tag:elinkaaven.com,2005:/blogs/beneath-northern-lights-com?p=37BENEATH NORTHERN LIGHTS.COM2024-02-27T10:05:17-05:00Elin Kåvenfalsetag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/73581422024-02-27T10:05:17-05:002024-02-27T14:15:05-05:00BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
<p class="">by Elin Kåven </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Often we get questions about what books in English we can recommend for learning about Sami culture.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">While there are tons of books about Sami people written, there are not that many we truly recommend.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But we will let you know when we do find books we can recommend, and add them to this post. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">So far here are the two books we recommend: </p>
<p class=""><em>*We do NOT get any commisions of the sales*</em></p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.gavpi.org/voksne/726-what-we-believe-in-expanded-edition.html"><img src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Skjermbilde-2024-02-27-kl.-15.47.06.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="368" width="999" /></a></figure>
<p class="">You can get it here (hopefully): <a href="https://www.gavpi.org/voksne/726-what-we-believe-in-expanded-edition.html">https://www.gavpi.org/voksne/726-what-we-believe-in-expanded-edition.html</a></p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://www.gavpi.org/voksne/673-joik-i-den-gamle-samiske-religionen-yoik-in-the-old-sami-religion.html"><img src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Skjermbilde-2024-02-27-kl.-15.50.14.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="425" style="width:840px;height:auto" width="995" /></a></figure>
<p class="">You can get it here (hopefully): <a href="https://www.gavpi.org/voksne/673-joik-i-den-gamle-samiske-religionen-yoik-in-the-old-sami-religion.html">https://www.gavpi.org/voksne/673-joik-i-den-gamle-samiske-religionen-yoik-in-the-old-sami-religion.html</a> </p>
<p class="">Or here: <a href="https://www.norli.no/boker/dokumentar-og-fakta/livssyn-og-selvutvikling/joik-i-den-gamle-samiske-religionen-yoik-in-the-old-sami-religion?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiArfauBhApEiwAeoB7qNJ3NSTm338GUQ6IqQ7x_QLY6Z3xZmWbgB7SntjAgS0GtiQgGtqi3xoCVhsQAvD_BwE">https://www.norli.no/boker/dokumentar-og-fakta/livssyn-og-selvutvikling/joik-i-den-gamle-samiske-religionen-yoik-in-the-old-sami-religion?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiArfauBhApEiwAeoB7qNJ3NSTm338GUQ6IqQ7x_QLY6Z3xZmWbgB7SntjAgS0GtiQgGtqi3xoCVhsQAvD_BwE</a></p>
<p class=""><em>*We do NOT get any commisions of the sales*</em> </p>
<p class=""></p>
<p class="">But here in other hand: Elin is teaching a class in this edition of “<a href="https://weaving-remembrance.mykajabi.com/a/2147826500/dYqz8Jng">Songs of Mother Europe</a>” </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://weaving-remembrance.mykajabi.com/a/2147826500/dYqz8Jng"><img src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Email-Banner-1.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="400" style="width:775px;height:auto" width="1200" /></a></figure>
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<p class="">Also read: </p>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="sVZCrzntxY"><a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/the-yoik-connects-you-deeply-with-sami-culture/">YOIK CONNECTS YOU DEEPLY WITH SAMI CULTURE</a></blockquote>
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<p>The post <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/book-recommendations/">BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/73505282024-02-13T05:06:00-05:002024-02-13T05:45:16-05:00THE GREAT CARIBOU OR REINDEER
<p class="has-small-font-size">by guestblogger Tim Yearington</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Thousands of years ago our ancestors had a natural curiosity for the brilliant stars of the Sky<br>World. Like connecting dots with imaginary lines, star groups formed constellations in the sky<br>that served to remind prehistoric holy people and shamans of their cosmological beliefs and the<br>spiritual worldview they practised to help humans live a good life on Earth.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br>We all are familiar with the constellation of The Big Dipper (Ursa Major or Great Bear) in the<br>northern sky. For a long time Ursa Major reminded people of the worldview associated with the<br>sacred Bear Cult of early humans. But in the high arctic of Canada – and possibly in Sápmi too –<br>Indigenous people saw this group of seven stars as a different animal. A caribou or reindeer.<br></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The Cree people still see these seven main stars as forming Kitchi-Attik, the Great Caribou, who<br>flies across the northern sky. The cup of the dipper is the caribou’s back and legs. The handle of<br>the dipper is the caribou’s neck, head and antlers. This stellar stag is seen as a sacred helper; the<br>sky caribou who guides people home. How? Lining up the rear legs of the caribou forms a strait<br>line that points directly to Polaris, the North Star. Knowing how to find north is a good thing,<br>especially if you are lost in a vast wilderness! For the Inuit people their Great Caribou is called<br>Tukturjuit and the North Star is called Nuutuittuq, “The one who never moves.” It never moves<br>because, visually, it is the axis of the spinning Earth also seen as a pole or sacred tree connecting<br>Earth to the heavens.<br></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The North Star has aided human way-finding ever since we began wandering away from the<br>safety of our campfires. Seeing those seven bright stars of the Big Dipper as a caribou or reindeer<br>began with the paleolithic shamans of Siberia thousands of years ago. As the last Ice-Age began<br>melting away 12,000 years ago people began to migrate north. Then they moved into<br>circumpolar Eurasia to the west and in the opposite direction they reached circumpolar North<br>America far to the east. As they went they brought the ancient idea of the Great Sky Caribou with<br>them too.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br>As the ancient shamans arrived in Sápmi did the constellation they had known for thousands of<br>years eventually become Myandash the Holy White Reindeer of the Sámi too? Considering how<br>this “flying reindeer” travelled across the northern sky to help Siberian shamans of long ago it<br>seems possible. It’s all related. Common beliefs about the sacred caribou or reindeer are shared<br>among the circumpolar peoples of the Cree, Inuit and Sámi alike. As further proof perhaps we<br>can consider the shaman roots of Santa Claus and the reindeer he attaches to his sleigh to help it<br>fly! </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In my next guest blog I will write about the constellation of Cygnus (the Swan) also called the<br>Bone Bird or Skeleton Bird. Even further back in time this “sky bird” helped ancient shamans<br>access the realm of our ancestors on the other side of the Spirit River. </p>
<p class="">Also read: </p>
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<p>The post <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/the-great-caribou-or-reindeer/">THE GREAT CARIBOU OR REINDEER</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/73458062024-02-04T15:15:52-05:002024-02-04T20:00:32-05:00SAMI NATIONAL DAY 6TH OF FEBRUARY
<figure class="wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
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<p class="">Also read: </p>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="hmVTKlYLup"><a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-soga-lavlla-the-sami-anthem/">SAMI SOGA LÁVLLA – THE SAMI ANTHEM</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="Xe2uOdHDEw"><a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/the-sami-flag/">THE SAMI FLAG – “SAMI ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE SUN”</a></blockquote>
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<p>The post <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-national-day-6th-of-february/">SAMI NATIONAL DAY 6TH OF FEBRUARY</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/73244012023-12-26T05:10:00-05:002024-01-16T02:20:50-05:00THE STARRY SKY IN SÁPMI
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In the Sami tradition, the starry sky is a cosmic hunting scene. With a life in close contact with nature and a long winter/polar night. The Sami have developed a conscious relationship with the starry sky. The Sami have lived on reindeer herding and hunting, and the Sami constellations reflect this. We find the reindeer, hunters and hunting tools among the star constellations in the sky. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">When a person who grew up in the north moves south, he will discover that the starry sky in the south deviates greatly from that found in the northern hemisphere. The area where the Sami and other northern people live is often called the Arctic. The explanation of this term includes not only the ecological aspect, but also the mythical. The name comes from the Greek word ‘arctus’, which means several things: 1. ‘bear’, 2. ‘north’ and 3. the constellation known internationally under the Latin name Ursa Major (Big Bear). Ursus is Latin for ‘bear’. The Greeks and some other peoples thought of Ursa Major as a bear. This star constellation is also called Storebjørn (big bear) in Norwegian. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Sami language and culture and Sami professions have changed over time, but the ideas from the old Samis about the universe and their own environment has persisted both in some sources and in the Sami worldview, especially in the tradition of the Sami who still use nature in their way of living. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“<em>Sami reindeer herders are truly wise</em>,” wrote the well-known Finnish author Samuli Paulaharju in 1925, after talking with a Sami reindeer herder, “<em>they have a name for every single star, and if a star were to disappear, the Sami would immediately discover the loss</em>“. The old Sami knew that such things in the starry sky as, for example, the bow, which refers to the ancient Sami tradition of hunting and trapping. During the hunting culture (until around the 17th – 18th centuries), hunting equipment consisted of bows, arrows, spears and knives.</p>
<p class=""></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The starry sky changes during the night. The stars appear in the east and move at night in the same direction as the sun. The exception is Boahji/Nuortanásti (North star), which can always be found in the same place. Some stars appear at certain times of the night, and they move across the sky to the west and disappear when the time is right. Other star constellations remain visible in the starry sky in the north (not in summer, of course), but they move in the same direction as the sun during the night.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The constellation Dávggát (Karlsvogna, Big Dipper) is visible in the starry sky all night, even if it gradually descends towards the horizon. The Sami people have used this star image as a clock since ancient times. The way it looks in northern Finland, Dávggát stands in the north in the middle of the night, directly above the head of the person looking up, but late at night the star image turns to the east and sets. When they calculated the time, they also took into account the seasons. The Inari Sami explain the different positions that Dávggát has during the months of a year in this way: In January, Dávggát stands in the east at midnight, in the southeast late at night and in the northwest in the morning.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The name Dávggát itself is not known throughout the Sami region, but in different areas of Sápmi they could have a different name for it. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The most important Sami constellation is Sarvvis – reindeer/wild reindeer/moose (Northern Sami: reindeer, wild reindeer or moose, Southern Sami and Eastern Sami: moose). Sarvvis is a large constellation that corresponds to many Greek constellations. The serrated antlers correspond to the constellation Cassiopeia and the legs form the constellations Perseus and the Coachman. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Various hunters hurriedly pursue this reindeer. This eternal cosmic hunt continues from ancient times until a star succeeds in killing the reindeer. If that happens, it’s the end of the world. The Sami have different mythical stories about who these hunters are and what the hunting animal in the starry sky is.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Fávdna, the star Arcturus, is one of the hunters who hunt Sarvvis. Fávdna uses a bow and arrow in the hunt and the bow is called Fávdnadávgi. It forms the handle of the big dipper and is always aimed at Sarvvis.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Other hunters are the three brothers Gállábártnit. You will recognize them as Orion’s belt in Greek mythology. They are known for their shooting skills and being the best skiers. They where the ones who invented the skis. With them they have a knife, spear and pot which you will find as the three stars under Orion’s belt.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The father of the Gállábártnit is called Gállá and is Sirius, the brightest star in our sky.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Boares Áhkku is an old woman with a pack of dogs. Together they make up the Greek constellation Pleiades. Their task is to scare Sarvvis and bring a pot to cook the meat in.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Čuoigit are two skiers who try to scare Sarvvis towards Fávdna. The skiers are the stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini from the Zodiac.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The Sami name for the North star is Boahji. It means the nail that holds the sky up (sky nail). It is always found in the same place regardless of the movement of the other stars, and has been given a special role in the cosmic hunting scene. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The hunting scene</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The hunting scene itself begins in the early evening, where the hunters appear on the sky vault one by one. Fávdna stands ready with the bow Fávdnadávgi and aims at Sarvvis, while the other hunters, the skiers and his wife try to help so that Fávdna comes within range. Fávdna has drawn the bow, but does not dare to shoot because between him and Sarvvis stands Boahji, the nail of the sky. If it is hit, the sky will fall and all life on earth will cease. During a night of intense hunting, they realize that Sarvvis is too hard to catch. One by one the hunters have to give up, Gállá first and lastly Fávdna. This is how Sarvvis continues his grazing until the next day. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Skjermbilde-2023-12-25-kl.-17.59.16.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="568" width="577" /></figure>
<p class="">In this picture you can also see the three pot-bearers. They will collect the blood of Sarvvis when killed. And on the top is Fávdnas opponent with his spear. This picture is from this video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh4izdWP3XE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh4izdWP3XE</a> </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The following story about the hunt for the cosmic reindeer/moose was told to the Sámi student Berit Merete Nyhstad by the Kautokeino Sámi Oskal-Máhte Mihkkel Issát in the autumn of 1998. </p>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“In the starry sky there is a big, fat and reindeer with antlers. This reindeer is being pursued by a large team. This time it is not a pack of wolves chasing the reindeer, but a whole team of hunters. Throughout the evening and night, one after the other joins the team hunting the reindeer. Behind the reindeer is Fávdna with her bow, Fávnnadávgi (Fávdná’s bow). There are also two skiers who are chasing the reindeer. Boares Áhkku and her two dog pups also want to join the hunt. She screams out to the pups : “Go chase, go chase! The fat rectum is the reward if you catch him!” This is how the old woman shouts to the dogs. She also has skis on her legs and speeds off to join the hunt. Gállábártnit, who are well-known hunters, also joins and pursues Sarvvis. They too have with them a hunting weapon, a bismer scale, and also a spear, a knife and a pot. A spear to stab and kill Sarvvis with, a knife to butcher with, and a pot to cook the fresh meat in. Boares Gállá has also set out to see how her sons, Gállábártnit, succeed in the hunt. Boahji (North star) is also in the hunt. Boahji will shoot Sarvvis. He also has a bow, and when he comes in reach and gets to shoot, then all the stars fall down and it will be the end of the world. But Sarvvis is constantly moving below. Boahji is so high up that he does not come within range, but he is on the lookout to see if Sarvvis does come within range, and then he will shoot to kill.”</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Skjermbilde-2023-12-25-kl.-18.19.07.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="693" width="708" /></figure>
<p class="">Illustration: Naturfag.no</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">At first glance, this myth seem to tell about the end of the world, but there is still a deeper content in the myth. For most nature people, believing in the end of the world is a foreign thought. The end of life and Judgment Day are emphasized in the Christian faith, where time itself is also linear with a creation and an end of the world. For the ancient Sami, time was cyclical – without beginning and without end. They saw an eternal symbol in the eternal hunt and no foretelling of the end of life. From year to year, from century to century, from millennium to millennium, the cosmic hunters try to kill the great star animal. But this star animal always slipped safely past the hunters. No hunter manages to get closer – the reindeer/the moose – continues on its eternal journey. Time and life goes on, the structure of the universe does not change, and so it is an assurance that life is unceasing. </p>
<p class="">Sources: </p>
<ul class="">
<li class="">“Nokre samiske stjernebilete: Eit jaktfolks forestellingar om stjernehimmelen” by Jelena Sergejeva: https://www.mn.uio.no/astro/tjenester/publikum/almanakken/innhold/tema2001.html </li>
<li class="">“Den samiske stjernehimmelen” by Wenche Erlien: https://www.naturfag.no/artikkel/vis.html?tid=815466 </li>
<li class="">“Den samiske stjernehimmlelen, Ikke en stjerne tapt” by Sara Gaup Vars. Atronomi 4/01</li>
<li class="">Den samiske stjernehimmelen – en ressurs for tverrfaglig og stedsbasert læring i friluft by Mette Gårdvik, Karin Stoll & Wenche Sørmo</li>
<li class="">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh4izdWP3XE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh4izdWP3XE </a> </li>
</ul>
<p class=""></p>
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<p>The post <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/the-starry-sky-in-sapmi/">THE STARRY SKY IN SÁPMI</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/73214502023-12-19T10:04:08-05:002023-12-19T14:30:08-05:00A SÁMI DRUM MAKER
<p class="">Written by guest blogger, postdoctoral researcher <a href="https://lacris.ulapland.fi/en/persons/francis-joy(759d019c-8859-4af5-8408-497bee2dd189).html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Francis Joy</a>. Visit his <a href="https://druidman1962.wixsite.com/mysite?fbclid=IwAR281dbuOGPcT3YBGmi3xls-lW2itBmwbNhJi-JmJnGi3jTsOmgCmjHngWY" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">webpage</a> for his shamanic treatments. Read it in the PDF viewer. Enjoy! </p>
<a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Shaman-vol31-Joy-nagyobb-sortavolsag-kisebb-fejezetcim-betumeret-jav-2023-09-21.pdf" class="pdfemb-viewer" style="" data-width="max" data-height="max" data-toolbar="bottom" data-toolbar-fixed="off">Shaman-vol31-Joy-nagyobb-sortavolsag-kisebb-fejezetcim-betumeret-jav-2023-09-21<br></a>
<p class="wp-block-pdfemb-pdf-embedder-viewer"></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">More from Francis Joy: </p>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="RQcyjSu9Zc"><a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/">Reconstructing culture through art- for the memory of Sámi Noaidi Aikia Aikianpoika</a></blockquote>
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<p class="has-medium-font-size">Also read: </p>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="P6scQYxFnr"><a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-shamanism-a-short-summary/">SAMI SHAMANISM – A SHORT SUMMARY</a></blockquote>
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</div></figure>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/meet-a-sami-drum-maker/">A SÁMI DRUM MAKER</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/73183532023-12-12T15:46:04-05:002023-12-12T19:30:17-05:00PRIVATE SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Many of you have noticed the lack of information about the practices of Sami spirituality. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">One of the reasons to that is of course the colonization process where everything Sami was illegal, and those in power wanted us top being Sami – shortly explained. Sometimes people had to hide their practices from the public to survive. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Another important reason for this is that the practices of the Sami spirituality is a very private thing. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">What was done to connect with the spirits was no one elses business but your own. Therefore still today, <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sieidi-a-holy-rock/">visiting a siedi </a>and giving offerings alone is common. The conversation with the gods is between you and them. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">When we read the stories about how the Sami shamans were practicing 100 years ago and before that, those were the practices of those specific shamans, and doesn’t mean that everyone did it the same way as him/her. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The paintings on the drums, for example, were very personal. The symbols and paintings indicate how, and for what that specific individual used the drum. Everyone had their own way. Therefore the symbols of the sun for example, aestetically would look different depending on who drew them. And the same thing applies with yoik, and offering-practises. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But when it comes to connecting with the different entities. How do you do that? </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">What do you need to do to feel connected to them? </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">As you maybe understand, this is very individual, but let me give you a few ideas on how it can be done: </p>
<ol class="">
<li class="has-medium-font-size">Drum journeys. You can do a drum journey with the intention to connect to nature and the spirits or gods. </li>
<li class="has-medium-font-size">Offerings. When it comes to offerings, I think about it this way: You are meeting with other souls. You are wanting to connect with them. How would you connect to human souls for example? You would be friendly, and probably give them something nice to eat and drink. Give them gifts and keep in touch often. If you do that, they will stay your friends and allies. Just like humans. Go to a siedi or any holy place, and give an offering to the entity you wish to connect with. Everybody loves heartfelt entertainment as well, so why not offer for example a yoik to them? </li>
<li class="has-medium-font-size">Ask. Simply aks to connect with whoever you would like to connect with. Be specific. They might answer in your thoughts, feelings, a dream or however you are most responsive to. </li>
<li class="has-medium-font-size">Use art. Use art to enter a meditative state where you can be more open to letting things just unfold the way it wants. Do it with the intention to connect. </li>
<li class="has-medium-font-size">Spend time in nature. This is the obvious one. Look for signs and guidance while walking. </li>
<li class="has-medium-font-size">Meditation. You could for example try a fire meditation. It is easy and effective. Gaze into the fire and look for any types of signs from it. Can you see any silhouettes or symbols in it? </li>
</ol>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">To connect with nature beings and “gods” it’s important to be open and sensitive, and have a calm mind. To engage with this practice is impossible if you are stressed. It is therefore beneficial to be grounded and calm when engaging with these practices. Good luck! </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Do you have any more suggestions, let us know in the comments!</strong> </p>
<p class=""></p>
<p class="">Also read: </p>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="654bCEp8Fw"><a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sieidi-a-holy-rock/">Sieidi – a holy rock</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="vbR5lcsMvh"><a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/do-you-believe-in-the-sami-gods/">DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE SAMI GODS?</a></blockquote>
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<p>The post <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/private-spiritual-practices/">PRIVATE SPIRITUAL PRACTICES</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/73116192023-11-30T11:06:51-05:002023-11-30T15:30:23-05:00SÁMI AI TOOLS
<p class="has-small-font-size">By Elin Kåven</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Rune Fjellheim, from the south of Sápmi, has made a <em>Sami Oracle</em> in Chat GPT. This is what he says: </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>“I have made the “Sámi Oracle”, a specialized GPT that is tailored to answer questions on Sámi issues. You will need a chatGPT+ account.” </em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>“I have updated the Sámi Oracle <a href="https://chat.openai.com/g/g-vWjbN6qdJ-sami-oracle?fbclid=IwAR0ThEjfPj4N5eiQdWVQHn3NJROB3N44-Sc6X5pqolBAoDuViShCmykGqvU" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://chat.openai.com/g/g-vWjbN6qdJ-sami-oracle</a> and added the Estonian translation service <a href="https://translate.ut.ee/?fbclid=IwAR2YlYKEM66EvkgG2gXRQ-MHqCusPppqVz00Iej2cz4CQGmwlZYc8I6lyGw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://translate.ut.ee</a> to the solution. When Sámi Oracle has answered, you can now ask it to translate it to any of the sámi dialects it supports. Here is an example. Test and comment. Here is a small film of how it works, and the text of the resulting response is here: <a href="https://chat.openai.com/share/b7f431f9-3e8a-4640-91bd-b774f1fb2610?fbclid=IwAR1tKx_ME34Z2mCJP8EQ81ct-Z_yFET6u_8KWbgOCo4MRA5Df6JfkSc2ZOc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://chat.openai.com/…/b7f431f9-3e8a-4640-91bd…</a>” </em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We didn’t have a chance to test it yet, but if you have the opportunity soon, let us know how it worked. Let’s see what it can do. We all know how difficult it is to find good sources and information about the Sami people, so this could actually help us quite a bit. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">A while ago I did try Chat GPT, and checked to see how much it knew about Sami people, but unfortunately it was not a lot, and not very accurate, so I would not trust the normal Chat GPT, but maybe this works better!</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">ENGLISH – SAMI TRANSLATION SITE</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The site <a href="https://translate.ut.ee/?fbclid=IwAR2YlYKEM66EvkgG2gXRQ-MHqCusPppqVz00Iej2cz4CQGmwlZYc8I6lyGw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://translate.ut.ee</a> can be used to translate from English to Sámi and vice versa. This is a huge help! You can aslo find other minority languages on that site. </p>
<p class="">Hope you enjoy! </p>
