Tradition / Region: Greenlandic Mythology
Alternative names: –
Category: Bear
The Myth
The Sermilik, meaning “ice-clad,” is a gigantic and extremely dangerous polar bear said to inhabit the seas around Aasiaat in Greenland. Although it resembles an ordinary polar bear, its exceptionally long fur is completely coated in ice, allowing it to blend into its frozen surroundings.
The creature is known for lying in ambush beneath the surface of the water. Hunters are taught that what appear to be four harmless lumps of floating ice may actually be the four paws of a waiting Sermilik.
According to tradition, young hunters are warned never to paddle near these suspicious patches of ice, for the hidden beast may suddenly emerge from the sea and attack anyone who ventures too close.
Sources
A Book of Creatures. (2019, June 21). Sermilik. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://abookofcreatures.com/2019/06/21/sermilik/