20 JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS PSYCHOLOGY 



But not only offences which directly pertain to the animals 

 bring about these consequences. Among all the Eskimo is found 

 the dread of touching dead bodies and rules for those who have 

 from necessity or accident done so. 



&quot;The souls of the sea-animals are endowed with greater powers than 

 those of ordinary human beings. They can see the effect of contact with 

 a corpse, which causes objects touched by it to appear dark in color; 

 and they can see the effect of flowing human blood, from which a vapor 

 arises that surrounds the bleeding person and is communicated to every 

 one and every thing that comes in contact with such a person. This 

 vapor and the dark color of death are exceedingly unpleasant to the 

 souls of the sea-animals, that will not come near a hunter thus affected. 

 The hunter must therefore avoid contact with people who have touched 

 a body, or with those who are bleeding, more particularly wdth menstru 

 ating women and or with those who have recently given birth. If any 

 one who has touched a body or who is bleeding should allow others to 

 come in contact with him, he would cause them to become distasteful to 

 the seals, and therefore to Sedna as well. For this reason custo|m 

 demands that every person must at once announce if he has touched a 

 body, and that women must make known when they are menstruating 

 or when they have had a miscarriage. If they do not do so, they will 

 bring ill luck to all the hunters.&quot; (Cf. 5: 583-595.) 



&quot;The transgressions of taboos do not affect the souls of game alone. 

 It has already been stated that the sea-mammals see their effect upon 

 man also, who appears to them of a dark color, or surrounded by a 

 vapor which is invisible to ordinary man. This means, of course, that 

 the transgression also affects the soul of the evil-doer. It becomes 

 attached to it, and makes him sick. The angakok is able to see these 

 attachments with the help of his guardian spirit, and is able to free 

 the soul from them. If this is not done, the person must die. In many 

 cases the transgressions become fastened also to persons who come in 

 contact with the evil-doer. This is especially true of children, to whose 

 souls the sins of their parents, and particularly of their mothers, become 

 readily attached. Therefore, when a child is sick, the angakok, first of 

 all asks its mother if she has transgressed any taboos.&quot; (Cf. 26: 243.) 



&quot;One of the most remarkable traits among the Central 

 Eskimo,&quot; as Boas calls it, is the belief that &quot;a transgression, or 

 as we might say, a sin, can be atoned for by confession. &quot; ( 5 : 121, 

 cf. 5:491, 504, 512; 6: 592.) He notes some features of Green 

 land religious beliefs, which indicate a similar faith in the 

 efficacy of confession. (53 : 45, 391, 440.) The angiak, or spirit 

 of a child born prematurely, he regards as &quot;originally identical 

 with attachment of the soul produced by transgression, more 



