572 THE CENTRAL ESKIMO. 



Ill summer children and grown up people exercise by sitting down 

 on their knees in a large circle and simultaneously jumping up and 

 down, by kneeling and holding their toes in their hands and trying 

 to outdo one another in running in this position, &c. 



A favorite amusement during the long winter nights is telling 

 tales and composing songs. Old traditions are always related in a 

 highly ceremonious manner. The narrator takes off his outer jacket, 

 pidls the hood over his head, and sits down in the rear part of the 

 hut, turning his fac'e toward the wall, and then tells the story slowly 

 and solemnly. All the stories are related in a very abridged form, 

 the substance being supposed to be known. The form is always the 

 same, and should the narrator happen to say one word otherwise than 

 is customary he will be corrected by the listeners. 



Children tell one another fables and sing short songs. Comic 

 songs making fun of any jDerson are great favorites. Details on tlie 

 poetry and music of the Eskimo will be found further on. 



Parry's description of the games and sports practiced by the Iglu- 

 lirmiut is so interesting that I insert it here (II, p. 538) : 



On an occasion when most of the men were absent from the huts on a sealmg 

 excursion, the women jomed in playing, one of them being the chief performer. 

 Being requested to amuse the rest, slie suddenly imbound lier hair, platted it, tied 

 both ends together to keep it out of her way, and then stepping out into the middle 

 of the hut, began to make the most hideous faces that can be conceived, by di-aw- 

 ing both lips into her mouth, poking forward her chin, squinting frightfully, occa- 

 sionally shutting one eye, and moving htr head from side to side as if her neck had 

 been dislocated. This exhibition, which they call ajokitarpoq, and which is evi- 

 dently considered an accompUshment that few of them possess in perfection, dis- 

 torts every feature in the most horrible manner imaginable, and would, 1 think, 

 put om- most skiUful horse-collar grinners quite out of countenance. 



This performance is identical with one described later (p. 578) as 

 practiced during the meals in summer. 



The next performance consists in looking steadfastly and gi-avely forward and re- 

 peating the words taba'-taba'; kjaibo, kjaibo; kebang inutovik, kebang inutovik: 

 amatama, amatama, in the order in vihich they are here placed, but each at least foiu- 

 times, and always by a peculiar modulation of the voice speaking them in jiairs as 

 they are coupled above. The sound is made to proceed from the throat in a way 

 much resembling ventriloquism, to which art it is indeed an approach. After the 

 last amatama she always point d with her finger toward her body, and pronounced 

 the word angakoq, steadily retaining her gravity for five or sis seconds, and then 

 bursting into a loud laugh, in which she was joined by all the rest. The women 

 sometimes produce a much more guttural and unnatural sound, repeating principally 

 the word ikeri-ikeri.couphng them as before, and staring in such a manner as to 

 make then- eyes appear ready to burst out of their sockets with the exertion. Two 

 or more of them wOl sometimes stand up face to face, and withgi-eat quickness and 

 regularity respond to each other, keeping such exact time that the sound appeai-s to 

 come from one throat instead of several. Very few of the females are possessed of 

 this accomplishment, which is called pitkusiraqpoq, and it is not uncommon to see 

 several of the younger females practising it. A third part of the game, distin- 

 guished by the word kailikpoq, consists only in falling on each knee lUternately, a 



