XXI. KIVIUNG.[1]
1. A woman put a boy on the water, and he floated away, sinking and rising. Each time that he came up he looked more like a ground-seal, until the people who were looking for him could not distinguish him from one. His name was Uxssung (ground-seal). The men pursued him in their kayaks, but he caused them all to drown. He saved only one, who had been good to him, whose name was Kiviuk. Kiviuk came to a far distant land, where he met two women, with whom he stayed. A large man tried to shoot him with his bow, but was unable to.
2. Kiviung was going far away, paddling in his kayak. He was following a woman who was travelling on the ice. Far away Kiviung followed her, because he was an angakoq and knew everything. Finally, far away at Tinussaving, he caught and cut up many narwhals. Then Kiviung, still paddling after her, at last caught up with her. Then he cohabited with her. Then Kiviung went back to his wife, going in his kayak. When he reached her, Kiviung said: "There! Where is it? I see her in Tinussaving. There she lives and cuts up many narwhals, and lives on them."
XXII. IGIMĀSSUXSSUQ.[2]
Igimāssuxssuq, or Igimarassuxssuq, was a very large man, who lived at Qangaxssut (Cape Parry), and killed and ate people. His wife became afraid, and weeping ran away to Akpan (Saunders Island). He followed her, going over the ice, until he also reached the house. "Let me come into the house," he said. The door of the house was small, and Igimassuxssuq was a large man, but at last he managed to squeeze into the house. [When the people asked him where those were whom he had eaten] he said, "Some one else has eaten them." Then his wife tied his hands with thongs, and the people said: "Let his wife stab him with a knife." Then his wife stabbed and killed him.
It is also said that another man later strangled her, and slashed her open in front.
- ↑ This tale, though obscure and fragmentary, is given for purposes of comparison. A complete tale about Kiviung is found in Greenland (Rink, T. and T. p. 157) and in Baffin Land (Boas, p. 621). The first portion also occurs in Labrador (Rink, p. 469, The Swimmer) and Angmagsalik (Holm, Sagn, p. 47). See, also, Rink, p. 222.
- ↑ Found in Labrador and Greenland (Rink, T. and T. p. 106), the Central Regions (Boas, p. 633), and East Greenland (Holm, Sagn, p. 11).
