Week 12: Reading, Inuit Folktales, Part A (Extra Credit)

 

These notes are based off Qalaganguase, Who Passed to the Land of Ghosts which is an Inuit Folktale, found in Eskimo Folk-Tales by Knud Rasmussen (1921).

·        I’m looking for stories to work in my spooky story portfolio

·        This one almost works, since it’s a ghost story. However, to me, it’s not that creepy

·        It’s kind of calm and relaxing

o   Should I change it?

o   Or should I just add in a story that is strange, but not sad/scary

·        Anyway, this story is about Qalaganguase. His entire family died after eating seaweed

o   At first, his sister was left (alive) to look after him, but she soon died also

·        One day, Qalaganguase had lost some of this strength. The lower part of his body didn’t work

·        The rest of the crew went out hunting, but he had to stay behind

·        While he’s resting alone, he hears a strange noise

·        In terror, he moves houses and finds a hiding place.

·        Then, in comes a ghost!

o   There isn’t really a description of these ghosts

o   Do they look scary or just like people?

o   This would be a cool thing for me to add

·        The ghost can feel that people are there, and says somethings to the boy

o   The ghost drinks from the water and thanks Qalaganguase

·        The ghost leaves and the other villagers return

·        Qalaganguase tells them what happened. They confirm that someone has drunk the water

·        This happens again. This time, though, one of the ghosts is his sister!

·        The ghosts seem friendly enough, they laugh, play, tell stories

·        At first, he was afraid, but then he finds them entertaining

·        When the villagers return, the ghosts again leave, but tell Qalaganguase to keep them a secret

·        He tells the villagers anyway, but when he does, he feels his body grow weak

·        Then some weird stuff happens, that I don’t totally understand

·        He is challenged to a singing contest?

·        Then the villagers time him up. His body is weak, so all he can do is lay there

·        Then the mother and father ghost visit him

·        They take him away to the land of the ghosts, and Qalaganguase becomes a ghost (he also might become a woman ghost?)

·        So, for me this is almost a happy tale. The boy is taken by ghosts, but it’s his family. He’s reunited with them.

·        All the ghosts seem friendly, so I don’t think it’s a bad thing that they end up together

·        This would be a “strange happening”, but I don’t think I would make this story scary.

I

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Inuit Culture (Family)

Found on Canada North Outfitting: Archival Photos 

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