The
Nanurluit [Inuit mythology]
Old Inuit
stories tell of a species of enormous bears that supposedly once inhabited the
frozen lands of the arctic. These behemoths were so huge that a swimming
Nanurluk resembled a floating iceberg. Since they were spirits and no normal
animals, it was possible for an angakkuq (an Inuit term that roughly translates
to ‘shaman’) to bind a Nanurluk and make it serve him. But this was no easy
task, and failing to control the creature was very dangerous.
Nanurluit
were notorious hunters, catching and devouring everything from whales and
walruses to the occasional humans. Because of their massive size and strength,
as well as their thick fur which was covered in ice and impenetrable for
harpoons and spears, these monsters were greatly feared.
And
rightfully so, because the giant bears were known to hunt humans. Despite their
large stature, these creatures could run very fast so pursuing human prey was
not difficult for them. Getting captured by a Nanurluk was a very grim fate, as
the monsters swallowed humans whole, suffocating them in its intestines.
These
creatures could be defeated, however: one myth tells of a group of hunters who
spotted a Nanurluk from their canoes. The monster noticed them too, and gave
chase to the hunters who were now fleeing in panic. The beast was a fast
swimmer but because of their exceptional efforts, the men reached the shore
before the giant bear and tried to make a stand on the ice.
In an
attempt to keep their enemy in the water, the hunters readied their spears and
stabbed the beast in its eyes. Blinded and enraged, the Nanurluk climbed ashore
but was eventually defeated by the brave hunters after a fierce struggle. The
men didn’t dare to eat the meat, for eating the flesh of a supernatural creature
would surely have consequences. But they couldn’t just leave the body there
either: what if this mysterious monster came back to life? Therefore, the
hunters decided to cut the carcass into pieces. And when they opened the
beast’s stomach, a number of human heads fell on the ice, for the monster had
been hunting people and eating their heads.
Source:
Christopher,
N., 2013, The Hidden: a compendium of arctic giants, dwarves, gnomes, trolls,
faeries, and other strange beings from Inuit oral history.
(source for both images: Eva Widermann, illustration for ‘L’Ours Géant: un conte Inuit’)