In Inuit religion, Nanook (/ˈnænuːk/; Inuktitut: ᓇᓄᖅ [naˈnuq], lit. "polar bear") was the master of bears, meaning he decided if hunters deserved success in finding and hunting bears and punished violations of taboos. The word was popularized by Nanook of the North, the first feature-length documentary.