586 THE CENTRAL ESKIMO. 



hair. She has one pigtail only, contrary to the established fashion in the upper 

 Eskimo world, which is to wear one on each side of the face, and this is of such 

 immense magnitude, that a man can scarcely grasp it with both hands. Its length 

 is exactly twice that of her arm, and it descends to her knee. The hood of her jacket 

 is always worn up. * * * 



Her father has but one arm, the hand of which is covered by a very large mitten 

 of bearskin. * * * He is not larger than a boy of ten years of age. He bears 

 the character of a good, quiet sort of person and is master of a very nice house, 

 which, however, is not approachable, on account of the vast herds of walrus lying 

 round it, which, with numerous bears, make a terrific howling. * * * He has 

 nothing to eat, and does not even require it; in which particular he differs widely 

 from his daughter, who has a most voracious appetite. I know not if he is the 

 father of all terrestrial animals, but he is certainly their patron, and withholds them 

 at times from the Eskimo. 



The name of the father, Anaiitalik (An-now-ta-lig), i. e., the man 

 with something to cut (with a knife), is very remarkable. Besides, 

 it is interesting that the angakoq who visits the dwelling of Nuliajoq 

 has to cut off her hand in order to liberate the sea animals. In the 

 tradition related in the foregoing, Sedna has another name, to wit, 

 Uinigumisuitung, i. e., she who would not have a husband; her 

 father, Savirqong, i. e., the man with the knife. Often he is only 

 called Anguta, her father. 



It is evident that Nuliajoq is identical with Sedna. tliough some 

 peculiarities exist in the tradition as i'clat('(l by Lyon wldcli it is 

 rather difficult to reconcile with tlic myth as it is rcl.-iti'd amongthe 

 Oqomiut. It seems to me tliat this dilliculty arises frcmi the mixing 

 up of the angakoq's visit to Sedna with the tradition itself. Indeed 

 Lyon only refers to the angakoq's visit to Nuliajoq, whom he con- 

 siders a genius of a great angakoq, though he remarks in another 

 place (p. 363) that she " has a boundless command over the lives and 

 destinies of mankind." 



The tale of the angakoq's visit makes the tradition very similar to 

 the Greenland myth of Arnaquagsaq, i. e. , the old woman. Accord- 

 ing to Cranz (p. 264) and to Rink (p. 40) this spirit has her abode in 

 the depth of the ocean. She represents the source of nourishment, 

 supiDlying the physical wants of mankind. She sits in her dwelling in 

 front of a lamp, beneath which is placed a vessel which receives the 

 oil that keeps flowing down from the lamp. From this vessel, as well 

 as from the dark interior of her hut, she sends out all the animals 

 which serve for food, but in certain cases withholds the supply, thus 

 causing want and famine. The reason for thus withholding the 

 supply was that certain filthy and noxious parasites fastened them- 

 selves upon her head, of which she could only be relieved by an 

 angakoq. Then she could be induced again to send out the animals 

 for the benefit of man. In going to her he (the angakoq) had first 

 to pass the Arsissut and then to cross an abyss, in which, according 

 to the earliest authors, a wheel as slippery as ice was constantly 



