Kiviuq facts for kids

Kiviuq (also called Qiviuq or Kiviok) is a famous hero from the Inuit people. The Inuit live in the Arctic regions of northern Canada, Alaska, and Greenland. Kiviuq is known for his amazing adventures and travels.

Kiviuq is an eternal wanderer in Inuit stories. His world is full of spirits, giants, and even sea monsters. These creatures often cause trouble for him. He travels by walking, using a dog sled, or paddling his kayak (qajaq). Sometimes, huge fish even carry him! Kiviuq has special supernatural powers. These powers help him overcome all the challenges he faces during his journeys across the North.

Tales about Kiviuq's many adventures are told by Inuit people all over the Arctic. It is said that Kiviuq has lived a very long time and has had many lives. The details of his adventures can change depending on where the story is told and who is telling it. For example, in Greenland, he is known as "Qooqa." In Alaska, he is called "Qayaq." The name Qayaq is short for Qayaqtuaġiŋñaqtuaq, which means 'He who will always long to go roaming in his qayaq'.

Discovering Kiviuq's Stories

Franz Boas was a famous researcher who studied different cultures. In 1904, he noted that the Kiviuq legend was one of the most well-known adventure stories. It is a circumpolar legend about a hunter-hero who travels far and wide.

Boas described a version of the story. In this tale, Kiviuq goes out in his kayak. He passes many dangerous places. Then he reaches a coast where he meets an old witch. This witch tries to harm visitors with her sharp tail. Kiviuq escapes her by covering his chest with a flat stone. After that, he finds two women living alone. He helps them catch fish. Finally, he travels home and finds his son has grown up.

Different Versions of the Legend

The stories of Kiviuq are told in many ways. Each version adds something special to his long journey.

Kiviuq and the Orphan Boy

One popular legend tells of Kiviuq's friendship with an orphan boy. This boy lived with his grandmother. Other boys would often tease and bully him. They would make fun of him, and his clothes would get ripped. Kiviuq was the only one who was kind to the boy.

The grandmother grew tired of her grandson being bullied. She decided to get revenge. She changed her grandson into a seal. Then she had him swim out to sea. The mean boys, including Kiviuq and his brother, followed the seal. They wanted to hunt it. But before the hunters could reach the seal, the old woman created a big storm. The storm drowned everyone except the seal and Kiviuq. The seal swam safely back to shore. There, the old woman turned him back into a boy. Kiviuq drifted away in his kayak. He continued his adventures, living with people in many different lands.

Netsilik People's Story

In a story from the Netsilik people, the world will end when Kiviuq's face turns completely into stone. Elders say that his face is now half stone. This change has been happening for about 100 years.

Inuit elders believe that Kiviuq is on his last adventure now. However, they say he will return to see his people before he dies. Many versions of the Kiviuq story have been passed down through oral tradition. Today, new Inuit storytellers are writing and drawing these tales. This helps keep the stories alive for future generations.

Qikiqtaarjuk is a place linked to Kiviuq. It was once an island in Hudson Bay but is now a peninsula.

Kivalliq Region's Tale

In the Kivalliq Region, the story of the orphan boy is told a bit differently. The boy lived with his grandmother. He was teased and bullied every day. He would come home crying with torn clothes. His grandmother, who had poor eyesight, had to sew his clothes daily. She got tired of the bullying and made a plan.

They had a seal that someone had caught for them. The grandmother asked her grandson to skin it carefully. He had to make sure not to make any holes in the skin. The boy did as she asked. Then, she told him to put the seal skin on. He had to make sure he could see through the small eye holes, just like a seal. He followed her instructions. Next, she asked him to put his head in a pail of water. He had to stay there until he needed to breathe. The boy did this over and over. He practiced until he could stay in the water for a very long time. The sun had moved across the sky by the time he came up for air!

The grandmother was pleased. She told him to secretly go into the water with the seal skin on. He needed to get the mean boys to notice him, pretending to be a seal. Once they noticed him, he had to lure them out into the ocean. The boy did exactly what his grandmother told him. The mean boys saw him and thought he was a real seal. Kiviuq and his brother were among these boys.

After he lured them far out to sea, the boy waved his arms and legs. He cried like a baby and asked for the wind to come. It is believed that the weather on the day you are born belongs to you. So, the boy called for the wind, and it came. The strong wind drowned all the mean boys, but Kiviuq survived.

Kiviuq was a very strong boy. He fought hard against the waves for many days. Finally, he found land. People believe he is still out there, living. He is so old that his body is hard as stone. But his heart is still beating. If his heart ever stops beating, they say the world will end.

Kiviuq in Inuit Art

The Kiviuq legend is shown in many artworks by Canadian Inuit artists. Some famous artists include Jessie Oonark (1906-1985) and her daughters, Janet Kigusiuq, Victoria Mamnguqsualuk, and Miriam Marealik Qiyuk.

Kigusiuq and Mamnguqsllaluk learned these stories from their grandparents in the 1930s and 1940s. Oonark's mother and father, and her mother-in-law Naatak, were all storytellers. They shared these tales with their grandchildren. Oonark's well-known drawing and print from 1970, called "Dream of the Bird Woman," also refers to Kiviuq. It shows an Inuk facing dangerous challenges during his kayak journeys. This legend was described by Franz Boas as the most widely known Inuit legend in the entire circumpolar region.