Chapter I: Of the Situation and Extent of Greenland (4)

The inflexion with suffixes of a person patient is formed this way.

_Thou washest me_. _Ye two wash me_, _You wash me_, Ermikparma, Ermikpautiga. Ermikpausinga.

_He washes me_, _The two wash me_, _They wash me_, Ermikpanga. Ermikpainga. Ermikpanga.

_I wash him_, _We two wash him_, _We wash him_, Ermikpara. Ermikparpuk. Ermikparput.

_He washes him_, _The two wash him_, _They wash him_, Ermikpæ. Ermikpæk. Ermikpæt.

_Thou washest him_, _Ye two wash him_, _You wash him_, Ermikpet. Ermikpartik. Ermikparse.

_I wash thee_, _We two wash thee_, _We wash thee_, Ermikpaukit. Ermikpautikit. Ermikpæutigit.

_He washes thee_, _The two wash thee_, _They wash thee_, Ermikpatit. idem. idem.

_Thou washest us_, _Ye two wash us,_ _You wash us_, Ermikpautigut. ----pautigut. Ermikpausigut.

_He washes us_, _The two wash us_, _They wash us_, Ermikpatigut. idem. idem.

_I wash you_, _We two wash you_, _We wash you_, Ermikpause, idem. idem.

_He washes you_, _The two wash you_, _They wash you_, Ermikpase. idem. idem.

_I wash them_, _We two wash them_, _We wash them_, Ermikpaka. Ermikpauvut. idem.

_He washes them_, _The two wash them_, _They wash them_, Ermikpei. Ermikpatik. Ermikpase.

_Thou washest them_, _Ye two wash them,_ _Ye wash them_, Ermikpatit. Ermikpatik. Ermikpeit.

Inflexion of the Negative Verb.

_He washes not_ _The two wash not_ _They wash not_ _himself_, _themselves._, _themselves._, Ermingilak. Ermingilek. Ermingilat.

_I do not wash_ _We two wash not_ _We wash not_ _myself_, _ourselves_, _ourselves_, Ermingilanga. Ermingilaguk. Ermingilagut.

_Thou dost not wash_ _Ye two do not wash_ _You do not wash_ _thyself_, _yourselves_, _yourselves_, Ermingilatit. Ermingilatik. Ermingilase.

With the suffixes of the patient person the negative verbs are
inflected like the affirmatives; as,

_He washes me not_, _Ye two wash me not_, _They wash me not_, Ermingilanga. idem. idem.

_Thou washest me not_, _Ye two wash me not,_ _You wash me not_, Ermingilarma. Ermingilautinga. Ermingilausinga.

And in the same manner you may inflect all verbs whatsoever.

The preterits and futures have the same suffixa as the present tense.

Concerning the compounded verbs, it is to be observed, that, whereas their auxiliary verbs are but few, they make use of several particles to supply their place, which are annexed to the simple verbs, and so make them compounded verbs, yet these particles by themselves are not used, nor of any signification. And by this connection or composition the simple verbs change their conjugation. As for example,

First, in this expression, they used to do so and so, the composition is formed thus; of the simple verb _Erminpok_, he washes himself, in the composition is made _Ermingarace_, he uses to wash himself. _Kieavok_, he weeps; _Kieeillarau_, he uses to weep; _Aularpok_, he goes from home; _Aulararau_, he uses to go from home.

Second, when the expression runs thus, he comes to do this or that, it is turned in this manner. _Ermigiartorpok_, he comes to wash himself; _Aglegiartorpok_, he comes to write. And so in all other compositions.

But there are not only verbs compounded with one, but sometimes with two, three, or more particles joined to the verb, when there is a longer sentence to be expressed. And for this reason, the words and particles undergo a great many changes and variations, inasmuch as they retain but certain radical letters, the rest either being thrown away and quite lost, or else changed for others. As for instance, _Aulisariartorasuarpok_, he made haste to go out a fishing. Here three verbs are joined together in one. _Aulisarpok_, he fishes; _Peartorpok_, to go about something; and _Pinnesuarpok_, to make haste. Again, _Aglekkinniarit_, endeavour to write better. Here we have another threefold composition. First, _Aglekpok_, he writes; then _Pekipok_, to mend, or do better, and at last _Pinniarpok_, to endeavour. From whence comes the verb _Aglikkinniarpok_, he endeavours to write better; in the imperative mood, _Aglekkinniarit_, as above.

_The Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, translated into the Greenland Language._

ARTICLE I.

Operpunga Gud-mun Attatavnut, ajuakangitsomut, killagmik nunamiglo sennarsomut.

ARTICLE II.

Operpunga Jesus Christusmut, Ernetuanut, Nallegautimut, Annersamit helligmit pirsok, Niviarsamit Mariamit erniursok; anniartok Pontius Pilatus-mit; Isektitaursok, tokkorsok, illirsorto, allernum akkartok. Ullut pingajuane tokkorsonit makitok; Killangmut Kollartok; Angume Gub tellerpiet tungane ipsiarsok; tersanga amma tikiytsomaryok, umarsullo tokongarsullo auiksartitsartorlugit.

ARTICLE III.

Operpunga Gub Annersanut, opertokartoniglo nuname: Innungliglo helligniglo illegeinik, Synderronermiglo, Timiniglo umaromartonik, tokkorsublo Kingorna tokkoviungitsokartomik. Amen.

