78 A Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



The Eagle and its Wife — Second Version 

 (Told by Ilatsiaq) 



A woman was gathering wood one day when an eagle flew down from the 

 sky and carried her off to its home in a high cliff. At home it assumed the form 

 of a man, but whenever it went hunting it became an eagle again. She lived 

 there with him as his wife, but constantly urged him to go hunting so that she 

 might have plenty of sinew to lay up. She was careful not to let him know the 

 real reason why she wanted the sinew, for while he was absent she was plaiting 

 it into a long line. One day she measured it and found that it would reach to 

 the bottom of the cliff. Then when the eagle returned, she asked him to bring 

 her up a big stone. This he did, and the next day, while he was absent, she 

 fastened one end of the line to the stone, lowered herself down the cliff, and 

 fled away to her own people. When the eagle returned it found the woman 

 gone, but it changed itself into a man and followed her trail to the settlement. 

 The woman's father came out to meet him and said, "Turn your face towards 

 the sun and flap your arms like wings; after that you may marry my daughter." 

 But when the eagle turned round, the woman's father stabbed him through the 

 side with a knife and killed him. The corpse was left lying on the ground. 



Cf. Rink, story 8; Kroeber, p. 175; Rasmussen and Worster, p. 130f . ; Meddelelser om Gri|>nland, Vol. XXXIX, 

 pp. 259f.; Boas, BuUetin, A.M.N.H., Vol. XV, pt. I, pp. 556, 360, with references; Smith, J. A, F. L., Vol. VII, 1894, 

 p. 211. 



66. The Giant Fish 

 (Told by Ilatsiaq) 



In a lake at Saningaiyoq (the region of Backs river) once lived a giant 

 fish. Two Eskimos were crossing the lake with their kayaks lashed side by 

 side, while another Eskimo in a single kayak was paddling in front of them. 

 Suddenly the latter heard a cry, and, looking round, he saw the fish in the very 

 act of swallowing the two kayaks together. He paddled furiously for the shore 

 with the fish in pursuit, but so fast did it travel through the water that it drove 

 the waves in front of it and carried the kayak before it. As soon as the boat 

 touched the shore, the man jumped out and ran away. 



Cf. Boas, Central Eskimo, p. 640; Bulletin, A.M.N.H., Vol. XV, pt. I, p. 539. 



C. AETIOLOGICAL MYTHS 



67. The Origin of Day 



(Told by Ilatsiaq) 



In the fiirst times the land was dark. Both the fox and the brown bear 

 were men. They met once out on the ice and the brown bear said: 



ta-'yliun ta-'yliun najyuayihuata''Yi'Yami i\uaqciyuma'qtoq 



"Be dark, be dark, then dogs will smell out the seal-holes better." 



But the fox said: 



qau'\iun qau'Xiun uvXo'yliun najyuajihuata'yiyami iXuaqciyuma'qtoq 



"Be light, be light, be day, then dogs will smell out the seal-holes better." 

 The fox was the greater magician and the light came. The brown bear then 

 went off to the land and the fox stayed on the ice. Ever since that time the 

 Eskimos have been grateful to the fox for creating the light. 



Cf. Egede, Descr. of Greenland, 1818, p. 199f.; Boas, Bulletin, A.M.N.H., Vol. XV, pt. I, p. 306. 



