The fact that the hunt, or hunting technique, was not a simple matter is apparent when one considers that the conditions were frequently not ideal. What with a water temperature around freezing, it was rather uncomfortable, to say the least, when the hunter came into contact with the sea. Tipping over was deadly if the kayaker did not master the “Eskimo Roll”. Storms and rain surprised the hunter at sea, or prevented him for setting out for the hunt. For long periods of the year the sea was covered with ice. If food ran short and a man had to hunt, he had to drag the kayak on a sled over rough ice to reach the edge of open water, only there was the successful hunt possible. And then there were polar bears and walruses, neither of them exactly friendly toward the endeavors of the hunter. Klappmutzen????, walrus, and large seals could make the life of the hunter difficult, or even end it.
The church registers of the various settlements
are full of incidents of hunters killed by enraged or wounded walruses.
In addition, there were psychological problems, such as Kayakangst, which
made the life of the hunter difficult.
The average age of the hunter 1910 –30 was 23.6 years (today it
is 66.4!). It must be mentioned that the average age for hunting in a
kayak in South Greenland was lower because of longer periods of open water
than in the North, which was longer covered by sea ice.
(History of Greenland, from pre-history to 1925) Oppartussat/Aktuakkiorfik,
Nuuk 1991 with scientific assistance of H.C. Petersen).
Weather
Kayaker rushing to help a capsized comrade.
Copy from "Inuit Life" by Fridjof Nansen, pubished 1921. Written in Godthaab, Lysaker, November 1891.
Bad weather
Copy from "Inuit Life" by Fridjof Nansen, pubished 1921. Written in Godthaab, Lysaker, November 1891.
Wildanimals
Unfortunately there
are no photographs of incidents with wild animals. However, artists like
Kaarali Anderson of Tasiilaq (Angmassaliq) left us impressive drawings
which have survived.
In a drawing, the hunter has lost his harpoon, and the polar bear pushes
the kayak under water. This scene is certainly describing a real situation.
Drawn in 1933 on stationary water marked “Holland”. Drawing
obtained by the scientist and winner of the Nobel Price Nico Tinbergen,
now in the museum in The Haag and published in “Groenlands Kunst
in Skuptur, Brugkunst, Maleri by Bodil Kaalund, 1990, 2nd edition. ist.
The hunt of walrus requires great care and
dexterity. Oral and written sources in church registers report many tragic
events. A walrus is 3.5 meters long and weighs a ton.
The walrus throws itself with force over the kayak. Normally, that decides
the fate of the kayaker.
Picture from: Groenland fangere fortaeller. Nordiske Bogvorlag 1971
Kayakangst
There was a problem that occurred
when the seal hunter, all alone on a smooth sea, and with poor visibility,
waited for game motionless in one place. A wrong move, or a noise, and
he capsized. The rest followed, if he could not help himself or a nearby
buddy rescued him.
The explanation of Kayakangst is, that the brain constantly processes
information over the environment, although mostly subconsciously. It constantly
reviews this information for dangers. This process cannot be consciously
suppressed. However, if stimuli do not, or only marginally, occur over
a period of time, there develops a certain over-sensitivity of the receptor
organs and the concerned processing center of the brain. In addition,
there arises a feeling of a lack of orientation, be it geographic orientation
or balance, etc. The brain constantly compares incoming stimuli with known
experiences, and sometimes handles unknown data in this manner, so that
it is changed into a known fact. (for example, how much must one have
seen to enable one to differentiate between a boat and a bird).
One can easily understand how even
a light gurgling sounds can give rise to the feeling, or even certainty,
that the boat is sinking, or, if lightly swaying, that one is capsizing.
Sooner or later the kayaker develops Angst, that is, a deep feeling of
fear, or even panics. To prevent such a situation from arising, one should
deliberately create a situation for the sensory organs that develops Kayakangst
so that enough “material” is obtained to fulfill the need
of the continuous “check up”. That is, to deliver and create
stimuli for the senses, such as singing, to move in the boat, and so on.
This is an old theme that with the change in the kayak use retreated into
the background. The use of the German term Kayakangst by English and Danish
speakers is not clear.
Karin Koch Quellen: Institut für Migrationsforschung und interkulturelle
Studien der Universität Osnabrück, Heft 4, 1996
Zutt, Nervenarzt, 24/1953
Gussow, , International Journal of arctic and Nordic studies, 11/1970
Eskimo Rolling to Survival
A necessary technique for survival was the now well known Eskimo Roll. In the case of capsize, one could save one’s life by returning the kayak back to its upright position using this technique. David Cranz describes nine different roll techniques in his Historia Groenlandia, published 21 August 1765, 1stedition.
Roll technique 1:
The Greenlander lays his torso on one side of the water, then the other,
keeps his balance using the pautik, or paddle, so that he does not completely
capsize, and then rights himself. The Greenlander did not have a life
preserver. His anorak, basically water tight, retained enough air and
thus essentially guarantied re-emergence.
Drawing W. Half
Photographer: John Möller (1889-1935). Picture: National Museum Nuuk.
Roll technique 2:
If he completely turned over, so that the head points directly down,
he makes a sweep with the paddle and then emerges at either side and rights
himself.
Drawing W. Half
These are the most common types of capsizing during a storm or big seas, because the Greenlander always has the advantage of holding the pautik (paddle) in his hands, rather than having it caught in a towing strap.
Roll technique 3:
…The pautik (paddle) is fastened cross wise under a strap when
they capsize and rights themselves through movement of one end of the
pautik.
Roll technique 4.
…They grab one end with the mouth and move the other with the hand
and thus right themselves.
Roll technique 5.
…They hold the pautik with the neck using both hands or…
The picture apparently describes a roll by hand.
National Museum Nuuk. Photo: John Moeller. 1889- 1935
Roll technique 6:
…the pautik is fastened to the back. The kayak capsizes,
they swing the pautik behind with both
hands without bringing it first forward, and right themselves.
Roll technique 7:
…They place the pautik over one shoulder, grab it with one hand
behind, the other hand forward and thus right themselves.
Drawing W. Half
This technique is employed if the pautik is caught in a strap.
Drawing W. Half
Roll technique 8:
When practicing rolling, they push the pautik in the water under the kayak
and take hold of the pautik on both sides, so that their faces lie on
the kayak. They then turn over, move the paddle from below in the water,
and thus right themselves again. This is also used when the paddle has
been lost while turning, but is seen from beneath the water, and grabbed
from below with both hands.
Roll technique 9:
Should they lose the paddle and capsizes, they search for it with their hands and
then right themselves.
Roll technique 10:
However, should they be unable to still grab the paddle,
they will try to achieve righting using the atlatl, a knife, or plain
hands. This succeeds only rarely.
Photographed in the years 1889-1935.
Should they capsize and can no longer right the boat, they will crawl
out of the kayak and yell for someone nearby to help. If they cannot get
some one’ s attention, they hold on to the kayak or tie themselves,
so that their body can be found and be properly buried.
Author unknown
One additional life saving technique after capsizing must be mentioned. In case of a loss of the paddle existed the possibility to rip the float bladder from the after deck, hold it above the water, and then with its help to right oneself. This is called thePutari Roll.
Drawing W. Half
This somewhat strange recitation of roll techniques is according to the text of the book from 1765
