Sacred-Texts Asia
Index Previous Next
This is to call game. I call every game, every living thing, from the very first limit of creation. A young pintail-duck I use for my leader, it is (so clever) [in hiding] in hiding from everybody, not to be seen.
I call an old pintail-duck to be my leader. The lone reindeer-buck I make to wade into the water. Oh, let us try to adopt it (for the leader)! Let the leader give his call (before the reindeer)!2 This is finished.
Now, again I sing, "Just so, just so, oh, who are you?" I use the distance (of game) of yesterday, (I use) the distance of to-day. I make them appear before me. I cover my face with soot. To every species, to every kind of game, I become unknown; to every species (of animal) I become unrecognizable. Only the soot on my face, appears (to their eyes).
Taking off my breeches, I stand on p. 128 the ground without any precautions. My buttocks have three eyes, and they keep watch for me. They see every hidden ke´lẹ, and they make the ke´lẹ close his eyes.
The foremost reindeer I make very slow, using the two legs of the small pintail-duck, forked in two (from its buttocks). Everything difficult to scent (I am using) all the time. Without any precaution I enter (the confines of) every place, I may sleep without care. All kinds of game have a liking for me, every kind of game has a great love for me.
Thus I have almost acquired a good careless sleep, The thing lying under my pillow I have for my leader. Blowing over it, I make it rebound (backwards), I make it scatter (backwards). That is all.
Told by Nikon Taġra´tịrġịn, a Middle Anadyr Chukchee man, in the village of Chikayeva, November, 1900.
1 Compare Vol. VII of this series, p. 497, No. 2.
2 The Chukchee of the Middle Anadyr live chiefly by hunting wild reindeer on the river. So this incantation refers to the hnnting of wild reindeer.