The Greenlanders’ Myths and Legends

Record summary

Knud Rasmussen’s Greenlandic collections include traditions concerning angekkok ritual specialists, helping spirits, sea beings and the tupilaq, a deliberately made hostile entity in Greenlandic lore. The lead is valuable for comparing constructed or summoned intermediary beings with later occult and paranormal narratives, while retaining its status as folklore and religious tradition. Accounts circulated through field notes, Danish publications and translations, so wording and dating differ. A researcher should identify the exact collection and informant context rather than cite “Greenlandic legend” generically.