248 W. THALBITZER. 
ПТ. MAGIC PRAYERS OR CHARMS 
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 
Adult man and woman always had a number of charms or 
magic prayers for use in all the various aims and difficulties of life, 
each prayer being a formula in conformity with these, intended for 
its special use. — I have not within my own collection been able 
to discover the dif- 
ference maintained 
by G. Holm between 
“charms” and “magic 
chants” (see First 
Part, pp. 87—88 and 
305). 
When arranging my 
material I have prin- 
cipally collected the 
prayers according to 
their contents with- 
out, however, carry- 
ing out the system- 
atizing very strictly. 
In each instance the 
name of the person 
from whom I pur- 
chased the formula 
is given beneath the 
number and title. 
From the old man 
Akernilik, for exam- 
ple, I got eight pray- 
ers, four of which 
have to do with his 
health, and three with 
his hunting. These 
stand together in two 
groups (nos. 50—53 
Fig. 47. On a winter journey. Three sledges resting at and 59—61) whereas 
the foot of the Angeen mountain. (W.T. phot. April 1906.) the eighth has been 
put as по. 72 in the 
group of prayers which treat of the hunter’s first trip out to sea when 
the time of mourning is over 
The person from whom 1 recorded the greatest number of for- 
mulae was Teemiartissaq; nine in all. Meanwhile I feel convinced 
that her fund of formulae was far greater, perhaps several times as 
great, and the same holds good of many others of the old people. The 
fund must for each of them have been a changing one through life, 
as the formulae would wear out with use, and be secretly replaced by 
some other equally old formulae not previously used by this person. 
It only rarely happened that I found quite the same prayer used 
by two individuals. This was the case with no. 54 and no. 72; the 
