3. (War with the Ta´n·ñịt.)

Sacred-Texts Asia
  

p. 185

3. (War with the Ta´n·ñịt.)

 There lived two brothers, Čịnto´urġịn and Añqa´lqan. Their houses were very poor. Some Ta´n·ñịt warriors came, ten in number, all driving reindeer, and also all able-bodied. They murdered all the people near the lake. Čịnto´urġịn and Añqa´lqan were both absent, hunting reindeer. The Ta´n·ñịt began to kill their house-mates. At that time both came back. Ten Ta´n·ñịt warriors were standing side by side. The two on the ends were quite weak. The fifth, the middle one, was the strongest of all. The one on the left end said, "How shall we kill them?" That on the right end said, "Let it be by shooting!" The strong one said, "You are a weakling, I am able to bind them hand and foot, and then to take them alive to the Ta´n·ñịn women."

 Añqa´lqan said, "We shall see!" They fought. One warrior struck Añqa´lqan upon the breast with his spear. He hit his armor of thong-seal-hide, Añqa´lqan fell down, "Ġa, ġa, ġa!" cried all the Ta´n·ñịt, "Not yet," said Añqa´lqan, "I am still alive, My hands are not bound, nor my feet either." Lying down, he made a thrust with his long spear. His spear-head was much stronger than that of the Ta´n·ñịn. He pierced the Ta´n·ñịn all through, and killed him. His companion was still more active. Even before Añqa´lqan had killed his adversary, he had killed those on the right and on the left side, and destroyed them all. They gathered the reindeer, and took all the belongings of those killed.

 Then they went home, and found their house-mates half starving.¹ They slaughtered reindeer and gave their friends to eat. The next year ten other Ta´n·ñịn warriors came again. Añqa´lqan went to meet them, driving a single reindeer. Then he said, "Can I save myself with the help of this single reindeer? I will rather be wholly without reindeer!" So he stabbed the animal with his knife. The reindeer rushed forward, broke through the Tan·ñịn file, then fell down. They fought, Añqa´lqan killed all the Ta´nñịt, but he was also mortally wounded by them. While he was lying there, Kere´tkun² came to him and said, "I am sorry for you! I may bring you back to life!" — "Do it," said the corpse. '"If you will promise to follow my orders, I will make you alive, as before." — "I promise to do so." — "Then listen! A Ta´n·ñịn will pass by, driving a reindeer-team, That is the object of your thanksgiving ceremonial. Over him and his reindeer carefully celebrate it!" — "All right!" He made him alive. A Ta´n·ñịn passed by, driving a reindeer-team. He struck him with a spear and killed him, and carried the body home. Upon this, he celebrated the thanksgiving ceremonial. His head was the object of the ceremonial, and also his two reindeer. Thus he was restored to life, The end.

Told by Paña´nto, a Maritime Chukchee man, at Mariinsky Post, October, 1900.

Footnotes

p. 185

¹ From what was told before, one would suppose that the fight was near the houses. Discrepencies of this kind are not rare in Chukchee stories.

² Benevolent spirit (cf. Vol. VII of this series, p. 316).