tupilak means A monster (either invisible or having a physical form constructed from animal bones, sinew, etc) created in secret by a shaman and sent into the sea to seek and kill a specific enemy. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.
Why “tupilak” is a great word
TUPILAK — [Noun] In Greenlandic Inuit belief, a monster created by a shaman to destroy an enemy, or a small carved figure representing such a creature. From Greenlandic Kalaallisut *tupilak* or Inuktitut ᑐᐱᓚᒃ (*topilak*), ᑐᐱᓚᖅ (*topilaq*). Unlike a "totem," which serves as a protective emblem for a clan, or a "fetish," an object of inherent power for general luck, a tupilak is a singular, purpose-built spirit of vengeance. It is the dark craft of binding bones, sinew, and hair into a crawling hatred; it is the small, grotesque carving of tooth and talon held in the palm, a contained malice; it is the spectral hunter sent across the ice with only one name in its thoughts—a testament to the human will to craft a specific, hunting form for an absolute grievance.
noun
- A monster (either invisible or having a physical form constructed from animal bones, sinew, etc) created in secret by a shaman and sent into the sea to seek and kill a specific enemy.
- A (small) representation of such a monster, often carved from whale bone.