Sea waterMeat and bone morselsHarpoon headsTaboo keepingApology to the animals
Invocation Approach
Tone
Cold providing
Address
SednaMother of the Sea BeastsShe Who Owns the Animals
Relationship
The one who provides the hunt and withdraws it when the taboo is broken
Warning
Her hair holds the offences and must be combed
Resonance
Hunters coastal peoples those who live with a taboo
Symbols
WaterCup
Mythology Summary
Sedna is the Inuit mother of the sea, who is thrown from a boat and whose fingers become the seals and whales; she lives at the bottom of the sea and withholds the animals when taboos are broken, until a shaman travels down to comb her hair. She is provision and prohibition in one figure.
Modern Practice
Sedna is honoured by keeping the taboos - particularly about how animals are treated - and by the shaman's journey to comb her hair. Her practice is the rule kept and the apology made.