IT was said of Igimarasugsuk that he always lost his wives in a very short
time, and always as quickly married again; but nobody knew that he always
killed and ate his wives, as well as his little children. At last he married a
girl who had a younger brother, and many relatives besides. Entering the house
on his return from a reindeer-hunt, he one day said to his brother-in-law:
"Pray go and fetch me my axe—thou wilt find it lying underneath the boat-
pillars" (viz., pillars upon which the boat is laid during the winter); and at
the same time Igimarasugsuk got up and followed him. On hearing the shrieks of
her brother, the wife of Igimarasugsuk peeped out, and beheld him pursuing the
former, and shortly after striking him on the head, so that he fell down dead
on the spot. After this he ordered his wife to dress and boil some parts of
the body of her brother. Igimarasugsuk now commenced eating, and offered a
piece of an arm to his wife, insisting upon her eating with him; but she only
feigned to do so, and concealed her portion under the ashes of the fire. Then
the husband exclaimed, "I actually think thou art crying!" "No," she said; "I
am only a little shy." After having devoured his brother-in-law, the husband
now began to fatten his wife; and to this end ordered her to eat nothing but
reindeer-tallow, and only drink as much as a small shell would hold. At last
she grew so fat that she was not able to move about at all. One day he went
away, after having securely shut the entrance to the summer-tent, fastening it
with strong cords. When he had been gone a considerable time she took her
knife, let herself fall down from the bench, and rolled herself as far as to
the entry. By great efforts she crossed the threshold, and was now in the
fore-room, where she cut the strings fastening the outer curtain. She then
rolled herself down to a muddy pool and drank a great deal of water; after
which she felt less heavy, and was able to get up and walk back. She re-
entered the tent, stuffed out her jacket, put it on the bench with its back
turned outward; and fastening the entrance well, she went away. But being
convinced that her husband would shortly pursue her, she took her way down to
a very large piece of drift-wood that had been hauled ashore, and she then
worked a spell upon it, singing thus: **"ĸissugssuaĸ pingerssuaĸ, ia-ha-ha,
arape, ĸupe, sipe, sipe sisaria."** And forthwith the timber opened midways,
and she entered it, again singing, **"ĸissugssuak . . . . . . arape, mame,
mamesisaria."** Then it closed around her, leaving her in darkness. In the
meantime she heard her husband coming on towards the spot. He had entered the
tent, and seeing the stuffed jacket, he thrust his lance into it; but on
discovering what it really was, he ran out, and following the footprints of
his wife all the way to the timber, he stopped there, and she plainly heard
him say: "Oh what a pity I waited so long in killing her! oh poor miserable
me!" Then she heard him turn away and return several times; but every trace
ending at the large timber, he at last went away, and she again sang
**ĸissugssuaĸ**,, and instantly the drift-wood opening, she crept out and ran
farther on. But lest he should overtake and discover her, she hid herself in a
fox-hole. Every trace again ending here, she heard him digging the very earth
with his hands; but he soon grew tired, and went away, returning and again
going away as before, bemoaning himself in the same manner: "Oh what a pity,
poor miserable man that I am!" Perceiving him to be gone, she again set off on
her journey. Still, however, fearing him, she next took refuge behind some
bushes. Again she heard him come and repeat his old lament: "What a pity I put
off eating her so long!" and again going away, he immediately returned,
saying, "Here every trace of her ends." Proceeding on her way, she now had a
faint hope of reaching some inhabited place ere he could get up with her
again. At length she caught sight of some people gathering berries in the
country; but on perceiving her they were on the point of taking fright, when
she cried out, "I am the wife of Igimarasugsuk." They now approached her, and
taking hold of her hands, brought her to their home. Having arrived there she
said: "Igimarasugsuk, who has the habit of eating his wives, has also eaten
his brother-in-law; and if he really wants to get hold of me too, he will be
sure to come and fetch me; and as he is very fond of entertainment, ye had
better treat him civilly and politely." Soon after, he arrived; but she hid
herself behind a skin curtain. The rest rose up and went out to welcome him,
saying: "We trust thy people at home are quite well." "Yes, they are very well
indeed," he answered. When he had entered they served a meal before him, and
afterwards offered him a drum, saying, "Now let us have a little of thy
performance." He took hold of the drum, but soon returned it to one of the
others, saying, "Ye ought rather to entertain me;" and the other man, seizing
the drum, began to sing: "Igimarasugsuk—the cruel man—who ate his wives." . .
. At these words Igimarasugsuk blushed all over his face and down his throat;
but when the singer continued, "and she was forced to eat of her own brother's
arm," the wife came forward, saying, "No, indeed, I did not; I concealed my
share beneath the ashes." They now caught hold of him, and the wife killed him
with a lance, saying, "Dost thou remember thrusting thy lance into my stuffed
jacket?"
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