Suqtuq (suq.tuq)

"Suqtuq watches to remind us what we owe to each other."

— Unughuit saying

Suqtuq is the god of the skies over Umingmak, born from the beliefs of the Unughuit and the Tuniit peoples, making him one of the Anirniit. He is the god of social order and conformity, and watches over all that the people do on the ground to ensure that they are not endangering their ilagiits through poor conduct or neglect. When he sees something he disapproves of, Suqtuq will use the weather to signal his opprobrium to those below. This may be as gentle as a freezing wind sent to chill the offender, or if the offense is more serious it could involve snow, hail, or lightning.

Manifestation

Suqtuq appears as a gigantic eye, high up among the clouds over Umingmak. From the ground, the eye is as large as the sun or moon, and is constantly moving, glancing from one spot to another on the world below. Sometimes he will descend closer to the ground, as if to peer at some detail, but never lower than the mountaintops. Some people claim that Suqtuq has a vast and invisible serpentine body, but this cannot be confirmed by observation from below.

Folklore

The Mirror of Ice

In those days a long time ago, there was an angaqoq who was selfish, and wished to have all the best for himself. He would steal food, claiming he needed it to interact with the Anirniit and keep the ilagiit safe. He would demand favors from the people, requiring them to serve him in demeaning ways, else he would tell the spirits that the ilagiit was wicked and deserving of punishment. And to hide his behavior from Suqtuq, he constructed a great mirror of ice that he would sit beneath, so that the great eye would see only clouds and not what the angaqoq was doing.
In this way, he evaded the gaze of Suqtuq for a long time, and the people of his ilagiit believed him that if he was lying, the great eye would strike him down. But one day, Suqtuq's gaze passed over the mirror and the god noticed the clouds shifting upon its surface. This was strange to behold, and Suqtuq peered closer, before sending a wind to move the strange object out of the way. With a quick gust, the mirror of ice was tossed from its frame, and slid away across the snow. Beneath it, the angaqoq was revealed in his perfidy, surrounded by the evidence of his crimes. Enraged, Suqtuq sent a single bolt of lighting out of the sky to strike the angaqoq, killing him instantly. Suqtuq has been careful ever since to watch for a similar trick, and nobody has attempted to hide behind a mirror since.

Religions

• Anirniit

Species

Numina

Ethnicity

Unughuit

Family

Anirniit

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