In ancient times, they say, residents of the Naukan side often fought with residents of the Kygmit side. But the war did not bring any benefit to the Eskimos, and there were fewer and fewer people on both sides. The Eskimos from the villages of Naukana and Uellena decided to stop wars with their neighbors and live in peace with them.
The Naukan Umilyk once gathered all the men from Naukan and Wellen and told them:
- Enough of fighting with each other. It would be better if we trade peacefully with our neighbors. Equip your kayaks and we’ll go across the strait to the Kygmitians to make peace.
The Naukans equipped their canoes and set off across the strait. Their leader was the Olygmit (Uellen) resident Eketamyn. Eketamyn took with him only the healthiest and bravest people.
When the Naukans and Olygmits arrived in Kykhtyk, the residents of that side organized a big celebration with dancing and sports games in honor of the guests. During the celebration, a Kygmit old man came into the circle with his dance, with long arrows sticking out between his fingers. Making skillful movements of his head, shoulders and arms, he said:
“After all, I cut the grass with these arrows.”
After this, the Olygmit old man Eketamyn jumped from the upper bunks of the dugout. Taking out a long knife, Eketamyn said:
“With this knife I cut off large numbers of Kygmit people like grass. When I got tired of arrows, I replaced them with a knife.
Then Eketamyn began to dance, playing with a knife. The Kygmitians, hearing such an answer, became wary, but Eketamyn stopped and said:
“Maybe I said the wrong thing or said too much, answer me.”
However, Eketamyn’s assistant, the Olygmit old man Val-gylgyn, the former commander of the Ukugmit army, jumped out and, dancing, said:
“I cut off a lot of Kygmit grass with these arrows, and with this knife I replaced the arrows when I got tired of them.”
After these words of Valgylgyn, the residents of Kykhtyk hung their heads and fell silent. Then the Kygmit smiley said:
– The strongest people of Ukuk and Kykhtyk have gathered here. Let's now have a contest of strength. If the Naukan Eskimos defeat us, then we will be at enmity again.
And so various competitions of strength began: jumping up the stretched skin, lifting weights, running and wrestling. Two Kygmit strongmen emerged victorious. The Naukans became worried, and their best wrestler and strongman, named Khugagyrgyn, was sitting in a tent at that time under an overturned canoe and did not want to come out. Several times the Kygmitians called for the strong man, but he did not come. Finally, two old Naukan residents - a husband and wife, whom everyone revered - called the capricious Khugagyrgyn. The old man said to the strong man:
- You are doing badly. How can we be capricious when we are defeated? You might think that you are the first coward, but you are considered a strong man.
Then the old woman, whose name was Ayawaki, said:
“You must defeat the Kygmitians.” If you are afraid that you will not be able to defeat the local strongmen, then I will give you my ancient flying amulets. These amulets are magical, put them on and you will become as light as a bird. Take these amulets and tie them to your belt.
After this, Ayavaki really gave Khugagyrgyn her magical flying amulets.
The Naukan strongman put on flying amulets, jumped and immediately flew away a few steps. He quickly ran to the place of the games, barely touching the ground with his feet. When he came running to the game, the Kygmit youths set up a canoe mast, tied the siskin to the very top, and one of them said:
“You only came here out of envy, because you still won’t be able to jump to the top of the mast to take off these siskins.”
Khugagyrgyn said nothing, but ran and jumped over the mast, even higher than the prize. The Kygmit residents shouted in surprise:
- Oh, miracle! This Naukan is probably not a person, but a bird. Can a person jump like that?
Finding themselves defeated, the Kygmitians announced peace and trade to the Naukans, and the old men of both sides agreed never to fight among themselves and to forget about enmity forever.
Indeed, from then until our time, the inhabitants of that side of the strait and our side no longer fought. And Khugagyrgyn and everyone who was with him received many gifts from the Kygmitians.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru