Mythology, History, and Interesting Facts
Imagine walking alone across the Arctic snow when you hear someone laughing. You turn around, but there’s nobody there. Then you hear it again, a little closer this time. In Inuit folklore, that could mean you’ve attracted the attention of Mahaha, a sinister supernatural being with a particularly unpleasant habit: tickling people to death. Also … Read more
Imagine calling into the Arctic wilderness for help, only to find an enormous wolf answering your plea. Worse still, it wraps its tail around you and throws you to the ground. This is one of the stranger encounters with Amarok, a formidable wolf-like being found in Inuit storytelling. Sometimes called Amaroq, the creature appears in … Read more
Imagine walking across the Arctic sea ice when you hear a strange humming sound beneath your feet. Somewhere below the frozen surface, something is waiting. In Inuit folklore, that something might be a qallupilluk, a mysterious water-dwelling creature said to carry unsuspecting children away beneath the ice. Known collectively as the qallupilluit, these frightening beings … Read more
The Ijiraq, also known as the Ijiraat, are scary creatures in Inuit mythology that have the ability to change their shape and deceive people in order to do mischievous and nasty things. But what exactly are they? What do they look like? And in which Inuit folktales do they appear? Read on to learn all … Read more