10. The Man who used Magic against the Storm.

The Eskimo of Siberia, by Waldemar Bogoras, [1913], at sacred-texts.com

p. 431

10. The Man who used Magic against the Storm.

   In the village of Uñi´sak lived a man and his brother. A heavy storm arose, and the wind would not cease at all. It was impossible to hunt; and half the inhabitants, those that were less strong and enduring, died of starvation. Then the elder brother said to the younger one, "Go out and try to restore quiet in the world." The youth went out, and called into the darkness, "O great Outer World! your neighbor Sea-God is killing us. From mid-ocean bring sea-food for our children!"

   He entered, and after a while sent his sister-in-law to look at the weather. She entered, and said, "Oh, it is as before, wind and tempest." He went out again. "O great Outer World! your neighbor Sea-God is killing us. Bring from mid-ocean sea-food for our children!"

   He entered, and after a while sent his sister-in-law to look at the weather. She returned, and said, "It is more quiet now." — "Aha!" He went out again. "O great Outer World! bring from mid-ocean some sea-food for our children!"

   At last it grew quiet, and the storm was over. Then far out at sea there appeared a little cloud. A walrus's voice was heard roaring out of the cloud. Then the snorting of a thong-seal and the cries of a young ringed-seal were heard. Walrus, thong-seals, and ringed-seals came in great numbers. They landed, and came directly to the houses. Some of the houses were nearly crushed under their weight. All night the people were stabbing them, until the morning. Then all the hunters were quite exhausted. The sea-game went away, but all the storehouses were full of meat of the best quality.

Told by Tal‘i´mak, an Asiatic Eskimo man, in the village of Uñi´sak, at Indian Point, May, 1901.