Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo

A mother, who lived at a solitary place, successively lost all her children, who were killed by enemies. Finally, she got a son, whom from his babyhood she brought up with the aim of making him fit for dwelling in the water like a seal. The enemies once went to the place with the intention of killing him also. But the mother, seeing the kayakers approach, told him to make his escape through the water. The enemies, who observed him jumping into the water, had no doubt they would get hold of him; but, swimming like a seal, he seduced them far out to sea, when the mother whipped the surface of the water with a string, causing a storm, by which they all perished, her son being the only one saved.

Of this tale only the principal parts have been selected, and are given here in a very fragmentary form.

From East Greenland there is a somewhat similar tale about a man having three sons, who would not grow properly, and were brought up as swimmers.