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Qaqaq Ashoona, Taleelayuk and Serpent
Qaqaq Ashoona, Taleelayuk and Serpent
In the Inuit belief system, Taleelayuk was a powerful sea spirit who lived in the ocean depths with the animals she controlled. She became angry when her rules concerning use and treatment of animals were broken. She would then withhold the game animals from Inuit. It was necessary for a shaman to appease her by combing and braiding her tangled hair. The artist has turned each element of the figure into a powerful sculptural shape; Taleelayuk’s hair has transformed into a serpent that torments her.