GILBERTSON: ESKIMO CULTURE 65 



Worthy of being noted here is a romance revealed by Peary s 

 words (48:52): 



&quot;Hot-hearted young Ooqueah of my North Pole party fought his way 

 with me to the goal for the posse8sion of the daughter of old Ikwa.v. This 

 young knight of the northland is an illustration of the fact that some 

 times an Eskimo man or woman may be as intense in his or her affairs 

 of the heart as we are.&quot; 



The usual principals in the preliminaries of marriage are 

 the prospective bridegroom and the young woman s parents, 

 or, if they are dead, her brothers. The advice of the man s 

 parents is also given consideration. (19:79; 69:434; 53:397; 

 30:94; 16.1:145.) The services of mediators are sometimes 

 enlisted in winning the desired maiden. (53:23; 69:434; 16.1: 

 145.) Probably the employment of these third parties is not 

 at all common. The dashing young Eskimo hunter ordinarily 

 prefers to do his own wooing. In a folk tale we are told that 

 the reason a youth sent a mediator was that he was &quot;bashful 

 and afraid to speak for himself.&quot; (5:615.) 



There does not appear to be any regular system of purchase- 

 money or of dowry, though traces of both are found. Holm 

 says that the young man must sometimes pay the father to 

 get his daughter in marriage,&quot; but also, &quot;good hunters are 

 paid by fathers to marry their daughters.&quot; (30 :96 ; cf. 55 :188 ; 

 43:135.) A young man, who did not possess the necessary 

 wherewithal to indemnify the parents secured the girl on credit, 

 and &quot;he owes them still,&quot; remarks Waldmann, who relates the 

 case. ( 69 :434. ) It is customary for the woman to bring with 

 her certain household utensils, besides her clothing. These 

 things remain her own property. (16.1:145; 53:24; 42:414.) 



Kink s view that marriage was rarely consummated &quot;with 

 out some degree of force having been practiced upon the bide 

 (53:23; cf. 43:139) seems to be well substantiated, though there 

 are undoubtedly not a few exceptions. Wife-capture is a fa 

 vorite theme in folk-lore. (52:323, 450, 453.) The abduction 

 may be without the knowledge and consent of the girl s pa 

 rents. (1.146.) But ordinarily the marriage has been duly 

 arranged, and the only resistant is the bride-elect. (16.2:105; 

 20 :28 ; 42 :412.) W T hile to all appearances, the abduction is much 

 against the girl s will, it seems that appearances are in this 

 case often deceptive. Crantz says that, on hearing the pro 

 posal, 



