In
Inuit mythology, the Qallupilluit (a.k.a. Qalupalik) are a creature that live along Arctic shorelines near ice floes. They are said to steal children that wander too close to the water. This myth served the purpose of protecting children from a dangerous environment, keeping them from wandering too close to the ice.
Appearance
The accounts of the appearance of the Qallupilluit differ across tales, but there are some commonalities. The Qallupilluit is often described as having green, slimy skin, long hair, and long fingernails. Their hands are webbed like an aquatic creature, along with scales and fins. It wears an
amautik, an Inuit parka mostly worn by women.
Some say that their parkas are made of
eider duck feathers and are used to carry kidnapped children.
It is said to have two flippers, one is able to emit a shrill sound that paralyzes its victims. They also have the ability to alter their appearance, through a technique known as ''pilutitaminik''.
While some interpretations include the pronoun 'he', the Qallupilluit is predominantly described in a feminine manner. It is said that the Qallupilluik uses the abducted children to maintain her long, flowing hair. She also has long fingernails and wears an amautik, a traditionally feminine garment.
Mythology
They lurk under the water in the Arctic regions of the world, living along the coast.
The Qallupilluit hunt along the ice floes, kidnapping children that wander too close. One strategy they use for hunting is to emit an ethereal hum that will draw children closer to the water so they can be pulled in. Accounts vary as to what actually happens to the taken children. Some versions say that the child is simply devoured, while others say that they are held in a stasis-like state and used to fuel the youth of the Qallupilluit.
Qallupilluit can be outsmarted by its targets. They are said to be invulnerable in their natural state, but some clever Inuit hunters found a way to bypass this. They would call out to it, and ask it to change shape for them, usually into something like a seal or a whale. Then, they could kill it and bring home a valuable catch.
There are tales of children willingly being given to a Qallupilluit. One such tale is about a grandmother and her grandson, struggling without food. The grandmother called upon a Qallupilluit to come and take him away, as she was not able to feed him and he would be better off. Once the tribe was able to successfully hunt again, a young Inuit couple took it upon themselves to retrieve the child. They were able to track him down, tethered to a piece of seaweed by the Qallupilluit so he could not escape her. However, they were not able to retrieve him because the Qallupilluik would drag him back under the waves whenever they got too close. They stealthily hid nearby all night long, and cut him loose once the sun rose.
This tale has different variations, some versions have the grandmother giving the child to the Qallupilluit as a punishment, or becoming a great hunter after being rescued.
In media
* The Qallupilluit is featured in the popular children's book ''A Promise Is A Promise'' by
Robert Munsch and
Michael Kusugak Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak ( Inuktitut: ᐊᕐᕚᕐᓗᒃ ᑯᓱᒐᖅ) is a storyteller and a Canadian Inuk children's writer, who tells stories about Arctic and Inuit culture. He was born April 27, 1948, just north of Chesterfield Inlet, at a poi ...
. In the story, a young Inuit child must outwit the Qallupilluit in order to save her siblings.
* The Qallupilluit is featured in the graphic novel ''
Putuguq & Kublu & the Qalupalik'' by
Roselynn Akulukjuk and
Danny Christopher.
* The Qallupilluit was featured in the book ''
The Qalupalik
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...
'' by
Elisha Kilabuk and
Joy Ang
The word joy refers to the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, and is typically associated with feelings of intense, long lasting happiness.
Dictionary definitions
Dictionary definitions of joy typically include a sense of ...
. It is about an encounter between a young orphan and the Qallupilluit.
* The Qallupilluit is featured in the indie game ''
Beneath Floes'', which was released to critical acclaim.
* The Qallupilluit is featured in the animated short film ''Qalupalik'', a project by the
Nunavut Animation Lab
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary fi ...
.
*The legend of the Qalupalik is referenced in the tenth episode of
season 9
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pola ...
of ''
Murdoch Mysteries
''Murdoch Mysteries'' is a Canadian television drama series that premiered on Citytv on January 20, 2008, and currently airs on CBC. The series is based on characters from the ''Detective Murdoch'' novels by Maureen Jennings and stars Yannick B ...
'', titled 'The Big Chill'.
* The Russian
avant-prog
Avant-prog (short for avant-garde progressive rock) is a music genre that appeared in the late 1970s as the extension of two separate progressive rock subgenres: Rock in Opposition (RIO) and the Canterbury scene.
History and characteristics
...
band Kalutaliksuak was named after Qalupalik.
References
Inuit mythology
Inuit legendary creatures
Bogeymen
{{NorthAm-myth-stub