Athropolis HOME   |   Maps   |   Arctic Links   |   Arctic Library
Click to go HOME
From our library of things you should know about the Arctic


The Spirits of All Things

Traditional Inuit beliefs are a form of animism, according to which all objects and living things or beings have a spirit.

The belief is that all things happen though the involvement of some spirit. Spirits can affect people's lives and can be controlled by magical charms and talismans.

Various taboos were observed to make sure that animal spirits were not offended, and when animals were killed for food, it was done according to certain rituals. Communal rites centered on preparation for the hunt as this was the most important activity for survival in a hostile environment.

Although anyone with the appropriate charms or amulets could have some control over these spirits, the person best equipped to control spirits was the shaman - the central religious figure in traditional Inuit culture. His functions included blessing the hunt, treating sickness, and providing advice in times of crisis.

In Arctic Canada, Greenland, Labrador, and southern Alaska, large numbers of Inuit have converted to Christianity.

PICTURE: Shaman mask.

MORE...
Click pictures for more information and credits.
Library: Arctic, Inuit
Links: Arctic, Inuit, Archaeology
Nunavut Map, Arctic Maps & Weather Reports


Double-click any unlinked word DICTIONARY: Just "double-click" any unlinked word on this page for the definition from Merriam-Webster's Student Electronic Dictionary at Word Central.
Arctic Library ARCTIC LIBRARY & GLOSSARY: Check this section for an index of the rest of the things you really need to know about the Arctic.
All sorts of Arctic Maps ARCTIC MAPS & WEATHER REPORTS: Maps of the Northwest Passage, explorers' routes, iceberg sources, Nunavut, the Arctic by treeline, temperature...
Links to related sites. ARCTIC LINKS: Even more information! Links to sites related to the Arctic and "Iceberg: the Story of the Throps and the Squallhoots".
A Guide to Arctic Sunrise and Sunset GUIDE TO ARCTIC SUNRISE & SUNSET: How much sunlight or darkness is there in the Arctic on each day of the year?

Search for more on this topic...from Athropolis!
(1) Click the button for Web (below) to search the World Wide Web
(2) Click button for
WWW.ATHROPOLIS.COM to search this web site

 
Web WWW.ATHROPOLIS.COM
Icy Cold Jokes | Icy Games | E-mail | Athropolis HOME
Copyright © 2005 Athropolis Productions Limited. The content of web sites that this site has links
to is the property of their respective owners, and Athropolis is not responsible for their content.