Arctic Art Sales - What is a Tupilak?

According to an article by Ole G. Jensen in Air Greenland's in-flight Magazine "Suluk", the word Tupilaq or Tupilak describes a wide variety of small figures which represent either tupilaqs or other mythical or spiritual creatures.

Originally the tupilaq was a creature composed of different materials such as animals parts, human hair, or even parts taken from a child's corpse. Those who knew about witchcraft, gathered these bits and pieces in a secret, isolated place, tied them together, chanted magic spells over them and allowed them to suck the energy from their own sexual organs.

Then the tupilaq was ready to be put into the sea and sent off to kill an enemy. This way of getting rid of one' s enemies, however, was not entirely without risk because if the targeted victim had greater powers of wizardry than the initiator, his power could reverse the tupilaq' s strength and potency like a boomerang. In other words, sending a tupilaq to harm an enemy
was a dangerous game.

Nobody ever found a real tupilaq. They have vanished, as they were made of peri-shable materials and, besides, they were not meant to be seen by others anyway. When the first Europeans came to East Greenland and heard about tupilaqs, they were curious and wanted
to know more about them. That's when people started carving tupilaqs to show them what they looked like.

The oldest known tupilaqs were made of wood and skin, and they resemble the authentic
ancient figures. Today these carvings are mostly associated with East Greenland, as the old days are more alive there, and its culture has always maintained a rich carving tradition.

From the early thirties until the late seventies the majority of tupilaqs were carved from sperm whale ivory. Those were the figures that most of us are familiar with and associate with a tupilaq. As a curiosity of the late sixties, some tupilaqs were carved from buffalo horn, which was imported from Africa by the old Greenland Trade Department KGH.

When the Endangered Species Act restricted the use of sperm whale ivory, other material such as narwhal- or walrus tusks and particularly caribou antler took over.

Today' s tupilaqs are harmless. The only danger you can face, is to start buying one as a souvenir and end up becoming a serious collector over time.

For pictures of tupilaks please follow the highlighted tupilak links below:
Tupilaks I | Tupilaks II | Tupilaks III | Tupilaks IV

"The Culture of Greenland in Glimpses". A new book by Ole G. Jensen
Click here for more information and to order.

Arctic Art Sales . Campbell River . B.C.. Canada . V9W 2N2
02-07-09 Phone: 1 (250) 286-3586 . Fax: 1 (250) 286-3587. E-mail: info@arcticartsales.com