BESTIARIUM GREENLANDICA: A compendium of the mythical creatures, spirits, and strange beings of Greenland
MARIA BACH KREUTZMANN (ed.), UJAMMIUGAQ ENGELL, AGUST KRISTINSSON, CARINA LILLEGAARD LØVGREEN, CHRISTIAN FLEISCHER REX, COCO APUNNGUAQ LYNGE, JONATAN BRÜSCH, MAJA-LISA KEHLET
Eye of Newt Books
$25.18 hardcover, available now
Rating: 5* of five
The Publisher Says: Meet the motley crew of dangerous, cheeky, and fantastical beings of Greenland!
The world of Greenlandic mythology is inhabited by creatures that have played a vital role in Inuit beliefs and stories throughout the ages. The Bestiarium is a collection of what is generally known about these diverse beings, spirits, and animals. Their stories are gritty, cruel, and reflect from the harsh landscape and lifestyle of ancient Greenland.
Descriptions are paired with illustrations by contemporary Greenlandic illustrators that transport these mythological beings into the 21st Century. A brief history of Greenland and the shaman tradition launches the reader into the ancient world of Greenland and how myth and legend told generation after generation can mould and depict a place that was dark and grim as mischievous and lively and full of natural wonders.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: A world of mythology I was utterly unaware that I was unaware of has gripped my imagination.
where we're going
what we're speaking
how we know what we're talking about is legit
some explanations of how this all goes down
She seems nice. Not. Also, aren't you cold, ma'am?
NIGHTMARE!
Poochie's got some 'tude.
They're creepy, and they're gorgeous.
An amazing tale; an artwork that's stare-able.
Who on your gifting list loves mythology? Loves to poke into cultural corners not already familiar? Is there a budding Greta Thunberg who would like to know what it is we're protecting when we shout at the PTB to stop playacting at solutions to the emissions debacle?
A book like this one will fill that slot under the Yule tree with only a minimum of tutting about its technological origins. I think you'll get big points for reaching outside the easy, ordinary ideas, too.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MYTHICAL MONSTERS OF GREENLAND: A Survival Guide
MARIA BACH KREUTZMANN (illus. Coco Apunnguaq Lynge)
Inhabit Media
$24.95 hardcover, available now
Rating: 5* of five
The Publisher Says: This book introduces kids to all the creepy, spooky, and downright scary creatures told about in traditional Greenlandic mythology.
What should you do if you encounter a Qivittoq? Can you outrun the fabled Ikusik? And what is a Tupilak made of?
About 4500 years ago, the first Inuit landed in Greenland via North America, bringing with them stories about the mythical beings that lived alongside them. These creatures and monsters have survived the ravages of time and tide, although they have sometimes had to re-invent themselves to fit the modern world.
This handy pocket guide will help guide you through the do’s and don'ts should you encounter any of these creatures in the Arctic wilderness.
Happy hunting!
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Back to Greenland we go, thence to learn more about the cultural fear and coping with the unknown traditions.
What an excellent personification of vengeance! Really looks the part, and goodness knows we're in for a spell of that entity's ascendance.
The Northern lights are the road of the dead in Inuit tradition. I'd like to travel that road when I die.
This dude, OTOH, can stay right the hell away!
I think this is one of the world's great unmined storyverses. The scope to being these down to the rich, film-hungry Global South could do this small, Indigenous-run press pretty darn well financially.
The scope of Inuit culture is steadily changing. Climate change means we're at risk of not knowing what it is we're putting in danger of disappearance. Spending some pleasantly scary time learning what makes the Inuit kids have nightmares isn't remotely painful with this beautiful object as a guide.
A good way to get some coolness credibility with your grand or nibling whose environmebtal consciousness hasn't made them lose interest in getting Yule gifts.
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