<p class=""></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-ai-tools/">SÁMI AI TOOLS</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/73055792023-11-18T10:45:36-05:002023-11-18T11:00:16-05:00OUR SECRET GIFT SHOP
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Welcome to this secret tiny Boutique. Lets call it “Tresures Beneath Northern lights”. We can recommend these products to help you connect more with the Sami culture and worldview. We use them ouselves and our friends do it to. We thought it might be fun to present a few products made by sami people that we like and can stand by. We hope that you appriciate. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">At the moment we have tree products. Jewlery from Márjás and Sáráhkká Pathfinder cards, which we where going to tip you about ages ago, but never got that far… </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We have two pair of earring and two sets of the Pathfinder cards. No more.. The products and this post will dissapear once they are gone. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The two earring pairs are from the Sami jewlery designer “Márjá’s”. She is Elins cousin from her hometown Kárásjohka.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Anyone who wants can wear this jewlery, they are not connected to any specific area of the Sapmi, but all Sami people will quickly notice that it is Sami design. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://beneath-northern-lights.ck.page/products/sami-earrings-by-marjas"><img src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Skjermbilde-2023-11-18-kl.-16.00.26.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="742" width="962" /></a></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://beneath-northern-lights.ck.page/products/sami-designed-earrings-by-marjas"><img src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Skjermbilde-2023-11-18-kl.-16.01.37.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="671" width="958" /></a></figure>
<p class=""></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The Sáráhkká Pathfinder cards are made by Astrid Ingebjørg Swart. She works with Sami shamanism in different forms, you can check her <a href="https://www.sarahkkas.com/sarahkkas-veiviserkort">webpage</a>. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://beneath-northern-lights.ck.page/products/sarahkkas-pathfinder-guidance-ca"><img src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Skjermbilde-2023-11-18-kl.-16.07.27.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="707" width="963" /></a></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The cards are divided into 5 themes:</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">1.Sami gods and goddesses</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">2.Sami culture</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">3.Nature</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">4.Animal</p>
<p class="">5.Heaven and earth</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>How to use Sarahkka’s Pathfinder cards?</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">You can give yourself or others clear, precise and indicative answers by laying down cards or simply drawing a card. Looking at the pictures and reading the text in itself has a strengthening effect and initiates a movement, liberation and perhaps a healing. The cards help you heal the past, and provide insight and guidance as to how the future may unfold.</p>
<p class=""></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Draw a card:</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Shuffle the cards. Think of a question you want an answer to. Draw a card from the deck intuitively. If a card falls out while shuffling, it has an important message for you. Read the message in the guidance booklet.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Three-card lay:</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Message from Guovssahas – Northern Lights</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Shuffle the cards. Think of a question you want an answer to. Draw three cards from the deck intuitively and place them on the table one after the other.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Interpretation:</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card No. 1 is Here and now situation</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card No. 2 is Where does the road go next</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card no. 3 is the Outcome</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Seven-card lay:</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Message from Sáráhkká – Goddess of Creation</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Future lay</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Shuffle the cards. Think of a question you want an answer to. Draw seven cards from the deck intuitively and place them on the table one after the other in the shape of a crown. Read the message in the guidance booklet.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Interpretation:</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card No. 1 The past</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card No. 2 The present</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card No. 3 Obstacles</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card No. 4 Possibilities you have in front of you, which you don’t see quite clearly yet</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card no. 5 Your thoughts and feelings about the situation</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card no. 6 The way forward</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card No. 7 The result</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Eight-card lay:</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Message from Almmi Noaidi – The Sky Shaman</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Healing Your Inner Self – Nature Body – Nature Mind – Spiritual Self –</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">This layer will help you get closer to the instruments of the soul – vision quests or healing relationships. Shuffle the cards. Think of a question. Draw eight cards from the deck intuitively and place them on the table vertically one after the other in the shape of a shaman’s staff. Read the message in the guidance booklet.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Interpretation:</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card No. 1 Foundation – Physical body – Healing</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card No. 2 Your feelings</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card No. 3 Self-awareness – Individual – Courage and power</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card No. 4 The Soul – Vision Quest</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card no. 5 Internal and external communication</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card No. 6 Internal and external views</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card No. 7 Spiritual guidance – Guide from the upper world</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Card no. 8 The lesson – What should you learn from the situation</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We hope you enjoyed any of these products! Click the picture to pay. Let us know if you have any questions to info@beneathnorthernlights.com</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/our-secret-gift-shop/">OUR SECRET GIFT SHOP</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/73034312023-11-14T03:46:11-05:002023-11-14T05:15:08-05:00MEET A SAMI IN THE USA
<p class="">by Ginger Mayorga. </p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size">1. Where are you from, and where do you live? </h3>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I was born in Washington State, and now live in Roseburg, Oregon.</p>
<p class=""></p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size">2. How did you find out that you have Sami heritage?</h3>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I can’t articulate or pinpoint the time, sometime around 2016, I began wondering about possible Sámi heritage although having no immediate family knowledge or concept of Sámi. I’m not sure if my grandfather had any idea of this huge piece of his heritage from his mother, my great grandmother and the reason for my search. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">My research journey was difficult due to last name spelling changes, and complete first name changes after immigration, also due to presenting as Finish and or Norwegian identities. I contacted an elderly cousin of my mother, and he confirmed the older relatives had been part of the Alaska Reindeer Program, from Enontekiö, and had changed the last name spelling upon immigration. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In my research of things Sámi, I discovered YouTube music videos, and one older video was of my cousin playing Clarinet for one of the Angelit sisters. I studied and watched over and over, wondering if we could be related. I bolstered the courage to message her through FB with my inquiry and info gathered at this end. Within a few days I received a FB message from our other cousin, excited to make this connection from information she pieced together. Soon I was connecting with both cousins and other relatives via FB. Within a year my cousin Pirita traveled to the US from Sápmi and visited with my family members here in the North West, specifically my mother’s older bachelor cousin who was the only and last descendant with the Nakkela (Näkkälä) surname.</p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size">3.What do you know about your Sami ancestors?</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Growing up I knew nothing of our Sámi ancestors or heritage. We were told my great grandparents were Finnish and Norwegian. </p>
<p class=""></p>
<cite>Ginger Mayorga</cite>
</blockquote>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">My grandfather’s mother, my great grandmother was Sámi from Näkkälä Village Enontekiö Finland. Her story ended sadly here after immigration, and died as a young woman in the Northern State mental hospital in Washington State when my grandfather was an infant with older brothers. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Our ancestor relatives had relocated to Poulsbo Washington after the reindeer contract in Alaska and some success in gold mining. During this time in Poulsbo my great grandmother, a young mother with three boys and new infant( my grandfather) probably suffered a bout of postpartum depression, with the catalyst of her breakdown being told her husband’s fishing vessel most likely had gone down after a prolonged absence. She was quickly dispatched to Northern State Hospital, and died of tuberculosis in her thirties after a year, completely abandoned, discarded, by family and husband (my great grandfather), who finally returned from his prolonged fishing absence. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">My grandfather was raised by his Uncle Isak Nakkela, who came with the reindeer program and gold mined in Alaska prior to settling in Poulsbo. My grandfather’s older brother’s were raised by the Tornensis family in Poulsbo, also from the original group to Alaska, as Marit Tornensis was a half sister to my great grandmother and my grandfather’s uncle Isak. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">With more information gathered after connecting with my family members in Sápmi, I can now trace my line to my great grandmother’s father, and reindeer herding. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">While growing up I was very aware of the family pride being Norwegian, and my mother’s generation talking about their Norwegian grandfather, the fishermen, and then the shame and not talking about the “Finnish”grandmother who died in the mental hospital. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Ironically, my grandfather was very fond of the Nakkela/Näkkälä family who raised him, and could speak fluent Finnish.</p>
<p class=""></p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size">4.Did you take a DNA test?</h3>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I did take an ancestry DNA test after making my Sámi connections, and it further confirmed this part of my heritage.</p>
<p class=""></p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size">5. Why did you find it so interesting to know more about your sami background?</h3>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">My Sámi heritage journey began as a way to honor and give memory to my great grandmother, to learn of her heritage and background. Also, In some way to recognize her beautiful heritage, and heal an unspoken family sadness and shame. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Beginning at a young age I was innately drawn to Native American studies, spirituality, pow wow dancing, drumming, music, art, and literature. It’s been amazing to see such similarities between Native American and Sámi, and could explain my intense interest and immersion.</p>
<p class=""></p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size">6. What do you do to connect with the Sami culture?</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p class="has-medium-font-size">As a result of learning about my Sámi heritage at an older age, I feel a need to make up for lost time. This entails constant immersion, reading, music immersion, learning joik, including participation in workshops with Elin, and Aillôs. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I also follow family from Sápmi, activists, artists, duodji, and musicians on social media. I often connect and try to get together with Sámi American groups and friends here in the Pacific Northwest. </p>
<cite>Ginger Mayorga</cite>
</blockquote>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Wearing my prized possessions, a luhkka made and gifted to me by my relative in Näkkälä, my recent vintage Gákti, gifted by my cousin, my beak boots, scarf shawl, and jewelry pieces, solidifies inward identity and connection. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Learning Northern Sámi language is an important goal, and responsibility.</p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size">7. Have you been in Sápmi?</h3>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">My husband and I have traveled twice to Sápmi, in 2019, and 2022. Our first trip to Sápmi was in July of 2019, to meet relatives and to attend the Riddu Riđđu music festival. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">During the weekend of Riddu Riđđu we met my cousin Anna for the first time, and Pirita for the second time after her visit to the US. Anna and Pirita set up the lavvu from Anna’s husbands work inventory, along with reindeer hides to sleep on. Sharing the lavvu felt natural with immediate family bonding and camaraderie. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">After the weekend festival we drove back to Näkkälä for our stay in the cabin on Näkkälajarvi. We had stopped initially on our way to Riddu Riđđu to meet my cousin Samuli and his partner Taina, who were anxious that we stop there first, with a meal of reindeer stew and a gifted luhkka made by Samuli’s mother Marja, so I would have something warm to wear at Riddu, along with a wool four winds cap for Rudy. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Once we were back at the cabin on Näkkäläjärvi, we learned about mosquitoes in July! </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Our cousin Samuli operates an excursion business, Näkkälä Adventures, and we experienced an outing in the Pöyrisjärvi wilderness. We met more Näkkälä relatives at Marja’s house, along with a delicious reindeer stew dinner, after we visited the old cabin homesite of my great grandmother’s childhood and ancestors. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We continued our journey driving the loop from Hetta to Kautokeino, visiting more relatives, and then continuing on through Karasjok to Inari. In Inari we visited with my our cousin Pirita, and toured the Siida Musem. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">During our first visit to Sápmi, we experienced the magnitude of family hospitality, generosity, and coffee! In 2022 we traveled in mid to end of August, partly because of mosquitoes, but also to attend the weekend of Ijahis Idja Sámi music festival. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We drove from Rovaniemi to Hetta to stay at our favorite cabin on Näkkäläjärvi, with very much less mosquitoes. We spent quality time with cousin Samuli and Taina, including an outing to the Pöyrisjärvi wilderness and a further trip to the old Näkkälä summer cabins, where Rudy was able to help Samuli with some wooden step repairs. As we rode on the quads thru the tundra, Samuli had me wear his headphones with joik music streaming. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Needless to say, I was in my bliss and aware also of how technologically is changing things out on the tundra. On our journey to Inari we drove the same loop, stopping in Kautokeino to visit with relatives and coffee at Sámi University. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">During the festival weekend in Inari my cousin Pirita arranged a gathering to meet even more Näkkäläjärvi relatives. Everyone was welcoming and gracious. Walking around the festival, Pirita also introduced me to more people we are related to. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">For the Saturday festival Pirita dressed me in a vintage Gákti made by a family member, she felt would fit me better with the longer length and my height. After the placement of scarf, pins, and belt she was satisfied everything was in place correctly. It felt like my identity was being put in place. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The Gákti was sent home with me, to wear at Sámi American events here in the Northwest, and I feel a responsibility to represent my relatives, and to keep the connection between here and Sápmi.</p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size">8. What is the most valuable to you about knowing that you are of Sami heritage?</h3>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">One of the most valuable and soul felt things for me in learning of my Sámi heritage is it gives me knowledge of, and connection to a great grandmother whom none of us ever met. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I’m grateful for the rich heritage we have from her and her line of ancestors, and for the connections I’ve made and relationships with relatives in Sápmi. In making these connections, traveling to Sápmi, I hope to bring some healing and closure for my great grandmother’s profoundly sad end of life here, and the effects of some generational family loss, sadness and shame. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"></p>
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p class="">Knowing and connecting to my Sámi heritage gives me a sense of identity, completeness, and soul healing, as if something missing has been put in place.</p>
<cite>Ginger Mayorga</cite>
</blockquote>
<p class=""></p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size">9. Do you have any tips on how to find resources or otherwise connect with the Sami culture?</h3>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I discovered resources initially by researching online, finding reading materials, books, and connecting with several Sámi American groups via social media and local event gatherings. I am not an academic or scholar proficient in genealogy. Most of my discoveries and inquiries stemmed from gut feelings and intuition, and inquiries to our one living relative here at the time, holding some family information, especially the surname spelling changes, etc. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Social media is a good way to follow Sámi groups, artists and activists. Youtube, iTunes, and Spotify can keep a person immersed in joik and music. Some suggested reading to include: </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“Far Northern Connections-Researching Your Sámi Ancestors” by Virginia Mattson Schultz </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“We Stopped Forgetting-Sámi Americans” by Ellen Marie Jensen </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“What We Believe” edited by Ellen Marie Jensen </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“An Account of the Sámi- Turi </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“ A year In Lapland” by Hugh Beach </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“Stolen” by Ann-Helén Laestadius </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“The End Of Drum Time” by Hanna Pylväinen </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“ The Night Between Days” by Ailo Gaup </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“By The Fire-Sámi Folk Tails and Legends” by Emilie Demant translated by Barbara Sjoholm </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“With The Lapps in the High Mountains” by Emilie Demant translated by Barbara Sjoholm </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“From Lapland to Sápmi” Barbara Sjoholm</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/meet-a-sami-in-the-usa/">MEET A SAMI IN THE USA</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/72925842023-10-24T05:00:00-04:002023-10-24T08:45:11-04:00THE GOLDEN TIME AND HOW IT ENDED
<p class="">This is an old southern Sami tale retold by Kirsti Birkeland. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>When Jupmele, God, created the world, he made it good and beautiful in every way. The mountain was clad in gold and silver. In the valleys the flowers sprang forth, and the birds sang everywhere. In the forest, every leaf was fresh and green, and there was not a withered branch.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>There was plenty of food: the trees did not bear fruit, but boiled meat and cheese grew on the branches, and in the trunks the fat marrow flowed. On the heather and bushes there was an abundance of berries, and the springs that gushed everywhere were full of sweet milk. In the rivers and streams, the fish were packed densely. You just had to take what you needed. No one knew what work was.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Jupmele gave the world to Biejjie, the Sun, her son, and set him to guard it from his place in the sky. Where the sun rules, darkness must give way. There is no cold, no night, no sorrow.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>In this lovely land there lived two brothers: the pious and good Naevie, and Adtjis, who was fierce, greedy and had no shame in life. It is said that Biejjie liked Naevie so much that he gave him his daughter to wife and named her Naevie-ietnie. Adtjis got the one that suited him best, Adtjis-ietnie. She came from the underworld and ruled over all diseases. She brought them with her in a sack.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>The world had an abundance of everything, and all people had received it for nothing. But laziness breeds evil, and one day greed awoke in Adtjis’ heart: He wanted to own land, and he wanted to put a fence around what he owned. He went to Naevie and said:</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>-Let’s divide the land equally between us, so everyone can own theirs.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>– Why? said Naevie – There is enough of everything here, and it is right to have it together. But Adtjis didn’t give up, and in the end Naevie let him have what he wanted.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>It wasn’t long before Adtjis thought he had received too little. He moved the fence further into Naevie’s side. Naevie said nothing. He just let it happen. But soon Adtjis cast his eyes over the fence again. He thought everything Naevie had was better than his own. And then he moved the fence even further into his brother’s land.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>The good Naevie would not yet tire with his brother.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>-He must have had enough soon, he thought.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>And then he said nothing now either, but let his brother keep everything he had taken. In the end, Naevie only had a single spring with milk and an empty plot of land for himself and his family.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Then the darkness completely got the better of Adtjis, and envy gained such power that he seized a reindeer antler, struck Naevie with it and killed him.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>At the same time, a terrible scream broke out in the forest. It hit the rock and grew, and darkness extinguished all lights. Eerie figures fluttered out of cracks and crevices, out of marshes and water. Adtjis-ietnie laughed and took out the bag in which she had all the diseases. She untied the string and released them into the world. Soon it smelled of death from the water and sorrow from the forest. The birds couldn’t bear to fly, and the fish rolled over with their bellies up. The humans began to fight. The men swaggered about shamelessly, and the women killed their children.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>The people had not endured wealth and good times when they got it for nothing. Biejjie turned away and cried.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>When Jupmele saw what Adtjis had done, he was both saddened and angry. All his gifts had not become a blessing to men.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Jupmele descended to the ground. He took the milk from the last spring, the meat from the last tree and the fish from the last puddle in the river. Now he wanted to hide the gifts so that no one could get hold of them without hard work.<br>Then Jupmele overturned the mountain and hid the gold and silver under the stone. He distributed the meat among the animals’ bodies, and of the milk he put some in each udder. He gave the fish fins to swim with. Then he gave them all fear of humans and the ability to flee from them.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Thus life became difficult for the people. From now on they had to strive and struggle if they were to manage.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>But Jupmele wanted people to remember Naevie and the golden age. Therefore he let the reindeer’s beard grow long and named it Naevie. Nothing is warm and soft like Naevie. Nothing in the world hides so much light within itself. The humans put Naevie under the toddler in the gïerhkeme, (wooden cradle that you can carry) so that it lies comfortably.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>And Jupmele promised that if people became good like Naevie, then the good times would return, and everything would be as before he overturned the earth.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>The sun guards the world from its place in the sky. As long as the sun shines, we can hope…</em> </p>
<p class=""></p>
<p class=""></p>
<p class="">Translated with google translate. The story was found on this site: <a href="https://ndla.no/nb/subject:1:50dfc86d-6566-4a45-a531-d32b82e8bfa1/topic:3:b34684b3-3e91-44ee-88b4-1c3e588586dc/topic:1:0afdaacf-3fff-4b2b-b95e-685c27251ec8/resource:1:115920">https://ndla.no/nb/subject:1:50dfc86d-6566-4a45-a531-d32b82e8bfa1/topic:3:b34684b3-3e91-44ee-88b4-1c3e588586dc/topic:1:0afdaacf-3fff-4b2b-b95e-685c27251ec8/resource:1:115920</a></p>
<p class=""></p>
<p class="">Also read: </p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-embed wp-block-embed-embed"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="mF18pOXXOM"><a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-folklore-in-the-house-of-ulda/">SAMI FOLKLORE – “IN THE HOUSE OF ULDA”</a></blockquote>
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</div></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://ndla.no/nb/subject:1:50dfc86d-6566-4a45-a531-d32b82e8bfa1/topic:3:b34684b3-3e91-44ee-88b4-1c3e588586dc/topic:1:0afdaacf-3fff-4b2b-b95e-685c27251ec8/resource:1:115920
</div></figure>
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Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/72891332023-10-17T13:47:31-04:002023-10-17T17:45:05-04:00WHAT MAKES A MOUNTAIN HOLY?
