Thursday, August 19, 2010

     It was a young walrus, a bull that swam with it's herd in the Bering Sea, along the coast of Siberia and back around the Chukchi Sea.  Hauling out on drift ice and sleeping along the others in a winter's half sun.  It drifted close and silent as it neared the ice flow...the wind was 19 knots and perfect for an approach by an ancient Inuit hunter.  Silence followed the harpoon as it struck...the herd awakened to panic and an insuring rush to the edge of the ice flow to dive deep into the sea, except the young bull, he wavered and was held fast by the hunter and then his demise.  The end began an interesting rebirth in their village.  The tusk of the young bull walrus was carved into a doll amulet, and given to a child.  The doll was given a name along with a place in a special pouch of seal skin and beads., and after many generations, as it then became a family member, it had become lost to an unknown family tragedy, the house was lost and buried by others in the village...1200 years later the sea surged and washed away the ancient house and it's possessions emptied on the sand...discovered by a "Koyuk" man as the tide drained away following a surge from a storm." 

1 comment:

  1. Great story following it's history. I am so jealous. It's a wonderful carving. Once again, you are having a good time.

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