Inuksuk

Literally, the Inuktitut word Inuksuk ( alternate spelling: Inukshuk ) (plural: Inuksuit ) " like a man ". The Inuit mean by " an object that can take place of a human tasks " ( non - Inuit are objects with such replacement function from daily life familiar, such as traffic lights, which replaces the traffic regulating police, the signpost or the Scarecrow ). Since the Inuit until recently had no writing, the Inuksuit a kind of character in the landscape were. As the traditional narrative through myths and legends they preserved knowledge and passed it down from generation to generation.

Historical information

Inuksuit are on and adjacent layered over and over vegetated with mostly ancient lichen figurative stone formations. Not infrequently they are many centuries old and are then revered by the Inuit as inherited emblem of their ancestors. Knowledgeable older Inuit ( Elders ) report: "Many Inuksuit are from our ancestors (ie people of the Thule culture, about 1000 to 1800 AD ) was built. Others, however, are much older; they come from people who have prepared the country for our ancestors, the Tunit (such as the Inuit people of the Dorset culture, around 500 BC to 1000 AD designate ). But also today's Inuit nor Inuksuit of landscape points on which they intend to characterize a variety of reasons. "

Somewhat reliable age for the individual Inuksuit is not indicated. The climatic conditions and the local environmental conditions in the Arctic are too different. Some Inuksuit are also built out of a rock, on which no lichens can colonize, so they look much younger than they are. Sometimes forms around individual Inuksuit a microclimate, the (often together with deposited by birds guano ) promotes the growth of higher plant species at the foot of Inuksuks.

Tasks of Inuksuit

The reasons that led to the construction of Inuksuit have changed little over the centuries until today. As the cairns of other cultures served Inuksuit travelers as a guide, were landmarks for re- finding organizations whose warnings on dangerous places and memorials in places where the ordinary had happened. At times, when the Inuit hunted still with bow and arrow, the Inuksuit when hunting caribou had an important function: the animals could be draw from these human-like figures in the direction where camouflaged hunters were waiting for them and now were easy prey. Inuksuit were consequently useful from all pragmatic reasons for survival in the inhospitable Arctic. In addition, individual Inuksuit are known, which spiritual effects are attributed, but little is handed down through their mythical significance in the "old days ". Generally Inuksuit monuments to the knowledge, thinking and actions of people of yesteryear.

Shapes and forms

Inuksuit have a variety of shapes and forms, three basic patterns of stones are used for their construction: more or less rounded boulders, which can be piled up to pyramid or cone-shaped hills, brick-shaped flat stones that are stuck together and piled suitable for construction of slender structures, and expressive larger boulders that seem often to themselves. Mostly, however, all three types of rock have been carefully selected and assembled; sometimes even animal bones and antlers were built or placed animal skulls as a coronation.

The different forms of Inuksuit did not occur by chance; Rather, they were asked as a kind of character in the landscape. Therefore, it also seems logical that the Inuit Inuksuit have often provided with names or words that give general advice - "Be careful " about or "Danger Full Course! " Or "Go this way!" - And their meaning directly from its external form derives.

Basically show Inuksuit four characteristic basic structures:

• Individually upright boulders as a memorial ( Nalunaikkutaq, literally " one who picks intellectual confusion ")
• Lying arrow-shaped pointer, as a guide ( Tikkuuti, literally meaning " compass ", and Turaarut "which shows the target direction " )
• High pyramidal heaps of round stones as widely visible features ( Inuksummarik or Inuksukjuaq, " large Inukshuk " )
• And more individual stone structures that convey certain messages, provide information or serve the purposes of hunting.

Particularly impressive proves to the viewer a so-called Inunnguaq. This is a stone figure with head, trunk, arms and legs " like a human shape ." If this structure is the Inuksuit also commonly assigned as the fifth form, yes mostly as " classical " Inuksuk applies ( the recently often distinctive points of settlements and even introduced in 1999, flag of the Inuit territory of Nunavut adorns ), it is in more detail, using the definition just no real Inuksuk. This stone structure was not acting so instead of a man, but is itself like a sculpture, a human figure represents the first Inunnguat (plural of Inunnguaq ) were built before hardly more than a hundred years. They should have the time served to indicate the whalers that Inuit were staying nearby. Their task was possibly quite simply the country, " our country " ( in Inuktitut Nunavut ) to thank for that it has opened the Inuit with rich hunting prey.

Inukshuk as the logo of the 2010 Winter Olympics

An Inuksuk is also used as the logo of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. Established in 2005, designed logo of the games bearing the name Ilaanaq ( Inuktitut for " friend "). A similar Inuksuk located since the Expo 86 on the beach at English Bay.