In Inuit mythology, Nanook (Inuktitut: ᓇᓄᖅ [naˈnuq], lit. "polar bear") was the god of bears. He decided if hunters deserved success in finding and hunting bears and punished violations of taboos. The Inuit believed that Nanuk, the polar bear, was powerful and mighty, and they thought that he was "almost man." The Inuit hunters would worship this great bear because they believed that he decided if the hunters would be successful. Legend says that if a dead polar bear was treated properly by the hunter, it would share the good news with other bears so they would be eager to be killed by him. Bears would stay away from hunters who failed to pay respect.
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