A Mighty One of North America

[covenrochester]

Uvavnuk was born in the 19th century in the northern reaches of arctic Canada. She is sometimes described as an Igliguk Inuit, sometimes as a Netsilik Eskimo. She became a great Awakened One in one powerful flashing moment. She had gone outside her hut one winter night to pee. The night was moonless and dark, but a glowing ball of fire appeared in the sky. She tried to finish pulling up her breeches in order to flee, but before she could do so, the ball of fire struck her and entered her. She felt her entire spirit grow light, and she lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness, she got up and ran into the hut, singing a song (subsequently named Earth and Great Weather, the Great Sea, or the Song of Uvavnuk), delirious with joy. When she entered the hut and woke up everyone else living there, she was clairvoyantly able to recite all of their misdeeds and problems, thereby releasing them from such. They, too, became filled with joy, for Uvavnuk's song effortlessly cleansed their minds, of burdens, suspicion, malice, darkness, and worry. When the spirit of the light left Uvavnuk, she became an ordinary woman again, with no special powers. But if she wanted to invoke her powers again for clairvoyance or healing, she would sing her power song again. It has been translated in several different ways. Here are a few:

(1) The great sea has set me in motion,
Set me adrift, moving me
As the weed moves in a river.
The arch of sky and mightiness of storms
Have moved the spirit within me,
Till I am carried away,
Trembling with joy.

(2) The great sea
Frees me, moves me,
As a strong river carries a weed.
Earth and her strong winds
Move me, take me away,
And my soul is swept up in joy.

(3) The great sea moves me, sets me adrift.
It moves me like algae on stones in running brook water.
The vault of heaven moves me.
Mighty weather storms through my soul.
It carries me with it,
Trembling with joy.

She served her people as a spiritual healer for her whole life, and even after her death. Her son Niviatsian also became a spiritual healer, as did one of her nephews, Aua. Aua met Greenlander Knud Rasmussen in February 1922, by which time Uvavnuk was deceased, and told him the family story.

Power songs are now comparatively rare. Most volvur and vitkar of the Northern magical traditions still have such songs, called vardlokkur, or are given such by their working spirits. I have heard one power song in Gaelic. I have heard one in Dutch, and one in Swedish. I have heard three in English. If the spirits give you one, you must never defile it by prattling about it. Keep it in the service of the spirits, and your spirit in the service of humanity.

*** Blessed be to those who serve the Great Mother and the Horned Father.

* Copyright to Coven Rochester