Copper Eskimo Traditions 79 a 



68. The Origin of the Clouds 

 (Told by Ikpakhuaq and Uloqsaq) 



The earth was once very warm; there were then no clouds, no snow, no ice, 

 no fog. The sun said, "I know the people all over the earth." In the evening, 

 when the moon went down, it said, "Now the people are going to have their 

 eyes protruding from their heads because of the darkness." 



During those days animals talked like men. A female brown bear captured 

 an Eskimo named Upaum and carried him off to her den for her young cubs 

 to eat. miluq-aqcaya'lukj^ miluq-aqcaya'luk, "Here's something for you to suck," 

 she said to them. She lay down to sleep, leaving the two cubs to keep watch. 

 Upaum pretended to be dead and lay with his eyes closed. After a time, when 

 all was quiet, he opened them very cautiously, but the cubs saw him. U-paum 

 vrj wi-pak'k-jq "Upaum is opening his eyes," they called to their mother. The 

 old bear sprang up, but seeing Upaum lying quite motionless with his eyes closed, 

 she lay down to sleep again. After a time the cubs went off to get some wood. 

 Upaum said to himself, U-paum wi-'luni pi-'li "Upaum, open your eyes and do 

 something." Then he rose, seized a billet of wood and smote the mother bear 

 over the head. The blow was not fatal, but it left the animal stunned for a few 

 minutes, during which time Upaum made his escape. Presently he heard the 

 bear following him, so he climbed to the top of some willows and remained 

 there while the bear was vainly searching for him on the ground. "As long as 

 it is light," he thought to himself, "I can hold on to these willows without 

 getting tired." After a time he descended and ran away, but the bear found 

 his tracks and followed. Then he stooped down and drew an imaginary line 

 along the ground. Immediately a great stream of water gushed forth, which 

 swelled into a mighty river flowing between him and his enemy — the modern 

 qoyXo'qtoq or Coppermine river, qanoq ha'm-a ikaq-eun, "How did you cross 

 this river?" called out the bear; and the man replied dlu'-yXwyolu kuni'y\uyolu 

 ime'qaya, "I drank it and snuffled it up and emptied it." The bear tried to do 

 the same, and drank and drank until it burst. The warm steam that mounted 

 up from its body became the clouds. 



The Origin of the Clouds — Second Version 

 (Told by Ilatsiaq) 



In the first days the sky was serene and cloudless. There were not many 

 people living then, and bears could talk like men. A man and a woman went 

 hunting one day. They met a brown bear and the man in his terror stood still. 

 The bear seized hold of him, bit him to death and carried him off to its den. 

 The woman followed it and, waiting until it was asleep, struck it on the head 

 with an adze and killed it. But there was another bear sleeping beside it, and it 

 sprang up and pursued her. She sat down on top of a hill and waited for it to 

 come up. When it drew near she said: 



ku-k mau'ya aula'yli "Let a river spring up hither." 

 Immediately a raging torrent burst forth from the ground and flowed between 

 her and the bear. The bear called out : 



qa'noq ha'm-a ika'q-eun "How did you cross this?" 

 and the woman replied: 



kuni'xuyolu .alu'xuyolu ika'q-aya 



"Snuffling it up and drinking it up I crossed over it." 

 The bear tried to do the same, and drank and drank until it burst. The steam 

 from its body clouded the. sun. The river which was thus created is now called 

 the Saravaktoq, i.e. the Raging Torrent. 



Cf. Rasmussen, p. 183; Rasmussen and Worster, p. 84; Boas, Bulletin, A.M.N.H., Vol. XV, pt. I, p. 177f., 

 308f.; Joohelaon, p. 364 (6). 



72763—61 



