Two demonic figures climbing on a a tent. Shapes shown in black ink on cream paper as silhouettes. In lower left are 10 lines of small handwritten letters in Inuktitut writing. Writing translates to English: The Torngat that come knocking in the night. This story was terrifying when my father and grandmother told it. I mean, it was very scary. Long ago, in a tent, when they still used sealskin tents, as darkness fell, these creatures would scratch at the tent. The people were so scared that they couldn’t speak a word. They must’ve been the devils children, his daughters or his sons. No one dared to leave during this time. They circled the tent all night long, scratching at it. It would eventually stop in the dead of night.

Tivi Etok

The Torngats that Come Knocking in the Night

Maker

Tivi Etok (Inuk, 1928–2025, b. in Canada)

Culture

Inuit

Title

The Torngats that Come Knocking in the Night

Year

1974

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

color stonecut

Supports

Dimensions

Sheet: 48.6 x 62.9 cm (19 1/8 x 24 3/4 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Signed and dated in pencil at LR:TIVI ETOOK #8; inscriptions in pencil at LL and LR.

Inscription Text/Poem
Translation: The Torngat that come knocking in the night.

This story was terrifying when my father and grandmother told it. I mean, it was very scary.

(Translated by Apatakaa Translations)

Long ago, in a tent, when they still used sealskin tents, as darkness fell, these creatures would scratch at the tent. The people were so
scared that they couldn’t speak a word. They must’ve been the devils children, his daughters or his sons. No one dared to leave during

this time. They circled the tent all night long, scratching at it. It would eventually stop in the dead of night.

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James A. Houston

Object Number

77.148.11

Type

Articles

Inuit Printmaking and the Concept of Purity

Image use

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In copyright This object is in copyright

Tombstone

Tivi Etok (Inuk, 1928–2025, b. in Canada)
The Torngats that Come Knocking in the Night, 1974
Color stonecut on paper
Sheet: 48.6 x 62.9 cm (19 1/8 x 24 3/4 inches)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James A. Houston 77.148.11

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