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Hey everyone! I had a thought bunny that just wouldn't go away, and you guys seemed the right place to share it. In this timeline, the ancient ancestors of the First Nations tamed the Camelops, naming it the Amaq. This creates a very, very different world. I'm trying to portray it realistically, which means the now-surviving Camelops will be subject to natural selection - and, similarly, the close proximity to Camelops in the resulting civilization will result in New World-diseases that do not exists in OTL. Hence, I'm honestly not sure if this timeline is ASB or not. If you find it too divergent from OTL, go ahead and move it to ASB - otherwise, enjoy :)

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On the Legend of Amaqjuaq
Dr. Elisapie Bellefeuille, University of Saskatoon (1974)

Variations on the legend of Amaqjuaq’s three trials can be found in the oral traditions of tribes from all over Hahnunah. Although the specifics differ from tribe to tribe, the central theme remains the same - three times during his life, chieftain Amaqjuaq is faced with a famine due to the wrath of the gods, and three times he saves his people with the help of the animal spirits. The first and the third trial vary from legend to legend, but the second is always the same - the taming of the Amaq, known to the English-speaking world as the Great Hahnunan Camel.

Although the legend is present throughout much of Hahnunah, the earliest references have been found in bone carvings excavated from Nunavut settlements estimated to originate from the late pleistocene. Of particular beauty is the Iqaluit Tusk, a massive and elaborate curving around an iron-tipped mammoth tusk. Surely, the tusk must have been the crown jewel of the treasure chamber of some long-forgotten king…



The Three Trials of Amaqjuaq
Inuit folk legend, translation by James Waskaganish (1932)

With the passing of his father Aklaq, the elders of the band selected Amaqjuaq as the new chieftain. Amaqjuaq, a boy of fourteen, had been hunting with his father since childhood and knew the land well. As such, he noticed early in the year that the hunters returned with smaller and smaller loads. Wanting to do his best for the tribe, he sought out Old Higalik, his maternal grandmother and the wisest shaman in the band.

“Grandmother,” said Amaqjuaq, “I am the chieftain of the band. Our eyes are my eyes, our mouths are my mouth, and our heart is my heart. I have seen the hunters return, I have tasted the meat they bring, and I have talked to the spirit of Nunavut. We shall need more food, or we shall not survive the winter.”

“Great Chieftain Amaqjuaq, it is good that you come before me. You must go Northwards to the river Kuglukaaq. There lives Kugluktuuk, the father of all fish. Catch him, and he shall feed us for the year.”

Amaqjuaq set out the next day. He knew that the journey would be long and arduous, and to sustain him along the way he brought his bow and his toolkit, so that he could make arrows and traps for the wild animals. He made an offering to the God of the Hunt, kissed his wife goodbye, and left the village.

Within three weeks, Amaqjuaq reached the great river. Standing on the shore, he sighted the great fish, and decided to make himself known.

“Ho, Kuglutuuk of Kuglukaaq, father of all fish! I am Amaqjuaq of Nunavut, and I would speak with you!”

The great fish answered. “Ho, Amaqjuaq of Nunavut, you who will lead the people! Why do you come before me?”

“Great Kuglutuuk, our people are starving. The hunters return with smaller loads every hunt, for the fish hides in the rivers and lakes, the qalipu is too fast to catch, and the marmot is too scarce to sustain our people.”

“Great Chieftain Amaqjuaq, it is good that you come before me. Come into the river, and I shall whisper in your ear the solution to your problem.”

Trusting the fish, Amaqjuaq waded out into the river. But, as all children of Nunavut know, fish are slippery and quick to deceit, and Kuglutuuk had no knowledge to share with Amaqjuaq - no, Kuglutuuk wished only for a delicious breakfast of chieftainmeat. When Amaqjuaq was halfway into the river, Kuglutuuk could wait no longer and sprung out of the water to grasp the chieftain. Luckily, Amaqjuaq avoided the fish and leapt back on dry land - but not before the fish had eaten two of his left-hand fingers, forever earning him the name Amaqjuaq Three-finger.

Angry, Amaqjuaq cursed the great fish. “Kuglutuuk, father of all fish, you should not have done as you did - I am Amaqjuaq, and though I may not be as strong as you, or swim as fast as you, I have the secret of the bow and the arrow, and you do not.”

