The Inuit myth of Uxssung and Kiviuk tells of a boy who transforms into a groundseal, evading hunters and causing their demise, sparing only the kind-hearted Kiviuk. Kiviuk travels to a distant land, encountering challenges, women, and a foe who fails to harm him. Later, as an angakoq (shaman), Kiviuk follows a woman across the ice, catching narwhals before reuniting with his wife.
Source:
Tales of the Smith Sound Eskimo
by Alfred L. Kroeber
[The American Folklore Society]
Journal of American Folklore
Vol.12, No.46, pp.166-182
July-September, 1899
► Themes of the story
Transformation: Uxssung’s metamorphosis into a ground seal illustrates physical change.
Divine Intervention: Uxssung’s actions, leading to the demise of hunters and sparing Kiviuk, suggest influence beyond mortal means.
Quest: Kiviuk’s journey to distant lands, facing challenges and encounters, embodies the pursuit of a significant goal.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Inuit peoples
A complete tale about Kiviung is found in Greenland and in Baffin Land. The first portion also occurs in Labrador and Angmagsalik.
A woman put a boy on the water, and he floated away, sinking and rising. Each time that he came up he looked more like a groundseal, until the people who were looking for him could not distinguish him from one. His name was Uxssung (ground-seal). The men pursued him in their kayaks, but he caused them all to drown. He saved only one, who had been good to him, whose name was Kiviuk. Kiviuk came to a far distant land, where he met two women, with whom he stayed. A large man tried to shoot him with his bow, but was unable to.
* * *
Kiviung was going far away, paddling in his kayak. He was following a woman traveling on the ice. Far away Kiviung followed her, because he was an angakoq and knew everything.
► Continue reading…
Finally, far away at Tinussaving, he caught and cut up many narwhals. Then Kiviung, still paddling after her, at last caught up with her. Then he cohabited with her. Then Kiviung went back to his wife, going in his kayak. When he reached her, Kiviung said: “There! Where is it? I see her in Tinussaving. There she lives and cuts up many narwhals, and lives on them.”
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