At the heart of many Eskimo stories is a simple yet reoccurring theme, the struggle to survive in a very harsh environment. The Canadian Arctic is a desperately cold and unforgiving place to live. It is amazing that people are able to survive there and establish homes. Despite the many generations to live on the ice, disaster is always close at hand.
The constant struggle to survive has produced a people who's lives are dominated by fear. They are rightfully afraid of the world around them. The ice is unpredictable, the polar bears are ferocious and the is the constant threat of blizzards. In order to survive the Inuit have developed a very unique world view and set of beliefs.
In addition to the lack of a central figure there is also no belief in the afterlife or the typical heaven or hell of Western religions. This is most likely due to the fact that survival was so challenging that the people did not need to worry about what would happen to them after death. Most of the traditional stories are about fear. People were afraid of the unknown and in a such a harsh and unforgiving place there was a lot to fear.
The beliefs are unique because there are no gods to worship or rulers to praise. An Inuit story is more likely to be about the rituals and taboos that are an integral part of life on the ice. The people are far more focused on making it through this world than worrying about the next. There is no notion of heaven or hell, no eternal damnation or punishment. Living on the ice is punishment enough for these people.
Spirits play a big part in any Inuit story. They are felt to be just as real as living humans. The spirits or, Anirniit, are the soul of a person or animal. They could be kind or evil, some were helpful to people, whilst others tried to do the humans harm or even kill them. Even more interesting is that the spirits could possess a person and take over their live. This in turn would bring all kinds of calamities down on the family.
When the story of Atanarjuat made it to the big screen viewers were amazed by the movie. It drew rave reviews from all around the globe. Audiences finally had the chance to see how profound and complex the Eskimo stories actually were. They were able to touch the hearts and souls of people from all over the world. In fact it was hailed as a breath of fresh air in a very jaded industry. The actors were all Inuit and this gave it an incredible level of authenticity.
Although many modern Inuit people have made Christianity their official religion they still turn to the old ways. It may be fairer to say that they have adapted Christianity to fit in with their traditional beliefs and ways. They still keep to the old rituals and taboos.
Taboos are a central theme of the Eskimo stories. Breaking a taboo either by accident or intent was seen as a very dangerous act. It could bring the wrath of the gods down on the family or the entire community. When survival is so difficult it is not surprising that these hardy people should have such a strong belief in the spirits of their ice world.
The constant struggle to survive has produced a people who's lives are dominated by fear. They are rightfully afraid of the world around them. The ice is unpredictable, the polar bears are ferocious and the is the constant threat of blizzards. In order to survive the Inuit have developed a very unique world view and set of beliefs.
In addition to the lack of a central figure there is also no belief in the afterlife or the typical heaven or hell of Western religions. This is most likely due to the fact that survival was so challenging that the people did not need to worry about what would happen to them after death. Most of the traditional stories are about fear. People were afraid of the unknown and in a such a harsh and unforgiving place there was a lot to fear.
The beliefs are unique because there are no gods to worship or rulers to praise. An Inuit story is more likely to be about the rituals and taboos that are an integral part of life on the ice. The people are far more focused on making it through this world than worrying about the next. There is no notion of heaven or hell, no eternal damnation or punishment. Living on the ice is punishment enough for these people.
Spirits play a big part in any Inuit story. They are felt to be just as real as living humans. The spirits or, Anirniit, are the soul of a person or animal. They could be kind or evil, some were helpful to people, whilst others tried to do the humans harm or even kill them. Even more interesting is that the spirits could possess a person and take over their live. This in turn would bring all kinds of calamities down on the family.
When the story of Atanarjuat made it to the big screen viewers were amazed by the movie. It drew rave reviews from all around the globe. Audiences finally had the chance to see how profound and complex the Eskimo stories actually were. They were able to touch the hearts and souls of people from all over the world. In fact it was hailed as a breath of fresh air in a very jaded industry. The actors were all Inuit and this gave it an incredible level of authenticity.
Although many modern Inuit people have made Christianity their official religion they still turn to the old ways. It may be fairer to say that they have adapted Christianity to fit in with their traditional beliefs and ways. They still keep to the old rituals and taboos.
Taboos are a central theme of the Eskimo stories. Breaking a taboo either by accident or intent was seen as a very dangerous act. It could bring the wrath of the gods down on the family or the entire community. When survival is so difficult it is not surprising that these hardy people should have such a strong belief in the spirits of their ice world.
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