Sedna: Goddess of the Sea as told by Deantha Edmunds in Tors Cove, NL
Summary
TLDRIn ancient times, Sedna, a young Inuit girl, enjoyed a comfortable life with her father until she was tricked by a stranger who turned out to be a raven. Abandoned on a desolate island, Sedna suffered until her father found her. In a storm, he cut off her fingers, which transformed into sea creatures, granting her control over them. As the goddess of the sea, Sedna's hair entangles the creatures, and the Inuit must appease her to ensure a successful hunt. This myth reflects the Inuit's respect for nature and their belief in the interconnectedness of life.
Takeaways
- ๐ Sedna was a young Inuk girl who lived thousands of years ago when the sea was free of creatures.
- ๐ก She enjoyed a comfortable life with her father, a skilled hunter, and had everything she needed.
- ๐ซ Sedna refused to marry and leave her father's home, rejecting all the suitors her father suggested.
- ๐๏ธ A stranger appeared, enticing Sedna with tales of a beautiful home and a life of luxury.
- ๐ Sedna's father was wary of the stranger but Sedna decided to follow him to start a new life.
- ๐ฟ The stranger turned out to be a raven who deceived Sedna, leading her to a harsh and lonely existence on a rocky island.
- ๐ช๏ธ When Sedna's father found her, the raven caused a storm in his anger, leading to a desperate escape attempt.
- โ In a tragic turn, Sedna's father cut off her fingers to save himself from drowning, and she sank into the ocean.
- ๐ Sedna's fingers transformed into sea creatures, and she became the ruler of the underworld with the tail of a fish.
- ๐ฎ A shaman dove down to appease Sedna, and she released the sea creatures for the people to hunt, establishing a tradition of offering thanks.
Q & A
Who is Sedna in the story?
-Sedna is a young Inuk girl who was very happy and lived a comfortable life with her father, the best hunter in the community.
Why did Sedna refuse to get married?
-Sedna refused to get married because she did not want to leave the comfort of her home and the love and security her father provided.
What was the stranger's true identity in the story?
-The stranger was actually a raven in disguise, who tricked Sedna into leaving her home with him.
What did the raven promise Sedna to convince her to leave with him?
-The raven promised Sedna a life of luxury, with a beautiful home nearby, warm furs, and an abundance of meat.
How did Sedna's life change after following the raven?
-Sedna's life became miserable as she was left on a rocky island, exposed to the cold and wind, with only raw fish to eat, and no proper shelter.
Why did Sedna's father set out to find her?
-Sedna's father was worried about her well-being and set out to find her when he realized she was in distress.
What happened when Sedna's father tried to take her back home?
-When Sedna's father tried to take her back home, the raven caused a storm, and in an attempt to save himself, Sedna's father pushed her into the water and cut off her fingers to make her let go of the kayak.
How did Sedna become the ruler of the sea creatures?
-After Sedna's fingers were cut off, they transformed into sea creatures such as seals, narwhals, walruses, and whales, giving her dominion over them and making her the ruler of the underworld.
Why did the people on land starve, and what did they do about it?
-The people on land starved because Sedna, in her anger, withheld the sea creatures from them. A shaman from the community dove down to find Sedna, sang to her, and combed her hair, which appeased her and released the sea creatures for the people to hunt.
What is the significance of the offering made by the Inuit people after the story?
-The Inuit people make an offering of their catch to Sedna to thank her for releasing the sea creatures for them to hunt. This practice ensures that they share their bounty and do not waste anything, as neglecting this could lead to Sedna withholding the creatures from the hunt again.
Outlines
๐ Sedna's Tragic Transformation
The story begins with Sedna, a young Inuit girl living a comfortable life with her skilled hunter father. Despite many proposals from capable men, Sedna refuses to marry, wanting to stay with her father. A stranger arrives, enticing Sedna with tales of luxury and a beautiful home. Despite her father's warnings, she follows the stranger to a rocky island, only to discover he is a raven who has deceived her. Sedna endures a harsh life, longing for her father's rescue. Her father eventually finds her, but in a desperate escape from the raven's wrath, he pushes Sedna into the sea. In a tragic attempt to save himself from drowning, he cuts off her fingers, which transform into sea creatures, making Sedna the ruler of the sea's creatures with the body of a fish and the upper body of a woman.
