Messengers from the Invisible World among the Inuit of the Eastern Arctic
The relationships that Inuit maintain with qupirruit (small critters) and the knowledge they have about them remain unknown. In the few available studies that can be found, the emphasis has been mainly on the fears and terror that these little animals bring to humans. Their role in the shamanic initiations has also been emphasized, these small critters being in contact with death and able to revive or to metamorphose. Using classical and contemporary oral sources, this paper addresses a very different aspect of small critters, their role as messengers. Qupirruit are entities able to guide humans in their gestures and their decision-making. They can sometimes accompany them and protect them, or announce events to come. While shamanic traditions are now underground, it is necessary to wonder whether these little critters are not perceived more positively than before, notwithstanding their ambivalence.