Kanginguak

Source: 
Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo 
by Henry Rink 
[William Blackwood and Sons] 
Edinburgh and London, 1875

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► Themes of the story

Resurrection: After Tunerak is killed by a rival kayaker, his father seeks out an angakok (a shaman) who successfully brings him back to life.

Quest: Tunerak’s ventures far into the sea, making Umanarsuak appear like a diving seal, and his competitions with renowned kayakers highlight his adventurous spirit and pursuit of excellence.

Supernatural Beings: The involvement of the angakok, a shaman with mystical abilities, underscores the interaction with supernatural elements in the narrative.

► From the same Region or People

• North America
  • Arctic Region
    • Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about the Inuit peoples

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Abridged version of the story.

Kanginguak was a native of the south, who set forth on a journey and took up his abode near Umanarsuak (Kin of Sael, a high island of South Greenland). He had a son named Tunerak, who was such an expert rower that he used to overtake the falcons in their flight, and killed them with a blow of his paddle-oar. He went out to sea so far as to make Umanarsuak appear like a seal diving up and down among the waves. He also tried matches with celebrated kayakers, but on one of these occasions he was killed by his rival. His father afterwards went to the place where he was buried, brought out his body again and carried it along with him, till he found an angakok, who restored it to life.