Amarok (wolf) facts for kids

An Amarok (pronounced Ah-mah-rok) is a giant, mythical wolf from Inuit religion. The Inuit are native people who live in the Arctic regions of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska. Unlike regular wolves that hunt in packs, the Amarok hunts alone. It is said to stalk and eat anyone who is brave (or foolish) enough to hunt by themselves at night.

In the 1800s, a Danish explorer named Hinrich Johannes Rink studied the people of Greenland. He wrote that the Greenlandic Inuit used the word Amarok only for this legendary wolf. Other Arctic groups, however, used the word for any wolf.

Amarok: The Giant Wolf of Inuit Legends

Stories of the Amarok

Hinrich Johannes Rink collected many traditional stories from the Inuit people. He wrote them down in his book, Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo. These stories often featured the Amarok.

The Boy Who Grew Strong

One story tells of a boy who was small and often picked on. He wanted to become stronger. One day, he called out to a spirit of strength. An Amarok appeared and wrestled the boy to the ground using its tail. As they wrestled, small bones fell from the boy's body.

The Amarok told the boy that these bones had stopped him from growing. It told him to come back every day to wrestle and get stronger. After several days, the boy became very powerful. He was strong enough to defeat three large bears! This made his village respect him greatly.

The Mourner and the Amarok

Another tale is about a man who was sad because a family member had died. He heard that an Amarok was nearby. So, he and another relative went to find it. They found the Amarok's pups instead. The sad man killed all the pups.

His relative became very scared. They quickly hid in a cave. From the cave, they saw the adult Amarok return. It was carrying a reindeer in its mouth for its pups. When the Amarok could not find her young, she became very angry. She rushed to a nearby lake and pulled a human-like shape from the water. At that exact moment, the sad man collapsed. The story says the Amarok, "from which nothing remains concealed," took the mourner's soul from his body.

In some old stories, people manage to capture or even kill an Amarok. Many believe the myth of the Amarok came from ancient Inuit tales about large, powerful wolves, possibly like the extinct dire wolves.

See also

• Amaguq
• List of wolves
• Due South, season 1, episode 9/10; "A Cop, a Mountie and a Baby"