Quickly, Amaqjuaq retrieved his bow, an arrow, and a length of rope. The young chieftain tied one end of the rope to the end of the arrow, and the other to the stump of a nearby tree. Then, he shot the arrow through the mouth of the great fish.

“I have you now, slippery one. I will carve out your heart, and share it with the people!

“Wait, oh Amaqjuaq, Great Chieftain! Do not kill me! If you let me go, I will share with you the secret of the Iluuqiaq, the water trap, with which you can catch my brethren in the lesser rivers. With that, you can feed your people. I give you my word as a fish!”

Amaqjuaq thought long and hard, and realized the wisdom in the offer - if he killed the great fish, he could feed the people for a year. But what about the year after, and the year after that? And so Amaqjuaq freed the Kuglutuuk, and received from him the secret of the fish trap. He returned to the village and was the subject of many a festivity, for he had saved the band from starvation.


Many years later, when Amaqjuaq was a fully grown man, he again saw that the food was scarce - the hunters returned empty-handed, and only small fish had travelled up the rivers. Wanting to do his best for the tribe, he sought out Old Qaagalik, his mother, and the wisest shaman in the band.

“Mother,” said Amaqjuaq, “I am the chieftain of the band. Our eyes are my eyes, our mouths are my mouth, and our heart is my heart. I have seen the hunters and the fishermen return, I have tasted the meat they bring, and I have talked to the spirit of Nunavut. We shall need more food, or we shall not survive the winter.”

“Great Chieftain Amaqjuaq, it is good that you come before me. You must go Westwards to the great plain of Uluriaq. There is lives Ulurutuuk, the father of all qalipu. Hunt him, and he shall feed us for the year.”

Again, Amaqjuaq set out the next day. He knew that the journey would be long and arduous, and to sustain him along the way he brought his bow and his toolkit, so that he could make arrows and traps for the wild animals. He made an offering to the God of the Hunt, kissed his wife goodbye, and left the village.

Within three weeks, Amaqjuaq reached the great plain of Uluriaq. In those ancient times, the plain stretched so far along Hahnunah that Amaqjuaq could stand in the middle and see only sky and plain - no mountains, no trees, no hills, so flat was the land. Standing there in the middle, only one creature was visible to Amaqjuaq: The great qalipu, Ulurutuuk, standing as tall as five men and with antlers the size of a small mountain.

Amaqjuaq was a great hunter, and his were arrows blessed by the Gods. Such strength had he that his arrows could cross the great plain itself, and reach so high in the air that the fall-strength would be great enough to kill even Ulurutuuk. But every time Amaqjuaq loosened an arrow, Ulurutuuk would run to the other end of the plain - the great qalipu, himself a lesser god, had no trouble dodging even Amaqjuaq’s arrows.

For three days, the contest between Amaqjuaq and Ulurutuuk went on - Amaqjuaq shooting, and Ulurutuuk dodging. Then, finally, Amaqjuaq had only one arrow left in his quiver. Despairing, Amaqjuaq knew that if he missed one more time, he would return without food, and his village would starve.

Just as he was about to loosen the final arrow, he heard a voice behind him - that of Amaqunuuk, the great Amaq, father of all camels. Amaqunuuk spoke:

“Ho, Amaqjuaq of Nunavut, you who lead the people! Why do you waste your arrows hunting the great Ulurutuuk?”

“Ho, Amaqunuuk of Hanhunah, lord of the open field, greatest of the Amaq! My village is starving, and only the meat of Ulurutuuk can see us through the winter. Alas, I have only a single arrow left - tell me, great Amaqunuuk, what must I do?”

Taking pity on the hunter, Amaqunuuk answered softly. “Amaqjuaq of Nunavut, it is good that you come before me. You and I will make a bargain. I will carry you swiftly over the plain, where we shall collect the arrows you have wasted. Now: My ancient enemy Toronanuuk, lord of the wolves, dwells in the hills beyond this plain. He has preyed on my children for many generations, and I tire of our war. From my back, you will have the speed to slay not only Ulurutuuk, but also Toronanuuk. Thus will be our bargain - help me hunt the wolf, and I will help you hunt the qalipu. Shall we seal the pact in the old way?”

