EP: 9.Sedna, Goddess of the Sea (Inuit Mythology)

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Welcome, my Mythic friends, to Myth This, according to yours truly. I'm your host, Wendy Morrow. On this podcast, we dive into myths and folklore from all over the world. These stories have shaped cultures and stirred imaginations and kept us captivated for centuries. Together, we'll explore the origins, meanings, and mysteries behind these tales. Today we're talking about inuit mythology or the Inuit people. I think it's so cool because, This is not the kind of tale you usually hear from Inuit folklore. It's more accurate, because it has to do with the sea. Usually, it's about, Inuit tales are usually on land, and it's about animals. about animals and creatures, but this one is about a goddess of the sea, which is so cool. That's why I picked it because it's one of my favorites and it's rare. It's out there. To preface, after being betrayed, Senna becomes the ruler of marine life. Pretty much, she becomes very critical to the Inuit way of life. So let's dive into this folklore. You know what I'm about to say? Grab your favorite drink and gather around my campfire for a tale you won't forget. Let's begin. Senna got us of the sea. The arctic wind. How over the frozen expanse where the stark white tundra meets the dark, mysterious ocean. Waves crush the thunder against the ice. Their rhythm echoing a tale of betrayal, transformation, and power. This is the story of Sedna, whose tragic fate and indomitable spirit shapes the oceans of life within them. Inuit people living in harmony with one of the harshest environments on earth. Hold deep reverence for the sea. The ocean is life. It seals, whales, and fish provide sustenance, but it's also unpredictable and dangerous demanding respect and care. Senna, the goddess of the sea, embodies these dualities. Before becoming a deity, Sedna was a mortal woman of rare beauty and strength. As always, they're always beautiful. Her long jet black hair cascaded down her back like midnight waves, and her sharp almond shaped eyes sparkled with a glint of sunlight and ice. Her cheeks carried the flush of light against the pale backdrops of her skin, And her presence exuded both grace and defiance. This reminds me of Snow White, honestly. What a beautiful woman. She just sounds so fun and I would love to be her friend. She sounds absolutely amazing. And I would love to just hang out with her and figure out what her story is because she sounds like she would not be a boring person to be around. Let's be honest. Sedna lived in a small snow draped village at the edge of the arctic ocean. She was the pride of her father, Ngwata, A stoic and respected hunter. Many suitors came to Sedna, drawn by her beauty and her sharp wit. She rejected them all. I will marry for the sake of tradition, she said. She told her father one evening as they sat by their fire. It's warmth chasing away the chill of the endless winter night. Her voice was firm. I'll choose a life that suits me, not one that pleases others. Inguda sighs. His weathered hands tightened around his hunter's spear. Daughter, you cannot live alone forever. The world is harsh, even the strongest need companion. Sedna only smiled and looked out the dark horizon. She was content, or so she believed. One day a stranger arrived in their village. He was cloaked in furs, his face shadowed by the hood of his parka. His voice was low and smooth, like the whisper of the wind over ice. Sedna, he said, stepping forward. I'm a hunter from a far off land. My home is warm, my heart is full, and my hands can provide for you. Marry me, and you will never know hunger or cold again. Sedna hesitated, but the man's promises of comfort and abundance tempted her. She agreed to go with him, despite her betrayal, and despair. CNA to his kayak and they paddled across the vast ic. As the days passed, CNA began to notice his strange habits, his sharp jerky movements, and the way his voice shifted into harsh crows when he thought she wasn't listening. When they reached home. When they reached home, her suspicions were confirmed. It was not the warm welcome place he had promised, but a barren rocky island, and he was not a man, but a bird spirit. His feather's hidden beneath his cloak. He fed her scraps of raw fish and led her to sleep in the cold you tricked me, sin us back. Her voice trembling with fury as she faced him. You chose to come, the birdman replied with a cruel laugh. This is your life now. Desperate and filled with regret, Sedna sent her prayers in the wind to her father. Nguuta, upon hearing her cries, set out in his kayak to rescue her. The storm. When N'guda arrived, Sedna leaped into his boat, clinging to him like a child to her parent. Thank you, father, she whispered, her voice breaking. We will return home, N'guda said gruffly, paddling with all his strength. But as they fled, the birdman discovered their escape and summoned a furious storm. The sea roared and the waves tall as mountains crashed around them, N'guta's kayak rocks dangerously, his face twisted in fear. The spirit will kill us both, he shouted. In his panic, he made a terrible decision. Grabbing Sedna, he pushed her overboard, to appease the birdman and save himself. No, father, please, Sedna screamed. Her hands clashing to the edge of the kayak, and Guda's expression darkened with guilt and desperation as he drew his knife. Forgive me, Sedna. He slashed her fingers, one by one. They slipped from the boat, and Sedna sank into the frozen depths, her cries swallowed by the raging sea. Beneath the waves, Sedna's severed fingers transformed into seals, whales, and fish, filled the ocean with life. Her body, broken and betrayed, changed as well. She became a goddess, her hair flowing like seaweed and her eyes glowing with the fury of wisdom of the deep. Sedna took her place at the bottom of the ocean, ruling over the marine life from then on the Inuit, people believed that SNA controlled the seas. Shaman's would journey to hurt in spirit, combining her hair to calm her anger, and pleading for her favor. If treated with respect, Sena would release animals needed for survival, but if dishonored, she would withhold her gifts, letting famine take hold. Let's talk about the cultural significance of Sedna's story. While she embodies the relationship between the Inuit people and the ocean, it reflects the fragility