Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Beware of the Gnomes Near Nome...

Ah, Alaska. The land of caribou, soon-to-be-extinct glaciers, the Aurora Borealis, Eskimos, and perhaps something a little more sinister.

And I do mean 'little'...

At least that's what an email, which has been circulating as a warning, seems to be telling the locals. The Alaskan Bush isn't so safe. In the tundra lurks the ircenrraq, lying in wait to disorient, discomfort, and trap unsuspecting humans.

Ircenrraat, from Central Alaskan Yup'ik tradition, are little, mischievous creatures who live in the tundra. While their meddlesome ways often are notorious among the native peoples, every so often the myth attracts a little outside attention.

On May 7th, a man from Marshall stumbled across a young boy at Pilcher Mountain, all alone, in an area inhabited by large tundra brown bears. He was confused and has been crying. He had no recollection of where he was or how he had gotten there. He did, however, recall being lead away by "little beings" to the site where he encountered a young girl who had been kidnapped in a similar manner some 40 years prior. The ircenrraat decided to release him... at which point he was discovered by the man.

Similar stories have been heard over the years, and Pilcher Mountain itself is alleged to be a hotbed of ircenrraat activity. Thanks to the worldwide web, the man's warning email was forwarded on and his tale reached an Anchorage reporter.

Was the youth telling the truth? Do small creatures resembling elves or gnomes conceal themselves in the frozen Arctic?

Or has the permafrost and lack of daylight warped people's imaginations?

9 comments:

Cullan Hudson said...

It's interesting that so many Native American cultures have traditions of "little people". I know the Cherokee do and I believe the Choctaw as well. Even if there isn't "truth" to it, it's fascinating to see the diffusion of such a cultural motif throughout the Americas.

Anonymous said...

HMM never heard of that. I will have to find a way to ask my uncle if he has ever heard of that. He lives in Anchorage alaska

Anonymous said...

There have recently also been released videos on Youtube about gnome sightings in Argentina.. looks creepy and quite hard to manufacture (though I must say the hat is making me think it a hoax.. unless the pointy hat is something passed on from ancient lore to modern garden gnome statues). Who knows what's hiding beyond our sight.

Unknown said...

I live in Anchorage, and I've never heard anything like this. Most Bush communities can only be reached by small plane, so not many city folk have been out there. Alaska is so large and uninhabited (at least by humans) who knows what's out there?

Anonymous said...

I fish in South Naknek, Alaska every summer, and have heard stories about these "little people". But the locals call them "muskalotuks" (don't know if that's how it's spelled). I've always been interested in finding out more about them, real or not.

Anonymous said...

well it's only in nome
and they're known as eegagochs. or somethin like that don't know how to spell em, but pronounced (ee-zzha-gocks)

Unknown said...

I just got back last night from Bethel, ak 425 miles north east of Anchorage. And I heard the same stories, of people disappearing with no rhyme or reason, no trace, not even foot prints just gone. Do I believe? couldnt tell you, but it did make me look here for more information,lol

Anonymous said...

I live in Nome Alaska and have 2 different friends and a cousin that have seen these little people. One friend saw one on the Neukluk Riverbank stopped over the water drinking the water with his cupped hands and other friend saw 2 of them run super fast into the back of her pick up truck while she picked berries up upon the hill and couldn't come down fast enough to try and catch them at Cape Nome approx. mile 11 1/2. My cousin saw one in Nome street behind the house she lived in and the man wore clothing made from Reindeer and had a Kotzebue Inupiaq Dialect.

ABC. said...

Please. Use this warning. I have been anonymously been researching and searching for definitive answers after a very peculiar personal experience back home in Virginia. First - let me explain how logical and skeptical I have tried to be throughout this insanity of unexplained "things" that have happened. I live in Fairbanks, and had a recent sighting- and their impact is becoming more annoying than unexplainable.