Uvavnuk
Encyclopedia
Uvavnuk was a female angakkuq
(shama) of the Iglulik Inuit
in the early 20th century, and now considered an oral poet
.
Uvavnuk has been written about in several books on mysticism. A common report is that she experienced a "glowing ball of fire in the sky" and afterwards gained a "telepathic sensitivity" helping her know the "thoughts and hidden actions of others". She has been described as a healer. Uvavnuk has been described as an Inuit female shaman of the Netsilik or Iglooik tribes, and also as a "shamaness". After her visual experience with the "ball of fire", she reportedly sang this song:
Vavanuk's poems have appeared in collections of poetry appear in online collections, and have been used by peace groups such as Out Beyond Ideas in songs. Her poetry was initially recorded in a book called Song of Uvavnuk by Knud Rasmussen sometime in the early 1900s.
Angakkuq
The Angakkuq , Angatkuq , Angakok or Ilisitsok is the intellectual and spiritual figure among the Inuit and corresponds to a shaman. Not only the Inuit, but also other Eskimo cultures know similar mediator persons...
(shama) of the Iglulik Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
in the early 20th century, and now considered an oral poet
Oral poetry
Oral poetry can be defined in various ways. A strict definition would include only poetry that is composed and transmitted without any aid of writing. However, the complex relationships between written and spoken literature in some societies can make this definition hard to maintain, and oral...
.
Uvavnuk has been written about in several books on mysticism. A common report is that she experienced a "glowing ball of fire in the sky" and afterwards gained a "telepathic sensitivity" helping her know the "thoughts and hidden actions of others". She has been described as a healer. Uvavnuk has been described as an Inuit female shaman of the Netsilik or Iglooik tribes, and also as a "shamaness". After her visual experience with the "ball of fire", she reportedly sang this song:
- The great sea moves me, sets me adrift.
- It moves me like algae on stones in running brook water.
- The vault of heaven moves me.
- Mighty weather storms through my soul.
- It carries me with it.
- Trembling with joy.
Vavanuk's poems have appeared in collections of poetry appear in online collections, and have been used by peace groups such as Out Beyond Ideas in songs. Her poetry was initially recorded in a book called Song of Uvavnuk by Knud Rasmussen sometime in the early 1900s.
Sources
- Penny Petrone. Northern Voices: Inuit Writing in English. University of Toronto Press, 1992. ISBN 080207717X, 9780802077172. Pg 21.