Nerrivik

My little calendar project is steadily moving to it's conclusion. This is the second to last lady featured. Only one more to go, and then it's down to assigning a month to each of them and making the front and back cover. I'm excited!

Meet Nerrivik, Inuit godess of the see. There are as many versions of the myth and incarnations of this godess as there are Inuit tribes. Another well known version of this godess for example goes by the name of Sedna, but Nerrivik is the name most commonly given to her by the people in northern Greenland.

Nerrivik was married to the storm-god. One day when her husband was out hunting, her male relatives came to get Nerrivik to secretly ferry her back home with them because they missed her so much. When her husband found his wife gone upon returning however, he called up such an almighty storm that the boat with Nerrivik and her family nearly tipped over and was in danger of sinking. The men in the boat quickly figured out the predicament they were in was caused by the woman they carried and so they threw Nerrivik overboard, hoping this would appease the storm-god. She tried to grasp the side of the boat, but her grandfather leapt up and cut of her hand.

And so she was drowned. She now lives at the bottom of the sea, and has become the ruler over all the creatures in it. And when men catch no seal, then the wizards go down to Nerrivik. Having only the one hand, she cannot comb her hair, and so the men do it for her. And she, by way of thanks, sends seal and other creatures forth to men. That is why she is called Nerrivik, literally meaning "meat dish", because she gives them food.