

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
-
New product!
Glacier Lodge Stay | Qeqertarsuaq | Disko Bay
Tour startsQeqertarsuaqDuration2 daysFrom 1695 DKKSee more -
4 hour Dog Sledding Tour | Kangerlussuaq | West Greenland
Tour startsKangerlussuaqDuration5 hoursFrom 2725 DKKSee more -
1 to 6 PASSENGERS INCLUDED
Oqaatsut Settlement | Private Tour | Ilulissat | Disko Bay
Tour startsIlulissatDuration3 hoursFrom 5850 DKKSee more -
Tailored for US flights
Arctic Blend: Wilderness Camping, Fjords Adventures & City Life | 6 Days in Nuuk
Tour startsNuukDuration6 daysFrom 13495 DKKSee more -
Guided Buggy Tour from Qassiarsuk | South Greenland
Tour startsQassiarsukDuration3.5 hoursFrom 1050 DKKSee more -
5.00(2)Children friendly tour!
Family friendly Dogsledding Express tour | Ilulissat
Tour startsIlulissatDuration1.5 hoursFrom 1495 DKKSee more -
5.00(2)
Northern Lights Tour | Kangerlussuaq | West Greenland
Tour startsKangerlussuaqDuration2 hoursFrom 550 DKKSee more -
5.00(1)1 To 6 Passengers Included
Private Catch’n’Eat | Qooqqut Nuan | Nuuk
Tour startsNuukDuration6 hoursFrom 14500 DKKSee more -
5.00(1)
4 hours Dogsledding tour| Ilulissat | Disko Bay
Tour startsIlulissatDuration4 hoursFrom 2595 DKKSee more -
5.00(1)
Boat Transfer between Kulusuk and Tasiilaq | East Greenland
Tour startsKulusuk TasiilaqDuration1 hourFrom 2000 DKKSee more -
5.00(1)
Snowshoe in the Northern Night | Ilulissat | Disko Bay
Tour startsIlulissatDuration2.5 hoursFrom 550 DKKSee more -
Price for 4 people!
Best of South Greenland by Helicopter | Qaqortoq | South Greenland
Tour startsQaqortoqDuration2.5 hoursFrom 28800 DKKSee more -
Snowmobile Adventure | Uummannaq | North Greenland
Tour startsUummannaqDuration4 hoursFrom 6000 DKKSee more -
Dog Sled Expedition | Tasiilaq | East Greenland
Tour startsTasiilaqDuration5 hoursFrom 1700 DKKSee more