Greenland (Denmark) / All works
Tale
Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo
Kaladlit Okalluktualliait
Synopsis
Stories from the oral tradition of West Greenland, written down by Greenlanders themselves at the request of the Danish inspector. They include stories of mistreated orphans who grow strong, such as Kagsagsuk, hunters' tales, and many accounts of the clashes between the Inuit and the Norse who once settled in the country. The texts are given in Greenlandic and Danish, accompanied by woodcuts.
Context
The four volumes appeared in Godthåb from 1859 to 1863, printed on the press of the Inspectorate. The tales were written by Greenlanders, among them Aron of Kangeq and Jens Kreutzmann, and translated into Danish by Rasmus Berthelsen; Rink had supplied Aron, a seal hunter, with drawing materials, and his engravings illustrate the collection, which also contains plates of music. Scholars today debate what the move to writing cost the oral tradition, and who chose what would be published.
Who it is for
Short tales, in Greenlandic with a Danish translation, illustrated with Greenlandic engravings of the period.
Prizes and reception
The first systematic collection of Greenlandic oral narratives, born of the country's first printing press; reprinted in 1972.
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