130 ; 



posture. At intervals he would emit the most frightful shrieks, 

 then placing his hand on the missionary's face he would groan 

 out, 'Now is my Torngak come!' ' 



"At such times," the missionary adds, "the Eskimo present 

 would lie flat upon their faces, as if they were dead men." 



While the angekok is possessed by the spirit, advantage is 

 taken of his trance-like condition to ask him questions. The 

 response of a female angekok, Millak, is further described by 

 Jens Haven: 



"... .She began, with deep sighs and groans, to invoke the 

 Torngak, till at length her loud, shrill voice made the house 

 tremble. After a brief silence she shouted aloud to me and then 

 another what the Torngak had told her in reply to their questions. 

 If the replies were unfavourable, the Torngak was again invoked, 

 until the results were satisfactory." 



Needless to say, at such times the angekok takes advantage 

 of his connexion with the torngak to confound his enemies in his 

 responses. But, on the whole, the angekok does not use his 

 power for harm. 



The concluding ceremony of driving the torngak out of the 

 house, which is a common practice among the Asiatic Eskimo, 

 was also the finale of the Labrador shaman's performance. 



"Then suddenly a terrific noise was heard, like the report 

 of a gun apparently caused by striking a sealskin stretched 

 tightly on a hoop and hung up for the purpose. 1 She then 

 chased the Torngak through the house with a stick, striking 

 furiously right and left, stamping with her feet, and uttering 

 frightful sounds." 



The work of the angekok is not limited to such public 

 exhibitions, but also includes doctoring the sick, officiating at 

 ceremonials, determining the presence of game, foretelling or 

 changing the weather, making amulets, instructing novices in 

 his art, 2 etc. 



1 The Labrador Eskimo of the east coast have not used the drum for several generations, 

 although they still understand the construction of it. It is one of many old customs which have 

 passed away. 



8 Young shamans usually attach themselves to an older angekok for several years, until 

 they become proficient. 



