صبي أعماق البحار: قصص شعبية من الاسكيمو

by Knud Rasmussen

حكايات وقصص شعبية آتية من ألسنة شعب الإسكيمو، هذا الكتاب، صبي أعماق البحار، هو واحد من سلسلة تجمع تراث الشعوب من الحكايات والأساطير والخرافات الشعبية، في 23 كتابا، ضمن مبادرة "كلمة" التابعة لهيئة أبو ظبي للثقافة والتراث

Genres: Mythology, Short Stories, Folklore, Classics, Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Native American

133 pages

First published January 1, 1921

About the author

Knud Johan Victor Rasmussen (1879–1933) was a Greenlandic/Danish polar explorer and anthropologist. He has been called the "father of Eskimology" and was the first European to cross the Northwest Passage via dog sled. He remains well known in Greenland, Denmark and among Canadian Inuit.

Reviews

[Phil Wahlbrink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the occasionally clunky translation, a fascinating look into the minds of a hardy people living in conditions few of us can imagine.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some wonderful stories here. The first story about two friends setting off in different directions around the world is particularly memorable.

(A note that the term Inuit is preferred to Eskimo.)

[Jessica✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

PARTIAL READING/STORY RATINGS
(2.5 * total)
The Coming of Men (GOOD)
A Long, Long While Ago (DONT REMEMBER)
Nukúnguasik, who Escaped from the Tupilak
(CONFUSING)
The Woman Who Had a Bear as a Foster-Son (GOOD)
Qalagánguasê, Who Passed to the Land of Ghosts (GOOD)
Isigâligârssik (GOOD)
The Insects that Wooed a Wifeless Man (CONFUSING)
Makíte (BAD)
Atungait, Who Went A-Wandering (CONFUSING)
The Giant Dog (GOOD)
Papik, Who Killed His Wife's Brother (BORING)
Pâtussorssuaq, Who Killed His Uncle (OKAY)
The Wife Who Lied (GOOD)
The Eagle and the Whale (BORING, but got BETTER)
Atdlarneq, The Great Glutton (GOOD)
Ángángŭjuk (OKAY)
Âtârssuaq (OKAY)
Tungujuluk and Saunikoq (BORING/SKIMMED)
Kánagssuaq (GOOD)
--
I think the biggest problem with these stories are the fact they are just really horribly written. The ideas are there, but it's as if the author didn't care about fleshing it out. There are no plots and each story jumps around like a rabbit on caffeine. Words that make sentences out of place, characters that have no meaning. There are A LOT of problems. Then again there are those moments where the story surpasses the writers capabilities and make it a great read.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bizarre tales of man-eating dogs and great wizards who can fly, steal your wife, live at the bottom of the sea, talk to walruses, ruin your kayak and catch two seals without even trying. Apparently many of these stories were meant to put you to sleep on long cold nights, and thus the longest, most detailed tales tended to “win.” The details become repetitive and many tales just abruptly end with “And then he went home,” which I, personally, very much enjoyed.

[Sa Ra ✧₊⁺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

تجربة فريدة للغاية، كم هو غريب وجميل في نفس الوقت اختلاف الشعوب، الكتاب يضم قصصاً جميلة وغريبة من فلكلور سكان الإسكيمو، حيث تجد نفسك مندهشاً من بعض الحكايات. من بين تلك القصص، هناك الرجل الذي يلتهم زوجاته، والمرأة التي تربي دباً. على الرغم من غرابة هذه القصص، إلا أنها كانت ممتعة وتميزت بجو خاص يأخذك إلى عالم آخر.