<p class="has-medium-font-size">A “holy mountain” typically refers to a mountain that holds significant religious or spiritual importance to a particular culture or religious tradition. These mountains are often revered and considered sacred by the people who practice the associated culture. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In Sápmi we have many of them. But what makes them holy? </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">**<strong>Energetic grid all around the world</strong>**</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">It has been known to humanity since ancient times that the earth is covered with an energy grid, so that certain points are higher in energy, and the veil between the physical world and the non- physical world is thinner. Sacred sights all over the world have been built on such points. For example the Egyptian pyramids. In Britain they talk about lay lines. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Here in Sápmi we haven’t built constructions/temples on those points. It is instead the mountain itself that becomes sacred. We call nature our temple. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">When you move around alot in nature you will come across certain points where the energy is different. </p>
<p></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>**It stands out. </strong>**</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">It is usual to think that all things that stand out in their environment have something special about them. The only rock within miles of desert for example. Or a pointy mountain amongs the smooth. Why they are special varies. For example they can have special healing properties, a way to connect to gods, a good place for offerings for example. </p>
<p></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">**<strong>Our ancestors have walked these mountains.</strong>** </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Their DNA, they presence is there. This mountain is therefore a piece of our history, our past. Their lives have been impacted by this mountain, and they have impacted it. They have been giving offers, prayed, sang, yoiked and wandered this mountain, and so shall we. So our future is also in that mountain. In many indigenous cultures something holy is connected to tradition and ancestors. </p>
<p></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">**<strong>A charged place </strong>**</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">When you walk on a holy mountain you might feel calm, grounded and uplifted. The mountain might have the ability to give the feeling of harmony. It could be that the mountain is made of specific stones, minerals and crystals that have those properties. </p>
<p></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Of course, these attributes can be transferred to anything in nature, not only mountains. In Sami culture it is very common to have holy lakes, stones and mountains. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The word “bassi” and “áiligas” (northern Sami), or “bissie” and “eejles” (southern Sami) and all mean “holy”. And there are a great deal of places in Sápmi that have the word “holy” in their name. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">And that’s one of the reasons we want to protect nature. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Also read: </p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-embed wp-block-embed-embed"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="59cH6uTGaG"><a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sieidi-a-holy-rock/">Sieidi – a holy rock</a></blockquote>
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</div></figure>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/what-makes-a-mountain-holy/">WHAT MAKES A MOUNTAIN HOLY?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/72821192023-10-03T08:22:28-04:002023-10-16T10:53:34-04:00WAYS TO CONNECT WITH NATURE
<p class="has-small-font-size">by Elin Kåven</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Connecting spiritually to nature can be a deeply enriching and transformative experience. Here are some suggestions to help establish a stronger spiritual connection with the natural world:</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">1. **Mindfulness and Presence:** Spend time in nature with a clear and open mind. Be present in the moment, paying attention to the sights, sounds, and sensations around you. Let go of distractions and immerse yourself fully in the natural environment.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">2. **Meditation:** Practice meditation in natural settings. Find a quiet spot, sit comfortably, and focus on your breath. As you meditate, allow yourself to connect with the energy and essence of the natural world.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">3. **Nature Walks and movement:** Take regular walks in natural areas like parks, forests, or by the ocean. Use this time to reflect, contemplate, and appreciate the beauty and interconnectedness of nature. Maybe you want to express this in a dance, yoga or other practice. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">4. **Silent Contemplation:** Find a peaceful spot in nature, preferably away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Sit in silence, observing the world around you without the need for words or explanations. Join a silent retreat or other retreats that offer moments in nature. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">5. **Nature Journaling:** Keep a nature journal to document your experiences, thoughts, and feelings while in natural settings. Sketch or write about the plants, animals, and landscapes you encounter. This can deepen your connection and awareness of the environment.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">6. **Rituals and Ceremonies:** Create your own nature-based rituals or ceremonies. This could involve offering gratitude to the land, water, or other natural elements. These rituals can help you feel more connected to the spiritual aspects of nature.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">7. **Study and Learn:** Educate yourself about the natural world. Learn about the ecosystems, species, and geological features of your local environment. Understanding the intricacies of nature can foster a deeper appreciation and connection.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">8. **Animal Totems and Symbols:** Explore the symbolism and meaning of animals and plants in various cultures and spiritual traditions. You may resonate with particular animals or plants as spiritual guides or totems.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">9. **Solo Camping or Retreats:** Spend extended periods alone in nature. This can be a transformative experience, allowing you to connect on a deeper level with the rhythms of the natural world and your own inner self.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">10. **Community and Sharing:** Connect with like-minded individuals who share your interest in nature spirituality. Participate in group activities, workshops, or events that celebrate and deepen the connection to the natural world.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">11. **Natural Altars:** Create a small altar in a natural setting, using items you find like stones, leaves, or flowers. Use this space for meditation, offerings, or simply as a focal point for your spiritual connection.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">12. **Guided Nature Experiences:** Join guided nature experiences or retreats led by experienced practitioners. These can provide structure and guidance in developing your spiritual connection to nature. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">13. **Research your ancestry:** Find out in what relationship your older relatives had to their land. How did they connect to it, how did they live on their land? Mythologies of your kin can also give you answers. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">14. **Ecological Stewardship:** Get involved in conservation and environmental protection efforts. Being a responsible steward of the Earth is a powerful way to express your spiritual connection to nature. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">15. **Make art** Painting, photography, clay, woodwork, collect stones and shells etc. Use things from nature and make art. Nature makes it own art all the time, and this is a way to continue that work. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">16. **Sound and music** Everything has a vibration and sound. You can connect vibrationally through chanting, songs, animal imitation, drumming and of course in the Sami peoples case – the yoik. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">17. **Eat natural foods** Eat foods directly from the source as much as possible. If you cannot go fishing, hunting and collecting berries, mushrooms etc yourself, buy them locally. Learn about what you can collect in your area. Or grow your own vegetables if you can. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">18. **Care for your houseplants:** Connect to your houseplants by talking to them and notice how they grow and change every day – just like everything in nature. Notice how responsive houseplants are to your actions and energy. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">19. **Connect with yourself.** We humans are also nature. We are part of it. Connecting with yourself is connecting with nature, and vice versa. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Remember that everyone’s spiritual connection to nature is unique, so feel free to adapt and combine these suggestions to create a practice that resonates with you personally. The key is to approach nature with reverence, respect, and an open heart, allowing the spiritual connection to evolve naturally over time.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><strong>Do you have more examples of ways to connect to nature? I am almost at 20, but missing 1… </strong></em></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/ways-to-connect-with-nature/">WAYS TO CONNECT WITH NATURE</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/72715042023-09-11T04:58:29-04:002023-09-27T15:26:09-04:00THE SAMI, PEOPLE OF THE EIGHT SEASONS
<p class="has-small-font-size">Illustration by Steffen Aronsen, <a href="https://8seasons.no/">8 Seasons Hotel</a>. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The Sami have eight seasons:</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Winter- Springwinter- Spring- Springsummer- Summer- Autumnsummer- Autumn- Autumnwinter.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Dálvi- Giđđadálvi- Giđđa- Giđđageassi- Geassi -Čakcageassi- Čakca- Čakcadálvi.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The Sami have different tasks in the different seasons. The reindeer-herding Sámi have their tasks and the sea Sámi have their own, but there are some similarities between them. The eight seasons are most applicable to those who run traditional industries such as reindeer husbandry or farming/fishing. A task can be postponed until the next season if the work cannot be carried out exactly within a certain season. The division of the months is also divided in the middle of the months.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>A reindeer herding Sami year:</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Winter: <strong>December</strong> – February</em> </p>
<p>Under a cover of twenty-four hour per day darkness, the Sami move the reindeer to the forest, the last place to find enough food to support the herd. Here, the reindeer will wait out the harshest period of the year until the sun returns and Nature urges them to return to the calving ground to begin the cycle again. The Sami are present in each of these seasons, but they are merely following the age-old cycle of the reindeer, of birth and death.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The reindeer are on winter pasture</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Slaughter for sale and spring/summer supplies</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Duodji work</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Supervision of the reindeer herd all year round</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><strong>Spring winter: February – March</strong></em></p>
<p>The herd begins the migration from the forests to the calving grounds in the mountains. The pregnant females initiate this move and return to roughly the same area every year. Both the reindeer and the Sami move prior to the birth of the calves.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Gathering of the reindeer herd</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Drying reindeer meat (Finnmark)</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Duodji</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><strong>Spring: April – May</strong></em></p>
<p>The temperature increases and the snow begins to melt. If the reindeer and Sami have not yet reached the calving grounds, travel will be very difficult as the snow turns to slush. During this time, the calves are born in the foothills of the mountains.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Drying reindeer meat (Troms)</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Spring migration to the coast (Especially Finnmark)</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Reindeer calves</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Ice fishing</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">District meetings</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><em>Spring summer: May – June</em></strong> </p>
<p>The reindeer graze and the Sami have some time to rest and prepare for the earmarking of the calves. The calves are still very young and if food is scarce during this time the herd could be adversely affected.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Reindeer calves</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Marking of calves</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">freshwater fishing</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Duodji, leather tanning</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><em>Summer: June – August</em></strong></p>
<p>Much of this season is bathed in twenty-four hour per day sunlight. During this time, the important task of earmarking takes place. All the calves must be carefully marked to denote ownership between Sami families and communities.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Calf marking</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Lake fishing</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Duodji roadside sales</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Berry picking</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Freshwater fishing</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Duodji, leather tanning</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><strong>Autumn summer: August – September</strong></em></p>
<p>The Sami begin to prepare for the harsh winter by choosing the bull reindeer destined for slaughter. If the summer has been plentiful, the reindeer will be large and will make it through the winter. If they have not been able to put on substantial weight, the family may have to slaughter more reindeer in order to survive.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Slaughter</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Reindeer marking</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Kastrating of bull reindeer</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Splitting of reindeer</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Wood felling</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Sedge grass is cut</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><em>Autumn: October – November</em></strong></p>
<p>This is the season of rut. The reindeer mate prior to their return to the winter-grounds. This is also the season for fishing in the mountain- rivers. It will soon grow to cold to remain here in the mountains so the Sami and the reindeer prepare for the move.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Autumn move</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Mating time for reindeer</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Duodji</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><em>Autumn winter: November – December</em></strong></p>
<p>The herders lead the reindeer out of the mountains to the lowland bogs where vegetation still thrives. This is the last bit of light that the herd and the Sami will see until the<br>end of the next season. As the temperature drops, the lowlands<br>become equally inhospitable.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Slaughter of reindeer for provision</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">District meetings</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Duodji</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><strong>A sea Sami year. Same division as a reindeer herding Sami year.</strong></em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><strong>Winter:</strong></em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Duodji</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Barn work</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Winter cod fishing</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><em>Spring Winter:</em></strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Barn work</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Drying of meat</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Spring fishing for cod</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><em>Spring:</em></strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Barn work</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Lambing</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Ice fishing</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Egg collection</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><strong>Spring summer:</strong></em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Ploughing/planting season</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Salmon fishing</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Egg collection</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><strong>Summer:</strong></em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Hay collecting</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Salmon fishing in the river</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Salmon fishing</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Cloudberry picking</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Coalfish fishing</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><strong>Autumn Summer:</strong></em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Coalfish fishing</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Herring fishing</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Flounder/Halibut fishing</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Berry picking</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Potato collecting</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><strong>Autumn:</strong></em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Slaughter</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Fishing for cod, haddock, herring</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Gathering sheep</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Collection of duodji materials</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Shearing of sheep</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><em>Autumn winter:</em></strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Small game hunting</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Barn work</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Duodji</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/8-aarstider-Steffen-Aronsen-.jpeg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="584" style="width:584px;height:584px" width="584" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Illustration by Steffen Aronsen, <a href="https://8seasons.no/">8 Seasons Hotel</a>. </figcaption></figure>
<p></p>
<p>Sources: <a href="http://www.trestammersmote.no/les_mer.asp?id=222">http://www.trestammersmote.no/les_mer.asp?id=222</a> <a href="https://www.laits.utexas.edu/sami/dieda/anthro/concept-time.htm">https://www.laits.utexas.edu/sami/dieda/anthro/concept-time.htm</a> </p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/the-sami-people-of-the-eight-seasons/">THE SAMI, PEOPLE OF THE EIGHT SEASONS</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/72711212023-05-16T07:33:31-04:002023-09-10T02:30:42-04:00SAMI SHAMANISM – A SHORT SUMMARY
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The Sami people are indigenous to the Arctic regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. For centuries, their spiritual and cultural practices have been intertwined with their environment, which is often harsh and unforgiving. Central to Sami spirituality are the shamans and noaide, who serve as intermediaries between the human and spirit worlds.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Shamanism is a practice that is found in many indigenous cultures around the world, including among the Sami. The Sami shaman, known as the noaidi, has the ability to communicate with the spirit world and to harness the power of the elements for the benefit of the community. The noaidi was highly respected and often called upon to perform rituals and ceremonies, such as the siida, which was a gathering of the community to celebrate the changing of the seasons.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The noaidi was not just a spiritual leader, but also a healer and mediator. They would use a variety of methods to heal the sick, including herbal remedies, chanting, and drumming. They would also help to resolve disputes within the community, acting as a neutral party to find a peaceful resolution.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The drum played a central role in Sami shamanism. The noaidi would use the drum to enter into a trance state, where they could communicate with the spirit world. The drum was often adorned with symbols and images that represented the elements, animals, and spirits that the noaidi would encounter on their journey.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The Sami people also had a tradition of female shamans. They were highly respected members of the community, and their abilities were often passed down through generations of women in the same family.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Unfortunately, with the spread of Christianity in the region, the Sami people were forced to abandon many of their traditional practices, including shamanism. Many noaidis were persecuted and even executed by the church, and their knowledge and wisdom were lost.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Today, there is a renewed interest in Sami spirituality and shamanism, and efforts are being made to preserve and revive these traditions. Modern-day Sami shamans are called upon to perform ceremonies and rituals for the community, and their skills as healers and mediators are still valued.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In conclusion, the shamans and noaide of the Sami people played a vital role in the spiritual and cultural practices of their community. Through their ability to communicate with the spirit world, they were able to provide healing, guidance, and wisdom to those around them. Although these traditions were nearly lost due to the influence of Christianity, there is a renewed interest in Sami shamanism today, and efforts are being made to preserve and revive this rich cultural heritage. </p>
<p class="has-small-font-size"><em>Foto: Sami noaidi with a drum used for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runic_divination">runic divination</a> (meavrresgárri). Illustration printed from copperplates by O.H. von Lode, after drawings made by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knud_Leem">Knud Leem</a> (1767)</em></p>
<p>Also read: </p>
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<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-shamanism-a-short-summary/">SAMI SHAMANISM – A SHORT SUMMARY</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/72711222023-03-04T10:21:06-05:002023-09-10T02:30:42-04:00FOVSEN-PROTESTS IN OSLO
<p class="has-small-font-size">By Elin Kåven</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Following the protests in Oslo this week on TV has been very painful for me. I have cried every time I have watched TV. The brave young people with their whole lives ahead of them. They must also fight a battle our ancestors have fought. The grief of losing an entire culture and way of life. It became so real. The weight the young people carry on their shoulders now is a burden our ancestors carried. And all the support they received from far and near warmed my heart. This was a battle for human rights, cultural protection, nature protection, democracy and society.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/demonstrasjon-Foto-Helge-Mikalsen-VG-1024x681.jpeg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="681" width="1024" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The last day of protests in front of the Castle. Photo by Helge Mikalsen/VG. </figcaption></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Even with my endless attempts in recent years to look at the Sami development in society in a new way, – to focus on the positive, everything good about being Sami today: “Norwegianization belongs to the past. The king has apologized. All we need are dialogues. We Sami have gained more acceptance. We must not dwell on the past, now are new times, the Sami culture has survived…”</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But the reality is there, it was so clearly. We live in a time where we Sami must do the same thing we have done for centuries – fight for our right to be allowed to be Sami at all. Literally – be Samis legally.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We Sami are not a warlike people – this can be seen, among other things, in our traditions about how we show reluctance. Namely by turning the hat inside out, or keeping quiet when we disagree about something. Wearing the gákti inside out is very drastic in Sami culture, and the person it is aimed at mus be able to perceive the signal.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Wearing the gákti inside out or remaining silent to express opposition has never been very effective in dealing with the state. The fact that we wear the gákti inside out can never produce a political result. At least not to our advantage.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But a protest action might help? It has partially helped in previous demonstrations. A protest is a language our colonists understand better.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The reality is: the Sami have followed the laws of the colonial states since they were founded.</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Laws in Norway have made it more and more difficult for us to be Sámi, – to live as Sámi. New rules are coming all the time which make things more difficult – not only for us Sami, but for everyone else who wants to live a life close to nature. The Norwegian state makes things difficult for us who find value in nature, and will not prioritize what generates money and material goods.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Nevertheless, we Sami have mostly adapted to new laws and rules, we have learned Norwegian, attended Norwegian education courses, stopped talking about our spirituality, adopted your worldview and values, stopped wearing gákti on a daily basis, live in the type of house the state requires us to live in, started working in professions that benefit the colonists’ society, followed laws in relation to hunting, fishing and predator hunting, adapted our joik to uncomprehending ears. All this in favor of our own tradition. Little by little, our culture has disappeared into the paper mill.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Reindeer herding as a culture and way of life has been turned into meat production, the fishing rivers are empty of fish, hunting and fishing as a way of life is not feasible in Norway, turf huts and lavvus have almost disappeared from the tundras, fjords are polluted by mining, and windmills occupy miles of natural areas. Areas that keep us alive. Us people. We in the north are lucky to have managed to keep our nature so clean and alive – for now. Because now there is less and less of the nature that our ancestors handed down to us. It is about to be demolished.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>We Sami have sacrificed a lot in the name of Norway’s laws.</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I must say that today I celebrate all Sami people! Also all the Sámi who have not followed the laws to the letter. Now I think, why should they, when the state itself doesn’t do it?</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">They have just lived their lives, practiced their culture, carried on their traditions – even when new laws have come in which have made it more difficult for them to do so. I also want to celebrate all of them today.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">They did not allow themselves to be ruled by unreliable powers. They knew that the laws in Norway cannot protect them – and they knew not to let foreign powers’ laws and money battles destroy our way of life. The Fosen case is not the first time we have evidence that we cannot trust the Norwegian legal system. This is something the Sámi throughout Sápmi have known all along. These Samis protests happen on a daily basis. Their everyday life in itself is a protest against the ideas the government comes up with behind their desks. The Sámi protest in silence. Practicing their culture. Show disagreement and resistance by remaining silent.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We Sami should have better things to do than protest against the state. We should be busy building up what we have lost over the centuries – and we can only do that by living it out. To live the culture we want to have. To live the life we want to live as Sami. We should be busy cultivating our culture!</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The reality is that we still have to deal with the colonial state and their constantly new inventions and priorities that stop us</strong>. Unfortunately. We have many battles to fight for the survival of our culture. Unfortunately, this is still a struggle for us – after several hundred years.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The reality is – our culture is being erased with history.</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But still – every year we celebrate May 17 and discuss why we can wear cardigans on May 17. Why can we?</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">It is hard to believe that not everyone in the country knows it, but Norway is part of Sápmi! And we Sami had no voice when that decision was made.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Dear State of Norway, when your ancestors occupied these lands they knew that this was the home of the Sami people. The attempt to make us good Norwegians has not been 100% successful yet. But you have come a long way. Just as you managed to erase your own ancestral Norse culture, you are now in the process of erasing the Sami peoples ancestral culture. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"></p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/kjaere-staten-norge-1-300x300.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" width="300" /></figure>
<p class="has-large-font-size"><strong>NORSK: </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Å følge aksjonen i Oslo denne uka på TV har vært veldig sårt for meg. Jeg har grått hver gang jeg har sett på TV. De modige ungdommene med hele sitt liv foran seg. De må også kjempe en kamp våre forfedre har kjempet. Sorgen over å miste en hel kultur og levemåte. Det ble så virkelig. Den tyngden de unge bærer på sine skuldre nå er en tygde våre forfedre bærte. Og all den støtten de fikk fra fjernt og nært varmet hjertet mitt. Dette var en kamp om menneskerettigheter, kulturvern, naturvern, demokrati og samfunn. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Selv med mine endeløse forsøk de siste årene på å se på den samiske utviklingen i samfunnet på en ny måte,- å fokusere på det positive – alt gode med det å være same i dag: “Fornorskingen hører fortiden til. Kongen har bedt om unnskyldning. Alt vi trenger er dialoger. Vi samer har fått mer aksept. Vi må ikke dvele ved fortiden, nå er det nye tider, det samiske har overlevd fornorskningen… “</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Men realiteten er der, den kom så tydelig frem. Vi lever i en tid der vi samer må gjøre det samme vi har gjort i århundrer – kjempe for vår rett til å i det hele tatt få lov til å være samer. Bokstavelig talt – være lovlige samer. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Vi samer er ikke et krigersk folk – det kan man merke blant annet på våre tradisjoner om hvordan vi viser motvilje. Nemlig ved å vrenge lua, eller tie stille når vi er uenige i noe. Å vrenge kofta er veldig drastisk i samisk kultur, og signalet må kunne oppfattes av den det er rettet mot. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Å vrenge kofta eller tie stille for å uttrykke motstand har aldri vært særlig effektivt i møte med staten. At vi vrenger kofta kan aldri gi et politisk resultat. Ihvertfall ikke til vår fordel. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Men en protestaksjon kan kanskje hjelpe? Det har hjulpet delvis i tidligere aksjoner. En protestaksjon er et språk våre kolonister forstår bedre. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Realiteten er: samene har fulgt kolonistatenes lover fra de ble grunnlagt. </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Lover i Norge har gjort det vanskeligere og vanskeligere for oss å være samer, – å leve som samer. Nye regler kommer hele tiden som gjør ting vanskeligere – ikke bare for oss samer, men for alle andre som vil leve et naturnært liv. Den norske stat gjør ting vanskelig for oss som finner verdier i naturen, og ikke vil prioritere i det som generer penger og materielle goder. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Likevel har vi samer stort sett tilpasset oss nye lover og regler, vi har lært oss norsk, gått på norske utdanningsforløp, sluttet å snakke om vår åndelighet, sluttet å bruke kofta til hverdags, lever i den type hus staten pålegger oss å leve i, begynt å jobbe i yrker som gagner kolonistenes samfunn, fulgt lover i forhold til jakt, fiske og rovdyrjakt, tilpasset joiken vår til uforstående ører. Alt dette i fordel for vår egen tradisjon. Litt etter litt har vår kultur forsvunnet i papirmølla. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Reindrift som kultur og livsvei er omgjort til kjøttproduksjon, fiskeelvene er tomme for fisk, jakt og fiske som livssvei er ikke gjennomførbart i Norge, gammer og lavvuer er nesten forsvunnet fra vidda, fjorder er forurenset av gruvedrift, og vindmøller okkuperer milevis av naturområder. Områder som holder oss i livet. Oss mennesker. Vi i nord er heldige som har klart å holde vår natur så frisk og levende – enn så lenge. For nå blir det mindre og mindre igjen av den naturen våre forfedre ga over til oss. Den er i ferd med å raseres. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Vi samer har ofret mye i Norges lovers navn. </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Jeg må si at i dag feirer jeg alle samer! Også alle de samene som ikke har fulgt lovene til punkt og prikke. Nå tenker jeg, hvorfor skulle de det, når ikke staten selv gjør det? </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">De har bare levd sitt liv, utøvet sin kultur, ført videre sine tradisjoner – selv når det har kommet nye lover som har gjort det vanskeligere for dem å gjøre det. Alle de samene vil jeg også feire i dag. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">De lot seg ikke styre av upålitelige makter. De visste at lovene i Norge ikke kan beskytte de – og de visste å ikke la fremmedmaktens lover og pengekamper ødelegge for vår levemåte. Fosen-saken er ikke første gangen vi har bevis på at vi ikke kan stole på det norske rettssystemet. Dette er noe samer over hele Sápmi har visst hele tiden. Disse samenes protest har skjedd i det daglige. Deres hverdag i seg selv er en protest mot de påfunn regjeringen kommer med bak sine skrivebord. De samene protesterer i stillhet. Utøver sin kultur. Viser uenighet og motstand ved å tie. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Vi samer burde ha bedre ting å gjøre enn å protestere mot staten. Vi burde være opptatt med å bygge opp det vi har mistet gjennom århundrer, – og det kan vi kun gjøre ved å leve den ut. Å leve den kulturen vi ønsker ha. Å leve det livet vi ønsker å leve som samer. Vi burde være opptatt med å dyrke vår kultur! </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Realiteten er at vi fortsatt må forholde oss til kolonistaten og deres stadig nye påfunn og prioriteringer som stopper oss</strong>. Dessverre. Vi har mange kamper vi skal kjempe for overlevelsen av vår kultur. Dessverre er dette fortsatt en kamp for oss – etter flere hundre år. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Realiteten er – vår kultur er i ferd med å viskes ut med historien. </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Men likevel – hvert år feirer vi 17. mai og tar opp diskusjonen om hvorfor vi kan ha på oss kofta på 17. mai. Hvorfor kan vi det? </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Det er vanskelig å tro at ikke alle i landet vet det, men Norge er en del av Sápmi! Og vi samer hadde ikke noen stemme da den beslutningen ble tatt.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/kjaere-staten-norge-300x300.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" width="300" /></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Kjære Staten Norge, da deres forfedre okkuperte disse landområder visste de at dette var samenes hjem. Forsøket på å gjøre oss til gode nordmenn har ikke lyktes 100% ennå. Men dere har kommet en lang vei. Slik dere klarte å viske ut deres egen urkultur i det norrøne, er dere nå i ferd med å viske ut samenes urkultur. </p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/fovsen-protests-in-oslo/">FOVSEN-PROTESTS IN OSLO</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/72711232023-02-25T02:32:54-05:002023-09-10T02:30:42-04:00YOIK CONNECTS YOU DEEPLY WITH SAMI CULTURE
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<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/the-yoik-connects-you-deeply-with-sami-culture/">YOIK CONNECTS YOU DEEPLY WITH SAMI CULTURE</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/72711242023-01-30T14:03:52-05:002023-09-10T02:30:42-04:00DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE SAMI GODS?
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Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/72711252022-11-19T06:55:04-05:002023-09-10T02:30:42-04:00CHRISTMAS IN SÁPMI
<p class="has-small-font-size">By Elin Kåven</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Every year I get asked about Sami Christmas traditions. People say it is really hard to find anything about this topic. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Here is why: It’s because the Sami Christmas traditions aren’t actually Sami traditions. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Christmas is a christian holiday that was introduced to the Sami people by our christian colonizers. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We Sami people had our own indigenous worldview before we were introduced to christianity. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">So when you hear about Sami Christmas traditions today, – what they are talking about is not an ancient Sami tradition, it’s a tradition that we have adopted from our colonizers. It’s our colonizers tradition done in the Sami way, you could say. . </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">That means we buy Christmas gifts in the shop (maybe from Sami shops), we sing the christian Christmas songs translated to Sami language, we go to church wearing a gákti. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">BUT It has been many generations since we got colonized, so the christian traditions have been passed on for generations in some parts of Sapmi. That’s why some Samis can argue that it is their tradition to celebrate a christian christmas. Especially if they are very christian. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Because at what point can we say we have adapted our colonizers tradition and culture to such degree that they have become our own? </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">When I did my own research many years ago, and asked my grandmother how she celebrated Christmas, she said that she never celebrated Christmas until she learned how to from her children. Her children, my mother included, went to boarding school in Kárásjohka, and they brought home the tradition of Christmas – with a Christmas tree, cakes, gifts, decorations and songs. That is how she learned it. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">So traditionally, originally, before colonization – Sami people did not celebrate Christmas. But like everyone else, we did have some traditions connected to the winter and dark season. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-video"><video controls src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Sami-Christmas-sub-4.mp4"></video></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Buorit juovllat! Merry Christmas! </em></p>
<p><strong>Read more about Sami christmas here: </strong></p>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="GsgOQHXM7a"><a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-christmas/">SAMI CHRISTMAS?</a></blockquote>
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<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/christmas-in-sapmi/">CHRISTMAS IN SÁPMI</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/72711262021-12-01T12:48:06-05:002023-09-10T02:30:42-04:00STÁLLO AT CHRISTMAS
<p>This is an interview from 1973 with Nils Jernsletten done by Dag Skogheim, a Norwegian researching about Sami culture and mythologi. This text is transcribed directly from the interview and freely translated to English, and may not be 100% accurate. The whole interview is not included here. </p>
<p><strong>Dag</strong>: Yes, Jernsletten. The concept of “stállo” in Sami….</p>
<p><strong>Nils</strong>: Yes, stállo it is a figure that we can say is specifically Sami, although the name stállo probably comes from the Nordic “Ståle “or “Stali”, it has got its own place among Sami legends.</p>
<p>Stállo was a big guy, much bigger than ordinary people and much bigger than a Sami.</p>
<p>He was usually dressed differently than Sami, ie in dark clothes, he also had gold buttons and wore a sack.</p>
<p>He also had a pipe, a whistle that the Sami could occasionally hear him blowing on.</p>
<p>The whistle tone was so sharp that it could be dangerous for the ears.</p>
<p><strong>Dag:</strong> He is no similar to trolls then?</p>
<p><strong>Nils</strong>: No, they are not trolls.</p>
<p>As I have understood trolls, trolls are a supernatural figure who live in the mountains and such.</p>
<p>I perceive stállo much more concrete. Though it could probably have supernatural abilities too …</p>
<p>By the way, there were several kinds of stállo which I think is a mixture of “gand” and stállo. That the Sami themselves, the noaidi (the Sami shaman) could make stállo and send on others …</p>
<p><strong>Dag</strong>: Yes it is important to say ..</p>
<p><strong>Nils</strong>: Yes, and they could also be dressed in Sami clothes.</p>
<p>The noaidi people could fight with each other by sending stállo on others. And in turn – the others, if they had noaidi, could also send stállo back at them.</p>
<p>Such tales also exist.</p>
<p><strong>Day</strong>:So it’s actually magic to some extent?</p>
<p><strong>Nils</strong>: Yes, but the figure stállo itself in most tales is not magic. It is a giant figure that the Sami could often encounter, and which one had to be careful with.</p>
<p>I remember from when I was a child that we were scared a little with stállo in Christmas time. Then we should not make too much noise, because then stállo could come.</p>
<p>And then you could hear his whistling.. Or he could simply come. And if you did not get away then it was dangerous for the kids.</p>
<p>There are many tales where stállo takes .. For example a legend where stállo enters a Sami camp when the kids are out making noise on Christmas day- and they should not be.</p>
<p>And then stállo comes, and when the kids see him they run into the <em>goahti </em>and hide. Some hide under the branches and some inside the box and behind the backpack and so on.</p>
<p>But if the stállo gets hold of some of them, he takes them out and slaughters these kids and he also spreads their intestines around.</p>
<p>It’s pretty grotesque.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Stallo.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="170" width="182" /></figure>
<p><strong>Dag</strong>: I immediately think of our (the Norwegian)<em> Åsgårdsreia</em> tales.</p>
<p>Because it’s the same horror. We know that it’s a combination of the dead evil spirits that are at Christmas time, and they take people.</p>
<p>They kill them.</p>
<p>It’s really death coming as guests.</p>
<p>Is there any connection like that, do you think? Between the two cultures, that one has mutually influenced the other.</p>
<p><strong>Nils</strong>: It may well be the case that different elements have influenced each other. The Sami have always had contact with Norwegians as well.</p>
<p>Not only the southern Sami, but also far north.</p>
<p>Such different elements of folklore have probably mixed together.</p>
<p>And recent things that indicate that, for example, Sami shamanism and the Norse shamanism have certain connections to each other.</p>
<p>But stállo also had other sides. He was rich, had silverware. Was rich in silver and gold.</p>
<p>That he has in common with trolls.</p>
<p>But I can also imagine that there are certain….</p>
<p>Some of the background for that may also be the tax collectors. Those who went on tax collection, and robbed occasionally. Often the high-ranking soldiers were dressed in the same way as stállo.</p>
<p><strong>Dag</strong>: Yes, there are clear features that are repeated there.</p>
<p>But do you have trolls in Sami culture, or in oral tradition? Something which corresponds to our specific Norwegian troll that is?</p>
<p><strong>Nils</strong>: No. I have learned that we can interpret troll as a kind of natural figure, which has something to do with natural poetry and the longing for natural forces and all that…</p>
<p>Those are other concepts that have nothing to do with stállo.</p>
<p>I will say a little about that, but I will say one more thing about stállo which is important. In these tales he was rich as I said earlier.</p>
<p>If there was a skilled and strong Sami, then they could fight him.</p>
<p>He challenged them and if they fought with the stállo and managed to win over him ….</p>
<p>It was a battle of life and death, so if you did not win you were killed. But if you could win over him…. and you had to stab Stallo to death with your own knife.</p>
<p>When it came to the point where stallo realized he had been defeated, stállo always says that now you have to stab me with my own knife.</p>
<p>But that you shouldn´t do, because it was most dangerous for you.</p>
<p>And then they killed stállo. The Sami killed stállo and then got all the gold and silver that stállo had.</p>
<p>There are inherited silver that have such legends attached to it.</p>
<p>Often the riches that one got from stállo were not long lasting. They disappeared easily.</p>
<p><strong>Dag</strong>: Just to get back to what you mentioned at Christmas time, is it specially at Christmas time that stállo is very active? You mentioned at Christmas time that it sounds like an educational measure.</p>
<p><strong>Nils</strong>: Yes, it can be. But not that he was particularly active at Christmas time, but it is natural in a way that such scare pedagogy and such life stories where one should scare the children were clearly connected to Christmas.</p>
<p>It’s dark season and so…</p>
<p>But stállo could be met all year round.</p>
<p>But the tales where he came in and killed children were specifically on Christmas.</p>
<p>There were other things also in connection with the stállo legend at Christmas time, that you had to make sure to have order in the house and not have scraps from chopping wood outside. If you chop wood outside, there should be no sawdust left. </p>
<p>Also, one should have water in a bucket standing by the door so that if stállo came in and asked to drink water then there should be a ladle there so he could drink water and then he went out again.</p>
<p>If there was no water then he could make trouble.</p>
<p><strong>Dag</strong>: And it’s also Christmas time?</p>
<p><strong>Nils</strong>: Yes, it belongs to Christmas.</p>
<p><strong>Dag</strong>: Yes, exactly. Now, this here with trolls who …</p>
<p><strong>Nils</strong>: Yes, there I have something called háldeaččat.</p>
<p>As you can read from the legends ….</p>
<p>I have not read any kind of folklore research theories about this, but as you read from the tales, as I remember, they are more neutral forces. Natural forces. Háldeaččat. Háldi is the one who protects and takes care of nature and such. For example animals and wildlife and such.</p>
<p><strong>Dag</strong>: Oh, it’s kind of protective spirit ?</p>
<p>So you know our “tomte”. “Hustomten”. It’s not really anything other than the forefathers’ spirits.</p>
<p>The one who made sure that the people kept the house well.</p>
<p>Is there such a thing just that it is transmitted to nature?</p>
<p><strong>Nils</strong>: Yes, it can probably be something like that, because you know that the old Sami society it was … The basis of life for it was fishing and hunting and so on.</p>
<p>So that it is natural …</p>
<p><strong>Dag</strong>: Excuse me for interrupting, but are these phenomena you are now referring to one or more?</p>
<p><strong>Nils</strong>: There are several, because they belong to nature and live in different places. There are also mountains called háldi.</p>
<p><strong>Dag</strong>: Yes, so then you can say that these are related to the expressions of life in nature.</p>
<p><strong>Nils</strong>: You could say that.</p>
<p><strong>Day</strong>: And they do not represent any fear or horror on human beings?</p>
<p><strong>Nils</strong>: No, they do not. If you behaved sensibly out in nature, there was usually no danger.</p>
<p>I remember many such stories that put a little shock in me as a child.</p>
<p>People who were hunting and such, they could often meet and hear such <em>háldeaččat</em>.</p>
<p>That they came to visit the person in the <em>goahti.</em></p>
<p><strong>Day</strong>: So hearing impression then?</p>
<p><strong>Nils</strong>: Yes, it was a kind of revenge then if you deserved revenge.</p>
<p>That they started harassing one and started putting out the fire and knock over pots and stuff.</p>
<p><strong>Dag</strong>: So if you commit some violence on nature or nature’s expressions of life, then this will happen…</p>
<p></p>
<p>You can find the interview in Norwegian here: <a href="https://gammel.nfk.no/arkivinordland/arkivmateriale/samlinger/nettutstillinger-og-artikler/nils-jernsletten-om-stallo.74963.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://gammel.nfk.no/arkivinordland/arkivmateriale/samlinger/nettutstillinger-og-artikler/nils-jernsletten-om-stallo.74963.aspx</a> </p>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="CSK8wnLeNB"><a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-christmas/">SAMI CHRISTMAS?</a></blockquote>
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<p>Read about Åsgårdsreia in Norwegian here: <a href="https://sverresborg.no/juletradisjoner">https://sverresborg.no/juletradisjoner</a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/stallo-at-christmas/">STÁLLO AT CHRISTMAS</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/72711272021-09-12T10:19:24-04:002023-09-10T02:30:42-04:00WOLF HUNTING
<p>by Jungle Svonni</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">That we Sámis, my ancestors used to hunt bears with spear back in the old times is a quite well known fact in the Nordic countries. That we had a kind of bear cult. But that we also hunted wolf with spear is less known outside of Sápmi.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Modern rifles didn’t really arrive to Sápmi until about 1920. The old muzzle loaders that were fairly common in Europe during the 1700s and 1800s never became popular in Sápmi. They were very unreliable and simply didn’t work that well in our climate. This is very well illustrated in the book “Västerbotten”<br>with a quote from late 1800s: A father asked his son why he was going to bring his rifle when going hunting? It would only be in the way, he meant.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">There are several texts from the first millennia AD and the first half of the second millennia, (for example Tacitus’ writings), that refers to the great archery skills of the Sámis. After that it’s hard to find any more references to archery in Sápmi. Why that is, we don’t know. But related to some historical facts: like that the reindeer herding started in that time. While the hunting of wild reindeer were starting to end. And there wasn’t much moose in that time, due to a high population of wolves. And the moose didn’t have the same human protection and support as the reindeers.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I have made my own personal speculation: Reindeers and moose are the two animals in Sápmi most suitable to hunt with bow and arrows. Small game was best hunted with snares and traps. Bear, wolf, lynx where best hunted by spear.<br>So the bow and arrow lost importance without reindeers and moose to hunt.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">And maybe the government started to control the weapon possessions of the common people.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">So until the 1920s, the way to hunt wolves was with spear.<br>If bear hunting was the ultimate test of bravery.<br>Wolf hunting was the ultimate test of strength and endurance.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Skies were most likely invented in Central Asia. There the common type of ski there is short, wide and covered with fur underneath to create traction to move forwards. Ski poles are not necessary, so you have both hands free to maneuver a hunting bow. a brilliant invention. But they are not made for speed. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/dreamstime_l_174714099-1-683x1024.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="467" width="312" /></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Here in Sápmi the reindeer herding and wolf hunting required more speed. So the skies became more narrow but a lot longer, sometimes over 3 meters.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The reason for hunting wolves was first and foremost to protect the reindeers. But the skins were also very useful and valuable.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">To hunt wolves you first had to wait for the right type of snow. (we have over a 100 words for snow in our language)<br>Then it was «just» to start following a fresh wolf track, as fast as possible. One ski pole was used, the ski pole was a spear weighing up to 5 kilos, it had to be stronger then the backbone of a wolf.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The chase after the wolf could sometimes last for days. Many times it was was done by a team of two hunters. Since sweating can be deadly in the arctic winter, the fastest hunter/skier would throw off more and more clothes when closing in on the wolf. The second hunter would pick up and carry the clothes. When and if the first hunter would catch up with the wolf, and kill it with the spear. He would be completely exhausted, not dressed for cold. And totally dependent on his friend to shortly arrive with the clothes and strength to build a fire.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Its quite an achievement for a human to have more stamina then a wild animal. More then a wolf.<br>This was not done by just any hunter. Only by a few in each region developed this «super power”. And those hunters became legends.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">This kind of wolf hunting had a quite low impact on the population of the wolves. Just enough to make reindeer herding possible and to keep families alive.</p>
<p>References:<br>Västerbotten, Balgård, Gunnar, Kjersén Edman, Lena, 1993 <br><a href="https://www.haugenbok.no/vasterbotten/balgard-gunnar/kjersen-edman-lena/9789157434913" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.haugenbok.no/vasterbotten/balgard-gunnar/kjersen-edman-lena/9789157434913</a><br>Cornelius Tacitus (ca. 55–120 A.D.)<br>ren och varg: Samer berättar. Yngve Ryd, 2007<br><a href="https://www.tanum.no/_ren-och-varg--samer-berattar-yngve-ryd-9789127026858" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.tanum.no/_ren-och-varg–samer-berattar-yngve-ryd-9789127026858</a></p>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="SnNPuLTmOI"><a href="https://polarisen.se/manniskan/skidor/">Skidor</a></blockquote>
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<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/wolf-hunting/">WOLF HUNTING</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/72711282021-01-30T10:44:39-05:002023-09-10T02:30:42-04:00KALAALLIT NUNAAT – GREENLAND EXPERIENCE
<p>By Jungle Svonni. Photo by Dylan Shaw..</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br>When I was 11 years old my dream since many years came true. I got to go to Greenland! Including the northernmost village in the world! Something that I had been praying for for years. My mother suddenly got a job offer on Greenland, so we went to live there for 6 months.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br>First 3 months in Nuuk, the capital, on the southwest coast. Then 3 months in Qaanaaq, the very north. The top of the world.<br>Anywhere you are on Greenland it’s beautiful. Just in slightly different ways. There are no roads or cars outside the biggest settlements and they are not connected with each other by roads. The landmass not covered by glacier is about the same size as Norway. But there is less than 60 thousand people living there, so it’s a lot of nature. Fjords and mountains, but no trees. Well, I heard a rumor about a few small birch trees in the bottom of a fjord close to the southern tip of Greenland. But we never saw them although we went hiking in there in the south once. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But I experienced my first hurricane there. It came very sudden, at 4 a clock in the morning. The tent was pushed flat on top of us like a blanket by the wind. It was late in the summer and below the arctic circle, so it was still dark when we had to pack in a rush before all our stuff blow away. And then hike trough the wind that I thought was going to lift us from the ground and send us flying into a mountain side or out into the sea. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But we made it. Sometimes by crawling and holding on to the ground.<br>The southwest was beautiful, with the best fishing I experienced in my life, so far. And it was easy to understand why the first foreign colonizers (the vikings) called it Greenland. All the lakes and rivers where green or turquoise glacier water. And the smaller icebergs where also green or turquoise. The big ones where white.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br>But I think there is most to tell about the time in the far north. The county of Qaanaaq consisted of 800 people, divided on 5 small villages and one bigger, Qaanaaq itself. The whole area is isolated from the rest of Greenland, by the Melvill bay. A stretch of about 700 km where the inland ice reaches all the way to the sea. So that cuts the Qaanaaq area off from the rest of Greenland. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The language is also quite different. There they are more connected to the Inuits in Canada, since up there it’s only 20 km between Ellesmere Island (Canada) and Greenland at the most narrow stretch.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br> The society in Qaanaaq was very segregated. At least in that time. In Qaanaaq itself lived about 500 people. About 30 of them white, mostly danish. The rest Inuits. The white people had electricity and running water. The Inuits not. And they did not mingle much.<br>Well there where exceptions to this, but not many.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br>Upon our arrival with helicopter we were met by Kasaluk, a young Inuit woman, working as an interpreter between danish and Inuit. Later the character Smilla in the book, and later Hollywood movie: <em>Smilla’s feel for snow</em> was based on her. But none of us knew anything about that, in that time. What was relevant was that she saw something about me. That I too was indigenous and belonged with the Inuits more than with the white kids. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Those was two very separate worlds. She told the Inuits not to be fooled by my light skin color, because I wasn’t Danish but belonged to another arctic tribe. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">So I ended up being part of their indigenous society. Where for example the time had no meaning. So far up north there is no difference between day and night. Sometimes we where jumping between the roofs of the houses until 5 in the morning. That was one of the favorite games up there, when we were not helping the parents with hunting or dog related work. The Inuits up there in the far north are known to be among the most happy and friendly people in the world.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br>A few years later when I still spoke fluent danish (I only learned about 30 words in Inuit) and was visiting Denmark, people were looking very strangely at me when I spoke. And after some time they exclaimed: <em>You speak danish like an Inuit! How is it possible?</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br>Kasaluk played a very important part in opening the door to the Inuit society. So I am forever grateful to her. And her father that adopted me as his grandson. I don’t remember his real name. Just that I called him Ada. Witch means Grandfather in the local Inuit language. He taught me to drive dogsleds and took me out hunting and fishing. We always traveled by dogsled since the sea was covered by ice all the time I was there. The sea was only open 6-8 weeks a year. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">To travel by dogsled in July under the midnight sun and crossing cracks in the melting sea ice was somewhat of an experience. The cracks where often over a meter wide, so the dogs 8-20 of them that where all pulling side by side in long individual pulling lines, in the shape of a «sun fan» speeded up just before the crack. Then stopped for a second or two, to let the sled catch up a bit, so that they got some slack on their pulling lines. Then they jumped. And continued running on the other side. The wider the cracks, the more dogs who didn’t make it over and had to be pulled up by the other dogs behind the sled when it had crossed. Once when we where coming ashore to a small village it was a stretch of maybe a hundred meters where the sea ice was broken up into large pieces so everything was moving under us.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br>The dogs there are a protected specie. One of the most important laws on Greenland is that no dogs can be brought into Greenland, north of the arctic circle. It’s to protect the Greenlandic dogs from being mixed with huskies. Huskies are faster for competitions and easier to handle. But they don’t have the stamina of the local Greenlandic dogs, that the people there are 100% dependent on. They are fed like wolves – a couple of kilos of raw meat 2-4 times a week. A dog that is fed everyday pulls poorly if one day there is no food. And that happens in the arctic, for both dogs and humans. And anyway they have a slow digestive system, just like wolves. They are not meant to eat every day. When on rare occasions arctic wolves pass through the area they like to get some of the female dogs pregnant from the wolves. To strengthen the breed.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br>The school I only had to attend when there wasn’t anything important to do.<br>And the food was great! 100% animalic and most of it raw. Not so much fish because of the ice. But the seals many times come up on top of the ice and the «small» whales they get by harpooning them by hand from a kayak in the summer lasts a long time. Then there are walrus, reindeer, muskox, polar hare, polar bear, ptarmigan. And different kind of seabirds and eggs in the summer.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br>Most important where the seals and whales. Not only because they where most plentiful but also because they where their only source of vitamin C. Raw whale skin and raw seal eyes is packed with vitamin C. If you cook it, you lose the vitamins and you will get scurvy. And if I can choose, between an orange or a raw seal eye there is no doubt – I’ll go for the raw seal eye any day. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Polar bear was one of the few things that was always cooked, because it can have trichinoses (a dangerous parasite also found in pigs). The skins from the polar bears where used for pants. Something very essential up there. Without polar bears there wouldn’t be possible for humans to live there either.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br>Maybe the people up there could survive without the reindeer and muskox. But not without the seals, whales and polar bear.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br>Their most famous delicacy was Giviaq. You skin a seal through the mouth, so that you don’t make any holes in the skin. You leave the skin raw, without scraping away the fat. Then you take over a thousand auks (auks are a sea bird the size of a magpie, that colonize the mountains during the short summer. They come in great numbers, millions of them and they are caught by a net on a long stick). You stuff the seal skin with the auks, until it looks like a live seal. Then you cover the “seal” with rocks, since you can’t dig in the permafrost. Leave it over the summer, or until the next year. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The birds are put in the skin with intestines and feathers. When you open the skin, the birds have a very strong and peculiar smell. They are technically not rotten. But fermented. Those who know both says it’s similar to Gorgonzola cheese. I really liked it back then. But I don’t know if I would today. That was many years ago now…</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br>Greenland is a great place that will always have a special place in my heart.<br>I met a Danish writer who lived many years on Greenland, Jørn Riel. Like me he had fallen in love with this land/island. Many years later he moved to a Polynesian island in the south pacific. I saw an interview with him on television from there. He was asked if it wasn’t a big change moving from the arctic Greenland to the tropical Polynesia? He just laughed and answered: Not at all! I just moved from one paradise island to another. The people here have the same friendly and joyful manners. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">What a wise man! </p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/kalaallit-nunaat-greenland-experience/">KALAALLIT NUNAAT – GREENLAND EXPERIENCE</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/72711292021-01-02T16:31:14-05:002023-09-10T02:30:42-04:00SAMI CHRISTMAS?
<p class="has-medium-font-size">When people ask us about the Sami Christmas, again we say that there is not one easy short answer to this question. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Again, because of Christianization and colonization. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But to make a super-easy indication of what we are confronted with in this question, these are the three answers we can give: </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">1. In Sami pre-christian times we did not celebrate Christmas, since it is a christian tradition. The Sami people were not christians before the colonization. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">2.At some point the christian and pre-christian customs where both practised. We know that a lot of Sami christians went to church for a ceremony, and returned home and did a ceremony to honor the Sami gods. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">3. A lot of Samis became good christians and they of course always celebrate Christmas like they learned from the colonizers. Like anyone else in western society.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>So if you ask about pre-christian times,</strong> Sami people did not celebrate Christmas. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Not unsurprisingly, originally Christmas was not a Sami tradition at all. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But there are some elements of the Christmas celebration that are from pre-christian times. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Such as for example the goblins and elves. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">There are also investigations found on the big internet that point towards that the time of the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ was put close to the winter solstice to distract people, since the solstice already was one of the most important events of the year in the pre-christian pagan culture. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The winter solstice is only a few days apart from the christian Christmas eve. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Before christianity the Sami people did have their beliefs, gods, and holy places they visited. And the sun is one of our most beloved and important gods – our father. The Sami people are sons and daughters of mother earth and father sun. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>We assume our forefathers did have some kind of ceremonies and rituals on Winter solstice, like what the norsemen and other pagans call Yule. </strong> </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">December is the darkest month of the year, and the 21st is the day of the solstice. Thats when the days start to become lighter and lighter each day. The sun and light is reborn.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">DARK SEASON LEGENDS</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We have legends connected to winter and December – the darkest month of the year. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We have the story about <em>Stállu</em>, the giant awful creature that eats children, who is travelling with the mouse- convoy during the dark season (but also rest of the year). </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">It was said that if you don’t keep the outside of your house tidy, he will get stuck there with his mouse- convoy, and he will get angry and come into your house. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">You should also leave water for him, in case he is thirsty when passing by. That way you can avoid that he will enter the house. </p>
<p>There are some writings about Samis that say that when the dark season hit, there was fear that the sun would not appear again, and therefore rituals to make sure the sun would return to the skies. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We also have the stories about the northern lights, of course, and also, as in the rest of the northern hemisphere, there is a legend about the female reindeer with great antlers that flies over the sky from the darkness of the new year and brings light and life into the new year. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">ELINS YULE CELEBRATION</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">As the year of 2020 had been so different already, I decided I would want to try to celebrate the month of december as the Sami people would pre-christian times. Of course it’s close to impossible to know what they did back then, but this is what I ended up doing: </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">On winter-solstice I visited a <a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sieidi-a-holy-rock/">Sieidi</a>. I made a fire, yoiked and gave them my offerings, and thanked them for the past year, and also asked them to support me the coming year. This particular night actually felt like the natural day to start a new cycle with the sun. It really felt like a new start for me. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">A few days after I celebrated Christmas eve like anyone else in Norway (and the rest of the world). </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I put on a nice dress and had Christmas dinner with my family and had Christmas presents under the tree. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I did some research and found that in the early 1900s it was usual to have fish or meat on Christmas eve, like it is now, but some Samis had the belief that they should fast on Christmas eve. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">They said that their stomach would rip if they ate meat or fish, so they only ate porridge with cloudberries on Christmas Eve. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">So this year I have celebrated in many ways. I celebrated the natural new year- winter solstice the 21st, the christian christmas 24th, and the calendar new year 31st dec. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">And I felt really great doing this. The different rituals all had their own special purpose for me. – Elin </p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-embed wp-block-embed-embed"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="KSeSuE1VlX"><a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/christmas-in-sapmi/">CHRISTMAS IN SÁPMI</a></blockquote>
<iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" title="“CHRISTMAS IN SÁPMI” — " src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/christmas-in-sapmi/embed/#?secret=DS2m3OKRjO#?secret=KSeSuE1VlX" data-secret="KSeSuE1VlX" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
</div></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-embed wp-block-embed-embed"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="cx87kXFcmc"><a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/stallo-at-christmas/">STÁLLO AT CHRISTMAS</a></blockquote>
<iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" title="“STÁLLO AT CHRISTMAS” — " src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/stallo-at-christmas/embed/#?secret=c8hkQudz5r#?secret=cx87kXFcmc" data-secret="cx87kXFcmc" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
</div></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-embed wp-block-embed-embed"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="OhqSrOlIlg"><a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/red-and-white-christmas/">Red and white Christmas</a></blockquote>
<iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" title="“Red and white Christmas” — " src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/red-and-white-christmas/embed/#?secret=UGkGFV8kG9#?secret=OhqSrOlIlg" data-secret="OhqSrOlIlg" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
</div></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-embed wp-block-embed-embed"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="l4WDSPmiYk"><a href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sieidi-a-holy-rock/">Sieidi – a holy rock</a></blockquote>
<iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" title="“Sieidi – a holy rock” — " src="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sieidi-a-holy-rock/embed/#?secret=Vq7tCz0voT#?secret=l4WDSPmiYk" data-secret="l4WDSPmiYk" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
</div></figure>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-christmas/">SAMI CHRISTMAS?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/72711302020-12-23T16:59:02-05:002023-09-10T02:30:42-04:00SAMI MUSIC PLAYLISTS ON SPOTIFY
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Elin made some playlist with Sami music. Follow to get updates. With this we wish you a happy holiday! </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Buorit Juovllat! </p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Spotify Embed: All time Sami Music " width="300" height="380" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" allow="encrypted-media" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/0SpijsHWil9HNciOWlRN5i?si=72tFXAghTMe_mU2d7HQZ6g"></iframe>
</div></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Spotify Embed: Juovlašuoŋat * Sami Christmas Music" width="300" height="380" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" allow="encrypted-media" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/4YD4p7slTbWNQMsSBbm1pI?si=0Z0Zq4yqR_2rvw3YV4WJpg"></iframe>
</div></figure>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-music-playlists-on-spotify/">SAMI MUSIC PLAYLISTS ON SPOTIFY</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.beneathnorthernlights.com"></a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/57960722019-06-18T16:29:02-04:002021-09-07T11:04:58-04:00SAMI PLAYLIST ON YOUTUBE
<p class="has-medium-font-size">There are quite a few videos about the Sami people on YouTube. Here are some of the ones we think are are great footage. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="NORWEGIAN LAPLAND, The Enchantment Of Song - Travel Documentary" width="840" height="473" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9DI-YQmWAT8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="The wind is blowing through my heart (ENG subs, about Nils-Aslak Valkeapää)" width="840" height="630" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pINieDqXOvw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Sami People (OV)" width="840" height="473" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4oawzU5l7qk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="The Connection Between Whites and Asians? Genetics of the Sami, Ainu and Siberian Peopels" width="840" height="473" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aXzqI1r11eg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Erika Larsen: The Reindeer People | Nat Geo Live" width="840" height="473" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bPiKAhhEHXA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="My People - The Sami people" width="840" height="473" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZZIU7KEis3w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Ask a Norwegian Teacher - Who are Sami people and what language do they speak?" width="840" height="473" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u8_IW5qpPLM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Short Documentary: I AM SAMI" width="840" height="473" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-c18xNxFUSY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-playlist-on-youtube/">SAMI PLAYLIST ON YOUTUBE</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/57873742019-06-11T07:45:21-04:002021-09-07T15:30:27-04:00WHEN THE JOIK CAME TO ME
<p>Written by guestblogger Stéphane Aubinet, a researcher from Belgium. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>The yoik first came to me long before I started to do “research” about it, when I was a teenager living in Belgium. I was immediately struck by its immediacy, its roughness, its originality, its wildness. The yoik I heard was chanted without lyrics, only with meaningless syllables, I knew nothing about its practice, and I had no idea that a community called “Sámi” existed. And yet the vocalisation still had a powerfully evocative quality. Listening to it was like watching a distant horizon: even if you do not really know what lurks behind it, the horizon can have a powerful appeal, calling you to explore it.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><br>I say that the yoik “came to me” because it sometimes seems to have a will of its own. I conducted numerous interviews with yoikers from Finnmark and other areas of Sápmi, and one of the leading ideas that I encountered was that the yoik tends to visit humans in startling ways. Some yoikers experience that new yoiks come to them in their dreams, in a way similar to many Native American traditions, where shamans and singers receive songs from spiritual entities. What is striking here is that there does not seem to be a cultural, “mythological” framework dictating that yoiks are supposed to be received during dreams. It is just something that some people experience, something that occurs to them. It is as if the yoik always carried mysterious, inscrutable, unpredictable dimensions. As Nils Aslak Valkeapää once wrote: “the yoiks, no, I do not know, why, where from, they just, come”. I made a similar observation about people who manage to communicate with other animals by yoiking: Why does it work? How can animals understand the yoik? The yoikers I met were humble enough not to go too far in speculations. Witnessing animals responding to your yoik is a more enchanting and more powerful experience than any clever explanation is likely to give us. </em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><br>I spoke of my encounter with the yoik in terms of horizon; what about the horizons of the yoikers themselves? What sort of call do they follow when they decide to yoik? On several occasions, I was told that “when you yoik the wolf, you must almost become the wolf”. It is common to yoik animals, persons, or places that are not immediately present, things that lie behind the horizon, beyond the reach of our senses. Yoiking then becomes a way of extending the senses, of “stretching” towards the horizon and have a glimpse at what lies behind: a friend is absent, but you can get a glimpse of her by chanting her yoik. Likewise, yoiking the wolf is a way of getting a glimpse at what it is like to be a wolf, to inhabit its skin for a little while. In the old days, this was a risky endeavour: missionaries report several examples of noaidi who went too far in their “stretching” towards spiritual realms and were not able to come back to the world of humans. Apparently, they had developed strategies in order to diminish the risk. For instance, during the trance rituals, the assistance would sometimes yoik continuously, so that the noaidi could hear them and follow the yoik back to his body when his mission among the spirits was complete. Here, the yoik served both as a way of stretching towards something else (the spiritual world) and remaining anchored in one’s position, finding the way home, keeping one’s feet. This is still what “modern” yoikers do, I think, when they perform on stage and in recording studios, when they experiment with other musical genres: the yoik enables them to stretch towards a horizon – the indigenous diaspora, global politics, the musical market, etc. – and, simultaneously, to remain firmly anchored in their Sáminess, ensuring that they do not get stuck on the other side.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><br>In the tribe of musicologists and ethnologists, many have been impressed by the yoik’s imitative quality. The yoik of the raven, for example, must “sound like the raven”. This is indeed a common idea: yoiks are soundscapes, sonic pictures of what they evoke. In order to create a new yoik for a person, you should be very familiar with that person. You must capture her essence. Sometimes, you need a starting point: the yoik can depart from an imitation of that person’s ways of walking, from her appearance, her character, the yoiks of her relatives, or from some anecdote of her life. What matters is that something of the person is captured: an opening. The whole person can be considered as a yoik, as an ongoing circle: where you choose to enter the circle is secondary, what matters is that you join in its movement. From there, the melodic “starting point” (for instance, an irregular rhythm evoking the person’s clumsy way of walking) is developed, turned into a consistent melody, a circle that captures the person’s essence. It is as if the circle of the yoik and the circle of the person were one and the same: you are both a person-of-bone-and-flesh and a melody, and both of these are circular. Creating a yoik is therefore a gesture of growth: by yoiking your friend, you make her grow into a melody: you extend her existence. The same goes for animals: if you start yoiking hares, there is suddenly “more hare” in the world, the hare enjoys a more intense existence. </em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><br>How can humans have this creative power within themselves? One answer lies perhaps in their interiority. What do we find inside a person? According to some yoikers, what we find inside is… the same as what we find outside! In short, we all have a wolf, a bear, a raven, rivers and valleys, people and weather inside of us. The yoik can be described as a way of feeling this continuity, this immediacy: when yoiking the valley, you feel the valley resound within you. The poet and noaidi Ailo Gaup wrote that yoiking the animals inside us can be a way of nurturing them, getting to know them better. By yoiking the wolf, we can assimilate the animal’s power and learn how to behave with our own wolfness. What we get out of this is “more strings to play on”, more depths inside the person, a more developped body and personality. Perhaps everyone, anywhere, has these animals inside, knowingly or not. Humans have co-evolved with other species: what we are today is due to our cohabitation with wolves, reindeer, mountains, grass, oceans, trees, and so on. The environment is part of us because we have always been part of the environment. The yoik constantly reminds this: that we humans grow from a more-than-human web of life from which we cannot break free (why would anyone want to break free?). The yoik, unlike many other musical practices in Europe, always nurtures roots in this environment: whatever you yoik, the melody has roots in an animal, a place, a person. You always know where its power comes from. We cannot say the same about a quatuor by Beethoven or a song by Elvis Presley: these expressions may be beautiful and powerful, but their roots in the more-than-human environment are obscure. </em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>It is as if these musics grew from a world poorer in undomesticated presences. And yet if we looked closely enough, we would see that all musics are ultimately dependent on the wider web of life. At their deepest levels, all musics have roots in a soil. Might some musicians have forgotten it? Surely, if this is the case, this oblivion has been spectacularly productive in terms of musical creativity: it is not inherently bad. But some yoikers have not forgotten their debt to the wider world and keep nurturing an earthly creativity.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><br>I like to speak of “echo” to describe how the yoik relates to the past. This is an important aspect of its practice. As many yoikers explained to me, the yoik is emotionally powerful not least because it can call back distant memories to the present. Thus if you have fond childhood memories related to a particular mountain, you can still yoik that mountain and bring back these memories to life, as if you were physically back in time. In Ancient Greek mythology, Echo is described by the writer Longus as the daughter of a nymph with prodigious musical skills. When she dies, torn to pieces by mad shepherds, the music of her remains are preserved by Gaia, the Earth, and you can still hear her singing whenever you converse with an echoing valley. There is something similar occuring in the yoik tradition. Once something has occured, it does not simply disappear from presence. It remains concealed in the folds of the earth, or in the folds of human interiority (remember: they can be one and the same realm). You can still feel these memories with your voice. How? By projecting a yoik and hearing the past yoiking back at you. In this, the yoik resembles dreaming. Few persons in the world can yoik, but everyone can dream, and dreams call past memories to presence with the same intensity as the yoik does: for the time of a dream/yoik, it is as if we were there. The intellectual elites in Europe have longed argued that dreams are chimeras, falseness, deception. They liked to distinguish themselves from children and indigenous peoples who “believe” that dreams are for real. But might it not be the contrary? It is perhaps because over-educated people have banished dreams from what they consider to be “reality” that they could build their modern philosophies, disconnected from the wild presences yoiking inside of us.<br>Some psychologists say that we only dream of activities that appeared early in human evolution. For instance, we often dream of walking, singing, or having sex, but almost never of writing, doing arithmetics, or using computers. If yoiks often come during dreams, it could be due to its distant origins, its “primordial” status. But why is it primordial? We cannot date when it appeared, there is no written text testifying of the yoik’s emergence. But this does not matter. The yoik’s primordiality is not necessarily chronological: it is, first and foremost, ontological. It is primordial because its roots in the environment are deep. I occasionally heard a powerful idea about this: even if the yoik disappeared, it could always be retrieved later, because it directly stems from the Earth. I also heard of a Sámi myth saying that if we dig up to the centre or the Earth, what we would find is a beating reindeer heart. According to the myth, as long as the Sámi can feel the heartbeat when putting their ears to the ground, they can rest assured that their future is secured. It may be that the yoik will go on as long as “earthbeats” still sound beneath our feet. </em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Of course, it is not the only primordial way of singing in the world: the yoik is perhaps only one “variation” of an original singing practice encountered in countless places: countless musical variations stemming from the same vital energy.<br>If the yoik has “more power than dynamite”, it is perhaps partly because it opens a startling experience of the world, one that we do not necessarily sense while we are not yoiking. It makes the living world more living, it reveals some of its hidden colours and tones, it makes the landscape more beautiful and the flow of time deeper. I do not master this craft, I have merely tried to observe it from afar, to get a glimpse of it, and what I write here has no pretension to be universally true. But I feel entitled to say that the yoik came to me, because through my work in research, it invited me to a philosophical journey that I found enchanting and still yoiks in me.</em></p>
<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/IMG_3990-768x1024.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="476" width="357" /><figcaption>Stépane Aubinet at the Nord University studying joik. </figcaption></figure>
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<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/when-the-joik-came-to-me/">WHEN THE JOIK CAME TO ME</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/57793562019-06-04T09:53:36-04:002023-12-10T13:32:24-05:00SAMI GODS, GODDESSESS AND MYTHICAL ENTITIES
<p></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Here is a list of Sámi gods, goddesses and other mythical entities. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">So much has been forgotten about the Sami world view and beliefs and words over the years and most of the written material from the pre-christian beliefs where <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="written by priests, (opens in a new tab)" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/lapponia/" target="_blank">written by priests,</a> with very limited understanding of shamanism. Typically the writers would considering all our spiritual belief to simply be devil worship. So we dont claim that this information is 100% accurate and far from all inclusive. There were also local variations since Sápmi is a big area with few people and the communications were not the best back in the days. But this still gives a good basic overview of the pre-christian Sámi belief system. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The words in different <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Sami languages (opens in a new tab)" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-languages/" target="_blank">Sami languages</a> are marked with: </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">NS – North Sámi language/dialect.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">SS – South Sámi language/dialect.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">LS – Lule Sámi language/dialect.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">GS – Gildin Sámi language/dialect.<br></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Arja (ns): Female <em>gázzi </em>(Spirit) -entity. The name means energy, determination.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Beaivi (ns) / Biejvve (ls) / Biejjie (ss): Sun. <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/the-sami-flag/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Sun worship (opens in a new tab)">Sun worship </a>is important in the Sami belief system.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Barbmoáhkku (ns): Ensures that all migratory birds return well from warmer land, Barbmu. Getting help from Guorga, the crain.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Rananiejte (ss): “Spring girl”, «the reindeer calf girl” or “the green girl”. Provides, among other things, for good reindeer grazing.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Bieggaolmmái (ns): “The windman» determines the wind direction. He was among other things important during wild reindeer hunting.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Boazuáhkku (ns): Goddess of the reindeer and gives hunting luck. Possibly identical to Juksahkku.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Čahceolmmái (ns) / Tsjaetsieolmaj (ss): The waterman keeper of the lakes and fishes.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Čahcerávga / guovdi (ns): Living in the river or the sea. Used to scare the children, as part of the child rearing.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Čahkalakkat (ns): Chakal: Live by springs. They are small and naked. In the head they have healingpower and the belly is full of silver money. You can get the medicine and the silver money by fooling them and killing them.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Gieddegeasgalgu (ns): wise, female being who lives on the outskirts of the residence and whom one can turn to when you have it extra difficult. Known from North Sami areas. In recent times, the gieddegeasgalgu has been given the negative meaning “chatter crone».</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Gufihtar (ns): These goblin like entities live in gufihtarčohkka, “gufihtarhills». The gufitar lure people in, and they must not eat or drink anything while they are inside the hill, because then you never come out again.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Guolleipmil (ns): “The fish god”. Many sacrificial stones by lakes, sea and rivers are called Guolleipmil.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Hálddit (ns): Protects animals and plants. Sometimes represented by sacrificial stones/ <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sieidi-a-holy-rock/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="sieidi. (opens in a new tab)">sieidi.</a></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Ipmel / Ibmil / Jubmel / Jupmele (gs): Some shamans believed that Raedieaehtjie and Raediegiedtie were the same, namely Ipmel / Ibmil. He is considered the highest god. During the Christian mission, the missionaries adopted the name Ipmel / Ibmil, and it became the Sami name of the Christian God.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Serge-edni (gs): Raedieaehtjie or Ipmel’s wife. The one who creates the human spirit and leads it to Matharáhkku when children are created.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Radius kieddi (gs) / Raediegiedtie (ss): Raedieaehtjies son. Radius-acce / -tattje (gs) / Raedieaehtjie (ss): The highest god, the primordial father, the highest.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Jábmiidáhkku (ns) / Jábbmeahkku (ls) / Jaemiehaahka (ss): The godess of death who rules in the kingdom of death Jábmiidáibmu.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Jábmiid- (ns): The deceased who lives underground.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Leabeolbmai (ns) / Liejbalmaj (ls) / Liejpalmaj (ss): «The alder wood man». The god of hunting and caretaker of the wild animals. Receives offerings before bear hunting to protect hunters. Alder wood is considered sacred. The red color from the bark was used to paint the drums, and the juice was sprayed on returned bear hunters.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Mailmenraedie: Máilbmi (ns) + raedie (ss) = The god of the world.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Maadteraahkas (ss) / Mahtaráhkku (ns / ls): «Mother earth, Gaia» or “great-grandmother”. Mother of the three goddesses Sáráhkku, Juksáhkku and Uksáhkku. Has a part in the creation of children.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Naaidegazzi / saivugázzi (ns), noaidegadze / saivogadze (gs): Spirit allie . They can look like little people dressed in colorful Sami clothes. They can be ancestors. They can choose people they teach to become shamans and follow them for the rest of their lives, including on soul journeys. Gazzi can also be inherited or accompany as a dowry. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Noidae / saivoloddi, noaideguolli / saivoguolli and noaide heritage / saivosuvari (ns): The shamans can have spirit allies in the form of animals. These can be birds (noidae / saivoloddi), fish (n oaideguolli / saivoguolli) or a reindeer bull (noaidesarvvis / saivosuvari). The strongest shamans have reindeer bulls as spirit allies.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Saajve / saajveolmai (ss), <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/realm-saivu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="sáivo (opens in a new tab)">sáivo </a>/ sáivo-olmai (gs): spirits associated with sacred lakes or mountains also known as saajve (sáivo). Anyone who are connected to saajve has spirit allies in the form of animals at his service, see below. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Rohttu (ns): The god of sickness and death. Stays in a gloomy dead kingdom, Rohttuaibmu.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Ruđot (ns): Female <em>gázzi</em> beings.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Stállu (ns): Giant or troll-like figure. Children are scared with Stállu as part of the child rearing.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Joeksaáhka (ss) / Juksáhkku (ns / ls): «The goddess of hunting. Living in boaššu, the sacred part of the lávvu (tipi) behind the fireplace. Has a part in the creation of children. Can transform an unborn child into a boy.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Oksaahka (ss) / Uhksáhkku (ns / ls): “The door goddess”. Lives under the doorstep and guards the home against all evil. Watches out for children during their first years of life, especially when they learn to walk.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Saaraahka (ss) / Sáráhkku (ns / ls): Important goddess in southern Sami areas. Lives under the fireplace. Recives sacrifices of all that can be drunk. Important in the creation of children. Helps women in menstruation and when giving births. Children were baptized in the name of Sarahkku.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Tiermes (gs) / Dierpmis (ns) / Bajánolmmái (ns) / Aijeke (gs) / Atjek (ls) / Horagálles (gs) / Hovrengaellies (ss) / Thor: Various names for the thunder god. </p>
<p></p>
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<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-gods-goddessess-and-mythical-entities/">SAMI GODS, GODDESSESS AND MYTHICAL ENTITIES</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/57712792019-05-28T12:21:30-04:002023-12-10T13:32:23-05:00WHY THIS BLOG IS IN ENGLISH
<p class="has-medium-font-size">This blog is in English so that as many people as possible understand what we write about. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">As Samis living in Norway with alot of foreign speaking friends and quiantances we know that translating everything to tree languages is ALOT of work, and if we where to do that, that would mean another work-day which we cannot afford. Therefore to make things as easy as possible we write this blog in English so that everyone has a chance to understand what is written. </p>
<p>A BLOG FOR THE SAMI PEOPLE </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">As you see<a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/not-one-culture-but-many/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" here (opens in a new tab)"> here</a>, there are several Sami languages, and to translate our blogs to the different Sami languages, is even MORE time and more work. Most of the Samis who use the internet nowadays speak and understand English. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We live in Norway, and it would be natural to write the blog in Norwegian/Swedish, but that would exclude the Sami people in Finland and Russia. They dont understand Scandinavian. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Also there are ALOT of Sami people both in Sápmi and abroad in America and in Europe who do not know Sámi, or Scandinavian language. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The Samis who live in Scandinavia who dont understand Sami mostly do understand English. </p>
<p>A BLOG FOR THE NON-SAMI PEOPLE </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">When we where to decide what language this blog was to be written in we had to make som rough choices. Because we want this blog to be for Sami people, ALL Sami, but also for everyone else. That is why we chose to write this in English. That way we can reach more people, more Samis and more <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/who-is-sami-and-who-is-daza/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="dažas (opens in a new tab)">dažas</a>. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">And that is why this blog is in English, not in Sami or Scandinavian. </p>
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Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/57626832019-05-21T09:55:34-04:002021-09-07T15:36:20-04:00SAMI NAMES
<p>Gárdin-Ingá to the right, and her friend at Gárdin Mountainhouse in Karasjok.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Most of the Sami people use two names nowadays, – the Sami and the registered name. But the Sami names are less and less used, mostly of practical reasons; it is hard to remember two names for everyone you meet. Most use the Sami name only in the local and nearby areas, and the registered name otherwise. But we think it is a really cool thing to register the Sami name in the Name register, like we know a few people have done. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">After the war and Sápmi was divided between Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The reason why Sami people had to get another name, apart from the Sami was that the Norwegian law stated that only individuals with a Norwegian name could buy land. Similar laws existed also in the other colonizing countries. Thats why everyone had to start using Norwegian names. But the law from 1928 that stated that only reindeer herders where Samis did allow reindeer herders to keep their Sami names, but forced the Sami non-reindeer herders to take names of the colonizing countries. They had to be assimilated. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Many of the names Samis use nowadays are not originally Sami names but rather foreign names that have a Sami pronunciation. These names have a Sami translation. For example Ellen = Elle, Maria = Márjá, Petter = Biehttár, John = Jovnna, Máhtte = Mathis, Nils = Niillas and so on. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We believe that the names that dont have a Scandinavian translation, and that cannot be translated, are the original Sami names, but this is still only a theory from our part. The following examples are names that can not be translated: Ailo, Sáve, Urbi, Áile, Ánte. </p>
<p>We found a nice lists of Sami names on the web. Look at it <a href="https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Sami_Names" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="here (opens in a new tab)">here</a>. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">A persons Sami name can contain of 3-4 generations of his/hers family. The name explains exactly who you are and where you come from. It is build so that it is easy for people to understand who you are. Not just your name, but your family line. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">When you meet people, there is seldom just a short greet before you start talking about other matters. The Sami people are very interested in family lines and kinship. Always when meeting people, there will be a long conversation about your name first, your mother and father, and grandparents, uncles and aunts, and your siblings. After that a conversation about who in your family they know, and have met will go on for a while, and then a longer conversation about if and how the two people who have met are related with each other will take place. After all this, then other topics of conversation are on the table. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Elins Sami name</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Elins Sami name is “Gárdin Inggá Brita Elin”. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Elins name contains of one of her grandmothers name, her mothers, and her given name. What decides if you should use your mother or fathers name depends of who of them is most known to people, – who the most people know. Sometimes people would have to present themselves on both the mother and father side of the family, if the they are presenting themselves to someone who does not know the side of the family you first presented. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In Elins case, her grandmother had a tourist mountain house in Karasjok, so everyone knew her and that place. Her grandmother was Gárdin-Ingá. “Gárdin” is the sami name of the mountain house “Ravnastua”.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Gárdin-Ingá – Elins grandmother. She had 9 children, including Brita. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Brita – Elins mother</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Elin – her given name</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Her Sami name is therefore “Gárdin-Inggá Brita Elin.” </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">That is the most common way to present yourself in Sami culture. Sometimes this can cause really curios names. For example the joiker “Fire Máhtte”. His registred name is Mathis Mathis Mathis Mathisen Gaup. He is the fourth generation of Máhtte/Mathis. (“Fire” means four in Norwegian). </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In the north- European tradition it has been a tradition to have names that tell who you are the son or daughter of. The endings <em>-sønn</em>, –<em>sen</em> or<em> -son</em>, and <em>-datter, </em>or <em>-dottir </em>translate to <em>-son</em> and <em>-daughter</em>. Some of these names are still used today as the last name of many families. Specially in Iceland it is very common. For a while some places it was most common to tell who your father is, but in Sami culture generally both mother and father are relevant. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Other ways of namegiving</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But not everyone use the names that tell your parents, and grandparents names. Like Gárdin- Inga, it tells where she lives. Some names can describe something in your persona, or other aspects of your life. Especially if you have a very common name. Máhtte is a very common name, and so the profession could be used to tell who he is; “<em>Poastta-Máhtte</em>” is “Máhtte the postman.” </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The name could also tell something about you. An example from the old norse sagas is for example the king “Harald den Hårfagre”, which means “Harald – the one with fair hair”. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The famous Sami politician and activist <em>Beaska-Niillas </em>got his name because he always wanted to wear Sami clothing in his childhood. “<em>Beaska</em>” is the traditional winter-clothing made of reindeer skin. Niillas is a very common name, so the name Beaska, distincts him from the others. He later registered that name, and his famous joiker wife Sara Marielle Gaup Beaska also has that name now. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Jungles father was “Lásse-belá.” Lásse is a very common name, so there where many named Lásse around. One of his cousins started to call him “Lásse-belá.” Belá means cousin. Everybody understood which Lásse he meant, and after a while everybody started calling him “Lásse-belá”. Now everybody understood who they where talking about when they said that, and it became his name.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">By the way, we can compare this to the todays nicknames. For example “Idol-Jenny”, that says that we are talking about the Jenny that was on the TV-show Idol… In sami society nicknames can still become real names. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The way of giving people names is something that the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Norse and Sami has in common. (opens in a new tab)" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/they-dont-know-who-we-are-but-they-dont-know-who-they-are-so-we-dont-know-who-they-are-but-do-we-know-who-we-are/" target="_blank">Norse and Sami has in common.</a> It is simply a very logical way of naming people. It is more personal than just giving someone a name from a namelist. Instead the name tells who you are. On the down side you are carrying your families reputation, feuds and associates wherever you go, and you as an individual is more shadowed. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">If you know any nice lists of Sami names, or have any other comments, please write it below. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Sami_Names">www.nordicnames.de</a> </p>
<p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Fire Máhtte on Youtube (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa7-N2Z0tJ-X7QyPWO_D0-byiVvkMRWT1" target="_blank">Fire Máhtte on Youtube</a></p>
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Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/57536902019-05-14T02:05:37-04:002023-12-10T14:17:02-05:00THEY DONT KNOW WHO WE ARE, BUT THEY DONT KNOW WHO THEY ARE, SO WE DONT KNOW WHO THEY ARE, BUT DO WE KNOW WHO WE ARE?
<p>Photo: A view from the first printed map of the Nordic countries, designed by Olaus Magnus and published in Venice in 1539. Carta Marina by Olaus Magnus / Northern Lights Road. University Library in Tromsø – 1999. (public domain)</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The articles in the media concerning the Sami people – usually states this «Norwegians/Swedish/Finnish/Russia dont know anything about/dont support Sami people». And yes, that is true, but unfortunately the colonization has been moving forward and we have come to the point where the article «We Samis dont know who we are» is just as relevant. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The colonization prosess has come so far that very few of the Sami people are living a «Sami life» – a life that has the sami values, goals and lifestyle intact. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The reason for this is of course the colonization – that everything shamanistic and sami was illegal and the enforcement of houses, usage of non-sami names, Scandinavian/Finnish language, education systems, restrictions by law, paternalism and the way of life in general. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The result is that a big majority of all the Samis who are brought up today are living a western lifestyle – not a Sami lifestyle. Their life is excatly the same as anyone else in western Europe. If you look at a Sami family and a non-sami family in Europe, their life is pretty much the same. Exept a few things that they do in their spare time and on special occasions differentiates the Sami people from the rest of the world… One example is joiking, and another the few of us who are reindeerherders. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>But what does it mean to be a sami? </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The worldview of the Samis is shamanistic. But far from all sami people know what shamanism is. Some might be living in a shamanistic worldview, but not be aware of it – because the world «shamanism» is connected to something illegal and bad, and is never used. Also, on the other hand, many Samis today have the christian view of what shamanism is. Either because they are christians, or because this is what they have learned (from christians). </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Unfortunately we have come to the point where the last generations of those who have lived according to the original Sami values and lifestyles will be gone in a few decades maximum. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">To be honest – does anyone know what it means to be sami anymore? We say that it <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/not-one-culture-but-many/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="is many things (opens in a new tab)">is many things</a> – because nowadays it is. We say it is possible to have the western values and still be Sami. </p>
<p>Also read: <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/not-one-culture-but-many/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Not ONE culture but many. (opens in a new tab)">Not ONE culture but many.</a></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">There are a few Samis still alive who have lived and grown up like the Samis used to for centuries. Grown up in a lávvu or pethut, for example, and live the life according to «laws of nature» not necesserily the laws of the government. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>They dont know who we are</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Originally everything in nature had bigger impact and power over people because it was more about survival those days, and nature was the guide. The snow conditions during the winter would be the most important factor, today the most important factor are the governments regulations. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">For example, long ago, after a sequence of good years for the reindeer, a bad year comes. After a few good years the amount of reindeer have increased and could lead to overpopulation of reindeer, and that could affect the amount of lichen for many years in the future. The naturals cycle is then that once in a while a «bad» year comes. The snow starts melting in the beginning of the winter, and then freezes creating a icecap over the lichen, so that the reindeer cannot reach it. A lot of reindeer will then die, but the result of that is that overpopulation of reindeer is avoided. In other words, the «bad year» is natures way to balance the population of reindeer to avoid overgrazing. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">What happens now that reindeerherders apply for government funding to feed reindeer with hay and pellets during «bad” years. If a big part of their reindeer die, then many herders cannot survive in the business of reindeerherding anymore. This has lead to overgrazing in some areas. So nowadays we are not concerned about a «bad year», but rather if we get funding from the government. It used to be all about foreseeening and adapting to nature, but now it is about foreseeing and adapting to the governments. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">It used to be the climatic changes that was of the most concern of people, but now it is not the most important thing anymore. Because the government and the laws have given us other concerns. The building of mines where the reindeer graze, if there will be windmills in the grazing areas, a new highway cutting off migration paths, ski-resorts and so on… </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Now the governments have taken over the power factor, and forcing us into their way of thinking. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Instead of the «nature laws» the laws of the government apply. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">And the fact is – it is not possible to live the original Sami way – because the law does not make room for it. The laws in Norway do not include that kind of lifestyle. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We know many Norwegians/Swedish/Finnish who also would want to live in a way that is more close to nature and and live by nature, grow own vegetables and live on hunting and fishing. In Norway we have heard of a new political party who wants to make this kind of lifestyle legal in Norway. We know of Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and Siberia, and in some tropical areas where this kind of lifestyle is possible by law. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>We dont know who we are anymore</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">So we Samis complain and complain about that the colonistis dont understand us, we complain to them, and expect them to do something about it. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Well, it is a bit absurd, because the nature of colonization is to NOT preserve that what is colonized… BUT yes, the Norwegian government has tried to give us some support – in a colonist way, that is. And unfortunately that probably colonized us even more… </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">They have given us the Sami Parliament that has no power, (latest proof of that is <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="this case. Repparfjorden (opens in a new tab)" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/repparfjorden-doesnt-need-saving-humans-do/" target="_blank">this case; Repparfjorden</a>), but it has money to give to the Samis who play by the governments rules. Make fancy art, make festivals and seminars, and gatherings, and make beautiful duodji, movies and music that are made to the criteria of those who made the rules. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Yes, finally the Sami music has found its place in the society, through many TV-shows, Eurovision Song contest, and talent-shows. But I cannot help to think like this: </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">By giving us all this acceptance now, is this their way of saying: </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">«Finally you Samis have understood what is valuable for our society. Finally you are making music we can listen too! Finally you are making art we can look at and understand, and relate too.» </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">…because its made by the generation of Samis who grew up in and followed the colonizers structure (education, jobs, clothing style etc), values of life and so on… </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">If this is the truth, and not only a fear I have, that what the Norwegian government has given us as compensation for all our oppression, has resulted in even more colonization. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Because now we are in their game for full. A lot of Samis are so colonized they dont even know it themselves. We are playing the game of the colonist. Following their rules as if they where our own. Because that is the only way we stand a chance. We cannot win in a game that someone else has made if we dont play it… </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">And some Samis prefer to be that way. Some of them work in the Sami Parliament. Fronting the values of the colonists to the Sami people. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>They dont know who they are</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">All this scared me when I started digging in the history of the Sami people. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I wanted to find out who we really where (and what a small percentage of us still are), and I started lookin back to the time when the norse and Sami culture where living side by side. When we had things in common, and did trading with each other. There was a time when the Scandinavians and the Sami had things in common and had more or less respect for each other. But those days ended when the Norsemen got <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Norway" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Christianised (opens in a new tab)">Christianised</a>… One example is that laws where constituted prohibiting the Norse population to seek out Sami shamans. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">If we look at history of the Norway, this is what happened: They where living their norse lifestyles, with the values and culture that it contained. This lifestyle had alot in common with the Sami culture. The worldview and values where very much the same. After the Christianity had taken over the Nordic countries the norse culture got washed away more and more, and now there is no-one living that lifestyle anymore. This breaks my heart. Scandinavians are all living a western lifestyle, but in special occasions, in their spare time, on festivals and so on, some of them like to dress up as norsemen and do some viking activities at festivals and gatherings. They play with swords, bow and arrow, dress up, and play viking games, and look at viking pictures and remember them with pride. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I remember looking at a video from a viking festival, thinking: “What if this was the Sami culture? OUR culture. What if this was us on a festival trying to remember something from our forgotten culture and lifestyle. What if it was us there dressing up in gákti like a curiousity, being overexcited by seeing a reindeer and trying to throw a lasso for the first time in their lives as a 20 year old at a festival, and learning a few words of Sami language and the god-symbols….” </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">And the I realized… What happened to the Norse is exactly the same as what is happening to the Sami! Just a few hundred years later… It has already started. Already the national day of the Sami people is becoming a niche «festival» where we dress up as Samis and do Sami activities, and then the next day we go back to living in our western society. We celebrate in a way that our society think is appropriate, and suits their funding options. Yes, this is better than nothing, but when I think of what it could have been instead, I feel sad. We could live a sami lifestyle ever day, and be Samis in every way, not just the ways that the government accepts, and lets us be. And we could celebrate in a more Sami way… The governments have given us restrictions of what is and what is not accepted of the Sami culture. And the worldview is one of the things that clash with the western values, and therefore makes everything else impossible to implement according to Sami tradition. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We talk of development. Yes, we samis have to develop too, as everyone else in the world. We cannot stay the same forever. We cannot go back and live like we used to. This I agree with, because it goes against life itself. Against nature. But what are we developing FROM? That is what I dont see… I dont see development – I see shifting the path entirely. I see us becoming more and more like the colonists wants us to be – and all in the name of development. If we are to develop we have to have our base. And that is what is missing now. Because being Sami is so many things, we have lost our base, our core values, our common ground. And this is where the colonists have succeeded, because we can never stand together if we cannot agree between ourselves. When we dont know what we stand for, our values, and what <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="we can contribute (opens in a new tab)" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-people/" target="_blank">we can contribute </a>to the world with. </p>
<p>Also read: <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-people/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="How can we contribute? (opens in a new tab)">How can we contribute? </a></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Our colonizers are colonized! </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The Christianization of Norway and Europe was a long-term process, and it took place mainly from the top of the hirearchy down. That is, the elite became Christians first.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In Norway, the introduction of Christianity is linked to the three Christian kings, Håkon Adalsteins fostere (about 935–960), Olav Tryggvason (around 995–1000) and Olav Haraldsson (1015–1028). It was the latter who made Christianity the country’s official religion around 1020.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The reason for the king’s desire and effort was that Christianity could be used to legitimize the royal sovereignty. The prevailing notion in Europe in the 900th and 1000s was that the king should be the head of the church. The new religion could therefore be used to defeat resistance from local chiefs and weaken their power. In those days there where local chiefs spread throughout the land. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The new religion could also be used to create a religious community where the king took the top position. He became the leader of the Church and country. The kingdom was God’s form of government. Thus, the church should support and fight for it. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In short: the smart thing to do for a king, was to make the country christian. Because according to the church the king was appointed by God, and was thus always right, and the people where obligated by religious reasons to support the king/state (if they didnt want to go to hell). </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The the old culture and religion of the Nordic people survived after 1020, but in hiding. However it was now a dying culture and religion, and the society was now ruled by another culture and religion favoring a small elite. The common people where no longer allowed to empower themself with the aid of nature spirits. The people where now property of the church and state. An example of this, is that the church sometime during the middle age banned the use of psychedelics, like for example certain mushrooms, sometimes used in shamanic work. In other words, a human being was no longer in charge of his/her own body! It was now government property. This was the beginning of the narcotics politics of today. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The last record of any gathering connected to the old Norse religion in Norway is from the 13th century. So we can say that its about a thousand years ago since the Norse culture got the death sentence. And what remains of it today? </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Well, there are as mentioned, viking festivals where people dress up and «play» vikings, and there are organizations and gathering for people who have a «special interest» in norse culture. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The colonization prosess started in the south of Scandinavia and continued towards the north. The south of Scandinavia where the norsemen mainly lived was therefore Christianised centuries before the missionaries reached Sápmi. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Today it is about 400-500 years ago since the colonization of Sápmi begun. And where are we now?</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">A minority of us still lives on reindeer herding or in combination with hunting and fishing. Very few of us live life a life where shamanism and nature is the guide, or different from the rest of Europe – and more like the old way of living as a Sami. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>This is our prophecy: If we keep «developing» more now like we have, we will end up like the norse culture within a few decades. That being Sami is more of a hobby, a curiosity for the special interested. In best case we use gákti on national days and special occasions, still speak some Sami, and have Sami festivals with reindeer, flags, clothing and other Sami activities customized to western living/events. </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Who are the REAL victims? </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">A political war has been going on with the government for over a 100 years now. We have been trying to get back our rights through politics… Because the disgreement between the Sami and the governments is not purely a political problem, it is a societal problem. This war goes deeper than Sami politics. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The ones who are colonizing us are colonized as well! The Norse culture has been washed out already. The norse culture is almost gone entirely. And here we are, asking them for aid – for THEM to help US to recover what was lost. And while we are taking the role of the victim, who is the REAL victim here? THEY are the ones who could ask us for help to recover their culture. WE can help THEM in finding back to their own lost culture….</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">It is maybe too late for the norse, but it is still not too late for the Sami people, we still have a few people amongst us who know how it was to be Sami before we all go westernized. And they can still try to show us what it means to be Sami! <br></p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Norway">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Norway</a></p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-beneath-northern-lights"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="ZXJn2CtSou"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-people/">Sami people – How can we contribute?</a></blockquote>
<iframe title="“Sami people – How can we contribute?” — Beneath Northern Lights" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-people/embed/#?secret=ZXJn2CtSou" data-secret="ZXJn2CtSou" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
</div></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-beneath-northern-lights"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="R4sJidsg3e"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/shamanism-legal-or-not/">SHAMANISM – LEGAL OR NOT?</a></blockquote>
<iframe title="“SHAMANISM – LEGAL OR NOT?” — Beneath Northern Lights" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/shamanism-legal-or-not/embed/#?secret=R4sJidsg3e" data-secret="R4sJidsg3e" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
</div></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-beneath-northern-lights"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="fFpN1q5aQq"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/repparfjorden-doesnt-need-saving-humans-do/">REPPARFJORDEN DOESNT NEED SAVING – HUMANS DO.</a></blockquote>
<iframe title="“REPPARFJORDEN DOESNT NEED SAVING – HUMANS DO.” — Beneath Northern Lights" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/repparfjorden-doesnt-need-saving-humans-do/embed/#?secret=fFpN1q5aQq" data-secret="fFpN1q5aQq" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
</div></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-beneath-northern-lights"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="ILSlBWqCWS"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/introduction-shamanism/">Shamanism – An introduction</a></blockquote>
<iframe title="“Shamanism – An introduction” — Beneath Northern Lights" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/introduction-shamanism/embed/#?secret=ILSlBWqCWS" data-secret="ILSlBWqCWS" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
</div></figure>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/they-dont-know-who-we-are-but-they-dont-know-who-they-are-so-we-dont-know-who-they-are-but-do-we-know-who-we-are/">THEY DONT KNOW WHO WE ARE, BUT THEY DONT KNOW WHO THEY ARE, SO WE DONT KNOW WHO THEY ARE, BUT DO WE KNOW WHO WE ARE?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/57464212019-05-07T17:51:54-04:002019-08-27T03:58:51-04:00IS IT OK FOR DAŽA TO JOIK?
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The later years I have met more and more people who are interested in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="joiking (opens in a new tab)" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/joik-the-oldest-vocal-tradition-in-europe/" target="_blank">joiking</a>. Both Sami people and daža (non-samis) want to learn and know more about what joiking is and how to do it. Alot of them have told me their experiences with joiking, how they use it, and how much they want to learn it.</p>
<p>Read about joiking <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/joik-the-oldest-vocal-tradition-in-europe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="here. (opens in a new tab)">here. </a></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>I am realizing that a lot of non-Sami people are actually using the joik as it is meant to be used. </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">What I realized when I started to truly learn joiking around five years ago, is that learning joik is not to learn only a technique, or a new skill. It lead me to learn more about the history of the Sami people, the history of joiking, what is truly was and is, and what makes it so special. It was learning about a lifestyle. I would compare it to learning any old teachings – like karate, or yoga. Its not all about the actual physical execution, it is also about the idea, the background, culture, origination, surroundings, the derivation of it, – how it come to be. So when I started joiking, I felt like I was representing the whole history of the Sami people in a whole new way than before, when I was only singing. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Can anybody joik? </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Physically it is possible for everybody to learn to joik. There are no physical restrictions in general. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">There is a show on Norwegian TV where famous norwegian singers are learning to joik called “<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Muitte Mu (opens in a new tab)" href="https://tv.nrk.no/serie/muitte-mu" target="_blank">Muitte Mu</a>“. They get a few days with a Sami joiker, and in those days they make a joik to perform on the last day. In the Sami community there have been alot of discussions about wheter or not it is acceptable to teach non-Samis how to joik. And there are alot of opinions on this, but the Sami TV-station NRK Sápmi are co-producing this program, and they feel – as many sami people do, including me – that the more knowledge is spread about the Sami people, the better. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I also feel that if anyone is interested in learning to joik, I think they should feel free to try. And in a TV-show like this they will get real competent Sami teachers to help them, and they get to come to Sàpmi and experience the land. Also I think it is good that non-samis to try it, and they can see for themselves how complex the joik is, and spread their knowledge about it. Joiking is a much more “advanced” way of musicality than many think. Alot of sami composers agree on that joiking is more complex than western music is able to convey. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In my own opinion is that very few of the singers on the show are able to learn joiking in 3 days. Maybe some of them feel like they have accomplished the task in a way, but I would mainly not call what they do joiking. I actually think that if anyone can learn how to joik in 3 days they are superhumans of some sort.. So taking that into consideration, and think of the show more as learning “<em>the understanding of joik</em>“, then yes, they all do it well on the show. Most of the participants show a deep understanding of the task, and do their best in the performance. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Are you thinking of learning to joik? </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">If you are not Sami, and you want to learn joiking, I invite you to first ask yourself: Why is it that you want to joik? What is it that is missing in you that makes you want to incorporate a “foreign” culture into your own? Maybe it is the connection to nature and the authentic ancient expression. Do you feel a deep drawing towards it. That it resonates with something in you? I have noticed that foreign people who are learning about Sami culture often are looking for exactly for that pureness of expression that joiking has. And meeting these people has made me more aware and conscious about it.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Other reasons could be that you think it is interesting, and you think it is fun to learn new skills. Also valid reasons to learn it. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">When you have asked yourself why it is you want to learn it, then you will be able to decide if you are doing it for the right reasons, and if it is ok for you to do it.</p>
<p style="font-size:26px"><strong><br>The most important thing is to always do it with respect. </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The joik has many different purposes, and occasions and reasons to joik vary a lot. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">After experiences and conversations with Samis and non-Samis I realize that joiking and Sami music are quite often used for meditation purposes. This is fantastic, and I am really happy that people all over the world benefit from sami music this way! <br>If you are alone in nature or at your house or wherever in private- and you feel like joiking for the purpose of coming closer to nature, to yourself, to ground yourself or to enter meditative state, to honor gods, feelings and people or anything similar – I would absolutely encourage you to do so. <br><br>You are not being disrespectful to the Sami gods if you do this. In contrary – I think you are honoring them – as long as the joik is coming from a respectful place in you. A joik is always the right thing to do to honor someone, so I think it is a really good idea to joik in those occasions. <br><br>But another thing is to step on stage, perform a joik, and call this a sami traditional way of joiking. If you do this, then you must be sure that you know what you are talking about, that you are respecting the Sami culture, that you have done your research and history-lessons, like I was mentioning earlier. Because the moment you go public, you might be asked questions you are not prepared to answer. <br><br>But for yourself, in your own privacy, you can do whatever you want, and as long as you have respect and good intentions with it. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I encourage you to learn joiking as it is a blessing to have in life. At the moment I am working on a joiking workshop, and when I am ready to launch it I will announce it first on <a href="https://elinkaven.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=25c2cc15365846e52f2886a00&id=8df522b5b5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="the mailing list, (opens in a new tab)">the mailing list,</a> so be sure to sign up if you are interested. <br><br>Have fun experimenting! </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><strong>Are you non-sami who wants to learn to joik? Why do you want to learn it? Do you think it is ok for non-Sami people to joik? What do you use joik for?</strong></em></p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-beneath-northern-lights"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="cqlBXuOEM6"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/joik-the-oldest-vocal-tradition-in-europe/">JOIK – THE OLDEST VOCAL TRADITION IN EUROPE</a></blockquote>
<iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/joik-the-oldest-vocal-tradition-in-europe/embed/#?secret=cqlBXuOEM6" data-secret="cqlBXuOEM6" width="600" height="338" title="“JOIK – THE OLDEST VOCAL TRADITION IN EUROPE” — Beneath Northern Lights" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
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<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-beneath-northern-lights"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="kHQOlLNDmc"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/list-of-sami-music-band-and-artists/">LIST OF SAMI BANDS AND MUSIC ARTISTS</a></blockquote>
<iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/list-of-sami-music-band-and-artists/embed/#?secret=kHQOlLNDmc" data-secret="kHQOlLNDmc" width="600" height="338" title="“LIST OF SAMI BANDS AND MUSIC ARTISTS” — Beneath Northern Lights" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
</div></figure>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/is-it-ok-for-daza-to-joik/">IS IT OK FOR DAŽA TO JOIK?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/57371552019-04-30T04:09:53-04:002021-07-20T06:58:42-04:00WHO IS SAMI AND WHO IS DAŽA?
