The Tupilak

Nikook, a former seal-hunter, unintentionally brought home a walrus, inciting jealousy in a brother who secretly created a tupilak to harm him. Discovering the plot, Nikook confronted the brother mid-ritual, causing his sudden death. The brothers destroyed the malevolent creature and sank both it and its maker into the sea. Nikook experienced eerie disturbances for five nights but was left in peace thereafter.

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

► Themes of the story

Trickster: The brother embodies the trickster archetype by secretly creating a tupilak—a malevolent creature—to harm Nikook, using deceit and dark arts to achieve his goal.

Supernatural Beings: The story features the tupilak, a creature brought to life through ritual, representing the intervention of supernatural entities in human affairs.

Revenge and Justice: The narrative unfolds around the brother’s jealousy leading to an act of revenge against Nikook, and ultimately, the restoration of justice when the malevolent creature and its creator are destroyed.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about the Inuit peoples

Abridged version of the story.

An old man named Nikook, who had given up seal-hunting, once, entirely by chance, brought home a walrus. The middle one of some brothers with whom he lived grew jealous of him at this, and every morning repaired to the opposite shore of an island, where he secretly worked at a tupilak. Nikook got a suspicion of this, and following him, he surprised the wretch in the act of allowing his own body to be sucked by the monster, at the same time repeating the words, “Thou shalt take Nikook.” But Nikook hurried down, and seized him, crying, “What art thou doing there?” At that moment the man fell down lifeless. Meanwhile the brothers had also reached the island, and on being guided to the place by Nikook, they found the tupilak still sucking the dead. They then killed it with stones, sinking it, as well as the maker of it, into the sea. During five nights Nikook was disturbed by a bubbling sound, but afterwards nothing more was perceived.

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A girl named Tuagtuanguak

Tuagtuanguak fled from her persecuting brother-in-law, enduring a perilous journey across ice and desolate landscapes. Over five days, she repeatedly swooned, awakening each time with visions of a distant black spot, gaining angakok power along the way. After numerous trials, including supernatural leaps, she reached a northern settlement, married, and received gifts from spirits, only for them to mysteriously return to their owners.

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

► Themes of the story

Quest: Tuagtuanguak’s journey across treacherous ice and desolate landscapes in search of safety exemplifies a classic quest narrative, where the protagonist undertakes a challenging journey to achieve a significant goal.

Transformation: Throughout her ordeal, Tuagtuanguak acquires angakok (shamanic) powers, indicating a profound personal transformation as she gains spiritual strength and resilience.

Supernatural Beings: Her interactions with the ingnersuit (spirits) who bestow gifts upon her highlight the involvement of supernatural entities, a common element in mythological tales that underscores the connection between the human and spirit worlds.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about the Inuit peoples

Abridged version of the story.

A girl named Tuagtuanguak fled from her brother-in-law, who persecuted her. Running across the ice, she fell through; but having again got up, she ran on and on to the north constantly, viewing a black spot before her. Swooning several times, and again seeing the black spot on awaking, she meanwhile acquired angakok power. Going on in this way for five successive days, she came to a precipice, and setting out from its edge, she leaped across, but was somehow wafted back through the air to the same spot. This process she continued for five days. She then pursued her journey north, and came to an inhabited place, where she took up her abode, and afterwards got married. She visited the ingnersuit, and received presents from them; but while carrying them homewards the gifts were wafted out of her hands, and flew back to their first owners.

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A married couple remained childless on account of their both being angakok

A kayaking couple discovers a dying young man in a foreign place. An angakok summons the witch responsible for his illness, confronting her ghost and wounding her with a harpoon. The witch is revealed to be the youth’s aunt, who dies simultaneously. While dining, the couple envies the household’s children, only to learn they are named after men lost to monster-gulls, silencing the gathering.

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

► Themes of the story

Supernatural Beings: The story involves angakok (shamans) and a witch, highlighting interactions with supernatural entities.

Cunning and Deception: The witch secretly causes the young man’s illness, embodying deceitful actions that harm others.

Family Dynamics: The revelation that the witch is the young man’s aunt introduces complex familial relationships and hidden malice within a family.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about the Inuit peoples

Abridged version of the story.

The husband and wife always used to go out kayaking together. Once they happened to come to a foreign place, where a young man was found in an almost dying state.

The angakok-man began a conjuration, summoning the witch who had caused his sickness. He detected the ghost of the witch approaching the sick youth in order to touch him with her black hands.

