272 MYTH TOUCHING THE SUN AND MOON. 



it runs as follows: — " A long time ago, in a country far away to 

 the eastward, called Pin'g-o, the people held a winter festival, when 

 one of the women, tired of dancing, left the company and retired to 

 rest in her own hut. Before she had gone to sleep, she perceived 

 some one enter, who blew out the light, and lay down beside her. 

 Being desirous to know who her stealthy visitor was, she smeared 

 her hands with soot from the lamp within her reach, and secretly 

 blackened his body, that she might know him again among the 

 dancers. After he had gone, she returned to the dance-house, and 

 peeping in, saw to her horror that the man whose person she had 

 marked was her own brother. She retired in great grief to the 

 open air; but soon returning to the dance-house, she went into the 

 middle of the assembly, and with a woman's knife (o-lu) cut off her 

 left breast, which she gave her brother, saying, ' All this it is good 

 that you should eat.' 1 They then went out, and both ascended 

 slowly towards the heavens in a circular path, he with his dog going 

 first and she following, and when nearly out of sight separated, the 

 man, by name Nel-lu-kat'-si-a Tad-kak, to become the moon, and his 

 sister, Sigh-ra-a-na, to become the sun, still dripping with her own 

 gore, as may be seen occasionally in cloudy weather, when she looks 

 red and angry." The moon is considered cold and covered with 

 snow, on the white surface of which may be traced at the full the 

 figure of the man perpetually travelling with his dog, whilst the lady 

 sun enjoys the warmth of an eternal summer." 



In some of their pursuits necessity compels the men of different 

 establishments to combine their strength, as in taking the whale, 

 and in such circumstances, some must take the lead. It would 

 seem an easy step from this to the permanent ascendency of indi- 

 viduals over the others, and some have accordingly considerable 

 weight in the community ; but there is nothing among them 

 resembling acknowledged authority or chieftainship. A man who 

 has a boat out in the whaling season, engages a crew for the time ; 

 but while in the boat he does not appear to have any control over 

 them, and asks their opinion as to where they should direct their 

 course, which, however, they generally leave him to determine, as 

 well as to keep the principal look-out for whales. The chief men 

 are called Ome'liks (wealthy), and have acquired their position by 

 being more thrifty and intelligent, better traders, and usually better 

 hunters, as well as physically stronger and more daring. At the 

 winter and summer festivals, when the people draw together for 



1 This is not given as a literal translation, but we believe it conveys the 

 meaning. The Eskimo words are " ta-man'g-ma mam-mang-mang-an'g-ma 

 nigh'-e-ro." 



