The indigenous inhabitants of Alaska once known as Eskimos are part of the Inuit population, hardy hunters that originally lived in northern regions of the United States, Canada, Greenland, and Russia. Although their traditional way of life has been largely lost to more modern ways, the unwritten Eskimo legends and stories from earlier days were passed down through the years and now are being recorded by scholars.
Today the preferred title for these people is Inuit, which means 'real people' in their own language. 'Eskimo' means 'raw meat eaters', a name given the northern hunters by American Indians who lived farther south. The tundra offers little food but meat from walrus, seal, and whale, and fuel for fires is hard to get.
Survival was never certain for the original settlers of the tundra. Modern times have seen disruption of the traditional way of life for the Inuit, with children educated in state schools, families living in modern housing, food coming from the grocery store, and snowmobiles replacing snowshoes and dog sleds. In the old days, hunters risked their lives to kill seals, whales, walrus, and even polar bears for food and warm clothing. Death from drowning, animal attack, starvation, illness, or old age infirmity was never far away.
We tend to think of Eskimos always living in igloos, but they used skin tents during the long summer hunts. Igloos were built of ice blocks and were easy to keep warm in the winter, mainly by the body heat of the inhabitants. Inuit people in other areas (Canada, Greenland, and Russia) sometimes lived in stone houses.
The Inuit folklore shows that hunting was an all-important skill and that enough to eat was the greatest good that man could know. Like other hunting tribes, the Eskimos believed that success came from being in harmony with all living things. Animals were believed to have souls and to give their lives willingly to a reverent hunter. All of nature was filled with spirits (good and bad), with gods, with ghosts, and with fantastical monsters.
There were supernatural elements in every legend; animals could speak but they were often really spirit (guides, guardians, or enemies) in disguise. Ghosts, fantastic creatures, and dancing spirits in the aurora borealis surrounded the Inuit day and night. Gods were believed to live in the waters. No one wanted to offend a spirit or a god.
The harsh living conditions in the Arctic are reflected in the tales. The family unit was the main social structure, and being an orphan was a fearful state. Many legendary figures began life as despised and mistreated orphans, who finally left their less than amiable caregivers and returned in triumph after finding supernatural help. Hunting prowess is a major theme, and there are tales to explain the origin of sun, moon, stars, animals, and people.
Eskimo legends are often grim, a far cry from the artistic and poetic myths of more civilized regions to the south. However, the human spirit triumphs over adversity in most of them. Much information found online is in summary form, since the translations made from direct interviews are frequently difficult to follow.
Today the preferred title for these people is Inuit, which means 'real people' in their own language. 'Eskimo' means 'raw meat eaters', a name given the northern hunters by American Indians who lived farther south. The tundra offers little food but meat from walrus, seal, and whale, and fuel for fires is hard to get.
Survival was never certain for the original settlers of the tundra. Modern times have seen disruption of the traditional way of life for the Inuit, with children educated in state schools, families living in modern housing, food coming from the grocery store, and snowmobiles replacing snowshoes and dog sleds. In the old days, hunters risked their lives to kill seals, whales, walrus, and even polar bears for food and warm clothing. Death from drowning, animal attack, starvation, illness, or old age infirmity was never far away.
We tend to think of Eskimos always living in igloos, but they used skin tents during the long summer hunts. Igloos were built of ice blocks and were easy to keep warm in the winter, mainly by the body heat of the inhabitants. Inuit people in other areas (Canada, Greenland, and Russia) sometimes lived in stone houses.
The Inuit folklore shows that hunting was an all-important skill and that enough to eat was the greatest good that man could know. Like other hunting tribes, the Eskimos believed that success came from being in harmony with all living things. Animals were believed to have souls and to give their lives willingly to a reverent hunter. All of nature was filled with spirits (good and bad), with gods, with ghosts, and with fantastical monsters.
There were supernatural elements in every legend; animals could speak but they were often really spirit (guides, guardians, or enemies) in disguise. Ghosts, fantastic creatures, and dancing spirits in the aurora borealis surrounded the Inuit day and night. Gods were believed to live in the waters. No one wanted to offend a spirit or a god.
The harsh living conditions in the Arctic are reflected in the tales. The family unit was the main social structure, and being an orphan was a fearful state. Many legendary figures began life as despised and mistreated orphans, who finally left their less than amiable caregivers and returned in triumph after finding supernatural help. Hunting prowess is a major theme, and there are tales to explain the origin of sun, moon, stars, animals, and people.
Eskimo legends are often grim, a far cry from the artistic and poetic myths of more civilized regions to the south. However, the human spirit triumphs over adversity in most of them. Much information found online is in summary form, since the translations made from direct interviews are frequently difficult to follow.
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