tupilak
Meanings
noun
- A monster (either invisible or having a physical form constructed from animal bones, sinew, etc) created in secret by a shaman and sent into the sea to seek and kill a specific enemy.
- A (small) representation of such a monster, often carved from whale bone.
Word forms
Etymology
From Greenlandic tupilak or Inuktitut ᑐᐱᓚᒃ (topilak), ᑐᐱᓚᖅ (topilaq).
Related words
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