Goose Wife
deity earth Inuit single tradition · 1
The Goose Wife is a mythical female character that appears in tales from the Inuit and other ethnic groups that dwell across the circumpolar Arctic region. The usual story is that the geese alight on land, become women by taking off their goose-skins and bathe in a lake. A human hunter spies on them, and he steals the goose-skin of one of them, forcing her to be his wife.
When
- First attested
- 0 CE
- Attested period
- 0 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Appears in tales from the Inuit and other ethnic groups that dwell across the circumpolar Arctic region.
Relationships
- co occurs with
- Qayungayung
- syncretized with
- swan maiden
Sources
wikipedia (1)
Source passages
“The young hunter takes the remaining goose maiden (now human) and takes her to the human village. Despite being in a human state, the goose wife still retains avian eating habits (for instance, she eats beach grass and grass under the trees; seeds from pods and berries).”
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