of life in the Arctic, where survival depends on balance, respect, and humility. Sedna's transformation from mortal woman to goddess highlights resilience and the power that can emerge from suffering. Her till serves as a reminder to honor the natural world and maintain harmony with its cycles. The lesson of Sedna. Sedna's story teaches us the importance of respect for nature, for others, and for ourselves. Betrayal and greed disrupt the balance of life, while care and reverence sustains it. Her journey from betrayal to empowerment reminds us that even in the depths of despair, we can rise to become stronger and wiser. Sedna, like the ocean she governs, is both a force to be feared and a source of life to be shared. Alright guys, it's time to myth this lore. today's scripture is, Genesis 1 verses 20, this is the King James Version, as usual, it quotes, And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundance and the moving creatures that hath life, and fowls that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of earth. This is like towards the beginning, of the creation of life. I believe that Sedna, as the ruler of the sea, controls all marine life, right? She symbolizes the power of the ocean and its creatures. This scripture, about God's creation of the life in the waters, Parallel Sedna's dominion over the sea and its creatures. It shows the profound Responsibility that comes with power reminding us that we are stewards of earth and its resources oh my gosh like In my last episode I talked about the gift I'm giving To God, and it was that I will one of them was that I would embrace nature more and find joy and happiness in that. And I, because I think in our life, we're like, Oh, My life is so sad or miserable because this and this but there's so many blessings like small blessings There's so many mundane things in life that we can enjoy and that is nature itself I'm trying to find joy in the natural things of life, and I know it's that time of year guys It's getting darker outside. It gets dark at 5 Like what? What? I want, it's just not, it's not right. But that's nature. So it's just, It puts more emphasis on spending time outside and in nature and loving the world, loving snow, even loving the cold. Who likes the cold? My hand's raised, you don't see it, but I actually like the cold. I like being bundled up in a warm jacket, and warm gloves, and boots, and some warm fuzzy socks, and going outside, and having the cold wind hit my face, and everything else is warm. Even my ears are covered, it's just my face. It's cold. And I'm like, yes, I love that. That's also how I like to sleep lol. Like the fan on my face, but I'm just bundled up I like the room cold. I my face cold everything else about me is like blazing hot, but That's how I like things and I love that I can go outside and experience that today And I love the snow, I love that the trees are like, barren right now, you can see the bones of the trees. And on that point, I wanted to talk about how, with Sedna, you could see her character. Even though, the reason why she settled for the Birdman was because she just wanted to fulfill her duties, her marital duties. And she thought, Oh, this was the best I can do. So she thought she was doing the right thing, but it was a disguise that she didn't know the man. She didn't even get to see him. In life. Like that tree Sometimes we can't really trust a person just. Because they look nice from the outside, when their bones, their roots, their trunk isn't solid. I've realized that there's so much more to people than just what they look like. I know I'm very young, but it's not something, it's not a big discovery to realize that people aren't what they always seem to be. What they present isn't always true. There's always so much more hidden under the water than there is visible. And I think that's a lot of people, show you in the springtime that they're beautiful, they're green, like they're all that, there's even some birds nesting in there. But when winter comes and it's just their roots, They don't really produce much beauty, but sometimes they do. Sometimes you see the roots of some of these trees and you're like, wow, that's just beautiful. The picture they create is gorgeous. And I love that. I do love the green. Don't get me wrong. I love leaves and stuff. I love the fall when everything turns orange, red. And yellow, but the winter when everything's gone and you can just see the roots and the bark, you can see if it's strong or if it's leaning, and sometimes there are seasons in our life when you can see some people for who they are. And if their bones are really true, if their roots, their bark is really pure. And it's tragic to say that Sedna's father did not have the strong bark. He did not, the love he had for his daughter was not strong enough. It wasn't pure. Because who does that? Who throws their daughter over a kayak He went so far to cut off her fingers. Find friends that won't cut your fingers off when hard times come. Because I've experienced friends that betrayed me during hard times you thought they loved you, but then a hard thing happens. And they're like, oh This is your fault your problem. You get no sympathy for me. In fact, you get trouble Like i'm just gonna tell you how bad of a person you are and you didn't cause this problem It just happened life happens people and that's normal But get people around you and That will instead of push you over that kayak They will continue to row with you, you know through that storm Instead of pushing you over All right guys, it's time to wrap this episode up. My question for you guys is how do we balance power with compensation? Can we protect those we love without becoming hardened by our experiences? And this question will also be on my Instagram for this episode specifically, but think about that story and think about that. Question. I know it's unfair because this is two questions in one. The question is how do we balance power with compassion? Can we protect those we love without becoming hardened by our experiences? My answer is I truly believe we can. I believe that this is possible. And I would hope you guys do too. I would love to hear what someone has done for you and how it has changed your life, but I will talk to you guys again I'm, so grateful that you were able to join me for this episode. I love you guys, and i'll see you next time.