Naja Abelsen
ONE OF MY FAVORITE SUBJECTS: GREENLANDIC MYTHOLOGY AND DISCOVERING THE OLD WORLD BELIEFS .
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INUIT PEOPLES HAD NO FIXED BELIEFS, SO THESE ARE MY BEST INTERPRETATIONS
Model of the old shamanic world view
Sculpture, wood, glass, acrylic, paintings, photos
2011. Height a and with ca 130 cm
Original not for sale.
Illustration of the old inuit shamanistic beliefs: One of the most important works I have so far done, since no one else have tried to illustrate the world view as a whole. The shamanic world is 3-layered, the upper world, the sky, the middle world, same place as the ordinary world human beings live in, and the underworld, where the original realm of death is, and where the mother of the Sea lives. In the sky lives the Sun and the Moon, and some other spirits - spirits live everywhere - and the shamans/angakoq's travelled between the worlds to solve problems of sickness, hunger, finding lost souls and so on.
The daily world is an Island floating on the sea. I made it with a cut paper, and glued small prints of my works on it, according to the summer/winter/north/south orientation. The sea was made of a glassplate.
The sculpture shows what happens during an inuit year. Written on the outer shape.
The acrylic dome/ Sky is engraved with inuit star pictures, as well as other spirits living up there, and the human shaped Sun and Moon, and engraved with the midnight Sun evolving around the sky. The stars was believd to be holes in the sky, so light could shine through, so I drilled some holes. Another version of the stars origin is the common belief of being dead relatives/humans.
The sculpture was made for my Exhibition held at Knud Rasmussens House/museum in 2011, and the museum helped with the practical making of the sculpture. Many thanks to them.
De 5 Himle (The 5 Heavens)
Pencil drawing. 2011.
Original not for sale.
Illustration of the old inuit shamanistic beliefs: One of the most important works I have so far done, since no one else have tried to illustrate the inuit world view as a whole. The shamanic world is 3-layered, the upper world, the sky, the middle world, same place as the ordinary world human beings live in, and the underworld, where the original realm of death is, and where the mother of the Sea lives.
In the sky lives the Sun and the Moon, and some other spirits - spirits live everywhere - in dirrenet verisons of hte myths one can find up to 5 heavens, drawn here. The rainbow is one of the Heavens. The sky is held up by 4 old posters, and the shamans had to repair them often on the way to the skies/the Moon Man
The shamans/angakoq's travelled between the worlds to solve problems of sickness, hunger, finding lost souls and so on.
The daily world is an Island floating on the sea .
The Sky is filled with inuit star pictures, as well as other spirits living up there, and the human shaped Sun and Moon. The stars was believd to be holes in the sky, so light could shine through, another origin of the stars is the common belief of being dead relatives/humans.
The picture was made for my Exhibition held at Knud Rasmussens House/museum in 2011,
Sun of Inuit.
Digital art. 2017. Ca. 31,5 cm x 55 cm.
Original Archival prints for sale: 1.700 DKK
She is the mythological Sun of Inuit.
My photographs and drawing digitally worked together in photoshop.
Asiaq sørger for regn.
Digital art. 2017. Ca. 31,5 cm x 55 cm.
Original Archival prints for sale: 1.700 DKK
She is the mythological caretaker of Sila, the sky-baby.
My photographs and drawing digitally worked together in photoshop.
Månen.
Digital art. 2017. Ca. 31,5 cm x 61 cm.
Original Archival prints for sale: 2.000 DKK
He is the mythological Moon of Inuit.
My photographs and drawing digitally worked together in photoshop.
Sila på Mælkevejen.
Digital art. 2017. Ca. 31,5 cm x 91 cm.
Original Archival prints for sale: 2.500 DKK
Sila is the mythological Sky-baby, he symbolises consciousness, the weather, the outer world etc..
My photographs and drawing digitally worked together in photoshop.
Venus.
Digital art. 2017. Ca. 31,5 cm x 55 cm.
Original Archival prints for sale: 1.700 DKK
The Planet Venus, is for the Inuit a grumpy old hunter.
My photographs and drawing digitally worked together in photoshop.
Sun of Inuit Sun dots
Digital art. 2022. Ca. 31,5 cm x 55 cm.
Original Archival prints for sale: 1.700 DKK
She is the mythological Sun of Inuit.
My photographs and drawing digitally worked together in photoshop
Karlsvognen er et rensdyr.
Digital art. 2017. Ca. 31,5 cm x 55 cm.
Original Archival prints for sale: 1.700 DKK
The star picture Karlsvognen, the Plough (big dipper) Ursa Major, is for the Inuit a reindeer surrounded by wolves, or just a reindeer.
My photographs and drawing digitally worked together in photoshop.
Verden er en stor Ø
Indian ink. 24 x 50 cm. 2017
The World is a big Island. An Illustration of the old Inuit animistic beliefs: the world is floating on/surrounded by the sea. This is just one version of how the Inuit believed the world was constructed/created.
Grønlandsk kosmologi. 3 versioner
Indian Ink. 24 x 50 cm. 2017
Greenlandic cosmology. 3 versions. Illustration of the old inuit animistic beliefs: as far as I have understood the brief explanations by Professor Emeritus Birgitte Sonne, Denmark, and what little knowledge I have read elsewhere.