Eskimo Life

Name: Eskimo Life
Author: Fridtjof Nansen

By Fridtjof Nansen

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Archaeology & Anthropology Travel Writing

About This Book

An extended ethnographic narrative written by an observer who spent a winter living among Greenlanders records daily life, material culture, and social institutions. It examines appearance, clothing, kaiaks and hunting at sea, housing and travel, food and cooking, kinship, the work and status of women, marriage customs, morals, dispute resolution, ritual, music, poetry, and religious ideas, including the arrival of Christianity. Interspersed with folk narratives and comparative notes, the account reflects on contact with Europeans and the disruptive effects of colonial civilization, and is organized into focused chapters illustrated by plates and woodcuts.

About the Author

Fridtjof Nansen

Fridtjof Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, and humanitarian, renowned for his pioneering Arctic expeditions in the late 19th century. His most notable work, "Farthest North," chronicles his remarkable journey aboard the ship 'Fram' from 1893 to 1896, where he ventured further north than anyone before him. Nansen's contributions to the understanding of polar regions and his studies on the Inuit culture, as seen in "Eskimo Life," reflect his deep engagement with both exploration and anthropology. Beyond his explorations, he played a significant role in humanitarian efforts, particularly during World War I, advocating for refugees and international cooperation.