Unikkaaqtuat: An Introduction to Inuit Myths and Legends -

Unikkaaqtuat: An Introduction to Inuit Myths and Legends

Expanded Edition

Neil Christopher (Herausgeber)

Buch | Hardcover
320 Seiten
2023 | 2nd New edition
Inhabit Media Inc (Verlag)
978-1-77227-488-2 (ISBN)
24,90 inkl. MwSt
Unikkaaqtuat is the Inuktitut word meaning "to tell stories."


This definitive collection of Inuit legends is thoughtfully introduced and carefully annotated to provide the historical and cultural context in which to understand this rich oral tradition. Fascinating and educational, this little-known part of Canada's heritage will captivate readers of all ages. As a work of historical and cultural preservation, this textbook will be invaluable to those studying Inuit.

Neil Christopher is an educator, author, and filmmaker. He first moved to the North many years ago to help start a high school program in Resolute Bay, Nunavut. It was those students who first introduced Neil to the mythical inhabitants from Inuit traditional stories. Together with his colleague, Louise Flaherty, and his brother, Danny Christopher, Neil started a small publishing company in Nunavut called Inhabit Media Inc., and has since been working to promote Northern stories and authors. Germaine Arnattaujuq is an award-winning Inuit artist and illustrator, best known for her prints and etchings depicting Inuit myths and traditional ways of life. In 1999, she designed the special edition two-dollar coin commemorating the founding of the territory of Nunavut. She is the co-author, with Gyu Oh, of My Name Is Arnaktauyok: The Life and Art of Germaine Arnaktauyok, and she has illustrated numerous books. Germaine is the recipient of the 2021 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts. She lives in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

Table of Contents


Editor’s Note ....................................................................................................................................................................... 10


Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................ 11


Chapter One


How the World Came to Be and Other Creation Stories...................................................................25


The Struggle for Day and Night................................................................................................................................... 27


Origin of Death................................................................................................................................................................... 29


How Children were Formerly Obtained.................................................................................................................. 30


Thunder and Lightning................................................................................................................................................... 31


The Brother and Sister who Became Thunder and Lightning....................................................................... 33


Origin of the Sun and the Moon.................................................................................................................................. 35


The Mother of the Sea Mammals................................................................................................................................ 37


The Orphan Girl who Became the Mother of the Sea Mammals................................................................... 42


The Woman who Married the Dog ............................................................................................................................ 44


Origin of the Walrus and of the Caribou ................................................................................................................. 48


Origin of the Caribou....................................................................................................................................................... 50


Origin of the Narwhal...................................................................................................................................................... 51


How the Narwhal Came.................................................................................................................................................. 58


Origin of the Agdlaq......................................................................................................................................................... 62


The Hunters that Transformed into a Constellation.......................................................................................... 64


The Akla that Turned into Fog..................................................................................................................................... 65


Origin of Fog........................................................................................................................................................................ 67


Origin of the Red Phalarope and of the Web-footed Loon............................................................................... 71


The Ptarmigan.................................................................................................................................................................... 73


The Ptarmigan and the Snow Bunting..................................................................................................................... 74


The Ptarmigan and the Small Bird ............................................................................................................................ 75


The Wind .............................................................................................................................................................................. 76


The Loon and the Raven................................................................................................................................................. 77


Chapter Two


Mistreatment and Consequence ..............................................................................................................79


Qaudjaqdjuq........................................................................................................................................................................ 81


The Boy who Harpooned a Whale ............................................................................................................................. 86


The Artificial Skull that Frightened People to Death......................................................................................... 89


Papik....................................................................................................................................................................................... 91


Pautusôrssuaq, who Murdered his Uncle............................................................................................................... 95


The Wife-changers ........................................................................................................................................................... 98


The Man who did not Observe Taboos .................................................................................................................... 100


The Emigration to the Land Beyond the Sea......................................................................................................... 102


Podluksak............................................................................................................................................................................. 106


Murdering a Stranger...................................................................................................................................................... 107


