Greenland is residence to a few of the world’s oldest storytelling traditions, courting again over 4000 years. Greenlandic Inuit tradition is steeped in terrifying tales of monsters, myths and legends – every providing invaluable life classes about respecting nature and one another.
I bear in mind the primary time I discovered about certainly one of Greenland‘s monsters – the Qivittoq, a wandering spirit and mountain walker. I used to be listening to a pleasant Greenlander sharing myths from her residence nation as we sat at Copenhagen Airport. Lykke, who’s half Danish, half Greenlandic Inuit, advised me in regards to the terrifying creature as we waited to board a aircraft in direction of mentioned monster. She wasn’t to know that I’ve an irrational concern of zombies.
I used to be terrified.
So, coming throughout Maria Bach Kreutzmann’s work years later as a bonafide ‘monster hunter’, I used to be intrigued. Who would wish to go looking for these legendary creatures via historic paperwork, archives, and, extra importantly, in individual?
‘The rationale I name myself a monster hunter is as a result of it’s a straightforward option to clarify to folks what I do,’ Maria laughs after I ask her. ‘I exploit that title after I give talks in colleges. After I inform youngsters I disseminate tradition, they don’t perceive what meaning. However after I inform them I hunt and discover the monsters from our tales like Newt Scamander within the Harry Potter universe, they get it.’
As a author who deep-dives into tradition via traditions and life-style, I’ve at all times been fascinated by Greenlandic Inuit storytelling, such because the artwork of Uaajeerneq – masks dancing – which dates again 4000 years. Passing on tales of resilience and survival via generations through verbal storytelling usually requires giving these classes a visible type so they’re straightforward to recollect.
‘As a result of our historical past hasn’t been traditionally written down and we nonetheless move quite a lot of tales down orally, I gather tales and discuss mythology in visible methods,’ Maria says. ‘Individuals usually come as much as me to inform me tales and myths they grew up with, and my job as a monster hunter is to gather these tales, doc them, and recount them to others.’
Falling for monsters
Born to an Indigenous Inuk father and Danish mom, Maria grew up in Nuuk, the place her grandfather co-founded Greenland’s Nationwide Museum within the Sixties. And this curiosity and calling to share cultural information appears to run within the household.
When she was little, she was fascinated by monsters, creatures and mythology depicted within the motion pictures she watched. Maria went on to turn into a skilled animator with a background in pc graphics and 3D illustrations, and a self-proclaimed skilled nerd. ‘After dwelling in London for a number of years and at last falling homesick, I moved again residence to shift my focus again onto the mythology of my very own folks,’ Maria shares.
In 2017, she based Glaciem Home, which is derived from the Latin phrase for ice. ‘I name it a home of icy curiosities as a result of I do quite a lot of issues,’ she provides. ‘I share Greenland’s tradition and historical past. A subset of that tradition is the monstrous mythology.’
Personifying nature
The tales Maria collects emerged out of the necessity to survive in a very harsh surroundings. ‘Monsters and creatures had been used to elucidate sure issues that might occur to you while you’re out in nature,’ Maria explains. This meant Greenlandic Inuit handed down tales of survival by personifying nature. With such a deep symbolic relationship between nature and other people in indigenous tradition, the surroundings wasn’t seen as separate.
‘Nature turns into its personal entity, its personal individual, in our tales. The Arctic is among the harshest environments wherein to outlive because of snow and ice. We invented tales to show us how you can survive by turning nature into its personal entity that we should work together with.’
Sassuma Arnaa – illustration courtesy of Coco Lynge. The Amarok – illustration courtesy of Agust Kristinsson.
Encountering legends
Probably the most iconic is Sassuma Arnaa – Mom of the Sea. Legend says her father minimize off her fingers and threw her into the ocean. Her digits grew to become sea creatures similar to whales, seals and walruses, and her hair grew to become the waves. Whereas lately in Qaqortoq, a neighborhood fisherman advised me the explanation he couldn’t catch sufficient lumpfish that season was as a result of Sassuma Arnaa was indignant. When folks throw trash into the ocean, it will get tangled in her hair, and he or she will get irate.
When Maria shares this symbolism with faculty youngsters, she explains that it’s essential to maintain the ocean clear as a result of we depend on the marine animals that dwell in Sassuma Arnaa’s hair to outlive, and if we pollute the ocean she gained’t launch them to people.
‘Previously, for those who broke conventional taboo guidelines, she could be the punisher of your folks,’ provides Maria. ‘Over time, she has shifted from being this actually scary lady into being a consultant of how we deal with mom nature. So, after we discuss world warming and ocean air pollution, we discuss her. International warming has a big impact not solely on our cultural lifestyle but in addition on our economic system, which depends on the fishing trade.’
There’s additionally the story of the Amarok, an enormous magical wolf that stalks and devours folks at night time. Arctic wolves reside primarily in northeast and japanese Greenland. A confused wolf searching for meals may, every now and then, wander to Western Greenland, the place folks hardly ever encounter wolves. As soon as sighted, it immediately will get labelled a legendary creature. ‘Though now we have the Greenlandic sled canine, which is bigger than Siberian huskies, an Arctic wolf is even larger.’
These mythological tales are nonetheless tied to on a regular basis dwelling in Greenland and have advanced to emphasize the significance of defending nature for the sake of each folks and wildlife.
Fearsome fables
If there’s one monster that commonly seems in Greenlandic popular culture and flicks, it’s the mountain walker-wandering spirit that I used to be launched to on the airport: the Qivittoq. These are individuals who have left their communities in disgrace, anger or grief, to go and wander and survive within the harsh wilderness on their own – an virtually unimaginable process in Greenland.
Over time, they’ve been elevated into this terrifying, ghostly creature. As a result of they survive by nonetheless being near the neighborhood with out being seen, they’ve turn into an city legend of kinds.
”The mountain walker nonetheless scares me,’ Maria confesses. ‘I’m very superstitious, and I’ve been advised tales by individuals who have had run-ins with the Qivittoq… seeing them climbing up the cliffs and leaping from mountain prime to mountain prime.’
Different scary creatures embrace the Erlaveersiniooq – The Intestine Eater – who seems to hikers out within the wild and invitations them into her hut for respite. She tries to make them snigger, and in the event that they smile again, she slices open their stomachs, which is a lesson in trusting random strangers.
The Ikusik is a limbless zombie-like corpse that hides in darkish areas and lives out within the fjords. It crawls on its elbows at speeds quick sufficient to catch a operating human and eat them alive. ‘We draw parallels on how you’ll scare youngsters and educate them to not run away or wander off from the household as a result of a monster might get them – the surroundings being hostile,’ Maria says. ‘I bear in mind as a toddler, I assumed the Ikusik was the scariest factor on the earth.’
Right this moment, city legend says there’s an Ikusik that lives in a tunnel below Nuuk, one which lives near an previous church in an deserted settlement, and one other that lives proper below the harbour in Qasigiannguit and snatches individuals who get too near the sting.
The ethical of those tales?
To outlive in life, you have to pay attention to your environment, tread rigorously and above all, respect nature.
Meet Maria and go looking for monsters on the brand new Greenland Expedition, the place she’ll educate you in regards to the nation’s deep storytelling traditions. Discover out what else is new for 2025 with The Items.
Header picture courtesy of Leiff Josefsen.
