Background of the Inuit People

For thousands of years, the Inuit people have learned to survive in a harsh and cold world. The Inuit are nomadic people; during the long, cold winters, they move from place to place constantly, using dog-sleighs or caribou sleighs to carry their equipment, tools, and families across icy waters. During the summers, the Inuit live on islands that surround the Arctic, and when the cold returns and the rivers and lakes freeze, they go out to hunt larger animals such as seals, walruses, small whales, belugas, and even, in rare cases but not uncommon, polar bears.

Though life in the frozen tundra and battling the cold artic climates may appear extremely difficult, the Inuit people are strong and resourceful, and they call the Arctic home. They are found throughout the Arctic region, from Nunavik to Greenland, as well as in parts of Russia. Despite living in one of the harshest environments on Earth, their stories are regarded as some of the richest in indigenous North American mythologies.

According to Inuit beliefs, both humans and animals have mystical powers. The Inuit also believe that there are worlds that humans cannot reach, such as the underworld, a land beneath the seas, the sky world, where powerful entities live, and the only beings who can travel to these worlds are the 'Angakoks" (shamans) and gods.

Now without further ado, let us delve into the epic stories of Inuit mythology.

The Creation Story:

The Inuit creation stories are vast and diverse; there is no single official creation story because each version was told differently but followed a similar plot across each Inuit tribe, and the story begins with a raven.

In the beginning, the earth was dark and full of water. The raven flew over the water, looking for a place to perch, but found nothing. The raven eventually got tired of searching and flew up to the heavens, causing massive rocks to fall from the sky and land in the water below, creating both small and large islands. The raven also planted seeds to help grow vegetation. When he was finished the earth was still empty, so the raven gathered mud from the waters to create land animals and humans. Then he wrapped his wings around them and brought them to life. But he also gave each powerful animal a special role and task to play in the new world.

Important figures and gods:

Sedna, The goddess of the seas and the Underworld, Mother of all aquatic animals.

According to most Inuit stories, Sedna was a human who was kidnapped or married to an evil trickster who caused her great suffering, she begged to be released and returned home. Unbeknownst to the evil trickster, the woman's father arrived to rescue her, and as they paddled away on his Kayak, the evil trickster summoned a powerful storm to kill them. The father had no choice but to throw her overboard, otherwise, they would both sink and drown. As the woman clung to the kayak's edge, her father cut off her fingers to get her to let go. As each severed finger fell into the water, it transformed into fish, seals, belugas, and whales, bringing life to the seas.

In the end, Sedna died and rose to become a powerful spirit capable of controlling the water, weather and sea animals, she dwells beneath the seas in the Underworld.

Malina and Igaluk

Malina is the Sun goddess. She creates a temporary summer season, warmth, and energy around the world. Allowing plants and berries to grow and provide food for land animals. She flies around the world, bringing light and seasons.

Igaluk is the Moon God and Malina's brother. He is the night sky's way finder spirit, guiding travelers across dark seas with his lesser light. He is the moon's embodiment and a cosmic force that rules over the seas. 

According to some Inuit mythology, Igaluk was so in love with her sister that he tried to force himself on her, but Malina escaped his grasp and fled to the sky. Igaluk followed her and continues to pursue her around the world. together bringing days and seasons around the world.

Nanuq, The spirit of the hunt, patron of polar bears.

Nanuq is a spirit that takes the form of a polar bear and a human. He determines the spirit of the hunt and luck. The Inuit People once believed to always thank Nanuq for their success during their hunt, and if a hunter fails to follow this ritual or cheats, Nanuq will curse the hunter with bad weather and bad luck.

However, if a hunter pleases Nanuq on their hunt, the polar bear spirit will grant the hunter an opportunity to hunt a polar bear, which were so valuable to the Intuit people in the old world, and a blessing of greater success than their previous hunt.

Kevin Moses is an award-winning videographer and director at the Montreal film festival in 2015, and at 26, he graduated from Algonquin College's professional writing program with the goal of becoming a published fiction writer. He recently written and published several short stories that are popular among young readers. He recently published his new novel, "Dreams of Magic," which many readers found thought-provoking, epic, entertaining, inspiring, and heartwarming.