BOAS.] RELIGIOUS IDEAS. 597 



Besides tlie tornait already mentioned, a number of otliers are 

 known which cannot become genii of men. A spirit of the sea, 

 Kalopaling or Mitiling, is described in a tradition (see p. (520). In Erd- 

 mann's Worterbuch des Labradordialectes "Mitiling" is translated 

 Gespenst, i. e., ghost. No doubt it is the name of the same spirit 

 or at least of a similar one which is recognized among the northern 

 tribes, the literal translation being " with eider ducks. "' Another 

 spirit of which the natives are in great fear is Qiqirn, a phantom 

 in the shape of a huge dog almost without hair. Like the bear which 

 has been alluded to, it has hair only at the mouth, the feet, and the 

 points of the ears and the tail. If it comes near dogs or men they 

 fall into fits and only recover when Qiqirn has left. It is exceed- 

 ingly afraid of men and runs away as soon as an angakoq descries it. 



A very remarkable tornaq is the qaggim inua, i. e. , master of the 

 dancing house. The natives build large houses for feasting, singing, 

 and dancing, which are devoted to spirits. This tornaq has the 

 shape of a bandy legged man, his knees being bent outward and for- 

 ward. He has not a single hair upon his entii-e body and no bones 

 at the back of his head. To touch him would result in immediate 

 death (see p. G3G). 



Besides these tornait, more powerful supernatural beings are known, 

 who are "owners" (inua) of the stars and constellations and of mete- 

 orologic processes. Moon and sun are considered brother and sister, 

 and in this the tradition of the Central Eskimo exactly corresponds 

 with that of the Greenlanders. It is even known among the Eskimo 

 of Point Barrow (Simpson, p. 940). From Repulse Bay (Aivillir- 

 miut) a few scanty traces of this tradition are recorded by Rae (I, p. 

 79). He relates as follows: 



It is said that many years ago, not long after the creation of the world, there was 

 a mighty conjiirer, who gained so much power that at last he raised himself up into 

 the heavens, taking with him his sister (a beautiful girl) and a fire. To the latter 

 he added great quantities of fuel, which thus formed the sun. For some time lie 

 and his sister lived in gieat harmony, but at last they disagreed, and he, in addi- 

 tion to maltreating the lady in many ways, at last scorched the side of her face. 

 She had suffered patiently all sorts of indignities, but the spoiling of her beauty was 

 not to be borne ; she therefore ran away from him and formed the moon, and con- 

 tinues so until this day. Her brother is still in chase of her, but although he gets 

 near, he wQl never overtake her. When it is new moon , the burnt side of the face is 

 towards us ; when full moon, the reverse is the case. 



The following form of the legend, which I received from some 

 Akudnirmiut and Oqomiut, is almost identical with the Greenland 

 one: 



In olden times a brother and his sister lived in a large village in 

 which there was a singing house, and every night the sister with her 

 playfellows enjoyed thiMiisi'he's in this house. Once upon a time, 

 when all the lamps in tln' .si n^ing house were extinguished, somebody 

 came in and outragid lur. She was unable to recognize him; but 



