mss142-vasilevShishmarev-i5-032

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the shoulder blades. Near some we saw rifles. Their sleds
are wooden, low, long, some with covers, and instead of shoes,
their runners are covered with bone or whalebone. For trans-
portation the nomadic Chukchi use deer, the sedentary ones,
dogs.

Concerning their religion, I could learn only that they
believe in a benevolent being called Kergeugia. To him they
ascribe all the good and the joyful in the world, but never
give him any offerings. They also believe in a malevolent
creature called Kamaka. To this one they often bring offerings
to propitiate him, so that he will not send them misfortune.
Their offerings are very simple. Three whale ribs are stuck
vertically into the earth behind every yurt. They never for-
get, when passing it, to stick to it some moist tobacco, or
if they eat something, a piece of food taken from their mouth,
calling on Kamaka to accept the offering. They believe in
life after death and say that the good ones, after death, stay
with Kergeugia where they have no scarcity of anything. Kamaka
takes the wicked ones and torments them with all possible tor-
tures. They think that the world will destroy itself, and
that from the ruins will emerge another land.

About the creation of man, they have the following con-
ception. From far away a whale swam forth and gave birth to
a man who wandered in loneliness until Kergeugia, taking pity
on him, threw a woman from heaven. But how, when, and by
whom the world was created, they do not know.