100 G. Holm. 



the Eskimo always showed in speaking of themselves, a diffidence 

 which though it often comes under the guise of modesty, must 

 nevertheless rather be ascribed to a superstitious fear of speaking 

 of anything which affected themselves, just like their fear of naming 

 their own name. It is therefore quite possible that the angakut 

 really do believe after all in their own power of communing with 

 the spirit world, yet without having any clear notion of the way in 

 which it takes place. 



Ilisitsut. — Whereas the angakut commune with the spirit 

 \vorld in the presence of others and as a general rule help rather 

 than harm their fellow creatures, the ilisitsut commune with the 

 spirit world in secret and only in order to harm their enemies or 

 society. Whereas the angakut say that they train themselves for their 

 calling by the process of continually rubbing a stone and thus 

 summoning the spirits; the ilisitsok must serve a term of disciple- 

 ship under an elder ilisitsok. 



They must be alone during their novitiate and they must pay 

 heavily for their training. When an angakok novice has trained 

 for ten years, and has not proclaimed himself an angakok, he has 

 no other course but to become an ilisitsok. 



The most important art of the ilisitsut is to create iupileks 

 which will kill the people against whom they are sent. They are 

 made from different animals, such as bears, foxes, ptarmigan, 

 and seals. The tupilek must also contain a piece of the anorak, or 

 the hunting spoil, or something else of the man against whom it is 

 to be sent. It is then animated by chanting a magic charm over 

 it. In order that the tupilek may grow, the ilisitsok makes it suckle 

 himself between his legs. Before doing this he turns his anorak so 

 that he has the back of it in front; then he draws up the hood be- 

 fore his face. He sits on a heap of stones close to where a river 

 discharges itself into the sea and makes the tupilek suckle. When 

 the latter has grown big, it glides down into the water and dis- 

 appears. It is to bring death or misfortune to the man for whom 

 it is destined. If it fails in this object, it turns against its master. 



Women can become ilisitsut and make tupileks as well as men. 

 The procedure in their case is quite similar to that in the case 

 of men. 



It is the angakok's business to detect and catch these tupileks. 

 They may either be eaten by the angakok's tornarsuk, or if the 

 angakok has a hawk for lartok, they may be caught by the latter. 

 When people hear the tupilek enter the passage-way during the 

 angakok performance and walk to and fro, they are terrified; for if 



