Of their Marriages, and Education of their Children.

THE most detestable crime of polygamy, which reigns so much among the Heathens, the Greenlanders are not so much addicted to; for commonly they are contented with one wife. There are some, but very few, that keep two, three, or four wives: but these pass for heroes or more than ordinary men, in that, by their industry, they are able to subsist so many wives and children. And what is remarkable, before our arrival, there was never heard of such a thing as jealousy among those wives, but they agreed very well together, though the first wife was reckoned the mistress. Since our arrival, as we have informed them of the word and will of God, importing, that in the beginning the All-wise Creator made one man and one woman, to live in matrimony as husband and wife, there has been some resentment in the wives, when their husbands have had a mind to take any other besides them; they have addressed themselves to me, and desired me to put a stop to such a proceeding. Also when I have instructed them in their catechism and the Christian doctrine, they have always put me in mind, not to forget fully to instruct their husbands in the duties of the seventh commandment.

Some time passed before we could learn how the men behaved themselves with regard to other men’s wives, or the women vice versa, till at last we perceived them not to be over scrupulous in this matter, of which we were more fully convinced, by hearing of a certain illegal game used among them; which is this. A number of married men and women meet together at an assembly; where, after they have taken their fill of feasting and revelling, they begin singing and dancing, according to their own way; and in the mean while one after another take a trip with each other’s wife, behind a curtain or hangings made of skins at one end of the house, where their beds are placed, and there divert themselves. Those are reputed the best and noblest tempered, who, without any pain or reluctancy, will lend their friends their wives.

But, as I observed above, none but married people frequent these sort of games, which, they imagine, is not unbecoming. Especially the women think themselves happy, if an angekkok, or prophet, will honour them with his caresses: there are even some men so generous, that they will pay the angekkok for it; chiefly if they themselves have no children; for they fancy that an angekkok’s child will be more happy and better qualified for business than others.

Maidens, on the contrary, and unmarried women, observe much better the rules of modesty and continency; for I never saw any of them entertain any loose or slippery conversation with young men; or show the least inclination to it either in words or deeds. During fifteen full years that I lived in Greenland, I did not hear of more than two or three young unmarried women, who had been guilty of incontinence; because it is reckoned the greatest of infamies. It is remarkable, that natural decency is observed by them; for they refrain from marrying their next relations, even in the third degree, taking such matches to be unwarrantable and quite unnatural. It is likewise reckoned uncouth and blameable, if a lad and a girl, that have served and been educated in one family, should desire to be married together; for they look upon them as brother and sister.

The ceremonies they use in their marriages and weddings are as follow:—When a young man likes a maiden, he commonly proposes it to their parents and relations on both sides; and after he has obtained their consent, he gets two or more old women to fetch the bride (and if he is a stout fellow, he will fetch her himself). They go to the place where the young woman is, and carry her away by force; for though she ever so much approves of the match, yet out of modesty she must make as if it went against the grain, and as if she was much ruffled at it; else she will be blamed and get an ill name, as if she had been a love-sick wench. After she is brought to the house of the bridegroom, she keeps for some time at a distance, and sits retired in some corner, upon the bench, with her hair dishevelled, and covering her face, being bashful and ashamed. In the mean while the bridegroom uses all the rhetorick he is master of, and spares no caresses to bring her to a compliance with his ardent wishes; and the good girl being at length persuaded and prevailed with, yields kindly to his ravishing embraces; and then they lie down together, and so the wedding is over. But sometimes they take a shorter way to go to work, which is to gratify their inclinations without the advice or consent of the parents[34]. Nevertheless their matrimony is not of so indissoluble a nature but that the husbands often repudiate and put away their wives, if either they do not suit their humours, or else, if they are barren and do not bring forth children (which they hold to be very ignominious), and marry others. But if they have children by them, they bear a great deal with them, and keep them for life. It is not rare to see that a man beats his wife, and gives her black eyes, for her obstinacy and stubbornness sake; however they are soon reconciled and good friends again, without bearing any grudge. For, according to them, it signifies nothing, that a man beats his wife; but they do not like that a master should drub a servant maid. Likewise they think it heinous that a mother chastises her children; and if she falls foul of her maid, it is with them unpardonable; and such a woman gets an ill name.

If one of the party dies, the relict, whether husband or wife, is at liberty to marry again.

The women are of a very hardy and strong nature, which they chiefly show in their child-bearing; for as soon as it is over, they will go to work and do their ordinary business as usual. But sometimes they pay very dear for this bravery, it costing them their lives. The day after their delivery they go abroad to work, being girt with a waist belt two or three inches broad, which they also wore before their delivery. As soon as the child is born, the mother dips her finger into water, and rubs the child’s lips with it; or she puts a little bit of snow into its mouth, saying, “Imekautit,” which signifies, Thou hast drunk a good deal; and when she eats, she takes a bit of fish, and holds it to the child’s mouth, and shakes her hand, with this word, “Aiparpotit,” that is to say, Thou hast eat and kept me company. They cut the navel-string, not with a knife, but with a muscle shell, or they bite it off with their teeth; and when the string is dry they use it as an amulet.

They hold a chamber pot over the head of the woman in labour, imagining that it helps to hasten her delivery. The child being a year old, the mother slabbers and licks it all over, from head to foot, that it may grow hale and strong. They seldom bear twins, but monsters are often brought forth. In the year 1737 a woman, in the Bay of Disco, was delivered of a hideous monster; the eyes were placed on the side of the nose: it had a pointed snout and no ears. Instead of hands and feet it had paws, and very thick thighs. Its front was covered with hair like those of a rein deer, and the sides were covered with something like a white skin of a fish. In the same place another monstrous birth was seen in the year 1739, without a head, four-footed, with long nails, like claws; it had a mouth upon the breast, and claws upon the back.

They have a very tender love for their children, and the mother always carries her infant child about with her upon her back, wrapped up in her coat wherever she goes, or whatever business she has in hand, for they have no other cradles for them. They suckle them till they are three or four years old or more; because in their tender infancy they cannot digest the strong victuals that the rest must live upon.

The education of their children is what they seem little concerned about; for they never make use of whipping or hard words to correct them, when they do any thing amiss, but leave them to their own discretion. Notwithstanding which, when they are grown, they never seem inclined to vice or roguery, which is to be admired. It is true, they show no great respect to their parents in their outward forms, but always are very willing to do what they order them; though sometimes they will bid their parents do it themselves. They are under the care of their parents, boys as well as girls, till they are married; afterwards they shift for themselves, yet so, that they continue to dwell in the same house, or under the same roof with their fathers, together with other kindred and relations; and what they get, they all enjoy in common.