Qalupalik

In the arctic north is a creature so terrifying, that children are warned to listen carefully when near the shore, for if they hear a distinctive humming sound, the Qalupalik is near.

The Qualupalik is a human-like sea creature, often compared to an evil, and ugly mermaid. It has green skin, long hair and long fingernails that look like claws. She wears an amauti, a sort of parka worn by Inuit women which contains a pouch to hold their babies on their back. This garment allows the Qalupalik to carry away the babies and children it finds near the coastline. 

This creature makes a distinctive humming sound, just under the water. This noise is meant to entice young children to the shore so she can snatch them up and take them away. What happens next is debated; some believe the children are taken and hidden away in a cave where they are put under a sleeping spell. Others say the Qalupalik eats the children. One thing they both agree on, is that the creature feeds off the energy of its victim. The energy of the innocent is what gives them the power to appear young, and live forever. As the child ages, so does the Qalupalik, only in reverse, therefore deeming the creature immortal.

The Qalupalik does not always wait at the water’s edge. Sometimes they will knock on the ice from below, enticing the child to search for the sound until they reach a weak part of the ice where they can break through and snatch the child away.

Whether there is any truth to this legend or not remains to be seen. Regardless, the telling of this story by the Inuit people to their children, has helped them keep them safe from the dangers of the icy waters below.