_The Lord’s Prayer._

NALLEKAM OKAUSIA.

Attavut killangmepotit, akkit usorolirsuk; Nallegavet aggerle; pekorset Killangme nunam etog tamaikile: Tunnisigun ullume nekiksautivnik; pissarauneta aketsorauta, pisingilaguttog akectsortivut; Ursennartomut pisitsaraunata; ajortomin annautigut: Nallegauet, Pisarlo, usornartorlo pigangaukit isukangithomun. Amen.

CHAP. XVII.

_Of the Greenland Trade, and whether, in promoting it, there is any
Advantage to be expected._

The goods and commodities Greenland affords for the entertaining of commerce, or traffic, are whale blubber or fat, and whale bones, unicorn horns, rein deer skins and hides, seal and fox skins. These wares they barter against merchandizes of our produce, as coats and shirts made of white, blue, red or striped linen or woollen cloth; as also knives, hand-saws, needles, hooks to angle with, looking-glasses, and other such merchandize or hardwares: besides what they buy of wood, as rafts, poles, deal boards, chests; and of brass and copper, as kettles and the like, tin dishes and plates; for which they pay to the full price. At the beginning of our late settlement in those parts the trade was much brisker than at present, and much more profitable; for foreign traders flocking thither in great numbers have so overstocked them with goods, and undersold one another, to draw the natives to them from others, that the trade is considerably slackened and fallen. Yet I trust, that, if we once became masters of this trade, as it in justice belongs to us, by the right the King of Denmark lawfully claims to these countries as much as any kingdom or province subject to him; I trust, that, with this proviso, the trade to Greenland would prove as profitable as any other whatsoever; which has been evidenced not long ago, when by his Majesty’s special order foreign trade has been prohibited within a certain distance on each side of the colonies. For if the lading of some ships with fish and train from Finmark, and others of fish, train, salt meat, and butter from Iceland and Fero, bring to the traders considerable profit; who would question, but the same or better advantage may be expected from the importing quantities of whale train, whale bones, rein deer hides, fox and seal skins, which are of more value than the Iceland or Feroe? And, if the produce or commodities of Greenland were formerly reckoned of that importance, that they were deemed sufficient to maintain the King’s table, why not also at present? provided Greenland may by settlements and improvement retrieve its former abundance, which is not impossible.

If the old lands, formerly inhabited and manured by the Norway colonies, were anew peopled with men and cattle; they would, without doubt, yield as much as either Iceland or Feroe, seeing there is as good pasture ground as in those islands. I shall forbear to mention salmon and cod fishing, as it seems at present to be but of little or no importance, especially on the West side; though I am credibly informed by the natives, that on the Southern coast they catch abundance of fine large cod. Yet this may be more than sufficiently compensated by the whale fishery on the North and the capture of seals on the South, which if rightly undertaken, and with vigour set on foot, will bring as much, nay far more profit than the salmon and cod catching does in other places; chiefly the seal capture, which can be undertaken at very small expenses, _viz._ at the coast with strong nets, with which they may catch many thousands in Greenland; which, if hitherto not practised, ought to be imputed to negligence and want of a good regulation. In short, Greenland, as we see, is very convenient for trading, and may be very well worth one’s while to take in hand. But there is little to be done, without an established and formed company of men of substance as well as resolution; being altogether impossible and above the strength of any private man to master it and go through with it.

CHAP. XVIII.

_The Religion, or rather Superstition, of the Greenlanders._

The Greenlanders’ ignorance of a Creator would make one believe they were atheists, or rather naturalists. For, when they have been asked from whence they thought that Heaven and Earth had their origin, they have answered nothing, but that it had always been so. But if we consider, that they have some notion of the immortality of souls[36], and that there is another much happier life after this; moreover, as they are addicted to different kinds of superstition, and that they hold there is a Spiritual Being, which they call Torngarsuk, to whom they ascribe a supernatural power, though not the creation or the production of creatures (of whose origin they tell many absurd and ridiculous stories), all this, I say, supposes some sort of worship; although they do not themselves, out of their brutish stupidity, understand or infer so much, or make use of the light of nature and the remaining spark of the image of God in their souls, to consider the invisible being of God by his visible works, which is the creation of the world.--Rom. i. For which reason, instead of attaining the knowledge of God and true religion, they are unhappily fallen into many gross superstitions.

But notwithstanding that all these superstitions are authorized by, and grounded upon the notion they have of him they call Torngarsuk, whom their lying angekuts or prophets hold for their oracle, whom they consult on all occasions, yet the commonalty know little or nothing of him, except the name only: nay even the angekuts themselves are divided in the whimsical ideas they have formed of his being; some saying he is without any form or shape; others giving him that of a bear, others again pretending he has a large body and but one arm; and some make him as little as a finger. There are those who hold he is immortal, and others, that a puff of wind can kill him. They assign him his abode in the lower regions of the Earth, where they tell you there is constantly fine sunshiny weather, good water, deer, and fowls in abundance. They also say he lives in the water; wherefore, when they come to any water, of which they have not drank before, and there be any old man in the company, they make him drink first, in order to take away its Torngarsuk, or the malignant quality of the water, which might make them sick and kill them. They hold furthermore, that a spirit resides in the air, which they name Innertirrirsok, that is, the Moderator or Restrainer, because it is pursuant to his order, that the angekuts command the people to restrain or abstain from certain things or actions, that they may not come into harm’s way. According to their theology, or mythology, there is yet one spirit, harbinger of the air, whom they stile Erloersortok, which signifies a Gutter, because he guts the deceased, and feeds upon their intestines. His countenance, they say, is very ghastly and haggard, hollow eyes and cheeks, like a body that is starved.

