The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1909-08-07
A GREENLAND LEGEND
nx MARK ANDERSON.
lDo. BY American Press Assoc
..lnflna


changes in different parts OF the earth
Is well known. But. though biologists
can tell Us that they have occurred,
they do not tell US why Some OF them
have possibly come 10 pass since man
attained sumcient intelligence TO hand
down from generation TO generation
traditions concerning their origin.
These traditions. arising when the hui
man fancy was untrammeled by fact
and when rude people spoke by natural
symbols. are often very poetic. Here
Is one current among the Esklmos OF
Greenland accounting for a change they
believe long ago took place depriying
them OF perpetual sunshine and sub
stituting the dreary arctic night
"rime was when the sun. which now
hides himself beyond the southern
ocean for many months In winter, cir
cled always above the northern hori-
zon. AS it is now night for many
months. II was then always day. for
at midnight the sun still stood above
the horizon. Then our mantle, instead
OF the white one Il now is. was a per
petual green. Our people lived on
luscious fruits that grew without cul-
ture and bathed In the tepid waves
that danced lightly on the strand. In
those days they knew only happiness.
but one day when some were max
ing merry under the green trees and
others were sporting I'm the waves n
canoe white as the snow amid which
we now live was discovered far out at
sea. now gently raised on the crest OF
a below, now sinking out or sight, but
slowly drifting toward the land.
"Awestruck. the people waited on
the verge TN the white canoe reached
the sands. and there within II, infold-
ed In n robe OF ermine. lay a maiden
whose skin was fair and whose hair
fell over her shoulders like riyulets OF
sunshine. The chief stood where the
canoe touched the beach and. STOPPING.
took the maiden In his arms. carried
her up 20 a grassy slope and asked;
"'What art thou. and whence cometh
thouy
81 am DELTA, the daughter OF the
Spirit OF the Winds. and / come from
his ice castle in the far north
"'And will you stay with u.s., asked
the chief. or viii you, having gladden.
ed our hearts by your coming. leave us
10 remember you as IN a dreamr
81 viii not leave you. My homo
shall be with you forever
"Then was heard n far distant
moaning in the north. rising as II APP
preached till II became an awful roar
IL was the voice OF the Spirit OF the
Winds. and II commanded our people
20 return at once his daughter TO her
| white home In the north. Terror
stricken, the people locked 20 their
chief and besought him 10 give the
maiden 20 her father. But the chief
stood mute. pointing TO his house
which was now ruin, Entering there
they saw on a couch the maiden. her
hands white rs marble. folded over
her breast
Then an awe greater than that
which had fallen on the people when
the maiden 6rst touched their land
came to them. FOR they knew a great
| calamity was about 10 visit them The
| King OF the Winds looked down on the
form OF his daughter now cold IN death.
and great was his wrath The multi
tude knelt before him. supplcating
him to spare them. But be needed not
their prayers AZ his command his
servant, the darkness, came aud threw
a black mantle over the land.
"And SO. bereft OF the light and
warmth OF the sun. the ycrdure whlten-
ed and died. The north wind blew
snow from the clouds and the cold
CONCEALED the waters. The sun. whose
track had been a golden circle IN the
north. went Go the south and hid be-
hind the ocean for many months. Then
our ancestors. who had lived under
the trees. fearing no frost. were
obliged 10 build huts 90 protect them
from the cold The warm waves In
which they had bathed became icy
cold. then hardened The people. bereft
OF the fruits Of the earth exposed 90
the cold. died In great numbers. 10
was many months before the snow
king relented sufficiently 10 permit the
sun 10 show his face again and his
warm breath 10 revive the frozen land
even for brief season
"Since that period, every winter. the
sun goes south aud leaves us In dark
ness. The fruits which grew so plen-
TRULY for us have never nourished
again. But the spirit that deprived us
OF them sent the white bear and the
walrus. md we are Obliged 90 hunt
them IN order 10 sustain ourselves with
their meat and warm our bodies by
burning their oil. The sun continues
every winter 20 hide his face beneath
the ocean and when he comes back In
summer shines for so short a period
that there IL no time for the fruits OF
"a.