Ghost Stories of Greenland : 2020-2023

 

Aajumaaq, the Sleeved One, which lives in a tunnel in the ice cap. This creature has long, slender arms that are black from the elbows down, with each hand having only three fingers. The head resembles a bald or skeletal dog’s head, with large, piercing eyes. The Sleeved One floats through the air, and when it touches anything, including a human, that thing soon rots away. 

Eqqillit, the Dog People. These are half-dog, half-human creatures who live in packs on or near the ice cap. They move fast enough to outrun humans, and they have a great sense of smell. They are extremely aggressive and hostile and love to pick fights with humans. For weapons, they use bows and knives. 

The cachet depicts Immap Nanua, or the Bear of the Sea.  This bear is so big that it can wade through fjords, and when it puts its front paws on the shore and cranes its neck, it can lick the highest mountaintops. 

All the designs on the stamps and the stories behind them are taken from this book, Bestiarium Greenlandica, which was published in 2018 by Milik Publishing. It was edited by Maria Bach Kreutzmann and illustrated by various artists. 

The first-day cancellation for all issues has a drawing of Umiarissat, who are warriors with bushy beards, big hats, and shiny weapons. They disguise themselves as seals, and when they reach shore, they turn into human-like creatures to attack settlements and butcher the people. 

Ghosts Stories of Greenland : 2020-2023

2022-May-31

Amu, is a helper spirit. An Amu helps a shaman’s soul leave his body in order to go on a spirit journey to locate malevolent spirits causing harm to the settlement. During this ritual, Amu keeps the audience alive and protects them from other spirits. 

Qarlimaatsoq,  the Ghoul or the Dead One, is creature which has a black face and a desiccated body, and it usually lives in a grave. A person walking by the grave might hear a buzzing sound. Qarlimaatsoq will sometimes lie screaming in the grave during a full moon. When it rises from its burial, it looks like the northern lights. Qarlimaatsoq is a helper spirit for a shaman. 

All the designs on the stamps and the stories behind them are taken from this book, Bestiarium Greenlandica, which was published in 2018 by Milik Publishing. It was edited by Maria Bach Kreutzmann and illustrated by various artists. 

The first-day cancellation for all issues has a drawing of Umiarissat, who are warriors with bushy beards, big hats, and shiny weapons. They disguise themselves as seals, and when they reach shore, they turn into human-like creatures to attack settlements and butcher the people. 

Ghost Stories of Greenland : 2020-2023

2021-Sep-17

Qivittoq, or Mountain Wanderer, are created when people leave their settlement in shame, anger, or grief. They wander across the mountains or the ice cap in order to isolate themselves from all other people. Their garments consist of hare or fox skins and their boots are made from twigs, roots, or leather straps. They have red eyes, matted hair, and very dark skin. It is said that the touch of a Qivittoq can cause infected wounds. A creature cannot fully transform into a Qivittoq until it loses all its humanity. A fully transformed Qivittoq can often be seen floating across the mountains and breathing out fire or having a tail of fire. 

Anngiaq, or The Secret, is a spirit of a baby or a fetus who was born in secret and then killed. The spirit lives on, looking for the love of which it was deprived. The spirit finds the skull of a dog, which it uses as a boat, and searches out relatives of its mother. It will drown them or shoot them with arrows as punishment for their crime. It can crawl into siblings born after it and kill them by causing internal bleeding. The only way the Anngiaq can be stopped is for the secret to be revealed. 

The cachet for the first day cover depicts Kiiappa, also known as the Big Mask.

All the designs on the stamps and the stories behind them are taken from this book, Bestiarium Greenlandica, which was published in 2018 by Milik Publishing. It was edited by Maria Bach Kreutzmann and illustrated by various artists. 

The first-day cancellation for all issues has a drawing of Umiarissat, who are warriors with bushy beards, big hats, and shiny weapons. They disguise themselves as seals, and when they reach shore, they turn into human-like creatures to attack settlements and butcher the people.