๐ The Shaman's Quest and Sedna's Role
As Sedna's father's people face starvation due to the lack of sea creatures, a shaman from the community dives to find Sedna. He explains the plight of the people and, through his gentle combing of her hair and soothing songs, manages to appease Sedna. In response, she releases the sea creatures for the people to hunt. This act establishes a tradition where the Inuit make offerings to Sedna after each catch, ensuring nothing is wasted. If these offerings are neglected, Sedna withholds the sea creatures, prompting a shaman to dive deep to reconcile with her. The narrative concludes by addressing Sedna as the goddess of the sea, emphasizing her significance in Inuit culture and the balance she maintains between the people and the sea's resources.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กInuk
๐กSeal
๐กRaven
๐กShaman
๐กUnderworld
๐กNarwhal
๐กWhale
๐กKayak
๐กOffering
๐กGoddess of the Sea
Highlights
Ancient tale of Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the sea, begins with a time when the sea was free of creatures.
Introduction of Sedna, a happy young Inuit girl with a loving father who is a skilled hunter.
Sedna's refusal to marry and leave the comfort of her father's care.
The arrival of a stranger who seduces Sedna with tales of a luxurious life.
Sedna's decision to follow the stranger, against her father's advice, to start a new life.
The stranger's true identity as a raven is revealed, and Sedna is left to live in harsh conditions.
Sedna's father's search for her and the discovery of her miserable living situation.
The dramatic escape attempt of Sedna and her father, thwarted by the raven's storm.
The tragic event where Sedna's fingers are cut off, leading to the creation of sea creatures.
Sedna's transformation into a goddess of the sea, ruling over marine life with a fish's tail.
The impact of Sedna's wild hair on the sea creatures and the suffering of the Inuit people.
A shaman's dive to appease Sedna and restore the balance of marine life for the Inuit.
The tradition of offering a portion of the catch to Sedna as a sign of gratitude.
The consequences of neglecting Sedna's offerings and the need for shamans to reestablish peace.
Transcripts
thousands of years ago when any were the
only people living on the land
the sea was free of creatures
at that time lived a happy young inuk
girl named sedna
who had everything a child could ever
want for
her father was the best hunter and so
they always had an abundance of cozy
furs and lots of delicious meat to share
when sedna's father decided it was time
for her to get married and leave home
sedna refused
leave the comfort of home the love and
security her father gave her
why would she do that
sedna was very beautiful and she had
many proposals but she turned down every
man her father suggested
these were excellent hunters
smart healthy men
but nobody was good enough for sedna
then came the stranger
he spoke seductively to sedna about his
beautiful home nearby
and he asked her to go there and make a
life together
he talked of the animals he killed their
skins that kept him warm their meat that
filled his belly
he talked and talked all the while
hiding his face beneath his dark hood
he promised sedna a life of luxury
sedna was smitten
but her father begged her not to go
he did not trust that this stranger
would take proper care of his daughter
but sedna had made up her mind
she followed the stranger out of the
community excited to start her new life
the stranger led her far away to a rocky
island
and he finally revealed his face to her
he was not a man
but a raven
and he screeched with laughter when
sedna recoiled from his pointed face
he lied
about everything
there was no shelter
sedna slept on the cold slimy rocks
exposed to the biting wind
all the raven fed her was raw fish
every day
he couldn't catch anything else
he took off with his bird friends
leaving sedna on her own most of the
time
sedna was so lonely and full of regret
she cried wishing her father could come
save her
back home
sedna's father wondered how she was
doing and so off he went in his kayak
he searched and searched
and when he came upon the dreary rocky
island he could not believe that this
was where his precious daughter was
living and in such distress
sedna wept with relief when she saw her
father and she climbed into his kayak
her father began to paddle away
but the raven noticed them trying to
escape
and he was so furious he flapped his
great wing so hard and fast it caused a
storm on the water
the kayak was tossed through the rough
waves
and sedna and her father
were so scared
sedna's father thought if he released
sedna
then maybe the raven would let him live
and so he pushed sedna into the water
but sedna clung onto the side of the
high up in desperation
her father terrified of drowning took
his knife and sliced off sedna's fingers
she slid into the frigid water and sank
to the bottom
her fingers took the form of seals
narwhals
walruses and whales
sedna held dominion over all these sea
creatures
she was the ruler of the underworld her
head and torso like the woman she had
been on land
but now with the tail of a fish
her long wild hair swirled around her
without fingers she couldn't comb out
the tangles
and so the sea creatures got trapped in
her wild hair
the people on the land were starving
and so one day a shaman a powerful
healer from the community dove down to
find sedna
he told her what was happening to the
people
he sang to her
he combed and braided her wild matted
locks
sedna was appeased by his gentle touch
and his soothing voice
and so she released the sea creatures
for the people to hunt
from then on iniwi always make an
offering of their catch to sedna to
thank her
they share their bounty leaving nothing
to waste
if this is overlooked
sedna once again withholds the creatures
from the hunt
until a shaman dives deep deep down
to once again make peace with sedna
goddess of the sea
you
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