Legends and Tales from Angmagsalik. 283 



creep into the garments. Then it made its way into the garments, 

 shrieking: "jEr/co! erkol" As soon as it was well inside, they pulled 

 the string and began to beat it. Those that beat it cried: "Ala, alaV, 

 because the tupilek bit them. When at last it was quiet, the lamps 

 were lit, and the angakok had the tupilek in his bosom; and she who 

 had made the tupilek ran round about, in and out, putting out the 

 lamps, while the others were trying to light a fire. The angakok 

 said that those who were not quite well were to turn their faces 

 inwards, and fire was drilled down in an urine-tub, in order that 

 the tupilek's mother might not put it out. 



When the lamps had now been properly lit, they saw a nice 

 little child with grouse's feet in its breast; but when the angakok 

 had breathed on it, all the grouse feathers fell off". It was red as 

 if with dried blood in the corners of the mouth, from all the dead 

 children's souls it had eaten. It had still a dog-skin on its head, 

 but this they ripped up. Gradually a whole pile of grouse feathers 

 and all the things the tupilek had been made of were heaped up 

 about it. 



When they had finished with it, they went up to the mountain 

 above Umivik and boiled it. The bear-catchers wife brought forth 

 a child for the last time, and it lived, as well as the child she 

 had born before the tupilek had been made. 



The tupilek was now caught, and so this is the end of our tale. 



30. A TRUE STORY FROM ANGMAGSALIK ABOUT THE MOON 



told by Angitinguak. 



Pulokojo lived at Puilortolok together with two old women to 

 one of whom he was married. These two old women would sit 

 lousing one another, and when the kaiakers went out to sea, they 

 would go out into the passage-way, point at them, and gossip 

 about them. 



At Tasiusak there lived an old angakok, who had only one eye 

 and whose name was Karrak^). He made a journey to the Moon, 

 and when he came home he related that when those who were in 

 mourning for the dead went about and worked, the Moon would 

 come and frighten them. When the two old women heard this, 

 thej' said: "Why should the Moon come down and frighten us?"; 

 for thev did not believe in it. 



') Karrak was the narrator's (Angitinguak's) grand-uncle. He had lost one CN^e, 



when the angakok bear had eaten him. 



