The Terror

After he made land,

when the world was still dark,

Tulunigraq, Raven, heard the Two Men dream about light.

But there was no light.

Everything was dark, as it had always been.

No sun. No moon. No stars. No fires.

Raven flew inland until he found a snow-house

where an old man lived with a daughter.

He knew they were hiding light,

hoarding a bit of light,

so he entered.

He crawled up through the passage.

He looked up through the katak.

Two skin-bags were hanging there,

one holding darkness,

and the other holding light.

The man’s daughter sat there awake

while her father slept.

She was blind.

Tulunigraq used his thoughts-ending

to make the daughter want to play.

“Let me play with the ball!” the daughter cried,

waking the old man.

The man awoke and took down the bag that held

the daylight.

The light was wrapped in caribou skin which was

made warm by the daylight inside

wanting to get out.

Raven used his thought-sending to make

The girl push the daylight-ball toward the katak.

“No!” cried the father.

Too late.

The ball went down the katak, bounced down

the passage.

Tulunigraq was waiting.

He caught the ball.

He ran out the passage,

ran with the daylight-ball.

Raven used his bill.

He tore the skin-ball.

Tore at daylight.

The man from the snow-house was

chasing him through willows

and ice, but the daylight-man was no man.

The man was a falcon.

“Pitqiktuak! ” screamed Peregrine, “I will

kill you, Trickster!’

He flew down on Raven,

but not before Raven tore the skin-ball open.

Dawn rose.

Light spilled everywhere.

Quagaa Sila! Dawn rose!

“Uunukpuaq! Uunukpuagmun! Darkness!”

shrieked the Falcon.

“Quagaa! Light everywhere!”

cried Raven.

“Night!”

“Daylight!”

“Darkness!”

“Daylight!”

“Night!”

“Light!’

They went on shouting.

Raven cried —

“Daylight for the earth!”

“Daylight for the Real People!”

It will be no good

if we have one but not the other.

So Raven brought daylight to some places.

And Peregrine kept darkness fast in other places.

But the animals fought.

The Two Men fought.

They threw light and darkness at one another.

Daylight and night came into balance.

Winter follows summer.

Two halves.

Light and darkness complete one another.

Life and death complete one another.

You and I complete one another.

Outside, the Tuunbaq walks in night.

Where we touch,

there is light.

Everything is in balance.