Saumen Kar
Encyclopedia
Saumen kar literally means 'Man of Snow', or 'Snowman', and is the name given by the Inuit
people in the settlements of Northern Greenland
to a mythological figure similar to the yeti
and abominable snowman. It is also known by the name 'Tornit'. It is a hairy Polar
creature.
Saumen kars appear in many adventure games and a picture by artist Bobby Hernandez can be found in the book Monster Mythos - A Folklore Bestiary published by Tiki Machine, LLC.
Many Inuit in Greenland follow a form of shamanism
. As per shamanic culture, 'journeying' and storytelling form a central part of the lives of the saumen kars. The central myth of the saumen kars is that the young saumen kars are so monstrous that the elders need to be very skilled story-tellers because the only thing that can pacify a raging baby saumen kar is to be told a captivating story. All adult saumen kars thereby fulfilling the traditional role of the Shaman in Inuit Shamanic society
, where the Shamans filled not only the role of priest, healer and musician but also the village story-teller. Saumen kars were hence revered and not hunted, since they were seen as all having a similar status to a shaman.
Among the Canadian Inuit, the shaman was known as an Angakkuq
(Inuktitut
) or Angatkuq (Inuvialuktun
) (Inuktitut syllabics
ᐊᖓᑦᑯᖅ).
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
people in the settlements of Northern Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
to a mythological figure similar to the yeti
Yeti
The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology...
and abominable snowman. It is also known by the name 'Tornit'. It is a hairy Polar
Polar
- Science, technology, and mathematics :*Polar , a satellite launched by NASA in 1996*Polar , a strongly magnetic cataclysmic variable star system...
creature.
Saumen kars appear in many adventure games and a picture by artist Bobby Hernandez can be found in the book Monster Mythos - A Folklore Bestiary published by Tiki Machine, LLC.
Many Inuit in Greenland follow a form of shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
. As per shamanic culture, 'journeying' and storytelling form a central part of the lives of the saumen kars. The central myth of the saumen kars is that the young saumen kars are so monstrous that the elders need to be very skilled story-tellers because the only thing that can pacify a raging baby saumen kar is to be told a captivating story. All adult saumen kars thereby fulfilling the traditional role of the Shaman in Inuit Shamanic society
Shamanism among Eskimo peoples
Shamanism among Eskimo peoples refers to those aspects of the various Eskimo cultures that are related to the shamans’ role as a mediator between people and spirits, souls, and mythological beings...
, where the Shamans filled not only the role of priest, healer and musician but also the village story-teller. Saumen kars were hence revered and not hunted, since they were seen as all having a similar status to a shaman.
Among the Canadian Inuit, the shaman was known as an Angakkuq
Angakkuq
The Angakkuq , Angatkuq , Angakok or Ilisitsok is the intellectual and spiritual figure among the Inuit and corresponds to a shaman. Not only the Inuit, but also other Eskimo cultures know similar mediator persons...
(Inuktitut
Inuktitut
Inuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
) or Angatkuq (Inuvialuktun
Inuvialuktun
Inuvialuktun, or Western Canadian Inuit language, Western Canadian Inuktitut, Western Canadian Inuktun comprises three Inuit dialects spoken in the northern Northwest Territories by those Canadian Inuit who call themselves Inuvialuk .Inuvialuktun is spoken by the Inuit of the Mackenzie River delta...
) (Inuktitut syllabics
Inuktitut syllabics
Inuktitut syllabics is a writing system used by the Inuit in Nunavut and in Nunavik, Quebec...
ᐊᖓᑦᑯᖅ).
External links
- Shamanic Inuit Society
- Saumen kars and the Inuit
- Monster Mythos - A Folklore Bestiary
- Saumen kars and the Wild men archetype
Further Reading
- LLC Books. Inuit Legendary Creatures: Qiqirn, Akhlut, Ijiraq, Amarok, Saumen Kar, Tizheruk. ISBN 1158650086
- Hephaestus Books. Native American Legendary Creatures, Including: Cipactli, Ahuizotl (Creature), Chaneque, Xelhua, Nagual, Vision Serpent, Huay Chivo, Cadejo, Yahui, Qiqirn, Akhlut, Ijiraq (Mythology), Amarok (Wolf), Tizheruk, Saumen Kar, Bigfoot, Thunderbird (Mythology). ISBN 1244266396
- Hans Ruesch. Top Of The World. ISBN 950-637-164-4 (Hebrew version)
- Gontran De Poncins (1941). KabloonaKabloonaKabloona is a book by French adventurer Gontran de Poncins, written in collaboration with Lewis Galantiere. It was first published in the USA in 1941 as a selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club , in England in 1942, and in French in 1947...
. ISBN 1-55597-249-7 - Robert Hernandez. Monster Mythos - A Folklore Bestiary
- Rink, Henry (1875). Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo (with a Sketch of their Habits, Religion, Language and other Peculiarities). London. Reduced to HTML by Christopher M. Weimer, April 2003.