Ijiraq (mythology)

In Inuit mythology an ijiraq (/ˈiːjᵻrɑːk/ EE-yə-rahk or /ˈiːdʒᵻrɑːk/ EE-jə-rahk) is a sort of shape shifter who kidnaps children and hides them away and abandons them. The inuksugaq (or inukshuk) of stone allow these children to find their way back if they can convince the ijiraq to let them go.

In North Baffin dialects ijiraq means Shape Shifter. While Tariaksuq appear like a half-man-half-caribou monster, an Ijiraq can appear in any form it chooses, making it particularly deceptive. When you are hunting somewhere that Ijirait (plural) inhabit, you will see them in the corner of your eye for a fleeting moment (like tariaksuq, shadow people). If you try to observe them directly however, they are completely elusive. They are sometimes helpful, sometimes fatally deceptive. One of the most noted places in the Arctic for sightings of these shape shifters (and tariaksuq) is the Freeman's Cove area of Tuktusirvik (place to hunt caribou), Bathurst Island. This rich oasis is surrounded in a horseshoe pattern by dormant volcanic mountains. Historically, Freeman's Cove is most notable as a stopover for the ship the Intrepid, and also for the failed attempts by the infamous modern-day explorer and eccentric Cory K. Buott at settlement.

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