Aniu

Aniu is a fictional character in Universal Studios' 1995 animated film Balto and its straight-to-video sequel, Balto II: Wolf Quest. She is Balto's mother, which is revealed at the end of the same film.

Personality

Aniu first appeared in Balto, serving to remind him of his wolf heritage after he had fallen down a cliff and given up all hope. She remained totally unidentified until Balto II: Wolf Quest, and there remains some dispute as to whether the great white wolf in the first movie was indeed Aniu. In the Junior Novel book, the wolf is depicted as a he. However, Phil Weinstein declared in an interview that Aniu is the white wolf in the original film.^[1]

Aniu appears to be a spirit. She has a tendency to appear and vanish in the blink of an eye, usually with the appearance that she is vanishing into the wind or the fog. She also possesses the ability to shapeshift, having been seen to take the form of a raven and a vixen. Since Balto was separated from her at an early age, he has few memories of her, save that she "was white as snow" and had a warm voice that always made him feel safe. In addition to being Balto's mother, Aniu is apparently a guide to Nava, the elderly leader of the wolf pack Balto and Aleu meet in the movie.

Aniu mated with a male husky (Balto's father) and they ran off together. It is also unknown how she met Balto's father, though it is known that he was a domestic Siberian Husky, mentioned by Balto himself when explaining his origins to his daughter Aleu. He was the leader of his sled dog team, dying at age of 10, 6 years after Aniu's death.

Aniu's exact age was never made clear in the films. Her name means "snow" in Inuit.

Role in Balto

Aniu played a very significant role in the first film, although only appearing twice to remind Balto of his wolf heritage; she is still part of one of the most powerful and emotional scenes in the movie. She is never mentioned by name, nor does she speak throughout the film, and appears to only be a mysterious figure who comes to Balto in his times of need to give him spiritual support and encouragement. It is hinted that Aniu may be a spirit guide instead of a living wolf, though this is never directly made clear.

Role in Balto II: Wolf Quest

It becomes much more evident in the second film that Aniu is indeed a spirit and not a living wolf. She is known to have taken two forms along the way to help both Balto and Aleu:

• Wolf (Spirit, Guide, Lead, Conduct), her true self, the teacher.
• Raven (Dreams, Visions, and Nightmares), the dark bird that appeared in Balto's dreams.

These forms could possibly allude to the Raven and Wolf/Eagle moieties of the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska, and the portrayal of both moieties (also known as 'descent groups') through the same character could symbolize Balto and Aleu's mixed heritages.

It has also been suggested (although not confirmed) that she took various other forms, namely:

• Fox (Cunning trickster).
• Wolverine (Fears).
• Bear (Inner Knowing).
• Caribou (Life).

These animals matched up to those on a totem pole (suggesting that the story in the film may be influenced by Native American folklore) that Balto occasionally passed by. In a dream vision of Balto's, she explained the meaning of each totem animal to him. The pack of wolves that Aleu and Balto meet refer to Aniu as a legendary figure. At the very end of the film, Aniu is revealed to be Balto's spirit guide and mother.

References

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