Hero Tales of the Far NorthRiis, Jacob A. (Jacob August)
History
Hero Tales of the Far North
Riis, Jacob A. (Jacob August)
Scandinavia -- History
It proceeded with many interruptions from the Angekoks, who
tried more than once to bewitch him, but finally gave it up,
convinced that he was a great medicine-man himself, and therefore
invulnerable. But before that they tried to foment a regular
mutiny, the colony being by that time well under way, and Egede
had to arrest and punish the leaders. The natives naturally clung
to them, and when Egede had mastered their language and tried to
make clear that the Angekoks deceived them when they pretended to
go to the other world for advice, they demurred. “Did you ever see
them go?” he asked. “Well, have you seen this God of yours of whom
you speak so much?” was their reply. When Egede spoke of spiritual
gifts, they asked for good health and blubber: “Our Angekoks give
us that.” Hell-fire was much in theological evidence in those
days, but among the Eskimos it was a failure as a deterrent. They
listened to the account of it eagerly and liked the prospect. When
at length they became convinced that Egede knew more than their
Angekoks, they came to him with the request that he would abolish
winter. Very likely they thought that one who had such knowledge of
the hot place ought to have influence enough with the keeper of it
to obtain this favor.
It was not an easy task, from any point of view, to which he had
put his hands. As that first winter wore away there were gloomy
days and nights, and they were not brightened when, with the return
of the sun, no ship arrived from Denmark. The Dutch traders came,
and opened their eyes wide when they found Egede and his household
safe and even on friendly terms with the Eskimos. Pelesse—the
natives called the missionary that, as the nearest they could
come to the Danish _präst_ (priest)—Pelesse was not there after
blubber, they told the Dutchmen, but to teach them about heaven
and of “Him up there,” who had made them and wanted them home with
Him again. So he had not worked altogether in vain. But the brief
summer passed, and still no relief ship. The crew of _Haabet_
clamored to go home, and Egede had at last to give a reluctant
promise that if no ship came in two weeks, he would break up. His
wife alone refused to take a hand in packing. The ship was coming,
she insisted, and at the last moment it did come. A boat arriving
after dark brought the first word of it. The people ashore heard
voices speaking in Danish, and flew to Egede, who had gone to bed,
with the news. The ship brought good cheer. The Government was well
disposed. Trading and preaching were to go on together, as planned.
Joyfully then they built a bigger and a better house, and called
their colony Godthaab (Good Hope).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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