The Ijiraq are shape-shifting spirits that lead travelers astray between dimensions. As spirits, they fall under Torngarsuk's authority as master of all spirit beings in Inuit cosmology.
The Ijiraq possess powerful inua that enable their shape-shifting and invisibility. Their spirit essence is so elusive that even their inua cannot be perceived directly, only glimpsed at the edges of awareness.
Kiviuq encounters shape-shifting beings during his wanderings across the Arctic. The Ijiraq, which leads travelers astray with illusions, is among the deceptive spirits the eternal hero must outwit on his journey.
Pinga watches over the souls of the living, including those the Ijiraq target. As guardian of life, Pinga opposes the shadow people's abductions, protecting the inua of children and travelers they seek to lead astray.
The Ijiraq steal children on the tundra while Qalupalik snatches them at the sea ice. Together these spirits represent the twin dangers facing Inuit children — abduction on land by shadow people and drowning at the ice edge by the sea creature.
The Ijiraq operate on land while Sedna rules the sea, representing different domains of spiritual danger. Travelers lost by the Ijiraq on the tundra may wander to the coast where Sedna's domain begins.
The Ijiraq haunt the open tundra that Sila's atmosphere encompasses. They cause disorientation across the vast, featureless landscape where Sila's winds blow, making the boundless space itself seem to shift and deceive.
Shamans use their tuurngait to protect communities from the Ijiraq. The helping spirits can perceive the shadow people that ordinary eyes cannot see, warning of their presence and countering their disorienting powers.
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