Silap Inua
Encyclopedia
In Inuit mythology
, Silap Inua or Silla was, similar to mana
or ether
, the primary component of everything that exists; it is also the breath of life and the method of locomotion for any movement or change. Silla is believed to control everything that goes on in one's life.
Silla is a deity of the sky, the wind, and of weather. Though identified as male, he is never depicted, and thought to be formless. There are very few myths in which Silla is a character, because he is not thought to have many personality characteristics. He also represents a concept somewhat akin to the Hindu
idea of Paramatman
, or Emerson
’s idea of the great Over soul: Silla is also the substance of which souls are made of. Contrary to the Christian missionaries who have identified Nanook
the polar bear
spirit as the supreme deity of the Inuit, Silla is much closer to this role. However, Silla also has a somewhat malevolent aspect: he is known to lure children away from their play off into the tundra, never to be seen again.
Among the many various Eskimo
cultures, term silap inua / sila, hillap inua / hilla (among Inuit
), ellam yua / ella (among Yup'ik) is used with some diversity. In many instances it refers “outer space”, “intellect”, “weather”, “sky”, “universe”: there may be some correspondence with the presocratic concept of logos
.
Shamanhood among Eskimo peoples
was a diverse phenomenon, just like the various Eskimo cultures themselves. Among Copper Inuit
, shamans were believed to obtain their power from this “Wind Indweller”, thus even their helping spirits were termed as silap inue.
Among Siberian Yupik
, sl̥am juɣwa was depicted as a mighty hunter, catching game just like earthly men, but being capable of controlling whether people paid attention to customs and traditions.
In Sireniki Eskimo language, the word siˈlʲa has meanings “universe”, “outer world”, “space”, “free space”, “weather”.
, (the goddess of sea mammals) and the Caribou Mother
(the goddess of caribou) when these became the major food sources of the Inuit. Anthropologists believe that the belief is extremely old because of the widespread nature of this deity.
Inuit mythology
Inuit mythology has many similarities to the religions of other polar regions. Inuit traditional religious practices could be very briefly summarised as a form of shamanism based on animist principles....
, Silap Inua or Silla was, similar to mana
Mana
Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....
or ether
Aether (mythology)
Aether , in Greek mythology, is one of the Protogenoi, the first-born elementals. He is the personification of the upper sky, space, and heaven, and is the elemental god of the "Bright, Glowing, Upper Air." He is the pure upper air that the gods breathe, as opposed to the normal air that mortals...
, the primary component of everything that exists; it is also the breath of life and the method of locomotion for any movement or change. Silla is believed to control everything that goes on in one's life.
Silla is a deity of the sky, the wind, and of weather. Though identified as male, he is never depicted, and thought to be formless. There are very few myths in which Silla is a character, because he is not thought to have many personality characteristics. He also represents a concept somewhat akin to the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
idea of Paramatman
Paramatman
In Hindu theology, Paramatman or Paramātmā is the Absolute Atman or Supreme Soul or Spirit in the Vedanta and Yoga philosophies of India....
, or Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
’s idea of the great Over soul: Silla is also the substance of which souls are made of. Contrary to the Christian missionaries who have identified Nanook
Nanook
In Inuit mythology, Nanook or Nanuq , which is from the Inuit language for polar bear, was the master of bears, meaning he decided if hunters had followed all applicable taboos and if they deserved success in hunting bears....
the polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
spirit as the supreme deity of the Inuit, Silla is much closer to this role. However, Silla also has a somewhat malevolent aspect: he is known to lure children away from their play off into the tundra, never to be seen again.
Among the many various Eskimo
Eskimo
Eskimos or Inuit–Yupik peoples are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska , Canada, and Greenland....
cultures, term silap inua / sila, hillap inua / hilla (among Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
), ellam yua / ella (among Yup'ik) is used with some diversity. In many instances it refers “outer space”, “intellect”, “weather”, “sky”, “universe”: there may be some correspondence with the presocratic concept of logos
Logos
' is an important term in philosophy, psychology, rhetoric and religion. Originally a word meaning "a ground", "a plea", "an opinion", "an expectation", "word," "speech," "account," "reason," it became a technical term in philosophy, beginning with Heraclitus ' is an important term in...
.
Shamanhood among Eskimo peoples
Shamanism among Eskimo peoples
Shamanism among Eskimo peoples refers to those aspects of the various Eskimo cultures that are related to the shamans’ role as a mediator between people and spirits, souls, and mythological beings...
was a diverse phenomenon, just like the various Eskimo cultures themselves. Among Copper Inuit
Copper Inuit
Copper Inuit are a Canadian Inuit group who live north of the tree line, in Nunavut's Kitikmeot Region and the Northwest Territories's Inuvik Region. Most historically lived in the area around Coronation Gulf, on Victoria Island, and southern Banks Island.Their western boundary was Wise Point,...
, shamans were believed to obtain their power from this “Wind Indweller”, thus even their helping spirits were termed as silap inue.
Among Siberian Yupik
Siberian Yupik
Siberian Yupiks, or Yuits, are indigenous people who reside along the coast of the Chukchi Peninsula in the far northeast of the Russian Federation and on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska. They speak Central Siberian Yupik , a Yupik language of the Eskimo–Aleut family of languages.They were also...
, sl̥am juɣwa was depicted as a mighty hunter, catching game just like earthly men, but being capable of controlling whether people paid attention to customs and traditions.
In Sireniki Eskimo language, the word siˈlʲa has meanings “universe”, “outer world”, “space”, “free space”, “weather”.
History
According to the interpretations of anthropologists, Silla is one of the oldest Inuit deities, but was recently (in the last thousand years) supplanted by SednaSedna (mythology)
In Inuit mythology, Sedna is the goddess of the sea and marine animals such as seals. A creation myth, the story of Sedna shows how she came to rule over Adlivun, the Inuit underworld...
, (the goddess of sea mammals) and the Caribou Mother
Caribou mother
The Caribou Mother is an Inuit deity who represents the source of caribou, formerly a vital food source for the Inuit people. She is seen as gigantic, with people and caribou as lice on her enormous body. The Caribous Mother is known as one of the oldest Inuit Deities....
(the goddess of caribou) when these became the major food sources of the Inuit. Anthropologists believe that the belief is extremely old because of the widespread nature of this deity.