But the angakok thrust his harpoon at her, hitting her heel; and almost at the same moment the aunt of the sick youth died in the next house, and proved to have been the witch.

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While spending the rest of the evening there, eating and talking in a pleasant way, the visitors noticed the children playing on the floor; and thinking of their own childless state burst out, “That crowd of boys might almost make people envious.” They were answered, “The boys yonder are the namesakes of those whom the monster-gulls carried off as food for their young ones” (viz., who perished in kayaks); whereupon the whole assembly at once became silent.

The Igdlok

A grieving man, mourning his cousin’s death by a sorcerer-created bear, sought danger for distraction, killing an amarok. One evening, a one-footed stranger joined him, sharing similar grief and praising the amarok meat served. However, the guest abruptly vanished, revealing himself as an igdlokok—a half-bodied supernatural being. The man’s discovery of his unusual footprints confirmed the eerie encounter.

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

► Themes of the story

Supernatural Beings: The narrative features an igdlokok, a half-bodied supernatural entity from Inuit folklore, who mysteriously visits the protagonist.

Loss and Renewal: The protagonist is driven by grief over his cousin’s death, leading him to seek dangerous encounters, such as killing an amarok, as a means of coping and finding purpose.

Illusion vs. Reality: The unexpected appearance and sudden disappearance of the one-footed stranger blur the lines between the real and the supernatural, challenging the protagonist’s perception of reality.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about the Inuit peoples

Abridged version of the story.

A man had lost his beloved cousin and friend, who in his sight had been torn to pieces by one of those bears that are made by sorcery. In his despair be went out to encounter and brave all kinds of danger by way of excitement; and he first killed an amarok.

One evening, when staying at home, he was surprised in his lonely house by a stranger dropping in, who explained that he also having lost his brother was roaming about for excitement. Being very talkative, he spent the evening there very pleasantly, until the hostess, who had boiled some flesh of the amarok, came and served it before the men.

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The guest then burst out in loud praises of its delicious flavour and tempting appearance; but before he had taken a morsel he went on, “But I see the dish is all aslope,” and the same instant arose and vanished through the entrance. The host immediately followed him; and on examining his footsteps in the snow, he found them to be made by only one foot, so that the guest must have been an igdlokok (whose body is only the one half of the human body cut in twain).

In another similar story there are two guests, who at their sudden disappearance manifest themselves as certain stars (siagtut or kilugtussat). The mysterious words about the sloping dish are the same.

An old man, anxious to outdo other people

Two friends wagered on whose wife would bear a son first and whose son would become the greatest angakok. Ajagutarsuk gained his wisdom in a cave, while Ularpana acquired his in a dried-up lake. During a mystical encounter, Ajagutarsuk summoned tornaks of the inlanders, but Ularpana’s upper ingnersuit spirits overpowered them, demonstrating his superior spiritual prowess.

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

► Themes of the story

Family Dynamics: The story begins with two friends who wager on whose wife would bear a son first and whose son would become the greatest angakok (shaman), highlighting familial competition and aspirations.

Trials and Tribulations: Both sons, Ajagutarsuk and Ularpana, undergo significant challenges to acquire their spiritual wisdom—one in a cave and the other in a dried-up lake—demonstrating the trials faced in their quests for knowledge.

Supernatural Beings: The narrative involves mystical encounters where both protagonists summon tornaks (spirits) and ingnersuit (upper spirits), emphasizing interactions with supernatural entities.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about the Inuit peoples

Abridged version of the story.

An old man, who was always anxious to outdo other people, had laid a bet with his friend as to whose wife should first get a son; and afterwards, as to which of their sons should in course of time become the greatest angakok.

One of them, Ajagutarsuk, attained angakok wisdom in a cave; and the other, named Ularpana, acquired it in a dried-up lake. The latter went on an angakok flight to the first, and while staying with him Ajagutarsuk called forth his tornaks, which belonged to the inlanders, and instantly appeared. But Ularpana invoked his tornaks, being the upper ingnersuit, who totally defeated the inlanders.

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The Kuinasarinook

Uvnek, one of the last angakut of Godthaab, narrowly escaped an amarsiniook during a spirit-flight. Later, he conjured the creature, summoning a voice from above that revealed Uvnek’s survival owed to his angakok status. The voice also admitted to killing another monster, the kuinasarinook, which had recently mutilated a man. Uvnek’s conjuration explained a previously unsolved death.

