Читать книгу Native Americans: 22 Books on History, Mythology, Culture & Linguistic Studies - Льюис Спенс, James Mooney - Страница 337

Comparison Between Baffin Land Traditions and those of Other Tribes

Оглавление

Table of Contents

The similarity of the language and traditions of the Eskimo from Behring Strait to Greenland is remarkable, considering the distance which separates the tribes. Unfortunately the material from other tribes, except the Greenlanders, is very scanty, but it is probable that the same traditions or elements of traditions are known to all the tribes. In the following table the above traditions are compared with Rink’s Tales and Traditions of the Greenlanders and with those of other tribes:

Traditions of Greenlanders and other tribes: Traditions of the Central Eskimo:
Qagsaqsuq, Rink, p. 93. Qaudjaqdjuq, p. 630.
The man who recovered his sight, Rink, p. 99. The origin of the narwhal, p. 625.
Igimarasugsuq, Rink, p. 106. Igimarasugdjuqdjuaq, p. 633.
The man who mated himself with a sea fowl, Rink, p. 145. Ititaujang, p. 615.
Givioq, Rink, pp. 157 and 429. Kiviung, p. 621.
Tiggaq, Rink, p. 162. The visitor, p. 627.
A lamentable story, Rink, p. 239. No. 1, sundry tales, p. 639.
The sun and the moon, Rink, p. 236. (L’homme lunaire, Petitot, Traditions indiennes du Canada Nord-Ouest, p. 7. Also found by Simpson at Point Barrow.) The sun and the moon, p. 597.
The moon, Rink, p. 440. The angakoq’s flight to the moon, p. 598.
The Tornit (from Labrador), Rink, p. 469. The Tornit, p. 634.
A woman who was mated with a dog, Rink, p. 471. (Fragmentary in J. Murdoch: “A few legendary fragments from the Point Barrow Eskimos,” American Naturalist, p. 594, July, 1886.) Origin of the Adlet and the white men, p. 637.

Some of these stories are almost identical in both countries, for instance, Qaudjaqdjuq, the origin of the narwhal, &c., and it is of great interest to learn that some passages, particularly speeches and songs, occur literally in both countries, for instance, the interesting song of Niviarsiang (page 637) and the conclusion of the Kiviung tradition. The tradition of the Tornit and the form of the second tale (origin of the narwhal) resemble much more those of Labrador than those of Greenland. The elements of which the traditions are composed are combined differently in the tales of Baffin Land and Greenland, but most of these elements are identical. I give here a comparative table.

Greenland. Baffin Land.
Transformation of a man into a seal. Rink, pp. 222, 224, 469. Kiviung, p. 621.
Men walking on the surface of the water. Rink, pp. 123, 407. Kiviung, p. 622.
Harpooning a witch. Rink, p. 372. Sedna, p. 604.
Erqigdlit. Rink, pp. 401 et seq. Adlet, p. 637.
Sledge of the man of the moon drawn by one dog. Rink, pp. 401, 442. Qaudjaqdjuq, p. 631, and The flight to the moon, p. 598.
Origin of the salmon. Cranz, p. 262. Ititaujang, p. 617.
Arnaquagsaq. Rink, pp. 150, 326, 466. Sedna, p. 583.
Origin of the thunder. Cranz, p. 233; Egede, p. 207. Kadlu, p. 600.

The following is a comparison between traditions from Alaska and the Mackenzie and those of the Central Eskimo:

Traditions from Alaska and the Mackenzie: Traditions of the Central Eskimo:
Men as descendants of a dog, Murdoch, op. cit., 594. Origin of the Adlet and white men, p. 637.
The origin of reindeer, Murdoch, op. cit., p. 595. Origin of the reindeer and walrus, p. 587.
The origin of the fishes, Murdoch, op. cit., p. 595. Ititaujang, p. 617.
Thunder and lightning, Murdoch, op. cit., p. s595. Kadlu the thunderer, p. 600.
Sun and moon, Petitot, op. cit., p. 7. Sun and moon, p. 597.
Orion, Simpson, p. 940. Orion, p. 636.

The table shows that the following ideas are known to all tribes from Alaska to Greenland: The sun myth, representing the sun as the brother of the moon; the legend of the descent of man from a dog; the origin of thunder by rubbing a deerskin; the origin of fish from chips of wood; and the story of the origin of deer.

It must be regretted that very few traditions have as yet been collected in Alaska, as the study of such material would best enable us to decide upon the question of the origin of the Eskimo.

Native Americans: 22 Books on History, Mythology, Culture & Linguistic Studies

Подняться наверх