■90 G. Holm. 



It is also necessary to be very nimble, dexterous and quick- 

 witted, and to have the power of making a demoniacal, mystical 

 impression on their audience and to work on their nerves. 



Angakok incantations. — The actual performance of angakok 

 arts takes place only in winter, when the people live in houses. 

 In summer all that the angakut do is to lie prostrate on the plat- 

 form and have themselves covered with a skin. As they thus re- 

 cline, they fall into a trance, in which their spirits speak through 

 them and in which they are able to see visions. 



When angakok arts are performed in the house, the angakok 

 plants himself before the passage-way with his feet pointing to- 

 wards the entrance and resting on the lowest of the dried skins 

 which hang in front of it. His arms are bound tightly behind his 

 back, so tightly that sores are often left on their wrists, and the 

 head, too, is often tied down between the legs. A thong is fastened 

 tightly round the head, whence it is said that the angakok can see 

 quite clearly, even when all the lamps have been extinguished. 

 They say that their whole body now becomes stiff and unconscious. 

 The feet move convulsively and thereby set the dried skins rattling. 

 It happens sometimes that it is not possible to bring the angakok 

 into this condition, and he can very easily be roused out of it. 

 Thus, for instance, when a clod of earth was thrown at Kunit while 

 he was performing angakok incantations, he ceased immediately, 

 and the lamps were lit. The drum with the drumstick is laid by 

 the side of the angakok, and is said to be used during the perfor- 

 mance by the tartok, and it dances drumming by itself round the 

 angakok's head. The drum consists of a circular wooden frame 

 over which the peritoneum of a bear or large seal is stretched, and 

 it is provided with a handle. It is beaten by striking the rim of 

 the wooden frame with the drum-stick. Less dexterous angakut 

 do not have their hands bound behind their backs: they sum- 

 mon the tartok and set the drum dancing by beating on a piece of 

 bearded-seal skin which they hold in their hand. The lamps are 

 always put out during the performance, but sometimes, they say, 

 it is not too dark for the audience just to see the drum dancing 

 by itself round the angakok's head. The tartoks cannot be seen, 

 but can be heard so much the more. There is seldom more than 

 one tartok present at a time, and he speaks through the angakok 

 in a strange language to the audience. 



1 shall now proceed to describe a performance of this kind 

 which took place in the house of our neighbours, in which Sani- 

 muinak Üigs. 18 and 39) performed angakok incantations. 