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

► Themes of the story

Supernatural Beings: The story features interactions with entities like the amarsiniook and kuinasarinook, highlighting the Inuit belief in spirits and monsters influencing the mortal realm.

Divine Intervention: The amarsiniook’s admission that Uvnek’s survival was due to his angakok status suggests a higher power’s influence in protecting him.

Forbidden Knowledge: Uvnek’s conjuration uncovers hidden truths about the mysterious death, shedding light on events beyond ordinary understanding.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about the Inuit peoples

Abridged version of the story.

Uvnek, one of the last angakut at the firth of Godthaab, on one of his spirit-flights narrowly escaped being taken by an amarsiniook. After his return he once performed a conjuration and summoned the amarsiniook. A brightness was observed, and a voice was heard from above the house saying, “If thou hadst not happened to be an angakok thou wouldst never have escaped; it was I who killed the kuinasarinook (another monster, dwelling in certain mountains), because it had torn a man to pieces.” The auditors then remembered how some time ago a man had been found dead, and his body terribly mutilated; but nobody had been able to make out how the murder was committed, till it was thus explained by Uvnek.

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Kakortuliak

Kakortuliak, during a reindeer hunt, pursued a deer into a lake and secured it, but later encountered strange events. He saw raven-like beings with human features, lost the deer tallow mysteriously, and was carried through the air. Using a small tallow piece, he descended but returned home senseless and near lifeless. Afterward, he abandoned hunting, becoming a clairvoyant whose soul roamed and recounted distant lands and people.

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

► Themes of the story

Transformation: Kakortuliak’s journey from a hunter to a clairvoyant signifies a profound personal metamorphosis, highlighting themes of change and adaptation.

Supernatural Beings: His encounters with raven-like entities possessing human features introduce elements of the supernatural, emphasizing the mystical aspects of the narrative.

Underworld Journey: Kakortuliak’s experience of being lifted into the air and returning home in a near-lifeless state parallels a metaphorical journey to the underworld, symbolizing a venture into realms beyond the ordinary.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about the Inuit peoples

Abridged version of the story.

Kakortuliak was at a reindeer-hunt, when they only succeeded in hitting one large deer, which made its escape by jumping into a lake. Kakortuliak, however, pursued it by swimming, and fastened a line to its antlers, by which it was hauled on land. He got a large piece of the tallow, and leaving the party, went off by himself in search of further game. He saw two ravens pursuing one another; but on viewing them more closely they had the features of man.

At the same moment a reindeer suddenly bounded forth, apparently from his own bag; and he found the tallow at the same time had disappeared, a little morsel only remaining.

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He then felt himself lifted off his feet and carried away through the air; but by rubbing his skin with the bit of tallow he again quickly descended towards the earth; yet without touching it he gained his home. On arriving, however, he had lost the use of his senses, and lay down almost lifeless, though unable to die. Such was, as has been told, the condition of the heathen when the ruler of the moon had taken the souls out of their body. From this time Kakortuliak gave up hunting, and turned a clairvoyant. His soul used to leave the body and roam about the inland and along the east coast; and on returning he related what he had seen, and how he had lived with the inlanders.

The land of the Isarukitsok bird

Two young men and an elder companion became lost while kayaking in fog. After drifting, they reached a steep promontory inhabited by isarukitsoks. Following the coast, they found a landing spot, rested, and replenished with birds. Continuing their journey, they narrowly avoided a monstrous gull that preys on kayakers. Safely home, they noted these creatures were once abundant near Nook (Godthaab) before the land sank.

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

► Themes of the story

Conflict with Nature: The protagonists face natural challenges, including foggy weather that leads them astray and encounters with formidable creatures like the isarukitsoks and a monstrous gull.

Trials and Tribulations: The journey presents a series of challenges, testing the endurance and resilience of the kayakers as they navigate through dangerous and unfamiliar territories.

Supernatural Beings: The isarukitsoks and the monstrous gull represent encounters with creatures beyond the ordinary, adding a supernatural element to their adventure.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about the Inuit peoples

A story from South Greenland.

