Ethnological Sketch of the Angmagsalik Eskimo. 89 



during the performances of the angakok as a kind of oracle, bring- 

 ing news from far distances and answering questions laid before it. 

 It has black arms and is dangerous to approach, when it enters 

 the house while the incantations are being performed; for those whom 

 it touches turn black and die. It walks with a heavy tread and roars 

 crying out "amo" . A similar creature which acts in the same way 

 cries out "-unga''. It is called Ungatortok and is about the size of a 

 baby. 



All the angakut give accounts of the angakok bear. It is 

 much larger than an ordinary bear, but so thin that all its ribs 

 are visible. The time of its acquisition is at the end of the period 

 of probation, and takes place as follows: It swallows the angakok 

 whole; it then throws him up again bone by bone until the whole 

 skeleton has been collected. The skeleton is then clothed with 

 flesh and comes to life again. (See Sanimuinak's story of how he 

 became an angakok, no. 46). 



Every angakok has his tornarsuk and aperketek, who act as his 

 spirits. Tornarsuk answers questions addressed to it, and eats the 

 souls which have been robbed, whence it is often quite red with 

 blood ^). Aperketek acts as mediator between the angakok and his 

 tornarsuk; he receives questions which he is to put to tornarsuk '■^), 

 and obtains replies from him. 



During the period when the disciple is seeking to have com- 

 munion with spirits he must keep a strict diet — particularly he 

 may not eat the entrails of animals; moreover, he may not do 

 work in iron, and above all he must not reveal to anyone that he is 

 undergoing discipleship. During the period of probation they 

 adopt a special language, which they say they learn from the 

 Inersuaks. 



If, after having terminated their period of probation, they do 

 not proclaim themselves as angakut, they have no other course 

 open to them but to become ilisitsut, sorcerers, who are much 

 dreaded and hated. The period of discipleship often lasts as much 

 as ten years. 



In order to be a clever angakok who can make as many tar- 

 toks appear as possible , it is necessary to possess considerable 

 dramatic talent. 



ij In old accounts of the West coast of Greenland it is stated that Tornarsuk is 



a being who acts as ruler over the tornaks: we have not been able to hear 



anything similar. 

 '^) In "Udtog af Missionair P. Kraghs Dagbog" 1895, (extracts from the diar}' of 



P. Kragh, the missionarj^) first part, page 96 mention is made of apersortiit 



'witches which question the spirit". 



