Certain stories and legends passed by elders from one generation to the next are integral components of Inuit culture. Usually, it was the grandmothers who were the storytellers. Inuit children listening to the accounts of legendary characters and events would learn about the traditions, values and beliefs of their people.

Common themes and motifs are repeated in many of the stories and legends. The topics can be distilled into the following: an abused orphan who gains supernatural strength and uses it to get revenge for mistreatment he has endured; a woman who manages to survive on her own after separation from a husband who mistreated her; a bachelor who, after being rejected by women, takes an animal or bird as his wife and does quite fine; a woman who after rejecting every admirer, finally accepts a spouse, only to learn that her husband is an animal; people who are raised by animals and animals who are raised by people; and an Inuk who encounters evil spirits during the course of many adventures and outsmarts them to get away.

The legendary characters Kiviuq and Lumaaq figure prominently in the stories. They were real for Inuit in the past. However, even though the stories continue to be relayed, Inuit today look upon the stories differently from their ancestors. Christianity has replaced traditional beliefs. Therefore, most Inuit look upon these stories as an important part of their history and identity, but do not maintain that Kiviuq and Lumaaq exist post-contact.

It is interesting to note that as Inuit elders shared stories they did not provide descriptive details of characters or events. Rather, the Inuit way of telling stories was to lay the events out pragmatically. Without visual information or colourful storybooks, listeners were free to imagine the physical attributes of the characters and their surroundings.