Qupqugiaq/Kokogiak

The Qupqugiaq is a creature from the myths of the Inupait Inuit people. They are described as resembling large polar bears with ten legs, sometimes the size of a whale. They’re thought to hunt and kill like a regular polar bear, and walk with their feet in unison so their tracks resemble those of a typical polar bear. Catching a Qupgugiaq was often seen as good luck. They are often seen as spirit animal helpers, typically only serving shamans who ride on their backs. Some believe normal polar bears turn into Qupqugiaq when they become the spirit animals to shamans.

Citations:

Iñupiatun Uqaluit Taniktun Sivuninit/Iñupiaq to English Dictionary. United States, University of Alaska Press, 2014.

Frigiola, Heather. Monsters and Mythical Creatures from Around the World. United States, Schiffer Publishing, Limited, 2019.

Walker, Tom. Wild Shots: A Photographer’s Life in Alaska. United States, Mountaineers Books, 2019.