Grasping his knife to slice open his hand - for thus were pacts sealed in the old days - Amaqjuaq thought long and hard over the proposal. “Great Amaqunuuk, when I was young, I struck a bargain with Kuglutuuk, the father of fish. Our bargain provided plenty for my tribe through many years, and it is only the growth of our people that now sees us starving. I would strike a similar bargain again, if I could. What I propose is this - together, we hunt Toronanuuk, and then we hunt Ulurutuuk. But we shall hold all our children to this bargain, for all of time forward. My children shall guard yours against the children of the wolf, and your children shall carry mine in the hunt for the children of the qalipu. What say you, great Amaqunuuk?”

The great Amaq laughed, and accepted the bargain. Henceforth, Amaqjuaq would be known as Amaqjuaq the Negotiator, and his pact with the great amaq should hold till the end of time. That is why the greatest crime for a warrior of Nunavut is to let wolves into the amaq-stable: In doing so, he breaks the bargain of Amaqjuaq, and heralds ill times for his trible.

After sealing the bargain, Amaqjuaq and Amaqunuuk hunted together for three weeks. Then, they returned to the village, Amaqunuuk’s children carrying the meat of their prey. Amaqjuaq was subsequently the subject of many a festivity, for he had saved the band from starvation.


Many years later, when Amaqjuaq was himself an elder, he again saw that the food was scarce - the hunters returned empty-handed, only small fish had travelled up the rivers, and the qalipu herd was thinning. Wanting to do his best for the tribe, he sought out Old Nuuqaliq, his wife, and the wisest shaman in the band.

“Wife,” said Amaqjuaq, “I am the chieftain of the band. Our eyes are my eyes, our mouths are my mouth, and our heart is my heart. I have seen the hunters and the fishermen return, I have tasted the meat they bring, and I have talked to the spirit of Nunavut. We shall need more food, or we shall not survive the winter.”

“Great Chieftain Amaqjuaq, it is good that you come before me. You must go Southwards to the great forest of Quunapuq. There is lives Quunaputuuk, the father of all marmots. Hunt him, and he shall feed us for the year.”

Again, Amaqjuaq set out the next day. He knew that the journey would be long and arduous, and to sustain him along the way he brought his bow and his toolkit, so that he could make arrows and traps for the wild animals. He made an offering to the God of the Hunt, kissed his wife goodbye, and left the village.

Within three days, Amaqjuaq reached the great forest of Quunapuq - he was, after all, riding a child of the great Amaq. Throughout the following three weeks, Amaqjuaq searched the forest - he looked behind every tree, in every cave, and in any place he could think of. Finally, he realized that Quunaputuuk was not to be found in the forest, and he cried out in despair. To the good fortune of the people of Nunavut, his cries were heard by the one being who could help him: Siluvinaq, mother of all crows, the greatest sorceress in Hahnunah.

“Ho, Amaqjuaq of Nunavut, you who have lead the people! Why do you visit my forest, and why do you cry so? Has not life blessed you with plenty of food, a strong tribe to hunt with, and a good woman for your wife?”

“Ho, Siluvinaq of Quunapuq, mother of crows! My village is starving, so I hunt Quunaputuuk. Alas, the great marmot seems not to dwell here any longer, and so my tribe will starve.”

“Amaqjuaq of Nunavut, it is good that you come before me. I know the fate of the great marmot, and of the great qalipu, and of the great fish. I have watched you for a long time, Amaqjuaq. Throughout your life, you have lived honorably. You have bargained with the great spirits, and you have upheld your bargains. You have not misused their children, and so you have been granted their plenty. However, not all of your people behave so honorably.”

“Great Siluvinaq, what do you mean?”

“Beyond this forest lies the land of the Tuulurit. Their chieftain, Teraqtiaq of Quvanut, has also met the spirits of nature. But instead of bargaining as you did, and instead of offering the Gods what is proper, he knew only hatred - Teraqtiaq has slain the great fish, and eaten his heart. He has slain the great qalipu, and mounted his antlers over his throne. He has slain the great marmot, and used his eyes in evil sorcery to bind the children of the great amaq to his will. Amaqjuaq, if you wish to save your people, here is what you must do. Go back to your tribe, and gather your warriors. Return here in three weeks, and together we shall wage a great war on the Tuulurit. Slay Teraqtiaq, and free the spirits of the great ones. Then, Amaqjuaq of Nunavut, I shall teach you the proper rites to let the children of the great ones leave the underworld, and graze again upon your lands.”

