Pinga (goddess)

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In the Inuit religion, Pinga ("the one who is [up on] high" [1] ) is a goddess of the hunt [2] and medicine. [3] She is heavily associated with the sky.

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Caribou Inuit tradition

In Caribou Inuit communities, Pinga had some authority over caribou herds. [3] [4] She would become angry if people killed more caribou than they could eat, so Caribou communities were careful not to over-hunt. [5] Pinga was also a psychopomp, receiving the souls of the newly deceased and preparing them for reincarnation. [6] Angakkuit (shamans) might have seen or communicated with Pinga, or sometimes she may have sent a spirit to speak with them. [7]

Some Caribou Inuit viewed Sila and Pinga as the same or similar, while other communities differentiated between the two. [5]

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