Mitos y Leyendas: Kaila’s Gift, an Inuit Legend

• Genny de Bernardo tells you the legend of the god Kaila and the creation of the world.
• This legend belongs to the Inuit.
• A story where learning is key for humanity to continue on Earth.

At the beginning of existence, when the Earth was still pristine and new, Kaila, the god of the sky, reigned over vast wild forests and extensive frozen plains. For sheer delight, Kaila gave life to Man and Woman.

In solitude and freedom, the first human couple emerged in the world, observing their surroundings with some unease. The Woman asked Kaila to populate the earth, which seemed too large to be inhabited only by them.

Reflecting on the words of his creation, Kaila found them wise and instructed the Woman to pierce the ice and extract animals from there.

He would name each of them as they emerged. One by one, they came out, with the caribou being the last.

The Caribou

Kaila explained that the caribou would be an invaluable gift, providing food, clothing, and protection against the cold.

The Woman ordered the caribou to multiply and spread across the land. Over time, the caribous and the descendants of the Woman multiplied, inhabiting forests and plains.

Humans hunted only the strongest and healthiest caribous, avoiding the weak, old, or injured.

However, this practice led to a decrease in strong caribous and an increase in weak and sick ones, causing famine among humans.

The End of Humanity

The woman knew they would not survive if the situation continued this way. She cried when she realized that her end was practically sealed.

Seeing the suffering of his children, Kaila was moved. Despite human recklessness, he decided to help.

«I provided everything necessary for life and you did not take advantage of it. However, as a father who loves his children, I will not leave you alone,» Kaila said.

«I am a merciful god, so I will see how I can help you.» That’s when he thought about talking to another of the gods.

The Law of Nature

He spoke with Amarok, the spirit of the wolves, asking him to send wolves to Earth to hunt the weak and sick caribous. Humans observed and learned from the wolves’ efficient hunting.

Thanks to this intervention, the caribous grew stronger generation after generation, as did humans and wolves, who learned to hunt in a more balanced and fair manner.

Since then, the spirit of Amarok dominates the Great North, and humans understood the importance of the survival of the fittest, as well as the need to protect and perpetuate life within their community.

This natural law of generational replacement and continuous strengthening has prevailed since Kaila named the animals and created the first man and woman. Mitos  y Leyendas says goodbye for now and hopes you enjoyed this Inuit legend. See you!