Legends and Tales from Angmagsalik. 293 



39. REINDEER, MUSK-OXEN, HARES, AND THE 'ANIMALS 



WITH IRON TAILS' 



told by Angilinguak. 



In olden days there were found in these parts reindeer, musk- 

 oxen, hares and some large 'animals with iron tails' (parpaligamik 

 iiniakagtalik). About these animals the following tale is told. — 



At Kangerdluarsugsuak near Norsit people went hunting on 

 land, when the sun began to climb the sky. 



There was once a clever hunter, who, one day when he was 

 out stalking reindeer, shot a buck. Soon after he saw another, 

 which he also shot, and at last a third. So the man caught three 

 animals in one day. The next day he saw one large and two small 

 animals. He shot first the old one, and then the young ones. On 

 his way home he again shot a large animal, so that on that day he 

 caught altogether four reindeer. The next day he went out hunting 

 again. He then saw a large black animal, which was larger than a 

 bear, and had long hair on its neck, and large backward curving 

 horns. This animal is called pangnek (musk-ox). The next day he 

 saw a big 'animal with iron tail'; he killed it with his lance. This 

 animal walked backwards to cut with its tail. He put its head 

 inside the house; but he could not sleep at all that night, as he 

 heard a perpetual growling. The following nights he had a knife 

 between his eyes, so that he might not fall asleep; for he was afraid 

 that if he did so, the animal would eat him. The next day he saw 

 an animal which was a little larger than a fox, but it had no tail 

 whatever and was quite white. Its feet were like bear's feet. He 

 went up to it from behind, and stuck his knife into it. He could 

 overtake an animal of this kind (hare) by running. 



Reindeer and musk-oxen eat moss and grass, and hares eat 

 grass. These animals were shot with bows made of wood, with 

 strings of sealskin-thong. The arrows are made of wood and have 

 a bone point. In stalking reindeer the hunters shoot from under 

 cover of stone walls. A wall of this kind is still to be seen near 

 Norsit. The following drum-song treats of reindeer and hares: 



"At Kangerdluarsugsuak there were hares and reindeer, ah ja, 

 ja — ; when my younger brother could not catch them and was 

 afraid of them, I ran after them and caught them, ah, ja, ja, ah ". 



