Inuit mythology has many similarities to the religions of other polar regions. Inuit traditional religious practices could be very briefly summarised as a form of shamanism based on animist principles. Location of the polar regions Northern Hemisphere permafrost (permanently frozen ground) in purple. ... For other uses, see Inuit (disambiguation). ... This article is about the practice of shamanism; for other uses, see Shaman (disambiguation). ... The term Animism is derived from the Latin anima, meaning soul.[1][2] In its most general sense, animism is simply the belief in souls. ...

In some respects, Inuit mythology stretches the common conception of what the term "mythology" means. Unlike Greek mythology, for example, at least a few people have believed in it, without interruption, from the distant past up to and including the present time. While the dominant religious system of the Inuit today is Christianity, many Inuit do still hold to at least some element of their traditional religious beliefs. Some see the Inuit as having adapted traditional beliefs to a greater or lesser degree to Christianity, while others would argue that it is rather the reverse that it true: The Inuit have adapted Christianity to their worldview. For other uses, see Mythology (disambiguation). ... The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the Ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is...

Inuit traditional cosmology is not religion in the usual theological sense, and is similar to what most people think of as mythology only in that it is a narrative about the world and the place of people in it. In the words of Inuit writer Rachel Attituq Qitsualik: Cosmology, from the Greek: κοσμολογία (cosmologia, κόσμος (cosmos) order + λογια (logia) discourse) is the study of the Universe in its totality, and by extension, humanitys place in it. ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ...

The Inuit cosmos is ruled by no one. There are no divine mother and father figures. There are no wind gods and solar creators. There are no eternal punishments in the hereafter, as there are no punishments for children or adults in the here and now. The Ancient and Medieval cosmos as depicted in Peter Apians Cosmographia (Antwerp, 1539). ...

Indeed, the traditional stories, rituals and taboos of the Inuit are so tied into the fearful and precautionary culture required by their harsh environment that it raises the question as to whether they qualify as beliefs at all, much less religion. Knud Rasmussen asked his guide and friend Aua, an angakkuq (shaman), about Inuit religious beliefs among the Iglulingmiut (people of Igloolik) and was told: "We don't believe. We fear." Living in a varied and irregular world, the Inuit traditionally did not worship anything, but they feared much. Some authors debate the conclusions we might deduce from Aua's words, because the angakkuq was under the influence of missionaries, and later he even converted to Christianity — converted people often see the ideas in polarisation and contrasts, the authors say. Their study also analyses beliefs of several Inuit groups, concluding (among others) that fear was not diffuse.^[1] A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value, which is prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. ... This article is about cultural prohibitions in general, for other uses, see Taboo (disambiguation). ... Knud Johan Victor Rasmussen (June 7, 1879–December 21, 1933) was a Greenlandic polar explorer and anthropologist. ... The intellectual and spiritual figure among Inuk peoples (formally known as Eskimoes) was termed Angakkuq, and corresponds to a shaman mediator among some family lineages. ... This article is about the practice of shamanism; for other uses, see Shaman (disambiguation). ... Igloolik, sometimes spelled Iglulik, is a community in Nunavut, northern Canada. ... For other uses, see Missionary (disambiguation). ...

Anirniit

The Inuit believed that all things had a form of spirit or soul (in Inuktitut: anirniq - breath; plural anirniit), just like humans. These spirits were held to persist after death - a common belief present in practically all human societies. However, the belief in the pervasiveness of spirits - the root of Inuit myth structure - has consequences. According to a customary Inuit saying "The great peril of our existence lies in the fact that our diet consists entirely of souls." By believing that all things - including animals - have souls like those of humans, killing an animal is little different from killing a person. Once the anirniq of the dead - animal or human - is liberated, it is free to take revenge. The spirit of the dead can only be placated by obedience to custom, avoiding taboos, and performing the right rituals. The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus (breath). // The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning breath (compare spiritus asper), but also soul, courage, vigor, ultimately from a PIE root *(s)peis- (to blow). In the Vulgate, the Latin word translates Greek (πνευμα), pneuma (Hebrew (רוח) ruah), as... For other uses, see Soul (disambiguation). ... Inuktitut (Inuktitut syllabics: (fonts required), literally like the Inuit) is the name of the varieties of Inuit language spoken in Canada. ...

