lundi 19 août 2013

Eskimo Legends And The Origin Of The World

By Essie Craft


Eskimo legends speak mostly about nature and life. One of those legends is the legend of the origin of the Sun, Moon and stars. Once upon a time, when the world was ruled by darkness, the unknown visitor came to the girl every night. Because she wanted to know who he was, the girl smeared soot on her chest. The next morning, she saw that her brother had a mouth smeared with soot.

The brother denied that he had come to her bed, and their parents were very angry at both of them. Brother ran away, and the girl grabbed a burning branch from the fire and ran after him. Fleeing from his sister, a young man turned into the Moon. His sister gave birth to a torch and turned into the sun, and the sparks from the torch have become stars. The sun is still trying to catch the moon, surrounded by stars.

There are several legends about Northern Light, or Aurora Borealis. Some Inuit tribes believe that friendly giants they once used to know still live up there, now invisible. They are very good hunters and fishermen. Their large, shiny torches can be seen from afar, as a Northern Light.

Another legend indicates that the spirits with torches lead the souls of their dead across the narrow passage to a place where they will always have plenty of food. Only dead souls and Raven can go that way. Northern Lights are actually lighted torches of these spirits who lead them.

A long, long time ago, two couples lived together. One day, men were talking about the size of he world. They were so interested to find out how big it really is, that they decided to go in opposite directions until they meet again. Although they didn't want to separate, women came with them. They have traveled very long time. Their children were born on the trip, and grew up to have children of their own.

Over time, each pair formed a large tribe, and the men became so old that they could no longer manage their sleighs. Yet they were still traveling. Then, after long years of exhausting traveling, in the distance they saw the other tribe, and finally met with them. Before they died, both men agreed that the world is really big, much bigger than they thought.

There is a legend about eagle and whale husbands. Two girls were playing on the beach. One found a small eagle bone, and other whalebone. The first said she was going to marry an eagle, and the other has decided that her husband would be a whale. Eagle appeared and kidnapped a girl and took her to the top of the mountain. Whale kidnapped another and took her to the bottom of the sea.

The girls were not happy there, and they have decided to escape. Eagles wife made a rope using feathers, and returned to her village. Another girl escaped as well. Their husbands tried to bring them back, but they failed. The eagle was killed by girl's brothers, and the whale was turned to a bone. Both eagles and whales are often found in Eskimo legends.




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