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Folktales are woven into the cultural fabric of every nation around the
globe. Alaska, with its unique environment and long history, is rich in
folklore. For centuries, Native Alaskans have passed folktales down from
generation to generation, and they continue to do so today. While these
mythical tales may sometimes seem entirely fanciful, each possesses a core
of truth, revealing an important aspect of the culture it has grown out of.
One example of this combination of reality and imagination comes to us in an
Eskimo tale called, "The First Tears," which tells of the first time a human
being cried. In the tale, a man leaves behind his wife and young son to hunt
seals for dinner. The hunter sees many seals on shore and is excited for
what he thinks will be an easy catch. But as soon as he approaches the
animals, all of them but one escape into the water. The man then approaches
the lone seal who has remained on shore, but that seal, too, slips away. All
of a sudden, the man realizes that there is salty water coming from eyes and
a heaving sound coming from his throat. Since this has never happened
before, the man is bewildered, and his son and wife run up to him to see
what is wrong. When he explains what has happened to them, they also begin
to cry. Later, the son helps his father catch a seal. They use the skin as a
hunting tool so they will never have to feel hungry again.
"The House Dog and the Wolf," another piece of folklore, finds a wolf and an
ordinary house dog having a chance meeting near the woods one evening. While
the dog is plump and appears to be well fed, the wolf is quite lean and in
danger of starving. When they first meet, the wolf asks the dog how he
manages to get enough to eat and stay so plump. The dog invites him home to
his master's house, all the while explaining his role in the family. In
exchange for good food, hand-fed to him by his master, he guards the house
every night from thieves and other dangerous elements. The wolf likes the
sound of this but, as they continue to walk, he notices a small mark on the
dog's neck. When asked what caused this mark, the dog replied that it had
probably come from the chain that stayed around his neck, which attached to
the leash that he wore during the day. Though he was free to roam each
night, he was kept on a leash during the daytime, so that he would stay
around the house. The wolf, upon hearing this, starts to leave. When the dog
questions him about his sudden change of heart, the wolf replied that he'd
rather have "lean freedom" than "fat slavery."
Folktales such as these are vivid additions to the lives of Alaskan youths
and those who tell them. They also enrich the lives of visitors from foreign
societies who are inducted, at least briefly, into Alaskan life and culture. |
