The regions below

Source: 
The Labrador Eskimo 
by E.W. Hawkes 
[Canada, Department of Mines] 
Geological Survey, Memoir 91 
Anthropological Series no. 14 
Ottawa, 1916

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► Themes of the story

Underworld Journey: The spirit’s passage through a dark tunnel guarded by a dog to reach the land of the nu’namiut exemplifies a venture into the realm of the dead.

Ancestral Spirits: In the underworld, the spirit resides with relatives, reflecting the connection to and influence of forebears on the present.

Loss and Renewal: The transition from the earthly life to the underworld signifies a cycle of death and the continuation of existence in another form.

► From the same Region or People

• North America
  • Arctic Region
    • Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about Inuit peoples

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For three days after an Eskimo dies, the spirit lingers around the scenes of its earthly existence. Then people must be very careful not to offend it. After taking a last look at its native village, it sets out for the land of the nu’namiut, “those who dwell in (beneath) the earth.” The way to the world beneath lies through a long dark tunnel guarded by a big dog (?). He is always on the lookout for unwary spirits. Having arrived at the land of the nu’namiut, the spirit finds them dwelling in villages much as on the earth. He seeks out the location of his relatives and lives with them. They lead a monotonous existence depending on the offerings made at their graves for food and drink. If their relatives neglect them, they go hungry and naked. There is no cold nor sleet in the world beneath, but it is dark and gloomy.