The harshness and randomness of life in the Arctic ensured that Inuit lived constantly in fear of unseen forces. A run of bad luck could kill and begging potentially angry and vengeful but unseen powers for the necessities of day-to-day survival is a common consequence of a precarious existence even in modern society. For the Inuit, to offend an anirniq was to risk extinction. The principal role of the angakkuq in Inuit society was to advise and remind people of the rituals and taboos they needed to obey to placate the spirits, since he was held to be able to see and contact them. The red line indicates the 10°C isotherm in July, commonly used to define the Arctic region border Satellite image of the Arctic surface The Arctic is the region around the Earths North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. ...

The anirniit were seen to be a part of the sila - the sky or air around them - and were merely borrowed from it. Although each person's anirniq was individual, shaped by the life and body it inhabited, at the same time it was part of a larger whole. This enabled Inuit to borrow the powers or characteristics of an anirniq by taking its name. Furthermore, the spirits of a single class of thing - be it sea mammals, Polar Bears, or plants - were in some sense held to be the same, and could be invoked through a sort of keeper or master who was connected in some fashion with that class of thing. In some cases, it is the anirniq of a human or animal who became a figure of respect or influence over animals things through some action, recounted in a traditional tale. In other cases, it is a tuurngaq, as described below. In Inuit mythology, Silap Inua or Sila was, similar to mana or ether, the primary component of everything that exists; it is also the breath of life and the method of locomotion for any movement or change. ... A Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), a member of Order Cetacea A Leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), a member of infrafamily Pinnipedia A West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus), a member of Order Sirenia A pair of Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris), a member of family Mustelidae A Polar bear (Ursus maritimus), a member... This article is about the animal. ...

Since the arrival of Christianity among the Inuit, anirniq has become the accepted word for a soul in the Christian sense. This is the root word for a number of other Christian terms: anirnisiaq means angel and God is rendered as anirnialuk - the great spirit. This article is about the supernatural being. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

Tuurngait

Some spirits were by nature unconnected to physical bodies. These figures were called tuurngait (singular tuurngaq) and were regarded as evil and monstruous, responsible for bad hunts and broken tools. They could also possess humans, as recounted in the story of Atanarjuat. The angakkuq could fight or exorcise them, or they could be held at bay by rituals; but they could also be caught and enslaved by an angakkuq, who could then turn them against free tuurngait. Atanarjuat (or The Fast Runner) is a Canadian film, released in 2001. ...

Tuurngaq has, with Christianisation, taken on the additional meaning of demon in the Christian belief system. “Fiend” redirects here. ...

Angakuit

The angakkuq (Inuktitut syllabics ᐊᖓᑦᑯᖅ^[2] or ᐊᖓᒃᑯᖅ^[3], also angakuq; plural angakuit) of a community of Inuit was not the leader, but rather a sort of healer and psychotherapist, who tended wounds and offered advice, as well as invoking the spirits to assist people in their lives, or as often as not fighting them off. His or her role was to see, interpret and exhort the subtle and unseen. Angakkuq were not trained - they were held to be born with the ability and to show it as they matured. Rhythmic drums, chants and dances were often used in the performance of the duties of the angakkuq. Illumination (Inuktitut: qaumaniq) was often used by the angakkuq to describe a spiritual aura, the removal of which could, in their opinion, result in death. The intellectual and spiritual figure among Inuk peoples (formally known as Eskimoes) was termed Angakkuq, and corresponds to a shaman mediator among some family lineages. ... The Inuktitut syllabary (Inuktitut: ᑎᑎᕋᐅᓯᕐᒃ ᓄᑖᕐᒃ titirausiq nutaaq) is a writing system used by Inuit people in Nunavut and in Nunavik, Quebec. ... A healer is someone who intends to aid recovery from ill health, including alleged faith healers. ... Psychotherapy is an interpersonal, relational intervention used by trained psychotherapists to aid clients in problems of living. ... Black and white Kirlian photo of a fingertip. ...