Each element has its governor or president, which they call Innuæ[37]; from whence the angekuts receive their torngak, or familiar spirits. For every angekkok has a torngak, who attends him, after he has ten times conjured in the dark.

Some have their own deceased parents for their torngak, and others get theirs out of some of our nation, who they say discharge their fire arms when they wait before the entry of the place where the angekkok performs his conjuration. Whether Torngak and Torngarsuk be one and the same thing I shall not decide; but certain it is, that one is derived from the other. From Torngarsuk the angekuts pretend they learn the art of conjuring; which they are taught in this method. If one aspires to the office of an angekkok, and has a mind to be initiated into these mysteries, he must retire from the rest of mankind, into some remote place, from all commerce; there he must look for a large stone, near which he must sit down and invoke Torngarsuk, who, without delay, presents himself before him. This presence so terrifies the new candidate of angekutism, that he immediately sicken, swoons away, and dies; and in this condition he lies for three whole days; and then he comes to life again, arises in a newness of life, and betakes himself to his home again. The science of an angekkok consists of three things. 1. That he mutters certain spells over sick people, in order to make them recover their former health. 2. He communes with Torngarsuk, and from him receives instruction, to give people advice what course they are to take in affairs, that they may have success, and prosper therein. 3. He is by the same informed of the time and cause of any body’s death; or for what reason any body comes to an untimely and uncommon end; and if any fatality shall befal a man. And though this lying spirit of the angekuts is oftentimes found out by their gross mistakes, when the events do not answer their false predictions, as commonly happens; yet, for all that, they are in great honour and esteem among this stupid and ignorant nation, insomuch that nobody ever dare refuse the strictest obedience to what they command him in the name of Torngarsuk, fearing, that, in case of disobedience, some great affliction and misfortune may happen to him. Among many other fibs, and most impudent lies, they make also these silly stupid wretches believe, that they can, with hands and feet tied, mount up to Heaven, and see how matters stand there; and likewise descend to Hell, or the lower regions of the Earth, where the fierce Torngarsuk keeps his court. A young angekkok must not undertake this journey but in the fall of the year, by reason, that then the lowermost Heaven, which they take the rainbow to be, is nearest to the Earth.

The farce or imposture is thus acted: a number of spectators assemble in the evening at one of their houses, where, after it is grown dark, every one being seated, the angekkok causes himself to be tied, his head between his legs and his hands behind his back, and a drum is laid at his side; thereupon, after the windows are shut and the light put out, the assembly sings a ditty, which, they say, is the composition of their ancestors; when they have done singing the angekkok begins with conjuring, muttering, and brawling; invokes Torngarsuk, who instantly presents himself, and converses with him (here the masterly juggler knows how to play his trick, in changing the tone of his voice, and counterfeiting one different from his own, which makes the too credulous hearers believe, that this counterfeited voice is that of Torngarsuk, who converses with the angekkok.) In the mean while he works himself loose, and, as they believe, mounts up into Heaven through the roof of the house, and passes through the air till he arrives into the highest of heavens, where the souls of angekkut poglit, that is, the chief angekkuts, reside, by whom he gets information of all he wants to know. And all this is done in the twinkling of an eye.

Concerning the angekkut poglit, whom we just now mentioned, as they pass for the heads of the clergy, and are reckoned the most eminent and wisest of all, they also must pass through the inferior orders, and several hard trials, before they can attain to this high degree of pre-eminency; for none is deemed worthy of such a dignity, but he that has made his noviciateship in the lower rank, as an ordinary angekkok. The trial he must undergo, is this: they tie his hands and feet, as aforesaid, and after the light is put out, and they are all left in darkness (that nobody may see how the trick is played, and their imposture be discovered), then they pretend that a white bear enters the room, takes hold of his great toe with his teeth, and dragging him along to the sea shore, jumps with him into the sea, where a morse is ready, and takes hold of him by his privy parts, devouring him, together with the white bear. A little while after all his bones are thrown in upon the floor, one after another, not one missing; and then his soul rises up off the ground, which gathers the bones, and animates the whole body again, and up starts the man, a hale and entire as ever he was; and thus he is made an angekkok poglik.

The angekkuts, as before observed, are kept in great honour and esteem, and beloved and cherished as a wise and useful set of men; they are also well rewarded for their service, when it is wanted. But, on the contrary, there is another sort of conjurers or sorcerers, especially some decrepid old women, which they call illiseersut, or witches, who persuade themselves and others, that, by the virtue of their spells and witchcraft they can hurt people in their life and goods. These are not upon the same footing with the angekkuts; for as soon as any one incurs only the suspicion of such demeanor, he or she is hated and detested by every body, and at last made away with, without mercy, as a plague to mankind, and not deemed worthy to live.

Moreover the angekkuts abuse the people’s credulity, making them believe, that they can cure all sorts of diseases; though they apply such remedies as have no virtue in them to cure, such as muttering of spells, and blowing upon the sick bodies; wherein they resemble to a hair those conjurers of which the prophet Isaiah speaks, chapter viii, verse 19.

