Eskimos
The religion of the Eskimos is still to a great extent in the magical stage. Their shamans or medicine-men, whom they call Angekok partake more of the character of magicians than that of priests and they invariably consult them before starting on a hunting expedition, or when prostrated by illness. The nature of the ceremonies employed on those occasions may be inferred from the account of Captain Lyon, who on one occasion employed an angekok named Toolemak, to summon a Tomga or familiar spirit in the cabin of a ship.
All light having been carefully excluded from the scene of operations, the sorcerer began by vehemently chanting to his wife, who, in her turn, responded with the Amna-aya, the favourite song of the Eskimo. This lasted throughout the ceremony. Afterwards, Toolemak began to turn himself round very rapidly, vociferating for Tomga, in a loud powerful voice and with great impatience, at the same time blowing and snorting like a walrus. His noise, agitation, and impatience increased every moment, and at length he seated himself on the deck, varying his tones, and making a rustling with his clothes.
Suddenly the voice seemed smothered, and was so managed as to give the idea that it was retreating beneath the deck, each moment becoming more distant, and ultimately sounding as if it were many feet below the cabin, when it ceased entirely. In answer to Captain Lyon's queries, the sorcerer's wife seriously declared that he had dived and would send up Tomga.
And, in about half a minute, a distant blowing was heard approaching very slowly, and a voice differing from that which had first been audible was mixed with the blowing, until eventually both sounds became distinct, and the old beldame said that Tomga had come to answer the stranger's questions. Captain Lyon thereupon put several queries to the sagacious spirit, receiving what was understood to be an affirmative or a favourable answer by two loud slaps on the deck.
A very hollow yet powerful voice, certainly differing greatly from that of Toolemak, then chanted for some time, and a singular medley of hisses, groans, and shouts, and gobblings like a turkey's followed in swift succession. The old woman sang with increased energy, and as Captain Lyon conjectured that the exhibition was intended to astonish "the Kabloona," he said repeatedly that he was greatly terrified. As he expected, this admission added fuel to the flame, until the form immortal, exhausted by its own might, asked leave to retire. The voice gradually died away out of hearing, as at first, and a very indistinct hissing succeeded. In its advance it sounded like the tone produced by the wind upon the bass cord of an Æolian harp; this was soon changed to a rapid hiss, like that of a rocket, and Toolemak with a yell, announced the spirit's return.
At the first distant sibilation Captain Lyon held his breath, and twice exhausted himself; but the Eskimo conjurer did not once respire, and even his returning and powerful yell was uttered without previous pause or inspiration of air. When light was admitted, the wizard, as might be expected, was in a state of profuse perspiration, and greatly exhausted by his exertions, which had continued for at least half an hour. Captain Lyon then observed a couple of bunches, each consisting of two strips of white deerskin and a long piece of sinew, attached to the back of his coat. These he had not seen before, and he was gravely told that they had been sewn on by Tomga while he was below.
The angekoks profess to visit the dwelling-place of the spirits they invoke and give circumstantial descriptions of these habitations. They have a firm belief in their own powers.
Dr. Kane considers it a fact of psychological interest, as it shows that civilised or savage wonder-workers form a single family, that the angekoks have a firm belief in their own powers. "I have known," he says, "several of them personally, and can speak with confidence on this point. I could not detect them in any resort to jugglery or natural magic; their deceptions are simply vocal, a change of voice, and perhaps a limited profession of ventriloquism, made more imposing by the darkness." They have, however, like the members of the learned professions everywhere else, a certain language or jargon of their own, in which they communicate with each other. "
While the angekoks are the dispensers of good, the issintok, or evil men, are the workers of injurious spells, enchantments, and metamorphoses. Like the witches of both Englands, the Old and the New, these malignant creatures are rarely submitted to trial until they have suffered punishment-the old "Jeddart justice "-castigat auditque. Two of them, in 1818, suffered the penalty of their crime on the same day, one at Kannonak, the other at Upernavik. The latter was laudably killed in accordance with the "old custom" custom being everywhere the apology for any act revolting to moral sense. He was first harpooned, then disembowelled; a flap let seeing again-he had, it appears, the repute of an evil eye; down from his forehead to cover his eyes and prevent his -and then small portions of his heart were eaten, to ensure that he should not come back to earth unchanged." ..