nathanandersonart:

Name: Ijiraq

Area of Origin: Inuit Cultures (Indigenous populations of Canada, Alaska, Greenland)

In Inuit mythology, an Ijiraq (plural: Ijirait) is a sometimes malevolent shapeshifter that kidnaps men, women and children alike. Though its true appearance can only be seen by Shamans, which is said to resemble that of a human with their eyes and mouths situated on their sides, so that they “blink sideways”, they’re rarely seen this way. Though they’ve developed among humankind and inserted themselves into every day life, they often transform into arctic animals or hybrids to disguise themselves. Ijirait are believed by some to be the same thing as or at least very much associated with the Tariaksuq, a similarly shadowy and deceptive creature that takes the form of a half-man half-caribou hybrid. Ijirait are reported to be very fast runners, incredibly strong, able to cause ground tremors, and are stated by some to be what people turn into after death.