And if by chance any one, who has been under these jugglers’ hands, recovers, they do not fail to ascribe it to the virtue of their juggling tricks. At times they use this way of curing the sick; they lay him upon his back, and tie a ribbon, or a string, round his head, having a stick fastened to the other end of the string, with which they lift up the sick person’s head from the ground, and let it down again; and at every lift he communes with his Torgak, or familiar spirit, about the state of the patient, whether he shall recover or not; now, if his head is heavy in lifting it, it is with them a sign of death; if light, of recovery[38]. Notwithstanding all this, I am loth to believe, that, in these spells and conjurings, there is any real commerce with the devil; for to me it clearly appears, that there is nothing in it but mere fibs, juggling tricks, and impostures, made use of by these crafty fellows for the sake of filthy lucre, for they are well paid for their pains. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied, but that the evil spirit has a hand in all this, and is the chief actor upon this stage, to keep these poor wretches in their chains, and hinder them from coming to the true knowledge of God.

The angekkuts can also persuade whom they please, that they have no souls, especially if they are in a bad state of health, pretending they have the power to create new souls in them, provided they pay them well for it, which the ignorant fools are very willing to do. They prescribe to all rules of conduct and behaviour in different cases, which rules none dare refuse to live up to with the greatest exactness imaginable; as for example, if any dies in a house, those of the house cannot, for a set time, do all sorts of work; especially the relations of the deceased are obliged to abstain, not only from certain works, but likewise from certain victuals.

If a patient be under the hands of an angekkok, he must live by rule, which they are accustomed to observe so exactly, that even when we have assisted many of them with our medicaments, they have always demanded what sort of diet they were to keep. Women in childbed are to abstain from working, and from certain victuals, viz. flesh meat, which their own husbands have not taken, or that of a deer, whose entrails are not sound, but damaged. The first week after the delivery they eat nothing but fish, afterwards they are allowed meat. The bones they pick in this state must not be carried out of doors. After the first childbed, a woman is not allowed to eat of the head or liver. They must not eat in the open air. During their lying-in they have their water pails for themselves alone; if any unwittingly should drink of this water, the rest must be thrown away. Their husbands must forbear working for some weeks, neither must they drive any trade during that time: likewise if any body be sick, they do not care to meddle with any trade. They are not allowed to eat or drink bareheaded. They pull off one of their boots, and lay it under the bowl which they eat out of, to the end (as they imagine) that the infant, being a male, may become a good seal catcher. During the infancy of the child, they dare not boil any thing over the lamp, nor let any strangers light a fire with them; and many more fooleries to be observed[39]. It is customary among them for married women to wash and cleanse themselves after their months, that their husbands may not catch a distemper and die. Likewise, if they have happened to touch a dead corpse, they immediately cast away the clothes they have then on; and for this reason they always put on their old clothes when they go to a burying, in which they agree with the Jews, as in many other usages and ceremonies; for example, to bewail the loss of their virginity; to mark themselves upon their skin; to cut their hairs round the head, which the Lord forbids the Jews to do, Levit. xix. When I consider this and many other of their customs, which seem to be of a Jewish extraction, I am not far from acceding to the opinion of a certain famous writer, concerning the Americans; among whom as he found sundry Jewish rites and ceremonies, he took them to descend from Jews, or rather from some of the ten tribes of Israel, who were led into the Assyrian captivity, and afterwards dispersed into unknown countries.--See hereon Espars, 1. iv.

A superstition very common among them is, to load themselves with amulets or _pomanders_ dangling about their necks and arms, which consist of some pieces of old wood, stones or bones, bills and claws of birds, or any thing else, which their fancy suggests to them; which amulets, according to their silly opinion, have a wonderful virtue to preserve those that wear them from diseases and other misfortunes, and gives them luck to good captures. To render barren women fertile or teeming, they take old pieces of the soles of our shoes to hang about them; for, as they take our nation to be more fertile, and of a stronger disposition of body than theirs, they fancy the virtue of our body communicates itself to our clothing.

Concerning the creation and origin of all things, they have little to say, but they think all has been as it ever will be. Nevertheless they abound in fables in regard to these matters. Their tale of the origin of mankind runs thus: at the beginning one man, _viz._ a Greenlander, sprung out of the ground, who got a wife out of a little hillock[40]. From these are descended lineally the Greenlanders; which may pass for a remnant, though an adulteration from the true tradition of the origin of man. But as to us foreigners, whom they stile _Kablunæt_ (that is, of a strange extraction), they tell a most ridiculous story, importing our pedigree from a race of dogs; they say, that a Greenland woman once being in labour, brought forth at the same time both children and whelps: these last she put into an old shoe, and committed them to the mercy of the waves, with these words; Get ye gone from hence and grow up to be Kablunæts. This, they say, is the reason, why the Kablunæts always live upon the sea; and the ships, they say, have the very same shape as their shoes, being round before and behind.