The function of the angakkuq has largely disappeared in Christianised Inuit society.

Deties

Below is an incomplete list of Inuit myth figures thought to hold power over some specific part of the Inuit world:

• Sedna - the master of sea animals
  • Sedna (Sanna in modern Inuktitut spelling) is known under many names, including Nerrivik, Arnapkapfaaluk, Arnakuagsak, and Nuliajuk.
• Nanook - (Nanuk in the modern spelling) the master of polar bears
• Tekkeitsertok - the master of caribou

This article is about the Inuit goddess. ... In Alaskan Inuit mythology, Nerrivik was the sea-mother and provider of food for the Inuit people. ... Arnapkapfaaluk (big bad woman) was the sea goddess of the Inuit people of Canadas Coronation Gulf area. ... In Inuit mythology, Arnakuagsak (old woman from the sea) was an Inuit goddess, one of the primary deities of the religion, who was responsible for ensuring the hunters were able to catch enough food and that the people remained healthy and strong. ... In Inuit mythology, Nanook was the master of bears, meaning he decided if hunters had followed all applicable taboos and if they deserved success in hunting bears. ... This article is about the animal. ... In Inuit mythology, Tekkeitsertok is a god of hunting and the master of deer, one of the most important hunting gods in the pantheon. ... Caribou redirects here. ...

Notes

1. ^ Kleivan & Sonne 1985:32
2. ^ Inuktitut Living Dictionary
3. ^ Inuktitut Living Dictionary

References

• Kleivan, Inge; B. Sonne (1985). Eskimos: Greenland and Canada, Iconography of religions, section VIII, "Artic Peoples", fascicle 2. Leiden, The Netherlands: Institute of Religious Iconography • State University Groningen. E.J. Brill. ISBN 90-04-07160-1. 
• Laugrand, Frédéric; Jarich Oosten; François Trudel (2000). Representing Tuurngait. Memory and History in Nunavut, Volume 1. Nunavut Arctic College. 

Nunavut Arctic College is funded by the Government of Nunavut and has several campuses and centres spread out throughout Nunavut, Canada. ...

