Reading Notes: Part B for Week 10: Eskimo Folk Tales - Papik, Who Killed His Wife's Brother
In this story, there is a man named Papik who always went out hunting his his wife's brother Ailaq. However, when they returned from their hunt, Ailaq was always the one who came home with seal, while Papik came home empty-handed. Thus, Papik grew envious with each passing day.
One day, Ailaq did not come home from their hunt, and Papik was silent upon his arrival back home. Ailaq's mother openly accused Papik of murdering her son. Yet, Papik dismissed the allegations, claiming they were false.
So, the old woman proclaimed that she shall eat him alive, for he has killed her son. The woman planned to avenge her son's death as a ghost, and set about putting her bearskin coverlet on. She sat down hear the shore, letting the tide come up and cover her.
Papik, fearing the woman's threat, did not go hunting at all. However, he gradually ceased to think of the threat and resumed to hunt as he did before. So, he went out to hunt, choosing his place farther off from the other men.
The sound of snow creaking and an ominous fog fell over the surrounding area. The sound of the monster moved towards Papik, and the other men ran in fear as they heard Papik's shouts and screens of utter fear.
The men fled towards the land, redirecting hunters on their way out away from the terrible monster. When the evil monster came up on the village, no dogs barked and no one dared to approach. Upon a woman's shout, the dogs were freed from their magic and began to bark. The men dashed forwarded sent forward harpoons to slay the beast.
Cutting open the monster, they discovered human bones, for she was the woman whom exacted her revenge upon Papik for killing her son. Papik was found with cuts on every part of his body.
This story illustrates the envy that Papik felt from Ailaq bringing in all the rewards from hunting. He felt so much anger that he murdered Ailaq and lied to his mother about the matter. Ailaq's mother then avenges her son's death in the form of an ominous evil beast, cutting apart Papik and killing him. This story describes a folk-tale that taught people that it was a bad thing to kill other men.
Bibliography: Papik, Who Killed His Wife's Brother from Eskimo Folk-Tales by Knud Rasmussen with illustrations by native Eskimo artists (1921)
One day, Ailaq did not come home from their hunt, and Papik was silent upon his arrival back home. Ailaq's mother openly accused Papik of murdering her son. Yet, Papik dismissed the allegations, claiming they were false.
So, the old woman proclaimed that she shall eat him alive, for he has killed her son. The woman planned to avenge her son's death as a ghost, and set about putting her bearskin coverlet on. She sat down hear the shore, letting the tide come up and cover her.
Papik, fearing the woman's threat, did not go hunting at all. However, he gradually ceased to think of the threat and resumed to hunt as he did before. So, he went out to hunt, choosing his place farther off from the other men.
The sound of snow creaking and an ominous fog fell over the surrounding area. The sound of the monster moved towards Papik, and the other men ran in fear as they heard Papik's shouts and screens of utter fear.
The men fled towards the land, redirecting hunters on their way out away from the terrible monster. When the evil monster came up on the village, no dogs barked and no one dared to approach. Upon a woman's shout, the dogs were freed from their magic and began to bark. The men dashed forwarded sent forward harpoons to slay the beast.
Cutting open the monster, they discovered human bones, for she was the woman whom exacted her revenge upon Papik for killing her son. Papik was found with cuts on every part of his body.
This story illustrates the envy that Papik felt from Ailaq bringing in all the rewards from hunting. He felt so much anger that he murdered Ailaq and lied to his mother about the matter. Ailaq's mother then avenges her son's death in the form of an ominous evil beast, cutting apart Papik and killing him. This story describes a folk-tale that taught people that it was a bad thing to kill other men.
Brown Bear in Snow - Courtesy of Mother Nature Network
Bibliography: Papik, Who Killed His Wife's Brother from Eskimo Folk-Tales by Knud Rasmussen with illustrations by native Eskimo artists (1921)
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