tann women."
Aqalqan said, "We shall see!" They fought. One warrior struck Aqalqan upon the breast with his spear. He hit his armor of thong-seal-hide, Aqalqan fell down, "a, a, a!" cried all the Tant, "Not yet," said Aqalqan, "I am still alive, My hands are not bound, nor my feet either." Lying down, he made a thrust with his long spear. His spear-head was much stronger than that of the Tann. He pierced the Tann all through, and killed him. His companion was still more active. Even before Aqalqan had killed his adversary, he had killed those on the right and on the left side, and destroyed them all. They gathered the reindeer, and took all the belongings of those killed.
Then they went home, and found their house-mates half starving.1 They slaughtered reindeer and gave their friends to eat. The next year ten other Tann warriors came again. Aqalqan went to meet them, driving a single reindeer. Then he said, "Can I save myself with the help of this single reindeer? I will rather be wholly without reindeer!" So he stabbed the animal with his knife. The reindeer rushed forward, broke through the Tann file, then fell down. They fought, Aqalqan killed all the Tant, but he was also mortally wounded by them. While he was lying there, Keretkun2 came to him and said, "I am sorry for you! I may bring you back to life!" -- "Do it," said the corpse. '"If you will promise to follow my orders, I will make you alive, as before." -- "I promise to do so." -- "Then listen! A Tann will pass by, driving a reindeer-team, That is the object of your thanksgiving ceremonial. Over him and his reindeer carefully celebrate it!" -- "All right!" He made him alive. A Tann passed by, driving a reindeer-team. He struck him with a spear and killed him, and carried the body home. Upon this, he celebrated the thanksgiving ceremonial. His head was the object of the ceremonial, and also his two reindeer. Thus he was restored to life, The end.
Told by Paanto, a Maritime Chukchee man, at Mariinsky Post, October, 1900.
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Footnotes
p. 185
1 From what was told before, one would suppose that the fight was near the houses. Discrepencies of this kind are not rare in Chukchee stories.
2 Benevolent spirit (cf. Vol. VII of this series, p. 316).