Tale of an Agdlaq............................................................................................................................................................... 110


The Emigration of Women............................................................................................................................................ 112


The Woman who Escaped to the Moon................................................................................................................... 114


Atanaarjuat.......................................................................................................................................................................... 121


Lice.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 128


Storm Caused by a Loon................................................................................................................................................. 129


Chapter Three


Journeys and Adventures ...........................................................................................................................131


Kiviuq..................................................................................................................................................................................... 133


Kiviuq..................................................................................................................................................................................... 140


Atungait................................................................................................................................................................................. 150


The Soul ................................................................................................................................................................................ 157


The Soul that Let itself Be Born Again in all the Animals of the Earth....................................................... 161


Chapter Four


Hardships and Famine ................................................................................................................................165


Ijimagasukdjukdjuaq....................................................................................................................................................... 167


Igimagajug, the Cannibal ............................................................................................................................................... 170


Karnapik, the Cannibal................................................................................................................................................... 174


Separated from Camp...................................................................................................................................................... 177


Kating Saved his Family in Time of Famine........................................................................................................... 179


Taboos and Starvation .................................................................................................................................................... 182


An Unsuccessful Whale Hunt....................................................................................................................................... 183


The Old Woman and her Grandchild........................................................................................................................ 186


The Woman who Could not Be Satiated.................................................................................................................. 189


Chapter Five


Animals in Human Form.............................................................................................................................193


The Woman who Heard Bears Speak ....................................................................................................................... 195


The Man who Took a Wife from Among the Wild Geese.................................................................................. 198


The Man who Took a Fox for a Wife.......................................................................................................................... 202


Ititaujang .............................................................................................................................................................................. 205


Dialogue between Two Ravens ................................................................................................................................... 210


The Man who Married the Fox .................................................................................................................................... 213


The Boy who Lived on Ravens..................................................................................................................................... 219


The Visitor............................................................................................................................................................................ 222


The Woman who Transformed herself into a Bear ............................................................................................ 226


The Woman who Became a Bear and Killed her Enemy.................................................................................. 229


The Fox .................................................................................................................................................................................. 233


The Woman who Became a Raven............................................................................................................................. 234


Story of Three Girls .......................................................................................................................................................... 236


The Fox and the Wolf....................................................................................................................................................... 240


The Bear Country.............................................................................................................................................................. 241


The Country of the Bears and Wolves...................................................................................................................... 243


The Muskox ......................................................................................................................................................................... 246


The Country of the Wolves............................................................................................................................................ 247


How Inuit Learned the Proper Taboos for when a Bear is Killed................................................................. 250


The Polar Bear and the Boy.......................................................................................................................................... 251


The Woman and her Bear Cub..................................................................................................................................... 255


Chapter Six


Animal Fables.................................................................................................................................................259


The Owl and the Lemming............................................................................................................................................ 261


The Owl and the Lemming............................................................................................................................................ 263


The Bear and the Caribou.............................................................................................................................................. 264


The Owl and the Raven................................................................................................................................................... 265


The Foxes.............................................................................................................................................................................. 266


The Fox and the Rabbit................................................................................................................................................... 268


The Owl and the Two Rabbits...................................................................................................................................... 269


The Owl that was Too Greedy...................................................................................................................................... 270


The Owl and the Bear...................................................................................................................................................... 272


The Race of the Worm and the Louse....................................................................................................................... 273


The Raven that was Anxious to be Married........................................................................................................... 274


Glossary................................................................................................................................................................................. 277


References............................................................................................................................................................................ 285

Erscheinungsdatum
Illustrationen Germaine Arnattaujuq (Arnaktauyok)
Zusatzinfo 100 Line drawings, black and white
Verlagsort Toronto
Sprache englisch
Maße 203 x 254 mm
Gewicht 549 g
Themenwelt Literatur Historische Romane
Sozialwissenschaften Ethnologie
Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie
ISBN-10 1-77227-488-7 / 1772274887
ISBN-13 978-1-77227-488-2 / 9781772274882
Zustand Neuware
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