Tradition: Yupik Mythology, American Mythology
Alternative Names: Fireball
Category: Flame
The Myth
The Itqiirpak is a terrifying supernatural creature from Yupik folklore, appearing either as a crimson fireball flickering over the sea in the western sky or as a gigantic hand rising from the ocean. The monstrous hand has a mouth on each fingertip and one enormous mouth in the centre of its palm. Both forms are associated with death and disaster, making the Itqiirpak a dreaded sight for coastal communities.
The Itqiirpak is a harbinger of terrible misfortune, sometimes appearing before disasters and sometimes bringing harm directly to those it considers troublesome. In one story, a male Itqiirpak burned its way into a qasgiq, the traditional men’s communal house, where it seized ill-mannered children and dragged them outside to devour them. The only sound heard was the crunching of their bones. When the men returned, they saw the creature jumping up and down on the ice like a blazing fire. They eventually killed it by setting a swinging blade-trap for it.
The female Itqiirpak, however, remained at large. Taking the form of the monstrous hand, it continued to appear as an omen of impending death. In more recent stories, the crimson fireball has been seen before tragedies within Yupik communities, including the drowning of two children in the Kun River in 2007. The Itqiirpak thus remains a frightening presence associated with unexplained tragedy, appearing over the sea as a warning of misfortune to come.
Sources
“Itqiirpak.” A Book of Creatures. November 20, 2020. https://abookofcreatures.com/2020/11/20/itqiirpak/