Adlet facts for kids

The Adlet (or Erqigdlet) are mysterious creatures from Inuit stories in places like Greenland, Labrador, and near Hudson Bay. In these tales, Adlet are often described as having the lower body of a dog and the upper body of a human. They are known for being very fast runners.

Sometimes, the word "Adlet" was used by Inuit people to talk about certain Native American tribes who lived inland. However, in other stories, Adlet are seen as a separate race of half-human, half-dog beings.

In Inuit legends, Adlet are often shown fighting with humans. They are said to be taller than both Inuit and white people. Some stories even say they were cannibals, meaning they ate people. The Inuit from Labrador use the name "Adlet," while those living west of Hudson Bay use "Erqigdlit." For Inuit in Greenland and Baffin Island, who didn't live near Native American tribes, the term "Adlet" always meant the half-human, half-dog creatures.

Some people think the name "Adlet" might come from an Inuit word meaning "those below." Another idea is that it comes from a word meaning "striped ones," possibly referring to Native Americans who painted their faces.

Origin of the Adlet

The story of how the Adlet came to be is a famous Inuit legend. A scientist named Franz Boas wrote down many Inuit stories, including this one, after hearing it in Baffin Island. People in Greenland tell a very similar story.

The legend tells of a young woman named Niviarsiang. She refused to marry any man. Instead, she chose to marry a dog named Ijirqang, who had white and red spots.

Niviarsiang and Ijirqang had ten children. Five of them were regular dogs, but the other five were Adlet. These Adlet had the lower body of a dog and the upper body of a human.

Since Ijirqang didn't hunt, Niviarsiang's father, Savirqong, had to feed the large, noisy family. Eventually, he took the dog children and the Adlet children to a small island. He told Ijirqang to come back daily for meat. But when Ijirqang swam ashore with boots around his neck, Savirqong filled the boots with stones, and Ijirqang drowned.

To get revenge, Niviarsiang sent her dog children to bite off her father's hands and feet. Later, when Niviarsiang was in her father's boat, he kicked her overboard. As she held onto the boat's edge, he cut off her fingers. When her fingers fell into the ocean, they turned into whales and seals!

Niviarsiang was worried her father might hurt the Adlet, so she sent them to live inland. From these Adlet, a large group of people grew. She sent the dog children across the ocean in a makeshift boat. When they arrived on the other side, they became the ancestors of the Scandinavians (people from northern Europe).

Adlet Stories

Many stories about the Adlet were written down by researchers in the 1800s and 1900s.

The Tornit and the Adlet

One story was told by an Inuit person from Smith Sound. It's about two Tornit (another mythical race from Inuit stories) who found themselves among wild, people-eating Adlet. The Tornit secretly left at night. As they escaped, they cut the ropes on the Adlet's sleds that held the parts together. The dogs started barking, but when the Adlet tried to get on their sleds, the sleds fell apart, and the Tornit got away safely.

Aselu the Dog

The Inuit people of Point Barrow, Alaska, tell a story about a dog named Aselu. He was tied to a stick but managed to bite through it and free himself. He then went inside a home and had children with a woman. From them, both humans and dogs were born.