ABSTRACT
The Inuit Sea Goddess
Nelda Swinton
1985
This thesis reviews the Inuit myth of the sea goddess,
Sedna, and analyzes contemporary Inuit artists' illustrations of this sea spirit who at
one time created a powerful impact on the Inuit's way of life. The Introduction discusses
the important ethnographic contributions as they relate to Inuit material culture.
Furthermore, there is a review of various writings where there was recognition of the
imagistic values of certain Inuit "artifacts." Chapter One restates an
historical development of Inuit art, dating back to the Dorset culture up to the present
period. The various forms of the myth of the sea goddess are listed, followed by a
discussion of the visual illustrations of this sea spirit in accordance with each
individual Inuit artist's narrative and stylistic interpretation. Chapter Two reviews the
various traditional religious beliefs of the Inuit as they related to the cult of the sea
goddess. The conclusion points to the fact that the once oral myth of the sea goddess has
been altered into a visual illustration which is a consequence of a number of cultural
changes.
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