Tradition / Region: Inuit mythology
Category: Monster spirit · Failed helping spirit
The Myth
Kigutilik, whose name means “the one with the giant teeth,” is a terrifying spirit encountered during a spring sealing expedition. It rose suddenly from an opening in the ice, described as being as large as a bear but even taller, with long legs swollen at the joints. The creature had two tails, a single enormous ear attached only by a fold of skin, and a mostly bare body with hair growing only in ragged fringes. Its teeth were immense, likened to the tusks of a walrus.
When Kigutilik emerged, it released a thunderous roar—“Ah—ah—ah!”—so overwhelming that the man fled in terror, abandoning the encounter. Because of this fear, he failed to secure Kigutilik as a helping spirit, losing the chance to bind its power.
Kigutilik stands as an example of unclaimed spiritual force in Inuit tradition: a being whose power can only be gained through courage and composure, and which vanishes from those who recoil in fear.
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
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Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive