第1个回答 2024-04-12
The Inuit legend tells of Sedna, a beautiful young woman, who lived alone with her father offshore. Many hunters sought her hand in marriage, but she rejected them all. As her father grew older, he became angry and commanded her to accept the next suitor.
One day, a stranger arrived in a canoe. Her father dragged her to the shore and urged the hunter to marry her, promising she would make a good wife. To his surprise, the hunter revealed he had come to propose to Sedna. He promised to provide for her needs, including food, furs, and blankets. Despite his partly hidden face, Sedna found him handsome enough and agreed to marry him. He took her to his island in his canoe.
Upon their arrival at the island, Sedna saw only bare rock and a nest-like structure made of seaweed, animal hair, and feathers. Horrified, she realized her husband was not a man, but a sea bird. Trapped, she had to stay with him.
Time passed, but Sedna never adjusted to her bird-like husband. She felt deeply unhappy and spent her days weeping and calling for her father. Her father, overcome with guilt, set out to find her. After days of rowing against strong tides and freezing waters, he reached the island. When he arrived, the bird man was away hunting, and Sedna stood on the shore. Her father asked for forgiveness and helped her into his canoe, setting off for home.
Later that day, the bird man returned from fishing and, finding his wife gone, flew into a rage and pursued them. He caught up and demanded his wife back. When Sedna's father refused, the bird man created a violent storm with his powerful wings.
In fear, Sedna's father threw her into the sea, crying out, "Here she is, take her!" Terrified, Sedna tried to cling to the boat, but her father would not allow her back in. With a sharp knife, he cut off her fingers, which transformed into seals, whales, and other sea creatures as they sank into the ocean. Sedna, unable to fight for her life, also sank to the depths and became the sea goddess.
It is believed that Sedna rules over all marine life. When she is angered, she withholds the animals from hunters. The Inuit, relying on the sea for survival, show great respect to the sea goddess. Hunters, as a sign of this respect, drop fresh water into a caught seal's mouth. They believe this honors the animal and thanks Sedna for her generosity in providing for their families.详情