Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo - Alternative Religions ...

Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo - Title Page
sometimes brought ashore on the coast of Greenland, are named after both kinds.
The kungusutarissat (plural of 8ungusutaria8), or mermen, are considered as the proper inue of the sea.
They are very fond of fox-flesh and fox-tails, which therefore are sacrificed to them in order to secure a
good hunting. They are also declared enemies to petulant and disobedient children.
The inugpait are giants inhabiting a country beyond the sea, where all things have a size proportionate to
them, and where also one-eyed people are found.
The tornit (plural of tune8) are the most eminent among the inue of the interior. Their dwellings are
partly situated in the tracts visited by men, but the entrance to them is hidden by vegetation and soil.
They are twice the size of men, or even more, but lead the same kind of life. They also go hunting at sea,
but only in foggy weather and without kayaks, sitting on the surface of the water. They are wise men, and
know the thoughts of men before they are spoken.
The igaligdlit (plural of igalilik) are inlanders, who wander about with a pot on their shoulders, cooking
their meat in it at the same time.
The isserkat (plural of issera8) are inlanders also, called tukimut uisorersartut, those who twinkle or
blink with their eyes longwise or in the direction of length.
The erkigdlit (plural of er8ile8) have the shape of man in the upper part of their body, but of dogs as to
their lower limbs.
The inuarutligkat (plural of inuarutdliga8) are a kind p. 48 of dwarf, possessing a shooting-weapon, with
which they are able to kill a creature by merely aiming or pointing at it.
Among the inlanders are also to be included the tarrayarsuit, or shadows, and the narrayout, or
big-bellies. Several monsters reside at the bottom of lakes and inside certain rocks, and are named the
inue of these places. Among these are to be ranked the amarsiniook and the kuinasarinook, referred to in
the tales.
The amarok, which in other Eskimo countries signifies a wolf, in Greenland represents a fabulous animal
of enormous size, also repeatedly referred to in the tales.
The kilivfak, also called kukoria8, kukivfâgâ8, atali8, is an animal with six or even ten feet.
The kugdlughiak (correct spelling, 8ugdlugia8) is a worm, sometimes of enormous size, with a number
of feet, and extraordinary speed.
Other similar monsters mentioned in the tales are: The kukigsook, agshik, avarkiarsuk; the
monster-foxes, hares, and birds, and the ice-covered bears.
The upper world is also inhabited by several rulers besides the souls of the deceased. Among these are
the owners or inhabitants of celestial bodies, who, having once been men, were removed in their lifetime
from the earth, but are still attached to it in different ways, and pay occasional visits to it. They have also
been represented as the celestial bodies themselves, and not their inue only, the tales mentioning them in
both ways. The owner of the moon originally was a man, called Aningaut, and the inua of the sun was his
sister, a woman beautiful in front, but like a skeleton at her back. The moon is principally referred to in
the tales.
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