Scattered around in the mountain we have found ancient Inuit burials, dating to the time before Christianity was introduced during the 18th century. 140 graves are registered in this area and each grave may contain several bodies. It is quite normal to find the graves here in the mountain above the old settlement. The dead were frequently laid to rest in beautiful location with panoramic views. In this way, Inuit showed great respect to the dead.
In the pre-Christian period, Inuit had a view that the individual person consisted of three elements: a body, a soul and a name. At death, the soul would continue to a world either in the sky or in the sea - both places were good places and not to be confused with other religions' conceptions of a heaven above and a hell below.
The body of the dead would be buried and return to the earth. However, the name of the person would often be given to a newborns and thereby live on. This tradition of passing on a name to a small child is still in use in Greenland, but not everyone uses it. It is one of the traditions that bind Greenlandic society very closely together in social relations.
With the introduction of Christianity during the 18th and 19th centuries, the use of coffins become more common. In some cases, we find coffins in very old graves from the 17th century. They may also be the graves of the European whalers and merchants who came here in the early colonial period.
Today you can see several Christian cemeteries in and outside Ilulissat - the newest one is on the road to the airport.
These ancient graves are protected under Greenlandic law. Stay at least two meters (six feet) away from all graves and never move stones or lean on the stones to try and peer inside the graves. Please show respect for our ancestors.
We are now on our way back to the Icefiord Center. Please keep following the blue markers. Our last stop will be at Seqinniarfik where people will gather every year on January 13. Learn about the special guest on that day at stop number 11.
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