THE CRAWLING WOMAN

Unusual stories are told about Wales, a small Eskimo village on the Seward Peninsula of northwest Alaska. The best known is the tale of The Crawling Woman. As it is told:

"In the days that have long sinced passed, boys fourteen or fifteen years of age left their homes to live with other boys in a large igloo called the kazhgie. The kazhgie functioned as a kind of bording school. Tribal historians taught the culture and traditions of their tribe and during the evening hours hunters came to make or repair their equipment. While the elders worked, the boys watched and learned how to make and use the weapons that they themselves would soon be using. At the end of the evening the men went home, leaving the boys by themselves to play, sing, or dance until bedtime. They were not to leave the igloo. This honor system worked well until late one afternoon when a troublemaker spotted a young girl passing the kazhgie and set off after her.

Since the men of the village were on an extended walrus-hunting trip the remainder of the boys knew they wouldn't be caught at any mischief-making. They all rushed outdoors, caught the little girl and physically abused her. When she was able to wrench herself free she ran screaming to her grandmother, with whom see lived alone.

The grandmother, after listening to the sobbing child's story, determined to teach the rascals a lesson they'd never forget. She painted her face with ugly streaks and patterns. then turned around to her granddaughter. 'They'll be scared of me now, won't they?'

The little gitl shook her head and cried pitifully, 'No! Oh no! That will make them laugh.'
The old woman then smeared soot over her face and rubbed ashes into her hair. But the child wiped her tears and shook her head again. 'There's no use, Grandmother. You can never scare those boys. You wouldn't even scare me.'
The grandmother thought for one brief moment, then knew what she had to do.

Turning her back, she went into a dark corner and removed all her clothes. With a sharp knife, she cut long, deep gashes in every part of her body. The she got down on hands and knees and crawled toward the child, leaving a bloody trail behind her. The little girl cried and covered her face at the horrible sight. She knew that her grandmother would now terrify every boy in the kazhgie.

The sun had set and darkness shadowed the land as the old woman crawled toward the kazhgie. Her movements slowed as her strength ebbed and the blood drained from her body.

Standing just outside the igloo was a boy named Ahmezuk, the only fellow who had not abused the girl. He heard something coming toward him and grew frightened because he could not see what it was. He turned and ran inside to tell the other boys, but they called him a liar and made up a wicked song that poked fun at him.

With tear-filled eyes, Ahmezuk turned around and saw the terrible 'thing' entering the igloo. The figure was smeared with blood and the eyes seemed to come from the top of its head. Ahmezuk ran into a dark corner, bit his fingers and pushed them into a crack in the wall. As his fingers swelled the crack held him fast, and he prayed that the 'thing' could not pry him loose. Both of his hands ached and tears ran down his cheeks.