Two young men with one elder companion lost their way when kayaking in foggy weather, and having roamed about without being able to sight any land, they came to a high promontory, showing one continuous steep and inaccessible cliff, inhabited by crowds of isarukitsoks. By following the coast they at last came to a landing-place, and found a nice situation, where they rested themselves, and had their strength restored by eating birds. Having also filled their kayaks with them, they put off to sea again, and happened to pass by one of the monstrous gulls which are in the habit of picking up the kayakers and giving them as food to their young ones; but they reached their home in safety. It is told that before the land of the isarukitsok sank there were plenty of these birds about Nook (Godthaab).

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Manik

Manik, a skilled seal-hunter, resisted marriage until he abruptly decided to leave home. He abducted the chief hunter’s daughter and other women from villages to form a rowing crew. After wintering in the far north and encountering supernatural events, he returned home the next year, restoring the women to their families—except for the first, whom he made his wife.

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

► Themes of the story

Conflict with Authority: Manik’s actions in taking the chief hunter’s daughter and other women against their will represent a clear defiance of social and familial authority. His choices disrupt the established order, leading to tension and a struggle to restore balance within the community.

Supernatural Beings: As Manik ventures further into the northern lands, he encounters ghosts and witnesses magical feats. These supernatural elements reflect the Inuit belief in spirits and the spiritual dimensions of their world, adding depth to the story and emphasizing the mystery of the unknown.

Rebirth: The tale concludes with Manik returning the women to their families and integrating the first woman into his own life. This act symbolizes a renewal of social order and relationships, embodying the theme of rebirth through the restoration of balance and harmony after a period of upheaval.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about the Inuit peoples

Abridged version of the story.

Manik was a great seal-hunter, but his mother in vain urged him to take a wife. He continued a bachelor, till one day he suddenly ordered his mother to make ready the boat for removing from the place. As soon as she had made all ready, he hastened up to the house of the chief hunter, who at the time was absent, and carried away his daughter, crying and struggling in vain to be released. Having placed her on the boat he at once pushed off, and made for the north with all speed. At the first inhabited place they came past he again carried away a woman; and this continued until he had got a complete boat’s crew of rowing girls. He continued his voyage the whole season, till at length, having reached the far north, the frost set in, and for the time obliged him to take up his quarters there.

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While wintering here, and making excursions into the country, he once came to a solitary house, where he had an adventurous meeting with the ghost of a deceased woman; and from there he came to another, where he found the people feasting upon various meats, which they kept hauling from the ground by help of magic lays. The next year he set out for his own country, returning to their relatives all the women, excepting only the first one, whom he kept for his wife.

Singajuk and his descendants

Mangilak, born frail and swaddled in an eider-duck skin, overcame early struggles to become a legendary Greenlandic figure. A skilled hunter and kayaker, he learned a calming spell from a gull and married twice, losing his first wife but gaining wisdom from her spirit. Though baptized, Mangilak retained his angakok powers. His lineage included Akajarok, whose descendants shared his remarkable story.

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

► Themes of the story

Transformation: Mangilak’s journey from a frail infant to a powerful hunter and angakok (shaman) embodies significant physical and spiritual transformation.

Supernatural Beings: His interactions with his deceased first wife, who provides him with wisdom from beyond the grave, highlight encounters with the supernatural.

Ancestral Spirits: The narrative emphasizes the influence of ancestors and the continuation of spiritual wisdom through generations, as seen in Mangilak’s lineage and the transmission of his story.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Arctic Region
  - Inuit/Eskimo Lore

Learn more about the Inuit peoples

Abridged version of the story.

Singajuk was a celebrated hunter living in Kangek (near Godthaab). His wife miscarried, and brought forth a poor little wretch of a child, that was swaddled in the skin of an eider-duck, and had to be fostered with the utmost care to keep it alive. This child was called Mangilak, and became one of the most powerful of men. His first deed was killing an ingnersuak. Afterwards he was once caught in a gale of wind at sea, but espying a solitary spot of smooth water and a gull swimming in it, by dint of listening to its voice he learned a spell for procuring a calm; and from that time he was not to be equalled in kayaking. His mother then persuaded him to marry, and he took a wife, who, however, shortly afterwards died.

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Being almost an angakok, he used to visit her grave and talk with the deceased, and on one occasion she gave him a mussel-shell containing a drink to endow him with angakok wisdom. Mangilak married a second wife, and got a son, called Akajarok, whose daughter became the grandmother of the man who related this story. Akajarok died a Christian. Mangilak also was baptised, but was too full of angakok wisdom to become more than a nominal Christian.