Avigiatsiak, a young woman, was taken by a whale while sharpening her knife on the beach. After living with whales, she escaped, transformed into a seal, and was caught by a man who harpooned her. Her remains, except her head, were discarded, but her spirit entered the man’s wife, leading to her rebirth as a child, again named Avigiatsiak.
Source:
Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo
by Henry Rink
[William Blackwood and Sons]
Edinburgh and London, 1875
► Themes of the story
Transformation: Avigiatsiak’s journey from human to whale captive, then to seal, and finally to reborn child illustrates significant physical and spiritual metamorphoses.
Rebirth: Her cycle of death and subsequent rebirth as a child named Avigiatsiak highlights themes of renewal and the cyclical nature of life.
Supernatural Beings: Interactions with whales and seals, which possess mystical qualities in Inuit culture, emphasize the connection between humans and the supernatural realm.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Inuit peoples
Abridged version of the story.
Avigiatsiak was the name of a young woman who, while grinding her knife on the beach, was taken by a whale. After living for a time with the whales, she fled and was transformed into a seal, living with the seals.
As such she was caught by a man, hauled upon the ice, and cut to pieces, all excepting the head, which was thrown beneath the bench.
From thence she slipped into the womb of the man’s wife who had harpooned her, and was afterwards born anew, and called Avigiatsiak.
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