Intellectual Culture of the Iglulik Eskimos/Chapter 6

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But the powers even of the most skilful shamans have their limits. They may intervene and change ill fortune to good, alleviate disaster, but they cannot directly support the destiny of the individual, still less be ominipresent when an evil fate reaches out towards its victim. They are, of course, quite ordinary persons in everyday life. Everyone must therefore have his own personal and particular talisman, which is ever with him, and such individual protection is found in the amulets, which are worn on the person, and in such magic words as each may know.

An amulet is called ᴀ·ʳɳʳuᴀq, pl. ᴀ·ʳɳʳuʃ·ät; or one may also say: pit·ɔrqut, pl. pit·ɔrqutit.

Every individual has, it is true, a natural helper in his soul namesake, as already mentioned. This is expressed as follows: "atᴇrput ikajɔrtigᴀ·rput iluɳᴇrsualulᴇra·ɳapta", which means: "we obtain aid from our namesakes when we strive with all our strength against any peril". By this is understood dangerous weather, ill-luck in hunting, peril at sea or in a blizzard.

"ativut atiᵛtalo atiɳe qaniktume·p·ut" means "Our namesakes and the namesakes of our namesakes are near us". All the dead who bear the same names as we ourselves are near us all, so that the one after whom I myself am named is nearest to me, and he again nearest to his namesake, and so on throughout the series. But all this is no more than one is born with; something further is needed to cope withi extraordinary circumstances, and it is for this purpose amulets are worn.

The Iglulingmiut, in contrast to the Netsilingmiut, use very few amulets, but their view of the manner in which they render service is the same. As a matter of fact, they are worn without any further thought of the magic power which radiates from them, and it was therefore not an easy matter to arrive at the wearers' own estimate of the properties they possessed. The following account is the result of numerous conversations on the subject.

​It is not the amulet itself, but the soul of the animal from which it is taken which has the effective helping power. But it is not a matter of indifference what part of the animal one takes for the purpose; on the contrary, it is essential that certain particular parts shall be used. A woman in childbirth for instance must use a raven's claw as toggle in the strap which fastens her amaut (carrying bag for a child) at the bottom. It is afterwards given to the child as an amulet, and brings vitality and success in hunting. But even though these powers of good luck do not emanate from the claw itself, but from-the soul of the raven, an amulet made from another part of the raven's body would be of no avail.

The amulet acts by magic, and it is therefore not absolutely and exclusively confined in its effects to the actual wearer. It may be given away to another person, but the magic power can only be conveyed to the new owner if he gives something in return. Unless this is done, the power of the amulet is not transferred to the new owner, even though he may carry it about on his person. Hence it is quite possible to lose an amulet and yet retain its virtue. Among the Caribou Eskimos, amulets had to be obtained from people dwelling at a distance; here, it was quite legitimate to procure them from one's fellow-villagers, as long as some payment was given. It is also a common thing to obtain the head of a harpoon from an old man who is no longer able to hunt; the luck which had previously attended the former user in hunting will then be transferred to the new possessor of the implements. Certain implements have this peculiar property: that seals do not mind being killed by them, and it is this which gives success in hunting. Even articles of clothing may bring luck. At Iglulik, sleeve linings were purchased from a decrepit old man who had formerly been an expert at hunting caribou, to give to a boy whose father had always been unfortunate in that branch of the chase; he had, indeed, never once succeeded in getting a caribou, as these animals refused to let him kill them. His son now had the sleeve linings of the good hunter sewn into his sleeves, and every time he had a new tunic made, the old, worn and greasy linings were put into it. And he became a mighty caribou hunter.

The natives have a strong and firm belief in the effect of amulets and the power which they can exert in time of peril on behalf of the wearer. But here again we find something of the same thing that I have already noted in regard to belief in shamans: the cases are mostly found in stories and myths, rarely in real life. This does not, however, do away with the faith that a miracle may after all perhaps once take place in one's own case, and so men still trustingly wear their amulets. The most famous of amulets are the skin and skull of ​the strong little ermine, or a lemming, the dried skin of which is worn inside the hood. The wearer of such an amulet can, when attacked by any superior force, breathe life into it, and the ermine or lemming will then, small and inconsiderable as it is in outward seeming, dash in unnoticed among the hostile party, but with such force as to drive right through the bodies of the enemies, as a rule up through the anus and out at the mouth, exterminating a whole party in a moment. This form of amulet is known throughout the whole of Canada, as well as in Greenland and Alaska. Among the Iglulik tribe, it is best known through the following variant of the story of Kâgjagjuk:

There were once three homeless children, two brothers and a sister. The elder brother was grown up, the other two were still but little children. The younger brother was named Kâgjagjuk. One spring, the elder brother, who was married, had been out hunting seal on the ice. He had crawled up to a seal and harpooned it, and when he came home, he asked his little brother and sister to go out and fetch it.

