« Return to the Inuit legends list

Inugagulliq

A long time ago, there was an Inuk dwarf [Inugagulliq] who was tracking a fox. He was following the fox’s footprints. He followed the fox’s footprints down a steep hill. He followed the fox’s footprints along the side of a small creek. He followed the fox’s footprints up into a grassy meadow.

Just a few minutes ahead on the path, there was an Inuk hunter who was tracking a fox. He was following the fox’s footprints. He followed the footprints down a steep hill. He followed the fox’s footprints along the side of a small creek. He followed the fox’s footprints up into a grassy meadow.

Artist: Tivi Paningina The Inuk hunter caught the fox first. And so when the Inugagulliq came along, he saw that the Inuk hunter already had the fox. The Inugagulliq said to the Inuk hunter, “I have small children at home. Would you be so kind as to share with me the Mimiq [thigh] of the fox so I can feed my family?

The Inuk hunter refused the request of the Inugagulliq. He said no, even though the Inugagulliq wanted only one thigh, which would be enough for the small man’s family.

When the Inuk hunter refused his request, the Inugagulliq was very unhappy. And he was actually an Inugagulliq shaman, so he cast a spell on the Inuk hunter. He said, “Aarlulutit Aittarit” [Face the sky and open your mouth.]

The Inuk hunter immediately turned his face skyward and opened his mouth wide. The hunter who had refused to share the fox with the Inugagulliq and his hungry family had been cursed by the shaman’s spell.

The Inuk hunter headed back to his camp. He walked through the grassy meadow with his face turned skyward and his mouth wide open. He walked along the creek with his face turned skyward and his mouth wide open. He walked up the steep hill with his face turned skyward and his mouth wide open.

All the way back to his home, the Inuk hunter walked with his face turned skyward and his mouth was wide open.

Finally, the Inuk hunter who had refused to give the Mimiq of a fox to the Inugagulliq with a hungry family returned to camp. He went inside his tent, and only then did his head face forward and his mouth close shut.

He had been cursed by the Inugagulliq.

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