The reason why men die, they tell us, is, that a woman of their nation once uttered these words; _Tokkolarlutik okko pillit, sillarsoak rettulisavet_, Let them die one after another; for else the world cannot hold them. Others relate it in this manner: two of the first men contended with one another, one said, _Kaut sarlune unnuinnarluna, innuit tokkosarlutik_; that is, Let there be day, and let there be night, and let not men die. The second said, _Unnuinnarlune, kausunane, innuit tokkosinnatik_; that is, Let there be nothing but night, and no day, and let men live; and after a long contention the first saying got the day. Of the origin of fishes and other sea animals they tell a ridiculous story, _viz._ an old man was once cutting chips off of a piece of wood; with these chips he rubbed himself between the thighs, and threw them into the sea, whereupon they immediately became fishes. But of a certain fish called hay, they derive his production from this accident, that a woman washing her hairs in her own water, a blast of wind came and carried away the clout with which she dried her hairs, and out of that clout was produced a hay fish; and for this reason they say, the flesh of this fish has got the smell of urine.

They have got no notion of any different state of souls after death; but they fancy that all the deceased go into the land of the souls, as they term it. Nevertheless they assign two retreats for departed souls, _viz._ some go to Heaven, others to the centre of the Earth; but this lower retirement is in their opinion the pleasantest, inasmuch as they enjoy themselves in a delicious country, where the sun shines continually, with an inexhaustible stock of all sorts of choice provision. But this is only the receptacle of such women as die in labour, and of those that, going a whale fishing, perish at sea; this being their reward, to compensate the hardships they have undergone in this life; all the rest flock to Heaven.

In the centre of the Earth, which they reckon the best place of all, they have fixed the residence of Torngarsuk and his grandame, or (as others will have it) his lady daughter, a true termagant and ghastly woman, to whose description, though already made in my continuation of the relations of Greenland, some time ago published, I shall yet allow a place in this treatise, and is as follows. She is said to dwell in the lower parts of the earth under the seas, and has the empire over all fishes and sea-animals, as unicorns, morses, seals, and the like. The bason placed under her lamp, into which the train oil of the lamp drips down, swarms with all kinds of sea fowls, swimming in and hovering about it. At the entry of her abode is a _corps de garde_ of sea dogs, who mount the guard, and stand sentinels at her gates to keep out the crown of petitioners[41]. None can get admittance there but angekuts, provided they are accompanied by their Torngak, or familiar spirits, and not otherwise. In their journey thither they first pass through the mansions of all the souls of the deceased, which look as well, if not better, than ever they did in this world, and want for nothing. After they have passed through this region, they come to a very long, broad, and deep whirlpool, which they are to cross over, there being nothing to pass upon but a great wheel like ice, which turns about with a surprising rapidity, and by the means of this wheel the spirit helps his angekkok to get over. This difficulty being surmounted, the next thing they encounter is a large kettle, in which live seals are put to be boiled; and at last they arrive, with much ado, at the residence of the devil’s grandame, where the familiar spirit takes the angekkok by the hand through the strong guard of sea dogs. The entry is large enough, the road that leads is as narrow as a small rope, and on both sides nothing to lay hold on, or to support one; besides that, there is underneath a most frightful abyss or bottomless pit. Within this is the apartment of the infernal goddess, who offended at this unexpected visit, shows a most ghastly and wrathful countenance, pulling the hair off her head: she thereupon seizes a wet wing of a fowl, which she lights in the fire, and claps to their noses, which makes them very faint and sick, and they become her prisoners. But the enchanter or angekkok (being beforehand instructed by his Torngak, how to act his part in this dismal expedition) takes hold of her by the hair, and drubs and bangs her so long, till she loses her strength and yields; and in this combat his familiar spirit does not stand idle, but lays about her with might and main. Round the infernal goddess’s face hangs the aglerrutit (the signification of which is to be found in my son’s journals) which the angekkok endeavours to rob her of. For this is the charm, by which she draws all fishes and sea animals to her dominion, which no sooner is she deprived of, but instantly the sea animals in shoals forsake her, and resort with all speed to their wonted shelves, where the Greenlanders catch them in great plenty. When this great business is done, the angekkok with his Torngak proud of success make the best of their way home again, where they find the road smooth, and easy to what it was before.

* * * * *

As to the souls of the dead, in their travel to this happy country, they meet with a sharp pointed stone, upon which the angekkuts tell them they must slide or glide down upon their breech, as there is no other passage to get through, and this stone is besmeared with blood; perhaps, by this mystical or hieroglyphical image, they thereby signify the adversities and tribulations those have to struggle with, who desire to attain to happiness.

CHAP. XIX.

_The Greenlanders’ Astronomy, or their Thoughts concerning the Sun,
Moon, Stars, and Planets._

The notions the Greenlanders have of the origin of heavenly lights, as Sun, Moon, and Stars, are very nonsensical; in that they pretend that they have formerly been so many of their ancestors, who on different accounts were lifted up to Heaven and became such glorious celestial bodies.

Their silly stories concerning this matter have been related in the continuation to the Greenland Memoirs, or relations, but as this book very likely may not come to the hands of every body, I shall shortly remember some of them here. The Moon, as they will have it, has been a young man, called Anningait, or Anningasina; whose sister was the Sun, named Malina, or Ajut (by which latter name they call any handsome woman, for whom they have a value, Ajuna.) The reason (why these two were taken up into Heaven) they give, is this: there were once a number of young men and women assembled to play together in a house made of snow (according to their custom in the winter season), when the Moon or Anningait, who was deeply in love with his sister, who assisted at this assembly, was used every night to put out the light, that he might caress her undiscovered; but she not liking these stolen caresses, once blackened her hands with soot, that she might mark the hands, face, and clothes of her unknown lover, who in the dark made addresses to her, and by that discover who he was: hence, they say, come the spots that are observed in the moon; for as he wore a coat of a fine white rein deer skin, it was all over besmeared with soot; hereupon Malina, or the Sun, went out to light a bit of moss; Anningait, or the Moon, did the same, but the flame of his moss was extinguished; this makes the Moon look like a fiery coal, and not shine so bright as the Sun. The Moon then run after the Sun round about the house to catch her; but she, to get rid of him, flew up into the air, and the Moon pursuing her, did likewise; and thus they still continue to pursue one another, though the Sun’s career is much above that of the Moon[42].

