Inuit Mythology

Visit the links to learn about Inuit myths related to objects in the sky, and aspects of their world.

Back to the World Map
<a href="/mythology/anningan_moon.html&edu=high&dev=1">Anningan</a> is the name of the <a href="/earth/moons_and_rings.html&edu=high&dev=1">Moon</a> god of some of the Inuit people that live in Greenland. Anningan chases his sister, <a href="/mythology/malina_sun.html&edu=high&dev=1">Malina</a>, the <a href="/sun/sun.html&edu=high&dev=1">Sun</a> goddess, across the sky, but forgets to eat, so he gets much thinner. This is symbolic of the phases of the moon, particularly the crescent.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Planet Art</em></small></p>

Explore Inuit Mythology

The Sun: Malina

Malina is the Sun goddess of the Inuit people who live in Greenland. The word "Inuit" means ...Read more

The Moon: Anningan

Anningan is the name of the Moon god of some Inuit tribes that live in Greenland. The Inuit ...Read more

The Sea: Sedna

Sedna is the spirit of the sea according to the peoples of northern Canada and Greenland, named ...Read more

Inuit Culture, Traditions, and History

Traditional Inuit way of life was influenced by the harsh climate and stark landscapes of the ...Read more

Photo Album of Inuit Experience at the Turn of the Last Century

A truly unique photo album of Inuit life at the turn of the last century ...Read more

Inuit Culture in a Warming Arctic

The climate of the Arctic region is warming quickly, faster than other places on Earth, and ...Read more

Video: Exploring the Arctic by Dog Sled

For four months a team of explorers and educators led by Will Steger explored Baffin Island ...Read more

Historical Events

Full Earth and Space Science    History Calendar (Members only)

Teacher Opportunities

Full Teacher Events Calendar (Educator Members only)

Did you know?

Did you know that Earth's magnetic poles are not the same as Earth's geographic poles? Find out more with our North magnetic pole interactive!

Did you know that in Norse mythology, there is a huge rainbow bridge called Bifrost that connects Midgard, the realm of humans, to Asgard, the home of the gods?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Aesthenosphere
xAesthenosphere : The asthenosphere is the ductile part of the earth just below the lithosphere, including the lower mantle.

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

Extended Period of Lower Solar Activity Linked to Changes in Sun's Conveyor Belt

A new analysis of the unusually long solar cycle that ended in 2008 suggests that one reason for the long cycle could be a stretching of the sun's conveyor belt, a current of plasma that circulates between...Read more


Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA