Eskimo Folk Tales Unit
Part A: Favorites
The Coming of Men
This creation story was different from most of the other creation stories that I have read in that it leaves many phenomena within the story itself open to speculation. For example, in the beginning of the story, the Earth falls down from the sky, but there is no account for how the sky came to be. From the earth came up little children who lived on the from the earth until a woman (no one knows from whence she came) sewed clothing for the children and brought them up, and so men grew to be a race. However, in these early days, man did not know how to die and there was no sun, so the Earth was crowded and dark as man grew old but no one died and there was no sun to give light. That is, until a great flood came and took out many of the men after which two old women saw that it was good that men could die. One of the women wishes for there to be light and that man would be taught how to die. Both of these things are granted. I think the ambiguity in some of the aspects of the story makes the story more interesting because it leaves room for storytellers to add in their own bits and pieces to the legend. Since this likely began as an oral history, it is possible this is what happened.
Nukunguasik, who Escaped from the Tupilak
I noticed that this unit, unlike other units, does not seem to follow the story of one or even a few central characters - we meet many who, although share some characteristics, have distinct stories. Here we meet Nukunguasik, who is one of many brothers and has no wife. One day, he stumbles upon one of his brothers creating a monster - a Tupilak - which is to kill Nukunguasik. Nukunguasik sneaks up and takes his brother by surprise, literally frightening him to death. When the brother does not return from his hunting, the other brothers become worried and set out to find him. They find him and the spot where he died being nibbled on by the Tupalik. Nukunguasik goes on to live for many more years. This story was a bit macabre but I found it entertaining nonetheless. It is unclear from the reading alone why exactly Nukunguasik's brother set out to kill him, but it is implied that it is due to some sort of vengeance.
The Woman who Had a Bear as a Son
I think I can say that this story is my favorite that I've read so far. The story begins with a hunter who we are told occasionally brings home a bear so that he and his wife frequently eat bear meat. He one day asks if she would like to have a bear cub. I was unsure if the man meant for the woman to eat the cub or if the hunter felt guilty at likely having killed the cub's mother and meant for his wife to tae the animal in as her own. Whatever the man's intention for the woman, she does the latter and grows to love the bear cub as her own. It becomes something of a sort of town pet, played with by all, until the bear grows so big and strong that it can no longer play without hurting people. This is when the men of the town decide to make the bear their hunting companion. They soon learn that they will have to disguise the bear's scent to protect it from other hunters, so they make the bear a collar out of plaited sinews and the bear becomes a wonderful hunting companion. The woman cautions her bear to always be kind to man, and not to seek to harm them unless he is harmed first. One day, the bear comes home with a dead man. His fellow hunters say that the men belonging to the dead man's hunting party encouraged the bear to kill the man because he would not let the bear alone. The woman begins to fear for the bear's safety if he stays with her and tells him sadly that he must leave her. Before the bear leaves, she streaks one side of him with oil and soot so that she will always know him when she sees him. I like that this story encompasses the many facets of human nature - the kindness of the women, the empathy of the hunter, the greed of the man that opposed the bear - it shows that man has many faces. Men are not completely good or bad.
Qalaganguase, Who Passed to the Land of Ghosts
Here we meet an orphaned boy named Qalaganguase who is a sickly boy with no strength in his legs so he must remain in his home while others go hunting. While he is alone, he is often visited by ghosts who always leave before the hunters return home. Among the ghosts that visit him in his solitude are his sister and his parents. His parents convince Qalaganguase to come with them so he goes with them to the spirit world and is never seen again. This may have been to show how death is a better fate than loneliness or missing one's family.
The Insects that Wooed a Wifeless Man
This story was a little strange but it was entertaining to read. There were a few parts in the story in which I was a bit confused about what was happening. We are first introduced to a wifeless man. The idea of the wifeless man has been a recurring theme in this unit. I am not sure what implications this title has associated with it in this culture, but I think it's fair to assume that it is not a title of honor. This wifeless man in particular was known for chasing down girls who fled from him and sleeping too late to go hunting. One day, waking at sunset, he hears a man yelling for help and rushes to rescue a man who has overturned his boat. The man turns out to be magical, and repays the wifeless man by granting the man the ability to hunt one beast of his choosing. As long as the man keeps a secret the origin of his skill in hunting this particular creature, he will possess the ability to hunt it and well. So the man becomes a skilled seal hunter and eventually takes a wife who is, at first, impressed by his hunting ability, but soon grows weary of only ever having seal. She nags him endlessly asking why he only brings home seal and he ultimately tells her, which of course, looses him his ability to hunt. The wife runs off when the man can no longer provide for her and he runs after her. Here is where I began to get confused with the story. She escapes through a crevice and he waits for her. While he waits a series of insects come out and ask him to take each one of them as his wife, but he refuses them all, mocking them. Eventually, his wife calls to him and he squeezes through the crevice to her and they are husband and wife again. She lulls him to sleep, and when he wakes, he is alone again. I was not sure what to make of the insects and the wife escaping again other than that it added an interesting twist to the story.
Part B: Favorites
Papik, Who Killed His Wife's Brother
There is a little bit of a murder mystery in this story. From the title, we assume that Papik did indeed murder his wife's brother, but it is never explicitly stated in the story. The two men, Papik and his brother-in-law, Allaq, are hunting companions though Allaq's talent far surpasses that of Papik. Papik grows jealous as the days pass and here the story basically says that one day Allaq disappears. There may be doubt in the reader's mind about whether or not Papik actually committed the crime implied, but there is no doubt in the mind of the old woman who is Allaq's mother and Papik's mother-in-law about what has happened to Allaq. She vows revenge and then drowns herself in the sea so that she may take her revenge as a ghost. Some time passes, and Papik grows to forget his mother-in-law's curse and he returns to his hunting. He has taken position at an ice hole when a monster overtakes him. He knows the monster is Allaq's mother. He and a group of people from the nearby town are able to escape but the monster relentlessly pursues them until finally it falls on Papik, ripping him limb from limb. This is supposed to show the proper consequence of killing other men without due cause. Murder is something this culture does not take lightly, apparently, which is a great contrast to the flippant attitude toward death many of the other mythologies seem to take.
Patussorssuaq, Who Killed His Uncle
This story, too, demonstrates the consequences of killing someone unjustly. A man by the name of Alataq is married to a woman named Kugkat, who is known to be very beautiful. Alataq's nephew, Patussorssuaq, who is also married, livees with Alataq and his wife. Patussorssuaq greatly covets Alataq's wife and plots to get rid of Alataq in order that he may assume his wife. Alataq, decides one day to go on a great journey and to take his wife with him. Patussorssuaq, overcome with fury at the idea of Kugkat leaving, kills his uncle on the spot. Kugkat sees this and flees to the land where her parents live. Patussorssuaq gets it into his mind to also kill his wife so that she is out of the way, but she flees, leaving Patussorssuaq without either of the women he feels belongs to him. Eventually, however, he does track down his aunt and takes her as his wife, but she soon dies. His misfortune is soon doubled when he attacked by a fox, who is really the spirit of his vengeful uncle. Patussorssuaq is killed brutally, thus (hopefully) deterring the reader from the act of murder without cause.
The Wife who Lied
This is not the first story to involve a lying wife. Such a character appeared briefly in a story from the first half of the reading, and she met such a immediate punishment, that from the title, I knew this was not going to be a good story for the uAntrue wife. Navaranapaluk was married to a man from a different tribe than hers and is taken to live in her husband's land. She decides to go, one day and visit her people, and she fabricates a story to make her people believe that she is treated badly in her marriage. It is not stated why she does this - the story never implies that her marriage is an unhappy one, so it is unclear why she seeks to destroy her husband. Her people, taking pity of her, set out for her husband's land and kill the women in the area (the men were out hunting) there save three women who had hidden themselves cleverly. When the men return to see all of the women dead, they devise a plan to kill the people responsible. They slaughter Navaranapaluk's people and two of her enemies carry her off, dismember her, and leave her to die. This may seem a harsh punishment for lying, but I think it shows how speaking falsely can ultimately cause despair and anguish in many forms.
Atdlarneq, the Great Glutton
In a different story, we see a woman who is punished for her infidelity, while her lover is left off the hook. This story shows, however, that this culture recognizes that not only women are to blame for infidelity. Atdlarneq is a great hunter and always bring home seal from his hunt. One day while out on the sea, he sees three beautiful women emerge from a house, and he resolves to go to them. They receive him warmly giving him a great feast. Then, the husband of the three young girls returns home. This is where the story gets interesting. Instead of killing Atdlarneq on the spot (which is what I was expecting to happen) the husband sustains the role of welcoming host, serving Atdlarneq more and more food that he is obligated by the husband to eat. He would have eaten himself to death had he not preceded the meal with a grass stalk. Nonetheless, Atdlarneq learns his lesson and never ventures that way again.
Angangujuk
The thing that stuck out about this story to me was not the actual plotline, per se, but rather a small detail. In the beginning of the story, a woman looses track of her son. What stuck with me, though, is that she doesn't really seem to show much concern for the child, Angangujuk, but rather fears her husband's wrath upon losing the boy. This, to me, demonstrates the view of women and children as property belonging to a man rather than person. Ultimately, we discover that the child has been taken by a couple who and the boy's father happen upom their dwelling as they are arguing about whether or not to keep the boy. The father quickly retrieves his son, but when they return home, they are greeted by nothing and no one.
Tungujuluk and Saunikoq
I liked this story because it was a bit more light-hearted that many of the tales up to this point. I feel almost as though the unit is getting darker and darker as I read, so this was a refreshing change. Both Tungujuluk and Saunikoq are shape shifting wizards and can turn themselves into a walrus and a bear respectively. Saunikoq soon grows jealous of Tungujuluk because he had a son and Saunikoq does not and he begins to plot evil against Tungujuluk. He sets out to kill the son of Tungujuluk and just as he is about to, the son runs home to his father. Saunikoq follows in his bear form, frightening Tungujuluk before he remembers that his neighbor can change himself into a bear. To get back at the bear-man for mocking them, Tungujuluk steals Saunikoq's bladder float basically out from under him in his walrus form. He brings it up at meal time that evening and all present have a good laugh, but Saunikoq is so ashamed that he is never seen again. This story was a bit difficult to follow and I found myself having to read several parts over and over again, but still I enjoyed it. No one was murdered (though it was intended) and I love a good trickery.
Kanagssuaq
No comments:
Post a Comment