They also tell us, that the Moon is yet obliged to seek for his livelihood upon the earth and sea, in catching of seals, as a food he formerly was used to; which they pretend he is doing, when he appears not in the air: nay, they do not stick to say, that she now and then comes down to give their wives a visit, and caress them; for which reason no woman dare sleep lying upon her back, without she first spits upon her fingers and rubs her belly with it.

For the same reason the young maids are afraid to stare long at the moon, imagining they may get a child by the bargain. During the eclipse of the sun no man dare stir out of the house; and likewise when the moon is eclipsed, no woman goes abroad, because they fancy that both hate the sex of the other. The sun for joy puts on her pendants, or ear-bobs; the reason of which they take to be the hatred she bears against her brother, which also reaches to his sex. As on the contrary, the Greenland women wear their pendants at the birth of a boy, because so useful a creature is come into the world. Their notion about the stars is, that some of them have been men, and other different sorts of animals and fishes. The faint light of some stars they attribute to their eating the kidney; and brightness of others to their feeding upon liver. They give also names to many stars and constellations, _viz._ the three stars in the belt of Orion, they name Siektut, that is separated; because these three, they say, before their metempsychosis, or rather metamorphosis, were three honest Greenlanders, who being out at sea, a seal catching, were bewildered, and not being able to find the shore again, were taken up into Heaven.

Ursa Major, the great bear star, is styled by those that dwell in 64°, Tugto, or rein deer; while they that live in the bay of Disco at 69°, call it Asselluit, the name of a tree, to which they tie their line when they shoot seals. Taurus, the second sign in the Zodiac, is named Kellukturset, or kennel of hounds, who seem to have a bear among them; by this constellation they reckon their hours by night. Iversuk, that is, two persons that contend with songs or verses in taunting one another, as is customary among the Greenlanders. These two stars are in the constellation Taurus, of which heretofore, Aldebaran or Nennerroak, that is, a light which lights the two singers. Canis Major is called Nelleraglek, which is the name of a man amongst them; this they say has got on a coat of rein deer’s skin. Gemini, Auriga, and Capella, are named Killaub Kuttuk, that is, the breast bone of Heaven.

When two stars seem to meet together, they say, that they are visiting one another; others will have it to be two women, who being rivals, take one another by the hair.

Concerning thunder and lightning, they say that two old women live together in one house in the air, who now and then fall out and quarrel about a thick and stiff outstretched seal skin (because such a skin, if beaten as a drum, has some likeness to the noise of thunder); while they are thus by the ears together, down comes the house with great bouncing and cracking, and the lamps are broken, the fires and broken pieces fly about in the air, and this, in their philosophy, is thunder and lightning.

In their astronomical system, the heaven turn about upon the point of a huge rock. The snow, according to their fancy, is the blood of the dead, on account that it turns reddish if you keep it in the mouth. The rain comes from a ditch or wear above in Heaven; when it overflows there, it rains here below.

They have no calendar or almanacks, nor do they compute or measure the time by weeks or years, but only by months; beginning their computation from the Sun’s first rising above their horizon in the winter; from whence they tell the month, to know exactly the season, in which every sort of fishes, sea animals, or birds seek the land; according to which they order their business.

As nonsensical now as these notions of the Greenlanders are (as they in reality are), yet they come short of the Egyptian King Ptolemy’s infatuation, who by the loathsome flattery of his astronomers was persuaded that his Queen Berenice’s head of hair was translated into Heaven and astrified, if I may say so; which constellation to this day goes by the name of Coma Berenices, or Berenice’s hair; and what travellers relate of China and the East Indies, where some are of opinion, that the Sun’s eclipse is nothing but that a certain devil or sprite sometimes swallows up the Sun, and then again spews it out.

CHAP. XX.

_The Capacity of the Greenlanders, and their Inclination towards
the Knowledge of God, and the Christian Religion; and by what Means
this may easily be brought about._

As the Greenlanders are naturally very stupid and indolent; so are they likewise very little disposed to comprehend and consider the divine truths which we expound to them; and notwithstanding people in years seem to approve of the Christian doctrine, yet it is with a surprising indifference and coldness. For they can neither comprehend the miserable condition they are in; nor do they rightly understand and value the exceeding great mercy and loving kindness God has shown towards mankind in his dear Son Christ Jesus, so as to move them to any desire and longing after it; some few excepted. This is to me an undeniable evidence that the carnally-minded man cannot comprehend the things that belong to God; for to him they seem to be foolish, and he cannot know them, as the Apostle speaks, 1 Cor. ii. But as they in general are so credulous, that one can make them believe any thing, so they are likewise in this grand affair. They never question what they are taught of God and Christ; but at the same time it never takes any rooting in their mind, because it passes without any consideration and feeling. For which reason they do not contradict or dispute with us the matters proposed; and very few have offered any objections, or desired any difficulty to be explained. And as their behaviour is silly and childish, so we have used the same method in teaching them, as we do to instruct little children; inculcating the Christian truths into their mind by frequent repetitions, and making use of simple and obvious comparisons, which, I thank God Almighty, has not wanted his blessing. For I have perceived in some the working of his grace in a serious amendment of their lives; and their endeavours have been to advance in the way to perfection, though all as yet is but a beginning and infancy, as we have mentioned in the last year’s Memoirs or Relations of Greenland.

