Pisissarfik

Pisissarfik is a 1,220-metre mountain in West Greenland near Kapisillit, notable for its smooth inland slope and steep seaward cliff above Kapisillit Kangerluaq. Deeply rooted in Inuit tradition, its name means “shooting range” and recalls a legend in which an Inuk defeated a Viking in an archery contest and cast him from the summit. Tradition also places a final battle between Inuit and Norse settlers at the mountain’s base. Excavations from 1945 to 1952 showed nearby graves were actually Inuit burials from the 16th and 17th centuries, preserving mummified remains and clothing. Pisissarfik also entered Greenland’s Christian history when a Deutsche Messe was held at its foot in 1749.

Sermersooq · Greenland