September 22, 2009.

This entry is about the legend of Sivulliik and Kingulliq. The stars Vega, Arcturus and Muphrid.

ILIARJUGAARJUK TOLD BY HERVE PANIAQ

The narrative's cast, Ningiuraaluk, the old woman, Uttuqalualuk, the old man, and lliarjugaarjuk, the little orphan boy, are transformed, respectively, into the stars Vega, Arcturus, and Muphrid. Occasionally, the legendary names are used when referring to them, but, more commonly, as Paniaq points out, Vega is termed Kingullialuk, "the big one behind," while Arcturus and its companion star, Muphrid, are, together called Sivu1liik, "the two in front." The three stars are known by other names. In the legend, Kingullialuk, is known as Ningiuq (or Ningiuraaluk) "the old woman." Of the Sivulliik stars, the smaller one is known as Iliarjugaarjuk ("the little orphan ") and the bigger one as Uttuqalualuk. These names are given to the stars when telling the legend.

Uttuqalualuk, when he was a young man, had murdered his brother-in-law and kept it a secret. He grew old with this secret. Iliarjugaarjuk, who had lost both parents, was now living with his grandmother. Whenever Iliarjugaarjuk visited Uttuqalualuk the old man would taunt him, chanting: “Iliarjugaarjuup katuma arnavit pamiallua ailugu kikkaruk, pamaa!” – “Orphan, go and get your mother's tailbone and eat the meat from it, pamaa!”

For some time Iliarjugaarjuk did not tell his grandmother about the old man's insults. When he eventually did, his grandmother told him to reply to Uttuqalualuk thus: “Uttuqalualuup piksuma sakialli angialli qungnikut sallikut kivi- tipiuk, pamaa!” – “Uttuqalualuk, your brother-in-law is your secret. On the crack at the further pressure ridge you did sink him, pamaa!”

Iliarjugaarjuk's grandmother taught him these lines. For some time the orphan was anxious and uncertain and would not risk to say these words to the old man even though Uttuqalualuk continued to taunt him as before. His grandmother, however, kept asking if he had yet responded to Uttuqalualuk in the manner she had taught him, adding that if the old man became aggressive on hearing these words she would come to Iliarjugaarjuk's rescue.

So once again the orphan boy visited the old man and, as usual, Uttuqalual sang: “Iliarjugaarjuup katuma arnavit pamiallua ailugu kikkaruk, pamaa!” – “Orphan go and get your mother's tailbone and eat the meat from it, pamaa!”

This time, when Uttuqalualuk had finished, the orphan boy summoned all his courage and responded in the manner he had been taught by his grandmother: “Uttuqalualuup piksuma sakialli angialli qungnikut sallikut kivitipiuk, pamaa!” - "Uttuqalualuk, your brother-in-law is your secret. On the crack at the further pressure ridge you did sink him, pamaa!"

Having said this, Iliarjugaarjuk, following his grandmother's instructions fled the igloo. All at once the old man took his knife and started to chase the boy. They ran round and round the igloo, the boy fleeing and the old man following. The grandmother did not immediately notice that Uttuqalualuk was chasing Iliarjugaarjuk, so she was late in coming to the rescue. As she joined the chase, the two in front of her, the boy and the old man, suddenly rose upwards into sky. The grandmother followed and they all turned into stars. The first two are therefore called Sivulliik and the late one, that is the one behind, is called Kingullialuk.