Anningan

The mask above is a shaman mask. Shamans would wear masks such as this one during healing ceremonies.
Click on image for full size (68K JPEG)
Image courtesy of Planet Art.

Anningan is the name of the Moon god of some of the Inuit people that live in Greenland. The word "Inuit" means "people."

Anningan continually chases his sister, Malina, the Sun goddess, across the sky. During this chase, he forgets to eat, and he gets much thinner. This is symbolic of the phases of the moon, particularly the crescent.

To satisfy his hunger, he disappears for three days each month (new moon) and then returns full (gibbous) to chase his sister all over again. Malina wants to stay far away from her bad brother. That is why they rise and set at different times.

Last modified March 27, 1997 by the Windows Team

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Anningan

The mask above is a shaman mask. Shamans would wear masks such as this one during healing ceremonies. Click on image for full size (68K JPEG) Image courtesy of Planet Art.

The mask above is a shaman mask. Shamans would wear masks such as this one during healing ceremonies.
Click on image for full size (68K JPEG)
Image courtesy of Planet Art.