370 



angakok), in our conjurers, and we believe in them because we 

 wish to live long, and because we do not wish to run the risk 

 of famine. We believe for the sake of our lives and for the 

 sake of our food. If we did not believe in our priests, the 

 animals we hunt would not be apparent to us ; if we did not 

 follow their advice we should become sick and die". 



Whilst in secular matters a chieftainship or a differentiated 

 social organism has never developed, the Polar Eskimos in 

 religious regards come under a leadership of developed Shama- 

 nism and are thus in so far a step further advanced in religious 

 than in sociological matters. This is certainly connected with 

 the fact, that they have to struggle almost exclusively against 

 nature and the misfortunes arising from the forces of nature, 

 whereas they have not known what it is to be obliged to fight 

 for themselves and their hunting-districts against hostile tribes. 



The considerable communication which has existed be- 

 tween the last generations and expeditions has not failed to 

 influence the Polar Eskimos in regard to their views of the 

 world and the hidden powers. They now know that there are 

 many and densely populated lands in addition to their own. 

 And they no longer believe so directly in all the spirits, "tor- 

 narssuit", they ascribe to all the localities — house-floor, space 

 behind the skin-walls, the lamp, house-entrance, refuse-heap 

 in front of the entrance, the fells, the sea — from which they 

 have special opportunities of receiving impressions and moods, 

 or in other words, to nearly everything for which they have 

 names. In earlier days they were afraid of these spirits and 

 beheved that they had no good-will towards men. Now they 

 are somewhat more superior in these matters, though the be- 

 lief in spirits is by no means extinct^. 



I am so fortunate as to be able to give an actual illus- 

 tration of the more open mind with regard to these matters 



1 cf. Knud Rasmussen: Nye Mennesker, p. 148. 