[Bleda Gençay Sönmez · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Yer Ertekileri serüvenimde Hindistan'dan Danimarka'ya bağlı Grönland'a gittim. Orada Eskimolar'a konuk oldum. Eskimolar gibi dondurucu soğuğa alışık olmadığım için çok üşüyordum. Igloları estetiksel bir güzelliğe sahip olsa da buz parçaları arasında boşluklarda dondurucu rüzgar esiyordu. Çevirmenin acemiliğinden mi yoksa onların sözlü edebiyatlarının zayıflığından mı bilemem ama ertekilerinde basit bir teknik görüyoruz. Basit teknik yani günlük dil, ertekilere sürükleyicilik, akıcılık ve merak uyandırıcılık katmadığı için dinlemekte sıkılıyordum. Sıkıldığımı da diyemiyordum. Sözlü edebiyatları pek zengin değildir. Cüceler, Büyücüler, Yarı İt Yarı Kişi ve Topillaqlar gibi yaratıklarla sınırlıdır ertekiler. Eskimo kültürü ilgimi çekse de ertekileri maalesef ilgimi çekmedi. Beni saran bir erteki bile bulamıyorum. Ayrıca fok balığı etleri bana hitap etmiyordu. İyi ki de dönenceler arasında yaşayan bir kişiyim. Betikteki başlıklarda kullanılan karlı font gözleri yoruyor. Okuyup okumamayı sizin takdirinize bırakıyorum."

[Mousa · Rating 2 out of 5]

حكايات جيدة متنوعة بعض الشيئ ولو أن الغالب فيها أصطياد الفقمات ولا عجب في ذلك خصوصا وأن القصص من الأسكيمو والذين يتمازون بذلك ,,

في بعضها الطرافة والغرابة وفي البعض الآخر يتغلب الخيال والقصص الغير مألوفة ,,

جيد لمعرفة أحوال الشعوب الآخرى ~

[Yazeed AlMogren · Rating 2 out of 5]

قصص فلكلورية من ثقافة الأسكيمو سُكان جرينلاند

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting collection of Eskimo Folktales from Greenland.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I was rather fascinated by the diction of oral storytelling (“This story ends here” being a common way to end them, for example) and by the overarching themes - some of the stories contain moral teachings (Killing people followed by bad consequences), some explanations for natural phenomena and/or spiritual believes (for example the goddess that lives at the bottom of the ocean, Nerrivik, whose name translates to ‘Meat Dish’ because she sends fish to the fishermen if they comb her hair for her, as she only has one arm).
I also liked all the stories with horror elements, especially the tupilak, avenging Frankenstein-like monsters made of various parts from corpses.
Another story that stuck with me was the explanation why ravens are black: a raven and a goose painted each other, but after having given the goose a beautiful coat, the raven thought his own pattern was ugly, and the goose splashed him all over with black paint.

I feel like reading this book all at once was a bit too fast - I think taking in one story at a time is more the way to go about it, as many of the stories blended together a bit in my memory. I may pick this one up again in the future for a reread! :)

[Rick Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories, collected by Knud Rasmussen, have the feel of oral history, not cleaned up for literary purposes and made cohesive for print. I really appreciated the sense that I was hearing these stories directly from the mouths and hearts of the storytellers: tales of animals and people shifting back and forth from our physical world to a dream world, tales of revenge and murder and outsmarting forces around you. The effect of hearing these stories during the long winter nights must have been a powerful experience, and ones' neighbors must have appreciated a lively mind that could recount these tales with energy and imagination.

[Olena G · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Eskimo Folk Tales” by Knud Rasmussen isn’t your average fairy tale collection—it’s got this wild, captivating vibe that really pulls you in. The stories dive deep into Inuit culture and mythology, with spirits, shamans, and that tough-as-nails survival stuff that totally matches life up in the Arctic. Some of the tales? They’re a bit weird or even unsettling, but honestly, that’s what gives them their punch. They come across as real, like nobody tried to polish them up for today’s readers. So, no, it’s not the kind of book you’d curl up with for a cozy night in, but it does offer this fascinating window into a worldview that’s seriously one-of-a-kind.

[Bruce Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is rough and ready. There is little or no context, comment or cultural interpretation. You're on your own baby. These tales, mainly, if not all, from Greenland reflect the elemental conditions people have to live with. Food is a priority, trust and truth-telling are other essentials. Magic plays a role in a lot of them. If you want an idea of what are the underlying features of life in Greenland- it's a good place to start.