Amaqjuaq thought long and hard over the bargain, but understood that the wisdom of the crow could not be bested. However, he had one additional favour to trade “I accept that bargain, Siluvinaq, lady of the underworld. But I have another suggestion. If you teach us the proper rites to call forth the children of the great ones, and we shall never starve again. However, there will come a time when Nunavut faces another crisis, and as my time draws near I will not be there to bargain. Oh Siluvinaq, greatest of shamans, take my wife as your pupil. Teach her the ways of magic, and in return I shall instruct my people to erect temples to the great ones wherever they go, so that your kin may be properly worshipped.”

The great crow scowled, for she did not wish to surrender her sorcerous secrets. Devious as she was, she decided to accept the bargain nonetheless - she could not refuse, lest she risk the wrath of Amaqjuaq’s protector, the great Amaq - but she could refrain from helping Amaqjuaq in his war. As such, she cut her wing, and the bargain was struck.

Amaqjuaq returned to the village, and consulted his wife. Together they made a decision - one tribe alone could not defeat the Tuulurit, so instead they gathered all the warriors from all the tribes of Nunavut. A great host they were, larger than has ever been assembled since. Thus, they strode forth, clad in armor of fur, wielding great bows and blessed arrows, and riding the children of Amaqunuuk. So great were their bows, and so swift were the amaqs, that the war was over in three weeks. And henceforth, Amaqjuaq was known as Amaqjuaq the Swift.

Siluvinaq congratulated Amaqjuaq for a bargain well struck, and took Nuuqaliq, the wife of Amaqjuaq, as his apprentice. Amaqjuaq bade all the people of Nunavut to erect temples for the great ones - in the north, a temple for Kuglutuuk, the great fish. In the west, a temple for Ulurutuuk, the great qalipu. In the south, a temple for Quunaputuuk, the father of marmots. And in his own village, two temples - one for Amaqunuuk at the north entrance to the village, and one for Siluvinaq at the south entrance to the village.

It is known that a final temple was erected in secret, against the orders of Amaqjuaq: A temple to Toronanuuk, the great wolf. From that act, many evil deeds would follow - but that is a tale for another time.

Finally, Amaqjuaq returned to live out the rest of his life in the village. He was subsequently the subject of many a festivity, for he had saved all of Nunavut from starvation.



The Taming of the First Amaq
An unrecorded conversation that changed the world.

Usuk! At this rate, we will never reach the mountains as the chieftain demanded. And I refuse to walk there, it could take weeks! We truly are in trouble, Quruuq!”

“Brother, I had a thought. You see the amaq, over there? The lump on the back? It has the same shape as the tree stump you are resting on.”

“What are you saying, brother?”

“Well, we will never reach the mountains if we walk ourselves. We would not be back before winter. But, Taraaq, if you sit upon the amaq, you can rest as you do now, while the amaq walks to the mountain. We go there, the chieftain is happy, and our feet will not blister.”

“Brother, you must be the smartest man in Nunavut!”

“I am at least the laziest, Taaraq. Now, what do Armaqs eat again...”



The First Amaquits
A History of Northern Hahnunah, Dr. Amaqjuaq de la Croix, University of La Venta (1995)

Some of the earliest archeological findings in Hahnunah originate from the Nunavut region, rightly considered the cradle of Hahnunan civilization. It seems increasingly likely that the ancestors of the First Amaquits, as these people have been traditionally named, crossed Beringia during the late Pleiostecene, some 15000 years ago. Archeological evidence from the digs at Iqaluit and Tsatsaotiq suggests a semi-nomadic neolithic civilization centered around the hunt of qalipu (in English: Caribou) and the domestication of amaq (In English: Hahnunan Camel).

We would know preciously little about First Amaquit society, were it not for their fortuitous habit of leaving behind artistic carvings on animal bones, predominantly amaq. Through these, we gain a glimpse into the myths and legends of the First Amaquits, as well as their daily lives...



A Speculative Conversation on the Internet
Alternatehistory.hah, 2017

AvalonianDream: Hey guys, I thought of this new timeline - it’s about Hahnunah and the First Amaquits. Like, so, here’s the idea - what if the Armaquits never tamed the Hahnunan Camel? What if it went extinct? Isn’t that a totally wild idea?

RoflcopticChurch: Lol, how could camels just go extinct? ASB much? Fucking noob. Worst timeline, delete your account.