It is a matter which cannot be questioned, that if you will make a Christian out of a mere savage and wild man, you must first make him a reasonable man, and the next step will be easier. This is authorised and confirmed by our Saviour’s own method. He makes a beginning from the earthly things; he proposes the mysteries of the kingdom of God in parables and similitudes. The first care taken in the conversion of Heathens is to remove out of the way all obstacles which may hinder their conversion, and render them unfit to receive the Christian doctrine, before any thing successfully can be undertaken in their behalf.

It would contribute a great deal to forward their conversion, if they could by degrees be brought into a settled way of life, and to abandon this sauntering and wandering about from place to place to seek their livelihood. But this cannot be hoped until a Christian nation comes to be settled among them (I mean in such places where the ground is fit for tillage and pasturage) to teach them, and by little and little accustom them to a quiet and more useful way of life, than that which they now follow.

They should also be kept under some discipline, and restrained from their foolish superstitions, and from the silly tricks and wicked impostures of their angekkuts, which ought to be altogether prohibited and punished. Yet my meaning is, not that they, by force and constraint, should be compelled to embrace our religion, but to use gentle methods. Is it not allowed in the church of Christ to make use of Christian discipline at times and seasons, with prudence and due moderation; which is a powerful means to advance the growth of piety and devotion? How much more is it necessary to apply the same means here to grub up an untilled ground, where a new church is to be planted? Else it would be the same imprudence as to throw good seed into thorns and briars, which would choak the seed.

But as the chief fruit of our labours and teaching is to be expected from the growing youth, so if some good regulations and small foundations were laid for the bringing up a number of children in the Christian faith and piety, no doubt God would prosper it; inasmuch as these poor children and growing youth are very tractable and teachable, and good natured; showing no inclination or propensity to vice. Neither do they want capacity; for I have found they will take any thing as soon as any of our own children. Now if these gifts or natural talents were forwarded by the gifts of grace, who would question their growth and advancement in the Christian faith and virtues, which would ripen to the full harvest of eternal happiness? Good God! how easy a thing would it be to help these poor wretches out of their misery, if those that God has blessed with wealth were heavenly minded, and would be sensible of the wretched condition of their fellow creatures, and contribute out of their abundance to the founding of a school in these parts, and the providing of other most necessary things!

His Majesty, out of his wonted most glorious zeal for the growth and advancement of the church of Christ, has most graciously provided, by a considerable sum of money yearly set apart, for the Greenland Missionaries’ entertainment, which royal bounty continues to this day; for which goodness the most gracious God will bless his Majesty and all the royal hereditary house, and be their reward for ever. But as a good deal of this bounty money must be employed in the promoting of trade (without which the mission could not subsist), but little remains for promoting the proper end of the mission, which is the conversion of the Heathens, in which at present are employed no more than four missionaries, and two catechists, besides some few charity children belonging to both colonies, whose entertainment is to be provided for. Hitherto we have not been able to do great matters, but contented ourselves with some excursions here and there instructing the natives; who likewise, when they have had an opportunity, come to us with their families to be instructed. But as these excursions of ours, and those visits of theirs have not been very frequent, and only for a short time, by reason of the impossibility of travelling at all seasons, which has obliged us to leave them for a while to deal for themselves; it is not to be expected that our pains-taking should have had that success, which would attend it, if there were missionaries settled in different stations amongst them. For in several years we count but between twenty and thirty aged persons, and a hundred and odd young ones, that have been found capable to receive the holy sacrament of baptism. If amongst ourselves we had no schools, nor other pious foundations, for the instruction and Christian education of youth and old people, pray what great feats would one or two teachers in a whole country be able to do, by once or twice a year taking a journey throughout the land, and preaching a passage sermon? The apostles of Christ did not think this method sufficient; but after they had preached the word of God up and down, they besides ordained and constituted teachers and catechists everywhere. And if so wholesome a method be followed in Greenland, who will question a happier success?

And this is all I at present have to say of the affairs of Greenland; leaving it to the judgment of others to be made out and decided, whether Greenland is a country that deserves to be improved and taken care of, or no? And whether its inhabitants may be called happy, or no? All things well pondered, both the affirmative and negative may be true, without the least contradiction. For Greenland can pass for no better than a dismal and pitiful country, in regard to the greatest part of it, _viz._ all the inland country, which is perpetually covered with ice and snow, that never melts, and therefore of no use to mankind; and as to the remaining part, on the sea side, most of it lies uncultivated and uninhabited. But here it may again be said, that as to the first part, or the inland country, it is a thing that is past remedy; but as to the last part, or the sea side, it may be put in a better state by settlements, and manuring, so that it may recover its former fertility; and thus it might be reckoned a good and profitable country, provided the formerly inhabited tracks of land were anew settled and peopled. I will forbear to mention the great wealth and richness, which lies hidden in the Greenland seas, and can never be exhausted.

