The Central Eskimo Part 29

Aja.

(1) Tavunga tavunga tavunga tavunga Tavunga tavunga tavunga tavunga tavungadlo tavunga Aja.

(2) p.i.s.sutaramaima tavunga tavunga.

p.i.s.sutaramaima tavunga tavunga tavungadlo tavunga, &c.

The rhythm of the songs will best be understood by examining the melodies. Every long syllable may be replaced by two or even three short ones; other short syllables appear as unaccented parts before the accented part of a measure; in short, the rhythmic adaptation of the words to the melody is very arbitrary and interchanges frequently occur, so that it is impossible to speak of metric feet. At the same time this furnishes distinct proof that the musical rhythm is the decisive element in determining the form. The rhythmic arrangement of the words is regulated with considerable exactness by the quant.i.ty of the syllables, and not by the accent. While, for instance, in speaking, it would be "palirtu'gun," in song No. IV it is "palir'tugun'," and in No. I "tekto'roti'kelek'tlune," instead of "tektorotikelektlu'ne," &c. Such displacements of the accent, however, are avoided if possible, and in the best and most popular songs they hardly appear at all.

[Transcriber's Note: The numbers refer to the songs printed below, so "No. I" is the Summer Song, No. II above. But the quoted word "tektorotikelektlune"

occurs only in the first version.]

The construction of the songs corresponds entirely with that of the music, inasmuch as every melody and every rhythmically spoken song is made up of musical, that is, rhythmic, phrases which are divided by caesurae. Repet.i.tions of the same phrases are very frequent. The adaptation of the melodies to our divisions of time and measure is also somewhat arbitrary, as they frequently consist of a mixture of three and four part phrases. It is for this reason that I have noted down some songs without any division into bars or measures and in those cases have only marked the accented syllables.

Among the twenty melodies and rhythmic poems we find ten of binary measures, five of triple measures, and six of mixed ones. Of the whole number, nine begin on the full bar, eleven on the arsis.

The melodies move within the following range: In a fifth (No. III), one; in a minor sixth (Nos. VII, IX, X), three; in a major sixth (Nos. II, IV, XVII), three; in a seventh (Nos. XII, XIV), two; in an octave, (Nos.

I, II, V, VIII, XI, XVI), six; in a minor ninth (No. VI), one; in a major ninth (No. V), one; in a tenth (No. XIII), one.

These may be divided into two very characteristic and distinct groups.

The first, which would coincide with our major key, contains the following essential tones:

[Music: c d e g a]

The fourth and the sixth occur seldom, and then only as subordinate tones. This key is identical with the Chinese and many of the Indian ones.

In the second group, which corresponds to our minor key, we frequently find the fourth, while the sixth only appears twice and then as a subordinate tone (in No. XV). We furthermore find the major seventh in the lower position leading back to the beginning, i.e., the key note.

The essential components of this key are:

[Music: g# a b c d e]

Professor R. Succo calls attention to the fact that the relation of the melodies to their key note resembles that of the Gregorian chants, especially the psalmodic ones among them.

If we, in accordance with our ideas, suppose the melody--No. XIII, for example--to begin in C major, it nevertheless does not conclude in the same key, but in E. We would say that No. XIV is written in A minor; still it ends in E. We find the same in the Gregorian chants. They also resemble the songs of the Eskimo in the retention of the same note during a large number of consecutive syllables.

On the whole the melodies, even to our musical sense, can be traced to a key note. However, changes often occur as well (see No. VI). A very striking construction appears in No. XIII, where the oft-repeated E forms a new key note, while at the conclusion the melody leaps back without any modulation to C through the peculiar interval, ?, c.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. VIII

Carving representing whale. (In the possession of Mrs. Adams, Was.h.i.+ngton.) 1/1 Carving representing whale. (National Museum, Was.h.i.+ngton. 29998.) 1/1 Carving representing seal. (National Museum, Was.h.i.+ngton. 29991.) 1/1

ESKIMO CARVINGS]

[Ill.u.s.tration: BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. IX

Carving representing narwhal. (In the possession of Capt. John O.

Spicer, Groton. Conn.).

Seal. (Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin.) 1/1 Walrus head. (National Museum, Was.h.i.+ngton. 10414.) 1/1 Polar bear. (Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin.) 1/1 Sealskin float. (Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin.) 1/1 Seal. (Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin.) 1/1 Knife. (Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin.) 1/1 Spygla.s.s. (Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin.) 1/1

ESKIMO CARVINGS.]

I. SUMMER SONG.

[Music: _Moderato._ A-ja.

A-ja-ja, adlenaipa, adlenaitariva silekdjua una aujaratarame.

A-ja-ja, A-ja-ja, A-ja.]

II. THE RETURNING HUNTER.

[Music: a.

_Allegro._ Angutivun taina taunane taina, auvasimameta avavasimameta neriopaluktunga--, hanga anga; hanga anga agaga.

b.

Angutivun taina taunane taina, auvasimameta avavasimameta neriopaluktunga; hanga anga agaga.]

III. SONG OF THE TORNIT.

[Music: _Andante._ Savu saujaqdjuin tetetlirpavun, aqtungan.

Surqarmun pilaktutu a?i lurpa, aqtungan.]

IV. SONG OF THE INUIT TRAVELING TO NETTILLING.

[Music: _Adagio non troppo._ A-ja. A?aG.o.dlo palirtugun; uangnangmun tipavunga, i-ja ji-ja a-ja-ja. A-ja.]

V. OXAITOQ'S SONG.

[Music: _Allegro._ A-ja. Tavunga tavunga tavunga tavunga.

Tavunga tavunga tavunga tavunga tavungadlo tavunga. A-ja.]

VI. Ut.i.tIAQ'S SONG.

[Music: _Allegro._ A-ja. Adlenaipunganema adlenait.

Adlenaipunganema adlenaipunganema adlenait. A-ja.]

VII. SONG.

[Music: _Allegro._ A-ja. A-ja-ja-ja a-ja-ja-ja a-ja-ja a-ja-ja-ja a-ja-ja a-ja-ja a-ja-ja-ja-ja-ja.]

VIII. SONG.

[Music: _Allegro._ Haja-jaja ha-ja-ja haja-jaja ha-jaja haja-jaja hajaja haja-jaja ha-jaja.]

IX. SONG OF THE TORNIT.

[Music: _Allegro._ Savungaja a-ja a-ja Sama a-ja-ja a-ja. [FINE.]

Nunata?atoq sedna--, serserta?atoq sedna. [_D. C. al Fine._]]

[Ill.u.s.tration: BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. X.