Arctic Anthropology Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Nushagak, Alaska, 19th century: Wallaunuk as a Shaman’s Free Soul [I] The discovery in 2007 and the in-depth study of a Yup’ik seal mask identified the ritual practice of using halved paired masks, designed by the shaman as simultaneous... more

Nushagak, Alaska, 19th century: Wallaunuk as a Shaman’s Free Soul

[I] The discovery in 2007 and the in-depth study of a Yup’ik seal mask identified the ritual practice of using halved paired masks, designed by the shaman as simultaneous counterparts featuring one sole entity, needed for celebrating and illustrating the Beginning of Times, at Nushagak, Bristol Bay, Alaska in the 19th century (Jean-Loup Rousselot, 2011).

[II] Although largely documented, the family of twelve masks from Nushagak gathered from 1875 on, until 2019, was until now given as built in asymmetrical pairs – symmetry yet appearing in several, the meaning of such family not being yet studied as a whole.

[III] Following to these observations, this essay distinguishes, within this group of masks, paired masks according to gender (“couple”), their generation or family filiation (“mother and cub”), their halving or repetition of one sole protagonist demonstrating the ubiquity of a single character (“simultaneous homologues”); far from being opposite or limited, such identities may overlap and complete each other (“polysemy”);
as well, the addition of “main” external elements grafted to a core-mask, allowing evolution of this central person within the shaman’s narration scheme to a so-called extended use (“interleaving”); as such its transformation into a seal-bird mask, or hunter’s mask – would be here a version of the seal mask decorated by grafted appendages (“interweaving”) – These additions were simply expletive or “decorative” clues to the interpretation and ramifications of the stage drama, leaving their bearer mask unchanged as the stem or central character (Knecht, Mossolova and alii, 2019-2020). As to the works by the Nushagak Master, a bird head (Metropolitan museum, NYC), a mammal head (MQB), legs, mouths or ears.

[IV] The reconstituted group as a family of masks (Sean Mooney, 2018) is here studied under the scope of Yup’ik cosmology and Pan-inuit myths (in particular, as given by Brigitt Sonne, 2017), making it possible to approach its symbolic value and might trace the various mythological characters attached to each of the masks.

[V] The Bearded Seal-Spirit hence appears both (i) as a remembrance of a Seal cult and the personification as such of People in the village of origin Agalik, discovered at Nunalleq, Alaska (in Knecht, Mossolova and alii, 2019-2020) and (ii) as the central figure of the Nushagak rite. This cult ceased in the early twentieth century (Resp. Chuna McIntyre – Sean Mooney, 2018).

[VI] Specifically, with this twinned split mask to be reported at birth (J.L. Rousselot, 2010), the Seal Spirit on both twinned masks would thus feature his main and initial incarnation - namely the transformation of the primordial Spirit lying in the abyss into a breathing being, representing the initial moment of its birth from the Other World at the bottom of the oceans – a central Spirit in Yup’ik mythology and cosmology, personified or multiplied in several named characters.

[VII] The Nushagak masks – attributed to a named family of practitioners (Resp. Chuna McIntyre – Sean Mooney, 2018) would prove such Spirit of the Seals, Wallaunuk, Master of Bubbles, representing the global cosmic Spirit Sila and intercessor with the marine world, to have been the Free Soul Spirit attached to these two Nushagak Masters as the legacy following the spiritual gift and the sculpted visions bequeathed by the Shaman Dyeutciaq to his son Agyatciaq (the latter being named after a Star, the Family indeed in direct connection with the Cosmos – in Resp. Chuna McIntyre – Sean Mooney, 2018).

As accompanied, indeed, by a walrus mask and a bear mask (Resp. Chuna McIntyre – Sean Mooney, 2018), his two star-guardians appearing by his side in the ceremony, the primordial Bearded Seal mask would incarnate the Yup’ik mythical Star, Anautalik, the ultimate cosmic person (B. Sonne, 2017) as here for the ritual ceremonies at Nushagak.

Key Words: Arctic – Alaska - Branly (Musée) – Clark, J - Cosmology – Jacobsen A. - Initiation – Levi-strauss C. – Mask - Metropolitan Museum – Mythology – Nushagak – Paalen W. - Pinart, A. - Rockefeller, N.A. - (Bearded) Seal – Sedna – Shaman – Shamanism - Sila – Spirit - Surrealism – Thwaites, J.E. - Wallaunuk – Yup’ik