Inugpaqdjuqdjualung, a giant among the Inuit, lived by a fjord, towering so tall he could straddle it. He caught whales as effortlessly as others might scoop up trinkets. In one instance, he placed whale-hunting boats and their prey onshore with ease. Dismissing massive bears as mere foxes, he crushed one in his hand and strangled another in his boot’s eyelet, showcasing his incredible strength and indifference.
Source:
The Central Eskimo
by Franz Boas
[Bureau of American Ethnology]
Sixth Annual Report
Washington, 1888
► Themes of the story
Mythical Creatures: Inugpaqdjuqdjualung himself embodies this theme, being a giant with abilities beyond those of ordinary humans.
Supernatural Beings: The protagonist’s extraordinary size and strength place him in the realm of the supernatural, interacting with the natural world in ways that defy human limitations.
Conflict with Nature: The tale highlights Inugpaqdjuqdjualung’s interactions with natural elements, such as whales and bears, showcasing his dominance over formidable aspects of the natural world.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Inuit peoples
In days of yore, an enormous man, whose name was Inugpaqdjuqdjualung, lived in company with many other Inuit in a village on a large fjord. He was so tall that he could straddle the fjord. He used to stand thus every morning and wait for whales to pass beneath him. As soon as one came along he stooped and caught it, just as another man would scoop up some little thing that had fallen into the water, and he ate it as other men eat a small piece of meat. One day all the natives had manned their boats to hunt a whale. Inugpaqdjuqdjualung at the time was sitting lazily near his hut, but when he saw the efforts of the men he scooped both whale and boats from the water and placed them upon the beach.
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At another time, being tired from running about, he lay down on a high hill to take a nap. The Inuit told him that a couple of huge bears had been seen near the village, but he said he didn’t care, and told his friends to rouse him by throwing large stones upon him if they should see the bears coming. They did so and Inugpaqdjuqdjualung, suddenly starting up, cried: “Where are they? Where are they?” When the Inuit pointed them out he said: “What! those little things? Those are not worth the bustle; they are small foxes, not bears,” and he crushed one between his fingers, while he put the other into the eyelet of his boot and strangled it there.
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