

Tupilak – a souvenir that protects you
Published: 16/06/2020
Reading time: 2 minutes
Tupilak means ‘the ancestor’s spirit’ – As part of Inuit mythology, tupilaks were special and meaningful for Greenlandic tribes.
Nowadays, when travelers glimpse Greenlandic souvenirs for the first time, tupilaks are sort of a piece of art they can bring home, but not so often they know the meaning or the origin of tupilaks. Before turning into souvenirs, these unique carved figures possessed magical powers to annihilate enemies.



All these small or big tupilaks can be collectable, with totemic figures, happy or scary faces, erotic and misterious creatures related to fertility, sex, danger or evil, evoking superstition.
Not everybody was able to create tupilaks, first of all, the inuit creator had to be a warlock, or a shaman, who based on his experience and knowledge about witchcraft, could create a powerful monster made of animal bones, skin, hair, antlers, sinew, ribs, feathers, tusks, teeth, etc. Some people say, these magicians were also using human remains, taken from dead child’s bodies.



This carved figures had a very important mission: to protect the shaman against the enemy. Once they finished the tupilak, the owner and creator was gathering all the pieces, tying them as a pack and sending it into the sea, not before chanting magic spells over the tupilak, as part of the ritual, in order to find a very particular enemy and kill him using its power.



Sometimes they were looking for revenge, and sometimes they were just trying to protect themselves and their tribes. They had to be extremely clever choosing the best stuff for their tupilak, hoping the enemy was not yet sending his tupilak against him. There was always the possibility to fight versus a stronger tupilak, and suddenly get killed by the enemy.



Currently, some tupilaks you can find as souvenirs are mostly carved from wood, sperm whale ivory teeth, narwhal or walrus tusk, or caribou antlers. If you happen to visit Ilulissat, there is a nice workshop, where you can visit the artist carving bones or antlers. As a present for your family and friends, and also for yourself, buy a tupilak key chain, a ring, a display, or a pendant! Just in case, it would be nice to be protected by an ancestor’s soul!
Here is a nice video I’ve found. Filmed and Edited by Bastien Labat for LabatVideo:
Read more travel blogs from Gabriela Zendejas Maldonado
-
5.00(2)
Ilulissat Citywalk | Ilulissat | Disko Bay
Tour startsIlulissatDuration2 hoursFrom 450 DKKSee more -
4.67(3)
The Great Ice Adventure | 12 Days | Disko Bay & West Greenland
Tour startsFrom CopenhagenDuration12 daysFrom 38400 DKKSee more -
FLIGHTS FROM DENMARK INCLUDED!
8 Days of Autumn Wonders – Northern Lights and Icebergs | Nuuk & Ilulissat
Tour startsFrom CopenhagenDuration8 daysFrom 26400 DKKSee more -
New Exiting Tour
Guided tour in Nuuk with UTV (Utility Terrain Vehicles) | Nuuk
Tour startsNuukDuration1.5 hoursFrom 950 DKKSee more -
Price for 4 people!
Hot Spring Uunartoq & Glacier landing by Helicopter | Qaqortoq | South Greenland
Tour startsQaqortoqDuration2.5 hoursFrom 24400 DKKSee more -
5.00(49)
Northern Lights Tour | Nuuk | West Greenland
Tour startsNuukDuration2 hoursFrom 650 DKKSee more -
City tour and hike to the flower valley | Tasiilaq | East Greenland
Tour startsTasiilaqDuration5 hoursFrom 620 DKKSee more -
Flights included!
Kayak & Ice Hike | 8 Days | South Greenland
Tour startsFrom Copenhagen From IcelandDuration8 daysFrom 25300 DKKSee more -
Best of winter in Greenland | 5 Days in Sisimiut, West Greenland
Tour startsSisimiutDuration5 daysFrom 9300 DKKSee more -
5.00(2)
SUP amongst Icebergs originated from UNESCO World Heritage Site | Ilulissat
Tour startsIlulissatDuration3 hoursFrom 1095 DKKSee more -
New tour
Dog sledding tour to the UFO cabin | Sisimiut
Tour startsSisimiutDuration4 hoursFrom 2100 DKKSee more -
Flights Included!
Northern Lights Explorer | South Greenland
Tour startsFrom IcelandDuration8 daysFrom 25300 DKKSee more -
5.00(1)
East Greenland Photo Exploration | Tasiilaq
Tour startsKulusukDuration5 daysFrom 15000 DKKSee more -
5.00(8)Few departure times!
Point 660 Greenland Ice sheet tour | Kangerlussuaq
Tour startsKangerlussuaqDuration5 hoursFrom 850 DKKSee more -
Including flights from Denmark!
8 Days of Autumn Glow & Arctic Wonders in West Greenland | Nuuk & Sisimiut
Tour startsFrom CopenhagenDuration8 daysFrom 22700 DKKSee more -
Includes 7 to 10 passengers!
Archaeological sailing | Private Charter | Qasigiannguit | Disko Bay
Tour startsQasigiannguitDuration3 hoursFrom 5000 DKKSee more -
Includes 7 to 10 passengers!
Abandoned settlement visit | Private Charter | Qasigiannguit | Disko Bay
Tour startsQasigiannguitDuration3 hoursFrom 3800 DKKSee more -
5.00(2)
Oqaatsut Kayaking Day | Ilulissat | Disko Bay
Tour startsIlulissatDuration7 hoursFrom 2450 DKKSee more