Legends and Tales from Angmagsalik. 285 



When tliey came out to the house on llie following day, the 

 passage-Avay had fallen in, and roof and [)latforms had collapsed 

 and were strewn all over the floor. It was the man in the water- 

 tight skin clothes [Nelarsik) who had been in the house. When 

 they were sitting inside the house in the evening, they asked Karrak 

 whether he would perform angakok arts ; but be answered that he 

 w^as afraid to do so for the Moon. The angakok was sitting leaning 

 up against the wall, when suddenly he had a vision, and saw the 

 Moon standing above Puilortolok, about to knock over the whole 

 house with a kapotak (a kind of spear) ; but each time the Moon 

 was about to upset the house, Ibak^), who was one of Karrak's 

 tartoks, called out forbidding it, and so it drew back the spear 

 again. The dried skin (which is hung before the entrance during 

 the performance of tornak arts) was rolled up. 



The angakok still remained sitting by the wall, and summoned 

 his other tartok, Ikilerfik'^). The dried skin before the passage-way 

 began to move, although the lamps were lit, and his tartok was 

 shrieking outside. The dried skin which had been rolled up, unrolled 

 itself, the angakok shifted his seat (the skin) down onto the floor, 

 sat down on it, and began to strike the piece of skin he held in his 

 hand^). The house rumbled, and the seat on which the angakok 

 was sitting shook. "I have something to do with a great man !", 

 shouted the angakok. "I am sure 1 can do nothing to him", an- 

 swered Ikilerfik. "Now I have another vision" said the angakok, 

 "Ibak and the Moon are fighting! Now- Ikilerfik, too, will soon be 

 out there. Ikilerfik is taking the spear from the Moon. Ikilerfik is 

 going to twist it up! The Moon shouts: Shall water fall no more? 

 Shall seals bear young no more, since thou wait break my spear?" 

 The tartok let go the spear and the Moon flew up into the air. 



31. A MOON STORY 



told by Pitiga. 



There were once two men at Sarsik, who always exchanged 

 wives, and this the Moon did not approve of. One of the men one 



^) Ibak was a Timersek and as big as an umiak. 



'-) Ikilerfik lived on a little island outside Kulusuk together with his grandson 

 Kiterak. He was so big that he could not get into the house. When Karrak 

 was to go out to Ikilerfik, his hands were tied behind his back, his legs were 

 tied together, and his head was bent over and bound to his legs. He could 

 then fly about the house and pass out through the window to Kulusuk. 



^) A common angakok trick by which the spirits are summoned. 



