Amarok

In "Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo" by Hinrich Rink documents a species of creature known as "Amarok". He calls it a "fabulous animal" to indicate that the people believe it exists, but it is mostly found in tales of Greenlandic Inuit. Hinrich states that in other Inuit languages, "amarok" just means wolf, thereby indicating that the language and cultures of the various Greenlandic Inuit peoples have changed from other Inuits. Times may have changed though, as a English-Kalaallisut dictionary indicates that "amaroq" is the word used for arctic wolves (which itself is an erroneous assumption that Greenlandic wolves are C.l.arctos instead of C.l.orion.) The description of the book hints that amaroks are more like wolves or a different species of wolf than being actual wolves. They are said to be mythological, but are also noted as a legitimate animal. The tail can carry a person in one tale, though wolf tail cannot carry things. So either "it's just a myth" as myths go and misuses body parts, or it's actually longer and prehensile. There is also a website or two out there that suggests Amaroq is a wolf god, but in this book its very clear that there are multiple individuals of them, with one being used to drive a sled alongside a polar bear and other fierce monsters.
In "Julie and the wolves" by Jean Craighead George, (spoilers!) the protagonist Miyax names a wolf dark black wolf leader Amaroq and sings a song about him being her adopted father.
== References ==
Category:Preternatural beings
Category:Preternatural beings with wolf-like attributes
Category:Inuit
Category:Greenland