Yukhpuk, a legendary strongman, lived in the Askinuk Mountains near the Yukon River. He carried part of these mountains to a plain, creating the Kuslevak Mountains. The effort left two deep pits, now small lakes, at their base. As he traveled up the Yukon River, Yukhpuk named the places he passed, leaving a lasting mark on the region’s geography and lore.
Source:
The Eskimo about Bering Strait
by Edward William Nelson
[Smithsonian Institution]
Bureau of American Ethnology
Eighteenth Annual Report
Washington, 1900
► Themes of the story
Cultural Heroes: Yukhpuk is a foundational figure whose extraordinary feats, such as relocating mountains and naming geographical locations, have significantly shaped the cultural landscape and heritage of the Inuit people.
Supernatural Beings: Yukhpuk’s immense strength and abilities surpass ordinary human capabilities, aligning him with otherworldly or supernatural entities within mythological narratives.
Creation: The story explains the origin of specific natural formations, such as the Kuslevak Mountains and the lakes at their base, contributing to the broader understanding of how the world and its features came into existence according to Inuit mythology.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Inuit peoples
from the Lower Yukon
In ancient times a very strong man (Yukhpuk) lived in the Askinuk mountains, near the Yukon river. One day he picked up a part of these mountains and, placing them on his shoulders, carried them out upon the level country, where he threw them down. In this way he made the Kuslevak mountains.
When the mountain was thrown from the man’s shoulders, the effort caused his feet to sink into the ground so that two deep pits were left, which filled with water, making two small lakes, which now lie at the base of this mountain.
From there he traveled up the Yukon, giving names to all the places he passed.
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