Tradition: Greenlandic Mythology, Canadian Mythology, Inuit Mythology
Alternative Names: Katutajuit; Katutajuk; Katutayuit
Category: Dwarf
The Myth
The Katutayuk are a strange race of dwarfs with enormous human-like heads carried on tiny legs. Their bodies are extremely small, with some traditions describing them as having no arms or torsos at all, only legs extending directly from beneath their oversized heads. Other accounts say that they have only three toes.
Very little is known about the Katutayuk, but they are associated with misfortune and wandering. Their lives are said to consist of one unfortunate event after another, leaving them doomed to roam the earth without ever finding a permanent home. They wander through the wilderness, appearing in places where strange disturbances have occurred.
Their presence may sometimes be detected without seeing the creatures themselves. The sounds of the Katutayuk moving through the night can be heard in the wilderness, while their wandering may leave behind broken or overturned objects. They are also blamed for strange holes suddenly appearing in the walls of igloos. These disturbances are caused by the Katutayuk as they continue their endless wandering through the land.
Sources
“Katutajuk.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed October 4, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/katutajuk