630 W- Thalbitzer 



teeth are used as amulets on Baffin Land and the same was the case 

 among the Scandinavian Laplanders. 



With regard to the material it is seen that the amulets are either 

 copies of human-figures (wooden dolls seldom animals) or even some- 

 times consist of parts of dead human beings, animals or plants or 

 even the remnants of broken implements. Small dried animals or 

 parts of animals, e. g. Crustacea, bees, birds, raven-heads, fox-jaws, 

 whiskers, claws, nails, teeth, are placed on the body or the imple- 

 ments. A great many different things may evidently be used as 

 amulets when they have some connection with the past of the human 

 beings or fall under the symbolism of the amulet system, which in 

 spite of many individual idiosyncracies is subject to certain prin- 

 ciples of a general character. Amulets of stone are also by no means 

 scarce'). Tättaqujuk mentioned that people when they are ill some- 

 times use a hammer stone as amulet, probably because the noise of 

 this stone when in use frightens the spirits so that they withdraw. 

 The kalilernerit (bead-like stones, pebbles) are the most common stone 

 amulets. 



The effects of the amulets go partly in the direction of frighten- 

 ing or luring the spirits away or in other ways to avert the persecu- 

 tion of evil persons, partly in directly assisting the wearer of the 

 amulet by giving him a vigorous growth and good hunting. 



The amulet does more than merely represent the animal or 

 human being which it imitates or by which it is made. The amulet 

 is alive because it has been made during the recitation of a charm 

 or spell, when the dominating qualities of the animal or the part of 

 the body have been invoked; the power of these qualities is at any 

 rate potentially, present in the amulet. It evidently makes no great 

 difference whether it is the thing (animal) itself or an imitation which 

 is used as amulet; it has the same power. But there may be a shade 

 of difference in the conception of the inherited amulets, which con- 

 sist of discarded implements or utensils, often only the fragmentary 

 remnants"); here it is not the original qualities of the things that are 

 of importance, as was the case with the animal amulets, where the 

 sharpness of the claw, tooth or nail has to be considered, but rather 

 its inherited qualities, good luck in hunting, for example, which has 

 once followed the weapon when used by the original owner, and 

 which is now the dominant power of the amulet. 



1) From West Greenland stones are mentioned as amulets by Dalager (1752) pp. 78 — 

 79 ("small stones and chips"; "pumice"). Stone amulets from Baffin Land are 

 mentioned by Kumlien (1879) p. 45. 



2) From Baffin Land Boas (1888) p. 604 also mentions that the amulets are often small 

 pieces of the first garments used bj' the owner of the amulet wiien a child. 