The two did as their brother had said, and went far out on the ice to get the seal. While they were far out at sea, the ice broke away, and they drifted over to Southampton Island. Here they met with people, but they were not good people, they ill-treated and starved the children, and gave them the roughest and most wearisome tasks. The girl was obliged to plait sinew threads all the time, and Kâgjagjuk had to empty urine vessels, and every time the boy had been outside with one, and was coming in through the passage again, they would lift him up by taking hold of his nostrils with the fangs of a bear. (This is precisely as in the Greenland version, where he is also lifted up by the nostrils).

Sometimes Kâgjagjuk would say: "Do not be so cruel to me. You had better not go too far, for my brother is a great shaman".

Summer came, and the elder brother decided to set out in search of his brother and sister. And he came to Southampton Island and found them. The people of the village there were pleased at having visitors, and made preparations for singing and dancing in the feasting house (qaç·e). They set the little brother to work beating out blubber, the hardest piece of blubber they could find, from a bearded seal.

As soon as the elder brother arrived, and caught sight of the younger one, he said:

"Be sure not to tell these people who I am. Let me see how they ​treat you". And now, when he saw they had given him a piece of blubber to beat, he said:

"Hadn't I better do that?" And so he began beating out the blubber to make oil for the lamps in the feasting house. Then he filled the lamps, and when they were filled, he threw the rest of the oil in the faces of the people near. The lamps were lit, and the song contest was held and lasted all night. In order not to lose any of the singing, any who wanted to make water did so in pots, instead of going outside, and gave the vessels as usual to Kâgjagjuk to empty.

Once again the elder brother said:

"Perhaps I had better do that". And then he took the urine vessel from his little brother and threw the contents out on the floor. This caused great confusion among those present, and they began leaving the house. Hardly had they got outside when they began piling up snow before the entrance, so that the brothers could not get out. But now the brother called out and begged them, before covering up the entrance, to give them the skin he used for sitting on in his kayak. They gave it to him, and in that skin was fastened an ermine. This was his amulet, and at once he began to soften the skin, making water over it to render it thoroughly soft. At last he was able to breathe life into it, and then he said to the ermine, as soon as it was alive:

"Go out and eat up all these people." Then the ermine slipped out, and hardly had it got outside when one heard people crying:

"Look, an ermine, an ermine!"

And they began to hunt it about. But the little ermine flung itself upon them, ran right through them and killed them in that way, one by one. There was great confusion, and when it was discovered that it must be an amulet belonging to the man in the house which was killing them all, they opened the house again and cried.

"We do not wish to harm you any more".

The elder brother went out, and the people being now so throughly frightened, were amiable, and so he did not harm them, but let the rest go. Then he made ready for the journey. He had quite forgotten about his little sister. He had just started off when he remembered and turned back at once to fetch her, but it was too late. They had already killed her, by hanging her up on a drying frame. When he saw this, he turned back at once to return to his village, but took with him now two women, the two women who had been wont to lift Kâgjagjuk up by the nostrils in the passage. These were now to be wives for Kâgjagjuk.

On returning home, the elder brother began to look after the younger one and teach him things. He dried the skin of a bearded seal and made it as hard as wood, and trained Kâgjagjuk to be a strong ​man by beating him with the hard skin. So he grew and became big, but only in the upper part of the body, where his brother was wont to beat him; his legs were small and short. And when he was grown up, he had the two women for his wives.

Kåg jagjuk obtained two ear ornaments of walrus tusk. They hung down from his ears, so that when he lay down, they knocked against each other; and the moment the two pieces knocked together, his wives had to come and lie down beside him; if they were not there on the instant, he would be furious, and beat them till they wept. So harsh and cruel was Kâgjagjuk towards his wives that one had her shoulder dislocated, and the other lost one eye. No wonder then, that the two women often mourned over their fate and were sorrowful, but then Kågjagjuk would sing to them, thus:

And then, when he had finished singing that song, he would beat them again before they lay down to sleep. Thus he repaid their wickedness. And that is the end of the story.

No one can altogether dispense with amulets, and this is apparent especially in the fact that a man may sometimes become incapable of all that is required in a hunter and head of a family, living thenceforward only as an object of scorn to his fellows. The reason is that his amulets are worthless, having been given to him by one who had no power of entering into communication with the supernatural. This explanation shows that it is not enough that the amulet in itself shall have magic power, but the giver, the one who makes an amulet out of the common object whatever it may be, must likewise possess such power. If now the passive amulets can somehow get their force renewed, a change at once takes place in the owner, who from being the meanest of unskilful hunters now suddenly appears as surpassing even the best. As an instance of how a useless amulet can be rendered effective once more, we have the following story of an unsuccessful hunter, who was aided by the naked magic bear: ​

Netsersuitsuarshuk could not kill seals. It was utterly impossible for him ever to catch a seal. He went out with the other men of the village, and watched at the blowholes as they did, but never managed to get a seal himself. Sometimes he would remain behind after the others had gone home, and stay for some time, but always without success, and when he got home, his wife would abuse him and show her contempt by refusing to give him water to drink. And often he had to go begging for water to other houses, when he was thirsty.

