592 THE CENTRAL ESKIMO. 



to the edge of the land floe and summon the bears. Then a large herd 

 will approach and frighten him almost to death. He falls down at 

 once. Should he fall backward he would die at once. If he falls 

 upon his face, however, one bear out of the herd steps forward and 

 asks him if he wishes him to become his tornaq. He then recovers 

 and takes the bear for his spirit and is accompanied by him on the 

 return journey. On the way home, they pass a seal hole and the 

 bear captures the animal for his master. The Eskimo is now a great 

 angakoq, and wlienever he wants help he is sure to get it from his 

 bear. 



The Eskimo do not make images of the tornait or other supernat- 

 ural beings in whom they believe, but use to a great extent amulets 

 (armgoaq), some of which are given by the tornait, while others are 

 inherited. The most common varieties of amulets are the feather of 

 an owl, a bear's tooth, and the like, which are always worn on the 

 middle of the back of the inner jacket. Rare minerals (e. g., iron) 

 sewed up in a piece of skin are sometimes used for the same pur- 

 pose. A small part of the first gown worn by a child is considered 

 a powerful amulet and is preserved for this reason. It is worn at 

 the point of the hood at a great feast celebrated every fall (see pp. 

 G04, 611) and is called koukparmiutang. 



Lyon (p. 367) gives the following account of the use of amulets in 

 Iglulik : 



Bones and teeth of animals, hanging as solitary pendants, or strung in great 

 numbers, have peculiar virtues, and the bones of the feet of the kabhaqdjuq, which 

 I imagine to be the wolverine, are the most in request. The front teeth of musk 

 oxen are considered as jewels, while the grinders, one or two together, are much 

 esteemed as tassels for the strings used to tie up the breeches of the women. Eye 

 teeth of foxes are sometimes seen to the number of hundreds, neatly perforated 

 and arranged as a kind of fringe round caps or dresses, and even the bones and 

 teeth of fish have their value. 



Leather cases of the size of a quill, and containing small pieces of deer's or other 

 flesh, are frequently attached to the caps or hoods of children, but whether to ren- 

 der them exjiert hunters, or to preserve their health. 1 could not discover. I was 

 assured that broken spear heads, and other equally cumbrous pendants, worn round 

 the necks of young girls, were spells for the preservation of their chastity, while 

 the same ornaments caused the women to be prolific. 



The principal office of the aiiy-akut is t<> find Dtit the reason of sick- 

 ness and death or of any otlicr nnsfcirtiiiii' visiliiiL;- the natives. 



The Eskimo believes that he is obliged tu answer the angakoq's 

 questions truthfully. The lamps being lowered, the angakoq strips 

 off his oitter jacket, pulls the ^ hood over his head, and sits down in 

 the back part of the hut facing the wall. He claps his hands, which 

 are covered with mittens, and, shaking his whole body, utters sounds 

 which one would hardly recognize as human. 



Thus he invokes his tornaq, singing and shouting alternately, the 

 listeners, who sit on the edge of the bed, joining the chorus and 



