f facts and specimens,
all requiring previous knowledge of the subject for their proper
comprehension. These have their great value as additions to the sum of
human knowledge, but they remain unknown to the majority of men. The
present volume is designed to be essentially a popular, as distinct
from a scientific work.

The original collection of stories and legends made by Knud Rasmussen
under the auspices of the Carlsberg Foundation has never yet been
published. In making the present selection, I have endeavoured to
choose those which are most characteristic and best calculated to
give an idea of the life and thought of the people. The clearest
variants have been chosen, and vague or doubtful passages omitted,
so as to render the narratives easily understandable for the ordinary
reader. In many cases also, the extreme outspokenness of the primitive
people concerned has necessitated further editing, in respect of which,
I can confidently refer any inclined to protest, to the unabridged
English version, lodged with the Trustees of the Carlsberg Foundation
in Copenhagen, for my defence. For the rest, I have endeavoured to keep
as closely as possible to the spirit and tone of the originals, working
from the Eskimo text and Knud Rasmussen's Danish version side by side.

The illustrations are by native Eskimo artists. They are not drawn to
illustrate the particular stories, but represent typical scenes and
incidents such as are there described. In the selection of these,
preference has been given to those of unusual character, as for
instance those dealing with the "tupilak" theme, and matters of
wizardry or superstition generally, which the reader would find more
difficult to visualize for himself than ordinary scenes of daily life.

As regards their contents, the stories bring before us, more clearly,
perhaps, than any objective study, the daily life of the Eskimos, their
habit of thought, their conception of the universe, and the curious
"spirit world" which forms their primitive religion or mythology.

In point of form they are unique. The aim of the Eskimo story-teller
is to pass the time during the long hours of darkness; if he can
send his hearers to sleep, he achieves a triumph. Not infrequently
a story-teller will introduce his chef-d'oeuvre with the proud
declaration that "no one has ever heard this story to the end." The
telling of the story thus becomes a kind of contest between his power
of sustained inventi