A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

An older seal hunter repeatedly loses his opportunity because nearby children frighten the animals away. He commands their ravine to close over them. They remain alive inside for a time, crying out; water can be poured through a crack, but food cannot reach them. All eventually starve. The story preserves the consequences of the command before following the hunter’s escape.

The neighbours pursue him. As they close in, he becomes luminous and rises into the sky. The narrator locates the resulting light low in the west as daylight returns after the long darkness, calling it Nalaussartoq, rendered as the one who stands listening. The English edition’s note identifies Venus. That astronomical identification belongs to the edition, while the narrated transformation explains the hunter’s low and watchful position.

Ravine closes at his commandLuminous ascent during pursuitLow western star identified as Venus by editor
01

Origins & earliest records

The volume’s final source list assigns this narrative to Polar Inuit of Smith Sound. Knud Rasmussen collected the material; W. Worster edited and translated the 1921 English selection. No individual storyteller is named here. Worster states that he selected and edited versions, including omissions; this is not an unabridged performance transcript.

02

Records & interpretation

The complete The man who became a star narrative and its final source-list attribution were inspected. The episode begins on printed p. 82.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Eskimo Folk-Tales

    Knud Rasmussen, collector; W. Worster, editor and English translator · 1921

    The man who became a star, begins printed p. 82. Complete narrative and source-list entry.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Primary textRasmussen/Worster 1921: The man who became a starResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

FT·2491 · RESEARCH EDITION 01Back to top ↑