On the Eskimo Music. 39 
This scale corresponds to our diatonic with the exclusion of the 
half-tones (e.g. starting with D: SaaS ).1 
We have noticed among the East Greenlanders, that the half- 
tones mostly occur as transitional tones. Among the Smith Sound 
Eskimo we saw, that the half-tones hardly occur except in the 
melodic recitatives. As the intervals the Smith Sound Eskimo use, 
according to Stein, do not always consist of whole and half-tones, 
there can scarcely be any talk of a true pentatonic scale, but the 
records show that the tones used by the Smith Sound Eskimo agree 
most closely with those used on the pentatonic system, and there is 
scarcely any doubt that their songs would have the pure pentatonic 
form, if they had the opportunity to regulate them by more intimate 
knowledge of instrumental music and European songs. 
In the case of North Greenland we might certainly talk of the 
pentatonic scale. Here the Eskimo readily copy the European mode 
of singing and from this we may conclude, that our scale-divisions 
come easy to them. Without doubt it has been their knowledge of 
the European songs which has influenced the Eskimo’s mode of 
singing their own heathen songs, so that their earlier, individual 
choice of intervals — which is still found in East Greenland — has 
been replaced by the European method. And it has therefore been 
mainly the intervals of the pentatonic scale, which has taken the 
place of the original. It may be remarked in this connection, that 
of the 16 melodies recorded by Boas from the Central Eskimo, 10 
have no half-tones. 
Of Thalbitzer’s melodies, 17 fall quite within the pentatonic 
system. In the remainder, half-tones only occur once, so that the 
main impression of the melodies remains pentatonic. Only 3 melo- 
dies have a distinct diatonic character (Thalbitzer, Nos. 4 [variant 
p.386], 100 and lullaby p.386). Thalbitzer believes, that they have 
‘been greatly influenced by European songs. 
The songs of the North Greenlanders remind one not a little 
of those of the Smith Sound Eskimo, both as regards tones and 
melodic construction. Among the North-West Greenlanders, further, 
the melodies often consist of periods, connected in such a way, that 
a portion of the melodies moves at a higher, another portion at a 
lower pitch; for example No. 72: 
1 Regarding the pentatonic system and the extent of its occurrence, see Hjalmar 
Thuren: Folkesangen paa Færøerne (The folksong in the Faeroe Islands), Folk- 
lore Fellows publications, northern series No. 2. Copenhagen 1908. 
