Aurora Spirits
In Inuit tradition, the aurora borealis is not merely a natural phenomenon but the manifestation of spirits playing in the sky. Known as aqsarniit or arsanit in Inuktitut, the dancing lights are believed to be the souls of the dead playing a celestial game of ball with a walrus skull, or the torches of spirits guiding the recently deceased to the afterlife. Different Inuit groups hold varying beliefs: some see the lights as the spirits of ancestors engaged in joyful celebration, while others regard them with fear, believing they can descend and snatch away the living. The lights are also thoug