From the land I will go to the inhabitants, which every body will think more wretched than happy, considered as destitute of the true knowledge of their Creator; and besides lead but very poor and despicable lives. The knowledge of God is undoubtedly that which affords the greatest happiness to mankind; as the want of it makes one the most wretched of all beings. But who would dare to deny it, if I should find out somebody yet more wretched than they? And such there are who have been blessed with the true knowledge of God; yet do nevertheless refuse him that obedience, which, as our Creator and Master, and in regard of our redemption and a thousand other particular kindnesses, he has the best of titles to demand it upon, according as he requires it of us in his holy Word. If the life of the Greenlanders, which we call poor and despicable, with respect to morality, be compared to that of the most pretended Christians; I am afraid they will confound others on the great Day of Judgment. For though they have no law, yet by the light of nature do some of the works of the law, as the apostle says, Rom. ii. What thoughts will any one harbour, who seriously considers the predominant passions, as greediness after gain, covetousness, unmeasured ambition and pride, sumptuous, voluptuous, and prodigal lives; envy, hatred, and mutual persecutions, and innumerable other vices and crimes of most Christians? Can any one help thinking, but that such evil doers (the remotest from the life, which is God alone) must be deemed the most unhappy of all? Whilst on the other hand, the Greenlanders pass their lives, as I may say, in a natural innocence and simplicity. Their desires do not extend farther than to necessary things; pomp and pride is unknown to them; hatred, envy, and persecution never plagued them; neither do they affect the dominion over one another. In short, every one is contented with his own state and condition, and are not tormented with unnecessary cares. Is not this the greatest happiness of this life? O happy people! what better things can one wish you, than what you already possess? Have you no riches? yet poverty does not trouble you. Have you no superfluity? yet you suffer no want. Is there no pomp and pride to be seen among you? neither is there any slight or scorn to be met with. Is there no nobility or high rank amongst them? neither is there any slavery or bondage. What is sweeter than liberty? And what is happier than contentedness? But one thing is yet wanting: I mean, the saving knowledge of God and his dear son Christ Jesus, in which alone consists eternal life and happiness. John xvii. And this is what we offer you, in preaching to you the holy Gospel.

Now, God, who bade light shine forth in darkness, enlighten your hearts, in the light of the knowledge of God’s glorious appearance in and through Christ Jesus. May he deliver your souls from the slavery of the Devil, and of sinful lusts, as you are free from corporeal bondage, to the end that you always may be free with the Lord both in soul and body. Amen.

THE END.

CHARLES WOOD, Printer,
Poppin’s Court, Fleet Street, London.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Torfæi Gronlandia Antiqua Havniæ, 1706, p. 16; see also Peyrere Relation du Groenland, p. 84. These two authorities are principally followed. Peyrere’s work is in Recueil de Voyages au Nord, tome premier.

[2] Torfæus, p. 13, “_medias alpes_.”

[3] Torfæus, p. 14.

[4] Ibid., p. 19.

[5] Peyrere.

[6] Torfæus possessed three versions of this account in German, Danish, and Icelandic. His narrative runs,--The most Eastern settlement of Greenland lies under the promontory of Herjolfsness, and is called Skagefiord. Here is an uncultivated mountain, called Barrafell. At the mouth is a long sandbank (_pulvinus longus_), stretched across, so that no ships can enter, except when the water is raised to a great height by the wind and tide. At that time numbers of whales crowd into the bay. Here is a never-failing fishery, which is part of the episcopal domain.

[7] Torfæus and Peyrere.

[8] Torfæus says, “ubi publica _in sylvis_ venatio.” Of what trees were these woods composed? Peyrere, copying the Icelandic Chronicle, says, “Où il se fait grande chasse de toutes sortes de bestes, et entre autres de quantité d’ours blancs.”

[9] Torfæi Hist. p. 45.

[10] Peyrere’s words are, “il y a une maison royale nommée Fos.”

[11] Torfæus calls it “villa magnifica.”

[12] Torfæus says, “rusticorum villæ.”

[13] Peyrere.

[14] Doctor Wormius, who was famed for his great research in Northern antiquities, told Peyrere, that these savages, the aborigines of Greenland, inhabited one side of the bay of Kindelfiord, in the Western district, and that the Norwegians had a settlement on the opposite bank. When, then, the author of the Icelandic Chronicle said, that the Skrellings possessed all the Westerbygdt, he meant only the country to the West of this bay. A small party of Norwegians, who had passed over to the Western bank, were destroyed by the Skrellings. This caused the Viceroy of Norway, who is called judge of Greenland, to dispatch a ship with a large force to revenge this affront. But the savages, at the sight of this vessel, took to flight and concealed themselves in the woods and rocks; which occasioned Ivar Bert to represent the country as destitute of inhabitants.

[15] Angrim Jonas, of Iceland, according to Peyrere, says expressly, “Fundata in Garde Episcopalis residentia in sinu Eynatsfiord Groenlandiæ Orientalis.”

[16] Peyrere, p. 99.

[17] P. 99. See also Crantz, vol. i. p. 78.

[18] Peyrere’s account of Greenland is dated from the Hague, 18th June, 1646.

[19] Vol. i. p. 278.