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Qurviluarruq (Scary Igloo)

This is a legend about an abandoned igloo haunted by a frightening being called Qurviluaruq. In the old days, people told this story to discourage children from going out alone at night.

Artist: Stephanie POV Long ago, when Inuit still lived in igloos, there were strange spirits and scary beings in many different places. Children liked the scary feeling they felt when they went to a place that might be haunted by a spirit. Sometimes, children waited in abandoned igloos late at night, hoping to see something scary.

So their parents told them about a creature called Qurviluaruq. Qurviluaruq was a small creature, smaller than a human being, who could get into an abandoned igloo by rolling in through the window. If Qurviluaruq saw a child, he would snatch the child away, and no one would ever see them again.

Of course, children were frightened by the very idea of Qurviluaruq. So at night, children stayed close to home.

Tip

Use this story to talk about scary feelings. Ask the children to tell you about something that happened to make them feel very scared or afraid.

Excerpt from: Unikkaangualaurtaa (Let's Tell a Story)