But one day, when he was out at the blowholes, and as usual had remained behind after the others had gone home, he heard a creaking in the snow behind him, and turning round, perceived a bear approaching; a naked bear without any skin. The bear spoke to him, and asked, if he had not a lemming for an amulet.

"Yes", answered Netsersuitsuarshuk, "I have a lemming for an amulet."

The bear then asked for it, and Netsersuitsuarshuk gave up the amulet. The bear blew out the skin of the lemming, and endeavoured to put it on, but failing in this, it blew a second time, and now the little lemming's skin stretched out to such a size that the bear was able to put it on. And at the same moment, the bear sprang upon Netsersuitsuarshuk and began fighting with him, and after they had wrestled for a long time, the bear said:

"When you get home, ask for water as usual. If your wife should refuse to give you any, then get up on the sleeping place and lie down with your head turned inward, lie there quite quietly and ask me to come. But do not say it out loud. Just wish me there, and I will come and show myself at the window."

Netsersuitsuarshuk then went home, and the bear left him, after giving him back the amulet.

Netsersuitsuarshuk came home, and as usual, asked his wife for a drop of water to drink. But not only his wife refused him water to drink; his wife's father and mother likewise would give him none. Then he got up on the sleeping place and lay down and wished for the bear. At once a bear appeared outside the window and thrust its head in, and the wife and her mother and father were so frightened, that they gave Netsersuitsuarshuk water to drink. And the moment he had drunk the water, the bear disappeared, and all in the house lay down to sleep.

Next day, the men went out hunting, and this time, it was not long before Netsersuitsuarshuk got a seal. On the following day they ​went out hunting again, and this time he got two seals, and so it went on. He caught them so quickly that he could bring home his catch in the morning, and his wife and her parents, who had formerly despised him, lived now in abundance on his hunting.

Among amulets particularly characteristic of the Iglulingmiut and Aivilingmiut may be mentioned the excrement of a newly born ermine, placed in a stocking so as to touch the skin of the foot; this makes one a good walker, and is a protection against any pains in the feet.

On the shoulders of the inner jacket white strips of hide from the belly of the caribou are sewn; these are called "warmers". Whoever wears them will never feel cold.

A dried navel-string, sewn into the inner jacket, is a protection against evil spirits.

The milt of a fox, sewn into the instep of a boy's stocking, will keep him from falling through thin ice.

The udder of a hare, smoked over a slow fire and sewn into the breast of a woman's inner jacket, gives rich and abundant milk.

The outer integument of a caribou antler, sewn into the hood, gives long hair. Long hair means a strong soul. Whoever cuts his hair cuts away part of this soul.

The skin of a snipe may be placed in the fore-end of a kayak; this renders the craft seaworthy, and the man in it will not upset in a heavy sea.

A small doll, made from the extreme hard point of bone in the penis of a walrus, skilfully carved with arms and legs, is sewn into a boy's inner jacket, and he will then, when out alone after caribou, never encounter the dangerous mountain spirits called iʲᴇrqät.

Waste oil from the lamp, sprinkled in the passage and round about the house, is a protection against evil spirits.

The magic power inherent in amulets can also be used to drive out sickness from the body. The sick person is beaten with his amulets, which are as a rule sewn into his inner jacket.

Jacob gave me an account of one such beating scene, which he witnessed at Tikerârjualâq, the native name for Eskimo Point, which is the southernmost Eskimo settlement on the west coast of Hudson's Bay, now inhabited by the Caribou Eskimos, who here call themselves. Pâdlimiut:

"One day I perceived that all the people of the village had gathered in a large group in a circle round their tents, and as I could not ​understand what they were about I went over to look. There was at this time a great deal of sickness in the village, spring colds for the most part, which it was supposed must be due to evil spirits. Just as I came up, a little girl, the daughter of Qunâq, came out of their tent, carrying under her arm her inner jacket, which had amulets sewn on all over it. All the men stood drawn up in a great circle, and the girl slipped in between them; once inside the circle, she walked round, following the direction of the sun, beating all the men and women one by one with her amulets. Every time anyone was hit, the others cried: 'iluaɳ·iut ahivakᴀrᵈle!': 'Let the cause of the sickness hasten away from here!'. As soon as the girl had made the round of the party, she returned to the tent, still carrying her inner jacket under her arm.

"Afterwards, all who had been beaten with the amulets gave the child handsome gifts, and there was no one but was convinced that her amulets had cleansed them from all disease. And there was great joy in the village, the fear of the evil spirits had disappeared, and in the evening a great song feast was held in the tent of the little girl's father. The joy of the people in their festival was supposed to strengthen the good spirits of the amulets."