RhomaionWillPrevail: @AvalonianDream could’ve added a bit more context, but I’ll bite. Let’s see… No camels probably means no domestication in the New World, so no truly large settlements that far north. Saskatoon is butterflied away, meaning less conflict in Hahnunah, meaning no incentive to develop advanced warfare. Lower population and worse technology when the vikings land, combined with no tradition for large-scale warfare? This could be a good PoD for Norse Hahnunah. Vinlandworld, I guess?

BerberBarbarian: @RhomaionWillPrevail not sure. We’re talking the little ice age, so food will be really scarce… Without large settlements in northern Hahnunah there might not even be an Armaquit civilization to meet the vikings, and the settlement could easily be lost. Someone could discover Hahnunan later? The Spanish? The Portuguese?

OlmecFanNumberOne: @RhomaionWillPrevail @BerberBarbarian aren’t we forgetting something? No northern tribes means southern civilizations like the Olmec have free run. La Venta for world capitol!

MaqqPerryDeservedWorse: @OlmecFanNumberOne will you shut up about the damn Olmecs? You wank them in every thread, including the one I started which explicitly butterflied away the Olmecs!

AvalonianDream: Guys, back on target please? What I was thinking was, with no large-scale domestication in the new world, the Eriksonian exchange might not happen, or might happen very differently. For starters, no tundra-dwelling camels anywhere in the world means no camels in Finland, and certainly no camels for the Russians… We might not see Siberia settled at all?

SocWithArmaquitCharacter: @AvalonianDream you are forgetting something way more important. Without major cities in the New World, Viking’s Breath might not evolve at all, and would certainly never hit Europe. That means no mass epidemics in the 11th or 12th century, apart from maybe the plague… Almost impossible to speculate about what happens, but I imagine the European powers would be much stronger. Also, you have no Viking’s Breath epidemics in China, so who knows what happens there? But, you know, with alternate evolutionary paths for diseases we are entering ASB territory… I think it is necessary to do this timeline justice, though.

AbbasidChinaCouldHappen: @AvalonianDream that’s a fairly good point. Warfare will look completely different, that’s for sure. Will the European civilizations even know how to fight the Mongols without Toranaaq the Elder’s treatise on mounted archery?

Ottomaniac: @AbbasidChinaCouldHappen @RhomaionWillPrevail so we have viking Hahnunah, and mongol Europe… Not sure if awesome or too weird

OlmecFanNumberOne: Naaah you get Olmec Hahnnuna, maeby Mongols fight france for Europ? Would be cool tbh, would read if you write… Even cooler why not give genghus khan a tank? Could be time tralveing Olemc giving, you know, to fight france

Ottomaniac: Oh for Christ’s sake, the Olmecs again? Why?!

OlmecFanNumberOne: Cuz Olcme best civ, they’re my faqvorite in civ 6, same in aoe2… those camel cavalry with extra dmg + trample attkca, fuck yeeeah… always play them. Cna add me on steam I’m OlmecDaChamp, but only if you good otherwise I stemaroll like battle for New Amsterdam lel 1654 best year of my life111

KyrieEleison (moderator): @OlmecFanNumberOne stop derailing the thread or I’ll give you another ban, a week this time.

EDIT: I said it, didn’t I? And insulting me doesn’t help anyone.

OlmecFanNumberOne: User was banned for this post.

RhomaionWillPrevail: Hey, speaking of the Olmecs - with no camels, maybe they don’t survive as long as they did? What kind of civilization would we get instead?

TerracottaTrooper: @AvalonianDream I, for one, would be most interested in seeing how the power balance in Europe evolves. No camels, sure, but you’re not thinking big enough - there’s certainly no north-south contact in Hahnunah, and most likely only limited contact between the vikings and the… we can’t really call them amaquit, can we? What should we call them instead? Cree, as the british did?... well, in any case, no real way for stuff like quinoa or potatoes or qavi pigs to reach Europe, at least not before centuries later…

AvalonianDream: @SocWithArmaquitCharacter @TerracottaTrooper I hadn’t even thought of that! Not a real historian, just a computer scientist with a hobby, so I’m so glad you guys are here to help me write this!

TerracottaTrooper: @AvalonianDream of course! This timeline sounds like it might be a blast!

AbbasidChinaCouldHappen: @AvalonianDream so long as you don’t listen to what @OlmecFanNumberOne is saying ;)

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