Traditional Inuit Songs from the Thule Area

2 books & a CD. This study provides a comprehensive description of the rich song culture of the people in the Thule area in Greenland, the Inughuit. In 1937 the archaeologist and folklorist Erik Holtved recorded 134 traditional songs in Thule. Transcriptions and scientific processing of this collection constitute the nucleus of the work. Another collection of Inughuit songs was recorded in 1962 for The Danish Folklore Archives by Bent Jensen and the author. The songs from both collections are presented and notated in full length and also with analyses of a representative stanza from each song. Descriptions are given of performing habits, singing methods, drum construction and handling, as well as historical and recent data. Searching for resemblances among other Inuit groups produced transcriptions and analyses of many traditional Inuit Songs from different localities in Canada. It was discovered that characteristic traits of the form and melody types of the Inughuit are linked to Canadian Inuit groups in southern Baffin Island and among the Copper Inuit in northern Canada, documenting particular areas of origin, and also giving information about migration routes. Many of the songs are presented on the enclosed CD