In Eskimo mythology, Silap Inua, or Silla, is the main component of everything that exists, like man and ether ; it is also the breath of life and the method of any movement or change. Strength governs everything that happens in life.
Silla is the deity of sky, wind and weather. Although it has a gender, it is masculine, it is never depicted, because it has no form. There are very few myths in which Silla participates, because he has almost no individual characteristics. He also represents the concept in something similar to the Hindu paramatmat or the Emerson great super soul : Silla is also the matter from which souls are made. Contrary to the Christian missionaries who have identified the main deity of the Eskimos of Nanook , the spirit of polar bears , Silla is much closer to this role. At the same time, Silla has a malicious side: it is known that during the game he can lure the child to the tundra, and he will never be seen again.
History
According to the interpretation of anthropologists , Silla is one of the oldest Eskimo deities, but recently (in the last millennium) he was ousted by the Sedna and Mother Caribou when the animals subordinate to these goddesses became the main food of the Eskimos. The rationale for the conclusion of the antiquity of faith in Silla is the prevalence of this deity.