[Papatya ŞENOL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Masal seven biri olarak farklı kültürlerin masallarına ilgi duyuyorum. Ancak eskimo coğrafyası bize o kadar uzak ki, haklı olarak yalnızlık, soğuk ve ölüm çağrıştıran bu masallarda kendimi bulamadım. Meraklısına öneririm; ama çeviri de çok başarılı gelmedi bana. Belki orijinalini okumak gerek, bilemedim.

[Neela]

Before I read: I already know that the name in the title is considered a slur.

Based on the tales included, the proper heading should at least be Inuit (and possibly Iñupiat, Yupik/Yuit and Aleut).

Learned from social media, and found these resources for insight and further reading:
https://www.uaf.edu/anlc/resources/in...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo

[Mejix · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd say 3.5 stars is more accurate.
An uneven but overall interesting collection. Some tales are formless and have a dreamlike quality. Some feel improvised in the moment. Some feel like anecdotes. The best are really poetry in prose.

[Eileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars (ok)

The glimpse into what constitutes Eskimo folk tales and into Eskimo life was more interesting than the stories themselves.

[نور سعيد · Rating 1 out of 5]

تبين مجموعة القصص هذه مايؤمن به شعب الاسكيمو من السحر والتحول إلى نجوم او النزول إلى عالم سفلي فيه أموات او إعادة الأموات بالسحر وغيرها من الامور الغريبة

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intéressant. On est bien loin des contes de fées tout mignons, ça permet d'en découvrir un peu plus sur le passé culturel d'un pays dont on ne connait finalement pas grand chose.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories are interesting but a little bland and repetitive. I found the translations were not that engaging, that being said there are some fun tales.

[Yasmine Kabbani · Rating 3 out of 5]

حكايات غريبة عن شغب غريب كثير منها لم افهمها او استوعبها يكثر بها حكايات السحر و القتل
للاسف لم استفاد منها غير بمعلومة واحدة او اثنين

[Clivemichael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extreme behaviour, much violence and bizarre perspectives from the past

[Nora Mnsor · Rating 1 out of 5]

مختصر الكتاب انه ( سباحين ) شعب الاسكيمو مايسوى وغير مفهوم

[Ibook · Rating 2 out of 5]

مجموعة قصص شعبية من ثقافة الاسكيمو
التعرف على عادات الاسكيمو

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very different than the typical European tale. Many of them had me wondering, "What was the point of that? Why is this a story?" But I'm glad I read them, anyway.

[Zainab Alahsai · Rating 2 out of 5]

ممل ما كان نوعي المفضل

[Jennifer Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it

It was little windows of a past which had been forgotten. I have a great experience with this book! 😀

[Ela Bělíková · Rating 3 out of 5]

What the fuck

[Alfia]

Some of these are super phantasmagoric. Others are very graphically violent. Many are morality tales. Would probably make a compelling Netflix series.

[Wissam Ibrahim · Rating 3 out of 5]

في البداية يجب أن أثني على مشروع (كلمة) للترجمة والنشر الصادر عن أبو ظبي للثقافة والتراث، على جهدهم في ترجمة ونشر هذه السلسلة من الحكايات الشعبية التي أنا على يقين أنها ما كانت لتصدر عن دار نشر ربحية، ولعلمي بمدى الخدمة التي تقدمها هذه السلسلة للباحثين والدارسين للثقافات الشعبية.
هذا الكتاب برأيي كدارس للانثروبولوجيا كان مجموعة من البيانات أكثر منه قصص وحكايا تراثية شفاهية شعبية، حيث أن أكثر شيء شدني هو حضور المكان والمعاناة الجغرافية التي تفرضها الطبيعة القاسية لسكان المناطق الباردة (الاسكيمو)، حضور الحيوانات غير المألوفة لنا في الحكايا، والايمان الكبير بالسحر كمخلص لاحقاق العدل، إضافة لقساوة الحكايات المتناسب مع طريقة المعيشة المعتمدة على الصيد والمغامرة وعدم الأمن الغذائي، والانعزال عن العالم، كل هذه العناصر لها حضور طاغٍ في الحكايا.
لا استطيع القول أنها حكايا ممتعة، لكنها سرد لتاريخ ونظام معيشة مختلف عما ألفناه ونعرفه.