Silap Inua (Sila): Universal Deity That Controls Life Force Of All Living Things In Inuit Beliefs

A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - The Inuit concept 'Sila', a multifaceted term encompassing 'the world, the universe; nature, the air, the wind(s), the weather; the place or space outside, the open sky', holds profound significance in Inuit culture and mythology.

However, the one powerful word, Sila or Silap inua ("the owner of sila"), covers them all.

Scholars' attempts to understand the Inuit Sila concept have varied, and they have different theories. Some agree that Sila means a mystic, supernatural power associated with all existence, while others argue that the spirit is not an essence or an abstract power; instead, it personifies these characters.

In Inuit beliefs, Sila is not just a masculine deity or a master of the weather. He is the 'Master of Breath' or the 'Owner of Souls', a universal deity believed to control the life force of all living things. His role is crucial in maintaining the delicate balance between the physical and spiritual realms.

Silap Inua is not merely the vital force that sustains life but also the driving force behind any motion or transformation. This unlimited power governs all events within the realm of existence.

Generally, Silap Inua governs the sky, wind, and weather. As he has no form and individual characteristics, he has never been depicted, and not many myths and legends relate to him. Christian missionaries identified Nanuk, the spirit of polar bears, as the main deity of the Inuit people.

However, this is not entirely accurate. Sila, the air and weather personification, holds a more prominent role in Inuit spiritual traditions. He is believed to control the elements and is revered for providing food through hunting and fishing. While Nanuk is respected, Sila's influence over the natural world makes him a more central figure in Inuit beliefs and practices.

According to the interpretation of anthropologists, Sila is considered one of the oldest Inuit deities. However, in the last 1000 years, his great name is somewhat obsolete as he lost a little on its popularity because of the goddess Sedna and the Mother of Caribou. Sedna, the revered deity Sedna still holds a significant role in Inuit communities across Canada and Greenland, regardless of the versions of her story and her various names.

On the other hand, the Mother of the Caribou (an animal owner) represents the source of caribou, a primary food source for the Inuit.

The complex Inuit belief system is characterized by the principle of animism, the belief that all living and non-living entities possess a spiritual essence or soul.

For example, Igloolik people in Nunavut, northern Canada, relate Silap Inua (Sila) to the breath-soul.

“Every individual is said to have as part of his soul the life force, the life-giving spirit, which is part of the whole animating force Silap Inua. This is, of course, something that never dies; air and the life-giving force go on indefinitely, and so then does the soul of men. When the air passes out of the body at the moment of physical death, it is simply the passing of the soul back into its original matrix (Williamson, 1974: 23).

For the Polar Inuit in northern Greenland, "Sila is the vital force permeating all nature in all its many aspects. Sila means both "the whole, the universe" and "the individual powers or forces of Nature." Sila includes the weather. The Polar Inuit attribute the traditional observances [rituals and customs] to Sila. The individual human vital force, i.e., the breath-soul, is a portion of Sila..."

The West Greenlanders similarly attribute many different meanings to the term 'Sila'. "Sila, as we call it ... nature, the world, the universe, all that is Sila."

Sila also means the air and a mysterious power responsible for the wind.

The Inuit pantheon is remarkably diverse, encompassing a vast array of deities, spirits, and supernatural beings. This animistic worldview permeates the Inuit cosmology, shaping their understanding of the natural world and their relationship with its various entities.

Written by – A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer

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