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Pulk

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Upper left: Pulk pulled by a skier; Upper right: Kid on a toy pulk; Lower left: Adult and child pulling toy pulks uphill; Lower right: Small skiing pulk with harness
Upper left: Pulk pulled by a skier; Upper right: Kid on a toy pulk; Lower left: Adult and child pulling toy pulks uphill; Lower right: Small skiing pulk with harness Image: source and license

A pulk (Norwegian: pulk, Swedish: pulka, Finnish: pulkka; Northern Sami: bulki; from Sami languages: pul'hkē) is originally a Nordic term for a low-slung boat-like sled, sometimes without runners, capable of being pulled by hand on foot or skis, or by light draft animals such as dogs or reindeer.[1][2] A toboggan could be called a pulk. They are classically made out of wood and other natural materials but are nowadays made of plastic, which makes them inexpensive.

Pulks are originally meant to carry supplies such as a tent or food, or transport a child or other person. In Norway, Finland and Sweden, pulks are often used by parents to pull small children on skiing trips. In Finland and Sweden, pulks exist as a winter toy, mainly for children, for going downhill.

Akja#edit

A larger pulk, designed for transporting larger amounts of goods, is called a akja (Finnish: ahkio [ɑhkio]; Swedish: ackja; German: Akja, Akia). The term stems from older Sami akio, akje and Finnish: ahkio, akkio, akkia, which in turn is a borrowing from Proto-Norse, cognate with Swedish: äcka, Icelandic: ekja, "driving, fording", to the root ak (Swedish: åk), "drive, ford, ride", ultimately related to "act".[3]

Listed old Sami synonyms include: geres, kerres, låkkek and pulka.[3]

Slider#edit

Saucers and pulks being ridden in Visby, Sweden
Saucers and pulks being ridden in Visby, Sweden Image: source and license

In the Nordic countries, toy pulks made of plastic are very common for winter recreation. They typically hold 1–2 children and have footrests on the front.

There are various derivatives of the plastic toy pulk. In English, such are typically referred to as "sliders" in various compunds, etc.[4] Some classic examples includes:

See also#edit

References#edit

  1. ^ "pulka sbst". saob.se. Swedish Academy. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  2. ^ "The Sámi and their reindeer". utexas.edu. University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  3. ^ a b "ackja sbst". saob.se. Swedish Academy. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  4. ^ "Sled / Slider". pedalsandpetals.com. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
Categories Sports equipmentSleddingSliding vehiclesHuman-powered vehiclesOutdoor recreationDog sportsCross-country skiing

This article is mirrored from “Pulk” on English Wikipedia, revision 1359262758, written by Wikipedia's contributors and licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Editing it here creates a Quire copy with its own history.

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