124 



As Mena'dlook an Alaskan Eskimo once told me, "The Eskimo 

 have many songs. They have songs to make the wind blow, 

 songs to make the seals come, songs to dance by, songs for play, 

 songs to keep off the spirits songs to make their hearts strong." 

 Songs are property among them, and the originators or old men 

 who have learned appropriate songs sell them on ceremonial 

 occasions. 



Until they have been educated to it and understand the 

 intricacies of modern music, Eskimos as a rule do not like civilized 

 music. They say that there are too many notes, too much 

 noise, that the time is confusing, and that they prefer the simple 

 rhythm of their native songs. Of the "white man's songs," 

 they like best the old-style hymns. 



RELIGION. 



TORNGARSOAK AND SUPERGUKSOAK. 



The religious ideas of the Labrador Eskimo appear to be 

 intermediate between those of the Greenland and Central 

 Eskimo, as might be expected from their geographical situation. 

 Influences have flowed in from both sides which have given rise 

 to conflicting ideas concerning the attributes and location of 

 their deities, but the main features are clear. 



The Labrador Eskimo have two main deities: a female 

 deity Supergu'ksoak who presides over the land animals, espec- 

 ially the reindeer, and a male deity Tornga'rsoak, who presides 

 over the sea animals. The male deity is the husband of the 

 female deity. A similar arrangement was found by Captain 

 Comer on the west coast of Hudson bay^ and also occurs in 

 Bering strait among the Island and Asiatic Eskimo.^ 



The legend concerning these two deities, as given by an 

 Eskimo named At'U'nga to the early Moravian Brethren, is as 

 follows : 



"In the inland lives an old woman, who presides over the 

 land animals, especially the reindeer. She will always assist 



> See Boas, Eskimo of Baffin land and Hudson bay, Bui. A.M.N.H., vol. XV, p. 145. 

 •See Bogoraa. The Chukchee, Jesup North Pacific Expedition, vol. VII, pp. 317. 318. 



