from ancient times, and still does today. The Eskimos and Indians of North America have many stories to explain these northern lights. One story is reported by the explorer Ernest W. Hawkes in his book, The Labrador Eskimo: The ends of the land and sea are bounded by an immense abyss, over which a narrow and dangerous pathway leads to the heavenly regions. The sky is a great dome of hard material arched over the Earth. There is a hole in it through which the spirits pass to the true heavens. Only the spirits of those who have died a voluntary or violent death, and the Raven, have been over this pathway. The spirits who live there light torches to guide the feet of new arrivals. This is the light of the aurora. They can be seen there …show more content…
Youths dance to the aurora. The heavenly spirits are called selamiut, "sky-dwellers," those who live in the sky. curtain separates by Jan Curtis Evil Thing The Point Barrow Eskimos were the only Eskimo group who considered the aurora an evil thing. In the past they carried knives to keep it away from them. several curtains by Jan Curtis Omen of War The Fox Indians, who lived in Wisconsin, regarded the light as an omen of war and pestilence. To them the lights were the ghosts of their slain enemies who, restless for revenge, tried to rise up again. southern band with clouds by Jan Curtis Dancing Spirits The Salteaus Indians of eastern Canada and the Kwakiutl and Tlingit of Southeastern Alaska interpreted the northern lights as the dancing of human spirits. The Eskimos who lived on the lower Yukon River believed that the aurora was the dance of animal spirits, especially those of deer, seals, salmon and beluga. uniform arc by Jan Curtis Game of Ball Most Eskimo groups have a myth of the northern lights as the spirits of the dead playing ball with a walrus head or skull. The Eskimos of Nunivak Island had the opposite idea, of walrus spirits playing with a human skull. active sky by Jan