Further reading

Aakuluujjusi is the great creator mother among the Inuit people. ... In Inuit mythology, Akna (mother) is a goddess of fertility and childbirth. ... In Inuit mythology, Arnakuagsak (old woman from the sea) was an Inuit goddess, one of the primary deities of the religion, who was responsible for ensuring the hunters were able to catch enough food and that the people remained healthy and strong. ... Arnapkapfaaluk (big bad woman) was the sea goddess of the Inuit people of Canadas Coronation Gulf area. ... In Inuit mythology, Asiaq is a weather goddess (or, more rarely a god) and was quite frequently invoked by the Angakoq for good weather. ... In Inuit mythology, Aulanerk is a friendly sea god who rules over the tides, waves and joy. ... The Caribou Mother is an Inuit deity who represents the source of caribou, formerly a vital food source for the Inuit people. ... In Inuit mythology, Kadlu refers to either one goddess or three sisters who presided over thunder. ... (Malina can also be a surname. ... In Alaskan Inuit mythology, Nerrivik was the sea-mother and provider of food for the Inuit people. ... In Inuit mythology, Nujalik is the goddess of hunting on land. ... // Goddess In Inuit mythology, Pinga (the one who is up on high) was a goddess of the hunt, fertility and medicine. ... In Inuit mythology, Pukkeenegak is a goddess of children, pregnancy, childbirth and the making of clothes. ... In Inuit mythology, Sedna (Inuktitut Sanna, ᓴᓐᓇ) is a sea goddess and mistress of the animals, especially mammals such as seals, of the ocean. ... In Inuit mythology, Tootega is a wisened old goddess, who lives in a stone hut and has the ability to walk on water. ... In Inuit mythology, Aipaloovik is an evil sea god associated with death and destruction. ... In Inuit mythology, Akycha is a solar deity worshipped in Alaska. ... In Inuit mythology, Alignak is a lunar deity and god of weather, water, tides, eclipses and earthquakes. ... In Inuit mythology Amaguq is a trickster and wolf god. ... In Inuit mythology, Eeyeekalduk is the god of medicine and good health. ... In Inuit mythology, Idliragijenget is the god of the ocean. ... In Inuit mythology, Igaluk is one of the most powerful gods of the pantheon. ... In Inuit mythology, Ignirtoq is a god of light and truth. ... In Inuit mythology, Issitoq (also Isitoq) is a deity that punishes those who break taboos. ... In Inuit mythology, Nanook was the master of bears, meaning he decided if hunters had followed all applicable taboos and if they deserved success in hunting bears. ... In Inuit mythology, Negafook is a god of weather systems, particularly wintry cold ones. ... In Inuit mythology, Nootaikok was a god who presided over icebergs and glaciers. ... In Inuit mythology, Pana was the god who cared for souls in the underworld (Adlivun) before they were reincarnated. ... In Inuit mythology, Tarquiup Inua is a lunar deity. ... In Inuit mythology, Tekkeitsertok is a god of hunting and the master of deer, one of the most important hunting gods in the pantheon. ... In Inuit mythology, Tornarsuk is a god of the underworld and head of the protective gods known as the tornat. ... In Inuit mythology, the Tornat are a group of protective gods, led by Tornarsuk. ... In Inuit mythology, Torngasoak (or Torngasak) is a very powerful sky god, one of the more important deities in the Inuit pantheon. ... In Inuit mythology, Tulugaak was the creator of light. ... In Inuit mythology, the Adlet are monsters that drink blood. ... In Inuit mythology, Adlivun (those beneath us; also known as Idliragijenget) refers to both the spirits of the departed who reside in the underworld, and that underworld itself, located beneath the land and the sea. ... In Inuit mythology, Agloolik is a spirit that lives underneath the ice and gives aid to fishermen and hunters. ... In Inuit mythology, Akhlut is a spirit that takes the form of both a wolf and a whale. ... Amarok is the name of a giant wolf in Inuit mythology. ... In Inuit mythology, Anguta is a psychopomp, ferrying souls from the land of the living to the underworld, called Adlivun where they must sleep for a year. ... In Inuit mythology, Atshen is a cannibalistic spirit. ... In Inuit mythology, Aumanil is a kind and beneficient spirit. ... In Inuit mythology, the Ishigaq were little people, similar to fairies. ... In Inuit mythology, Keelut is an evil chthonic spirit who resembles a hairless dog. ... In Inuit mythology, Kigatilik is a vicious, violent demon, especially known for killing shamans. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... A mythical large snake-like creature that is said to in the waters near Key Island, Alaska. ... In Greenlandic Inuit folklore, a Tupilaq (Tupilak) was an avenging monster fabricated by a practitioner of witchcraft or shamanism by using various objects such as animal parts (bone, hair, etc. ... In Inuit mythology, Wentshukumishiteu is a water-elemental which fiercely protected the young of various animal species from human hunters. ... In Inuit mythology, Apanuugak is a culture hero who was sometimes depicted as a error-prone warrior who lives to old age or as a dastardly villain. ... In Inuit mythology, Ka-Ha-Si was a lazy Inuit boy who was shunned by his tribe for his constant sleeping. ... Kiviuq (also spelled Qiviuq, Kiviuk and other variants) is the hero of an epic of the Inuit of the Arctic regions of northern Canada, Alaska and Greenland. ... Among the Inuits of Alaska, the inoGo tied (house of spirits) refers to a luck and protection talisman made from blubber encased in seal fur. ... In Inuit mythology, Inua or Inuat refers to a sort of soul which exists in all people, animals, lakes, mountains and plants. ... In Inuit mythology, Silap Inua or Sila was, similar to mana or ether, the primary component of everything that exists; it is also the breath of life and the method of locomotion for any movement or change. ...

External links

• Bestla.dk - Mythology and Folklore of Greenland (Danish and English, original texts by Knud Rasmussen)
• Interviewing Inuit Elders / Perspectives on Traditional Law, an online glossary of terms related to Inuit culture