166 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 



father or mother of the family. The prayer for it can 

 hardly be called anything else is loaded with super- 

 stition. The parent prepares for the ceremony by 

 placing a " poalo," or mit, upon the left hand. Then, 

 bending over the afflicted one, he or she mutters, wails 

 and gesticulates in the strangest manner, also blowing 

 with the mouth and motioning the departure of the evil 

 spirit. This kind of audible supplication is often carried 

 on for a considerable length of time. 



The Eskimo, like almost every other people under the 

 sun, possesses some form of worship, and believes in a 

 spirit world. He believes in the existence somewhere of 

 good and evil spirits, which govern and control this 

 world. The Great Good Spirit (Cood-la-pom-e-o), they 

 believe, dwells in an upper world, of which the sky is 

 the floor ; but the evil spirits, governed by their chief, 

 " Tornarsuk," dwell in a world beneath'ours, which forms 

 a kind of great roof over the world below. The earth 

 and this under-world are connected with each other by 

 certain mountain clefts, and by various entrances from 

 the sea. The spirits of those who meet with violent 

 deaths go to dwell with Cood-la-pom-e-o, in the upper 

 world ; but for those who die from other causes there 

 is a place prepared below in the land of plenty, with the 

 evil spirits. 



These latter deities are supposed to have the greater 

 power of the two upon earth,' and consequently their 

 favor is sought, and to them supplication is usually made, 

 though over certain forces, events and circumstances 

 the Great Good Spirit is supposed to have control. For 

 example, he is believed to be the deity governing the 

 frosts, so that in the fall of the year, when the ice is 



