Aklark & Aterak
BOND BETWEEN MAN AND BEAR:
Although the Inuit hunted polar bears and polar bears occasionally killed Inuit, the Inuit still had a great respect for these creatures. There were a lot of similarities between the Inuit way of life and that of the bear. The process of selecting a site, constructing a den and then living in it parallels the building of an igloo and both bears and the Inuit hunted in order to survive. Perhaps the fact that bear and Inuit man were so alike can explain why the Inuit are so adept at tapping into the essence of these creatures in order to create ornate sculptures depicting their likeness. It is a tradition that spans far into the past and will no doubt continue well into the future
LEGENDS OF THE BEAR:
Acting as spirit guides wasn’t the only skill that bears possessed back in times gone by. According to Inuit legend, in the age where man and beast enjoyed a closer co-existence, bears were able to transform into people and even utilize weapons, though they were still recognizable as bears because they always appeared much sturdier than regular humans. Many Inuit believed that when bears entered their dens in winter time, they removed their skin and adopted a human-like form. Perhaps this would explain the dwindling numbers of polar bears that are about today. Maybe some of them have simply shed their skins and integrated themselves into the human world.
There were also tales of bears transforming themselves into birds and blocks of ice in order to avoid being killed by hunters. Other legends told of bear spirits tormenting those who refused to share their food and delivering captured prey to those who were starving due to being outcast by their peers, displaying yet again the spiritual significance of these creatures. The bear was considered to be a magical animal, possessing a myriad of supernatural powers.
THE DANCING BEAR:
Bears in Inuit carvings are frequently shown to be dancing. This is also related to the ancient spirituality of the Inuit shamans. When shamans needed to communicate with dead people, invisible entities or human beings in far away places, they danced whilst playing drums in order to summon the Tuurngaits to assist them. When a Tuurngait arrived, the visible appearance of the shaman would alter and his tarniq and arnirniq would merge together with those of the Tuurngait, resulting in the shaman either acting like a bear or adopting the form of a bear whilst continuing to play the drums and dance.
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