506 W. Thalbitzek 



great difference in the care taken by the natives in the preparation 

 of their bear skins, the most beautiful are now obtained from the 

 Sermilikfjord. About the year 1905 Singataaq and his son provided 

 the best cleaned bear skins there. They belonged to one of the 

 pagan orthodox families renowned for their economy and reliability. 



Besides the white and black leather skins the Ammassalikers in 

 former times sometimes made their skins red by means of a certain 

 dye (used especially for the hair bands of the women). The colouring 

 was made as follows. The skin to be dyed was shaped like a bag 

 and filled with pieces of a reddish bark (kileep panertiwd). The bag 

 was now chewed between the teeth until the bark in it had been 

 crushed. It was then placed in the urine vat and after a few days 

 the skin had become beautifully coloured. 



The most common sorts of prepared seal skins are bearded seal 

 (anneq "the largest"), crested seal {neeniarteq "the devourer"), Green- 

 land seal (naliijinnaq), ringed seal (sakkaq "the thin-haired") and 

 harbour seal (qiitiliaq). All of these names of seals were originally 

 introduced as taboo-names special to the Ammassalik district, but 

 have passed over into the common language and supplanted the 

 original and common Eskimo names. Further, the young cubs of 

 these seals (one or two years old), which also have their own special 

 names — nätsiaq the cub of the ringed seal, ilimeewa its unborn 

 young (embryo) — furnished valuable skins. The tanned skin of 

 the bearded seal is used for kaiaks, umiaks, soles, harness and 

 sewing rings, that of the crested seal for kaiaks and umiaks, as tent 

 skin (the outer called qatarqan, the inner itsän) and as hangings in 

 the hut, that of the Greenland seal for kaiaks, umiaks, hangings and 

 pallets, the skin of the ringed seal for men's and women's trousers 

 and with the hair turned outwards for men's kamiks (antiquated 

 mode). The skin of the polar bear is used for men's trousers, the 

 skin of dogs for stockings. The pattern on women's frocks and on 

 knife sheaths is made by sewing together strips of skin of the ringed 

 seal (spotted), the Greenland seal (black) and dog (white). Cf. p. 121. 



The intestines (p. 31) of seals are prepared and made up as 

 window-panes (iijalaameeq), gut-skin coats for the men, balls for the 

 children etc. The intestines of the dog are cut into strips on the 

 cutting-board and used as sewing thread. 



Narwhal and bear sinews are separated out by means of the 

 nails or teeth (or with a needle) and to make them pliable they 

 are moistened in liie mouth and afterwards rubbed against the 

 cheek. The thread is now made of the sinews either by twisting 

 together two or three fibres (qi'^ssät), and this kind is mostly used 

 for clothes, or by plaiting the twisted threads into stronger lines 



