Classification: Mythical Beasts & Cryptids

Temporal Range: 18th and 19th Centuries

Geographic Range: Inuit communities

Diet: Deer

Horde: Wild Beasts

Stories of the Amarok are told amongst Inuit communities in the Arctic, as well as further afield such as Greenland. Storytellers describe a giant wolf with white-grey fur. It reportedly hunts alone - a literal lone wolf. We have read some reports that it tracks down humans foolish enough to hunt alone in icy landscapes. So we recommend always travelling in pairs or small groups if on the search for the Amarok.

However, we wouldn’t recommend attempting to hunt this creature at all as it can also be seen as a helpful spirit. In one tale we heard, it trained a frail young boy by removing some bones which the beast claimed were stopping the boy from growing. After several sessions of wrestling and training with the great wolf, he was able to take down a bear.

The Amarok is also a spirit of vengeance and a final tale we have to share describes a man who killed the wolf’s pups and when the Amarok found out, it stole his soul. This is a creature that demands respect, reverence and a healthy dose of caution too.

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