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Who is Sami and who is not? This is a question that a lot of people are concerned about at he moment. The later years there are so many people who have just discovered that they are Sami, both in Scandinavia and aborad. If you are curious about it, it could be a good idea to take a DNA test to see what comes up. It could be good to take a DNA test if you know you are Sami also. It has come to our attention that it is important for indigenous people to take DNA tests, to find out more about where we derive from. But we dont know how true that is….</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But back to the question. As you can read <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="here (opens in a new tab)" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/not-one-culture-but-many/" target="_blank">here</a>, being Sami is not ONE thing. Most Sami question has many answers, and so has this question. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The answer will depend on who you ask. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">ARE YOU SAMI OR DAŽA?<br></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">If you want to register officially in the census as Sami you will do this to the Sami Parliament in the state you live in. They will let you register if the Sami language has been used in your home, or if your parents, grandparent, or grangrandparents have used the Sami language home. If you are the child of someone who is, or has been in the census you will also be accepted. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">So if you want the answer of the Sami Parliament if you are Sami or not, then it is all about the language. That would exclude all the Samis that have suffered from the colonisation, and know little of their Sami background, and also those who live in USA or Canada who are just discovering that they are <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="descendants of the Samis (opens in a new tab)" href="http://www.samiculturalcenter.org/sami-history-and-culture/sami-history/" target="_blank">descendants of the Samis</a> who went overseas to help with reindeer herding in the 1850… <br></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But, The Sami Parliament is a bureaucratic institution, ruled by the colonists governments, so we dont know how much we can trust their way of portraying things, and how they present things, unfortunately. Many argue that the Sami Parliament is not built around the Sami values and does not defend Sami issues in a satisfying manner, but simply is the servant to the colonists politics. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The following way of deciding who is Sami, is a way we feel falls more natural for the Sami worldview: </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">If anyone of your closest relatives are Sami, then you are Sami too. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">There are surprisingly many people who say «My dad was Sami», or «my grandmother was Sami», or «my aunt was Sami, but my mum was not». But it does not occur to them that they themselves are Sami if someone close in your family is. This is due to factors of colonisation, and lack of learning about Sami ways in everyday life. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>But if anyone in your closest family is Sami, then you are definitely Sami too! It is called Sami blood/genes. </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Sometimes someone with no Sami «genes» can be more Sami than many other Sami people in how they live their lives. This happens typically if you love the lifestyle of the Sami people and you totally get the connection with nature, and respect and honor the values, culture and the way of thinking. There are many examples of this. Individuals like this will not get approved as Sami officially (by the Sami Parliament for example), but very likely in the Sami community. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">There have been and still are alot of peeople who feel drawn to the Sami people, and really wished that they where Sami. Some of then are Sami by heart, like just described. Some of then become Sami by marriage. But if you dont have Sami ancestors, or not married to a Sami, there is not much else to do then be Sami by heart. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">If you marry a Sami man/woman then you are considered to be Sami, but usually not right away… You will get accepted when you have proven that you have a lot of understanding of Sami culture. It is not always easy to get accepted. Not more than 15 years ago it was not considered favorable to marry a «daža», but now it has become more and more common, so it is more and more accepted. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>DAŽA = </strong><em><strong>non-sámi</strong></em><strong>. It is a word used for anything non-sami. Often it has a negative vibe, but it is also used as a mere statement of something not being Sami. </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Dažaiduvvon</em> is a word of someone who is a Sami, but has moved away from the Sami worldview, values and lifestyle. Unfortunately this is not uncommon nowadays, but then again, we Samis in general have become more and more like our colonists in always every sense. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">What <em>daža</em> cannot do: </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">-Daža cannot wear gakti (the sami clothing) because the clothing is not like western clothing where you show your taste. It is your identity. It shows where you come from, your wealth, and it can show your family, and if you are married or not. If you are not Sami, then it is unnatural and illogical, – even a lie to wear gákti, because you will be lying about where you come from. If you marry a Sami you will get the gákti from the same village as your spouse. (more about this in a later post).</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">-Daža cannot own reindeer (by law). (Not even all Sami people can) </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><strong>Please comment below if you have any questions, or other comments. Who do you think is Sami, and who is daža?</strong></em></p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-beneath-northern-lights"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="GpTVHjtxjX"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/not-one-culture-but-many/">Not ONE culture – but many</a></blockquote>
<iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/not-one-culture-but-many/embed/#?secret=GpTVHjtxjX" data-secret="GpTVHjtxjX" width="600" height="338" title="“Not ONE culture – but many” — Beneath Northern Lights" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
</div></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-sami-cultural-center-of-north-america"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="B9WvrWifBV"><a href="http://www.samiculturalcenter.org/sami-history-and-culture/sami-history/">Sami History</a></blockquote>
<iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="http://www.samiculturalcenter.org/sami-history-and-culture/sami-history/embed/#?secret=B9WvrWifBV" data-secret="B9WvrWifBV" width="600" height="338" title="“Sami History” — Sami Cultural Center of North America" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
</div>
<figcaption>About the Sami immigration to North-America in the 1850-1935.</figcaption></figure>
<p><br></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/who-is-sami-and-who-is-daza/">WHO IS SAMI AND WHO IS DAŽA?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/57290862019-04-23T01:56:04-04:002021-09-23T08:35:50-04:00CAN WE FUSION THE MODERN WESTERN SOCIETY WITH OLD SHAMANIC TEACHINGS AND MAKE THE WORLD BETTER THEN IT HAS EVER BEEN?
<p class="has-large-font-size"><em>” Now is the most important moment in history of humankind. Because now we have to take a choice to even have a future. This time in history we have the means to destroy ourselves. But we can choose not to – and choose to live in harmony instead. ” </em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">As you know, <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/bieggaolmmai-interesting-trainride/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Jungle went the Amazon (opens in a new tab)">Jungle went the Amazon</a> to learn shamanic teachings. A lot of the knowledge and wisdom of the sami shamanism is unfortunately lost due to the government trying to make all <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/what-and-where-is-sapmi/">Samis Norwegian/Swedish/Finnish/Russian</a>. This also includes attempts to extinguish our shamanic worldview in favor of christianity. This has been going on for hundreds of years, and is still going on today. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In the amazon on the other hand, the shamanic teachings have stayed more or less intact and some of it is even protected by the government. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But still some of us Samis have not given up, we are here now, trying to recover what was lost of the Sami culture. Shamanism is not something of the past. In the contrary, shamanism has always been something of the future. A shaman is always someone who can see longer ahead then most people. Someone who sees the big picture, and is able to aid people towards the future. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/57485850_546497772540020_910250737076797440_n-1024x486.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Robin Youngblood (United States) and Marieke Akgül (Netherlands) have created <em>ShamanNation</em> – courses and events. In their webinar series called «Shamanic teachings for today» wisdom keepers from all over the world share their knowledge. </p>
<p style="text-align:left" class="has-medium-font-size">Jungle was invited to share his knowledge on this webinar series as a representative of the north and the Sami culture. Here are a few minutes of his first webinar: </p>
<iframe width="660" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EP_RvbpV6WU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">You can join the webinar «<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Shamanic teachings for today (opens in a new tab)" href="https://shamanation.org/courses/shamanic-teachings-for-today/" target="_blank">Shamanic teachings for today</a>» <a href="https://shamanation.org/courses/shamanic-teachings-for-today/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="here (opens in a new tab)">here</a>. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-shamanation"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="bXhIAFpNYl"><a href="https://shamanation.org/courses/shamanic-teachings-for-today/">Shamanic Teachings for Today</a></blockquote>
<iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://shamanation.org/courses/shamanic-teachings-for-today/embed/#?secret=bXhIAFpNYl" data-secret="bXhIAFpNYl" width="600" height="338" title="“Shamanic Teachings for Today” — ShamaNation" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
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<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-beneath-northern-lights"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="mkDtCv3ovR"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/what-and-where-is-sapmi/">WHAT AND WHERE IS SÁPMI</a></blockquote>
<iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/what-and-where-is-sapmi/embed/#?secret=mkDtCv3ovR" data-secret="mkDtCv3ovR" width="600" height="338" title="“WHAT AND WHERE IS SÁPMI” — Beneath Northern Lights" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
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<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-beneath-northern-lights"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="y06txQ925J"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/illegal-to-be-sami-a-performance/">ILLEGAL TO BE SAMI – A PERFORMANCE</a></blockquote>
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</div></figure>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="AbvGu8GDFD"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/bieggaolmmai-interesting-trainride/">Bieggaolmmái – An interesting trainride</a></blockquote>
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</div></figure>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/can-we-fusion-the-modern-western-society-with-old-shamanic-teachings-and-make-the-world-better-then-it-has-ever-been/">CAN WE FUSION THE MODERN WESTERN SOCIETY WITH OLD SHAMANIC TEACHINGS AND MAKE THE WORLD BETTER THEN IT HAS EVER BEEN?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/57213282019-04-16T06:32:54-04:002024-01-16T02:20:50-05:00LIST OF SAMI BANDS AND MUSIC ARTISTS
<p>Photo by Johan Mathis Gaup</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The later years – I would say the last 6-7 years there have popped up tons of Sami music artists. When I started recording music in Sami language, around 2004, there where not many bands or artists for me to look up to and get inspiration from. Very few. One of the reasons I decided to become a sami artist was because I was a bit tired of waiting for the Sami music I wanted to listen to. When I was a teenager and wanted to listen to rock, pop and grunge music, and I wished there was more Sami music like that. But now there are many! </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">When I started recording music I was 24 years old, and still there where not many new Sami bands or artists. I was kind of thinking: “<em>I guess I have to make that kind of Sami music myself, since no-one else is doing it</em>!” So my first EP “Lahka” was a bit rock influenced, because that was the music I listened to as a teenager. After a few years playing rock I realized a rock-stage was not the right stage for me to be on, and I started making world/folk/pop music instead. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Sami music is not a genre of music (anymore). If Sami music would be a genre then it would be acapella joiking. But today we have Samis doing all kinds of genres. So when we talk about “Sami music” it is not a music genre, it just states where it is made. Just like Norwegian music or “Made in China”. That is why I have tried to catalogue the artists into different genres, which also is not really easy, as it is usually a mix of many genres… but I tried anyway. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But here is the list I have of some Sami bands and performers. Not all are on this list, so please feel free to use the comments section below if you think of a name that is missing! My goal is to get every band/artist in Sápmi on this list. If you are looking for joik, look in the traditional music section. (There are many joikers I have not added yet). </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Pop </strong></p>
<p>Akkil </p>
<p>Agnethe Johnsen</p>
<p> Ágy<br></p>
<p>Ann-Mari Andersen</p>
<p> Ánnámáret Ensemble</p>
<p>Berit Margrethe Oskal </p>
<p>Isák </p>
<p>Biru Baby </p>
<p>Keiino</p>
<p>Emma Ellianne<br>Elle Marja Eira</p>
<p> Jon Henrik Fjallgren </p>
<p>Marja Mortensson </p>
<p>Johan Kitti</p>
<p>Elin Kåven </p>
<p>Elin & The Woods </p>
<p>Katarina Barruk </p>
<p>Máret </p>
<p>Sara Ajnnak<br>Sofia Jannok </p>
<p>Mäxida Märak </p>
<p>Max Mackhé </p>
<p> Transjoik <br></p>
<p>Wenche Marie Hætta</p>
<p>Eva Jeanette Iversen</p>
<p>Sáve</p>
<p>Rolffa </p>
<p>Felgen orkester</p>
<p>Inger Gaup</p>
<p>Jiella</p>
<p>Tundra Electro </p>
<p>Sunna Máret Utsi </p>
<p>Máret Hildur Stueng</p>
<p>Aili </p>
<p>Máret (Marit Hætta Øverli)</p>
<p>Piera Jovnna Somby</p>
<p>Máddji</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Traditional / World </strong></p>
<p>Berit Alette Mienna<br>Biret Ristin Sara </p>
<p>Bong´Antte </p>
<p>Thomas Marainen</p>
<p>Karen Anne Buljo</p>
<p>Berit Margrethe Oskal<br></p>
<p>Ingor Ánte Áilo Gaup<br>Inga Márja Sarre</p>
<p>Johan Anders Bær</p>
<p>Nils Aslak Valkeapää</p>
<p> Arvvas</p>
<p>Mari Boine</p>
<p>Marja Mortensson </p>
<p>Frode Fjellheim </p>
<p>Elin Kåven </p>
<p>Jienat</p>
<p>Magnus Vuolab <br></p>
<p>Solju </p>
<p>Vassvik </p>
<p> Per Tor Turi </p>
<p>Inga Juuso / Bárut </p>
<p>Niillas Holmberg </p>
<p>Tundra Electro</p>
<p>Jiella </p>
<p>Áiligasnieiddat </p>
<p>Lars Ánte Kuhmunen</p>
<p>Johan Sara jr </p>
<p>Johan Anders Bær</p>
<p>Wimme Saari </p>
<p>Ulla Pirttijarvi </p>
<p>Assu</p>
<p>Deatnogátte nuorat / Tanabreddens ungdom</p>
<p>Angelit </p>
<p>Niillas Holmberg</p>
<p>Vildá </p>
<p>Sančuari </p>
<p>Ànde Somby </p>
<p>Vájas</p>
<p><br></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Blues/jazz/experimental</strong></p>
<p> Árvvas</p>
<p> Ánnasuolo </p>
<p>Ára</p>
<p>Johan Sara jr </p>
<p>Leagus</p>
<p>Vassvik </p>
<p>Vájas</p>
<p>Wimme Saari </p>
<p>Ulla Pirttijarvi </p>
<p>Deatnogátte nuorat / Tanabreddens ungdom</p>
<p>Angelit </p>
<p>Solju </p>
<p>Vildá </p>
<p>Niko Valkeapää </p>
<p>Niillas Holmberg </p>
<p>Transjoik </p>
<p>Àja </p>
<p>Akkil </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Rap </strong></p>
<p>Amoc</p>
<p>Duolva Duottar </p>
<p>Slincraze </p>
<p>Ailo Valle</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Rock</strong> </p>
<p><br>Intrigue </p>
<p>Sančuari</p>
<p>Biru Baby</p>
<p>Ivvár </p>
<p>Áigi<br></p>
<p>Mollet </p>
<p> </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"> <br> <br><br>And while we are at it, here are some Sami labels: </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Audioland<br>
Barth Records<br>
DAT<br>
Duppidit<br>
Guldal rec<br>
Idut<br>
Nordic Notes, DE<br>
Rieban<br>
Skadja<br>
Stierdna<br>
Tuupa records<br>
Vuelie</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><br> Please feel free to comment if there are some sami band, performers and artist I have forgotten! Thank you! <br> </p>
<p><br> <br><br> </p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/list-of-sami-music-band-and-artists/">LIST OF SAMI BANDS AND MUSIC ARTISTS</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/57127442019-04-09T04:49:19-04:002019-08-27T03:59:13-04:00WHAT DO INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMOM?
<p>Photo of Jungle Svonni and Lorenzo Seuny Izquierdo Arroyo by Marijke Kodden. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">What does it mean to be Sámi, or indigenous in any tribe for that matter? </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Well, the other day I sat digesting my dinner at a restaurant in Tromsø North Norway and North <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/what-and-where-is-sapmi/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Sápmi (opens in a new tab)">Sápmi </a>when a Inuit from Greenland shows up and starts talking to me. He had just reached shore together with his younger brother. But why start to talk with me? Well he thought he was in Norway, and had no concept of Sápmi. But he said he instinctively just knew that I was a hunter with some sort of shamanic background. Which is true and I recognised the same thing in his aura. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The same thing happened to me before when I was in South America, in the Amazon, although it’s not really my environment, but natives always recognize other natives, just in their way of walking, or something like that… Just the fact that you are used to walk on unlevelled earth instead of asphalt is something that shows pretty fast. Now we do know that this doesn’t come only from genetics. It comes from the way you live. One of my greatest teachers was not born Sámi, he married a Sámi woman and adopted our life style. But he was more indigenous in his ways than many people born indigenous. And taught me a lot about reading animals and the nature. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">So what does it mean to be indigenous in your ways? I guess it’s nothing that you can really mesure. But it is something. I find that city people are more prone to complain about things and people. In the artificial world of cities there is always someone to blame if something doesn’t work. If something doesn’t go as planned, then someone has done something wrong. In nature there is never anyone to blame. The lakes freeze when they freeze. The snow gets as deep as it gets. You just have to find your peace with that and expect it. An animal – dog or reindeer can never understand human stress, just the current reality around them. Something that you as a human can facilitate if you can and want. This is where our gákti (the sami peoples colourful clothing) for example comes in. We dress beautifully to honour the reindeers. And there is also a harshness among us, as in the nature. This is what makes one native trust another native. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Elin tells this event made her realize she had been living in the city for too long: </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>“I am walking in the forrest in Alta – North of Norway, and I am taking my phone out to take a picture of the beautiful snow on the trees. Unfortunatly my fancy iPhone is not made for minus degrees and the battery turned flat, and the screen went black after a few minutes, and I am left unable to take any pictures for my social media accounts. I get angry and think : What a shitty phone! This is really a crap one, I will go to the shop and complain, and demand to get a new one.” Then I realise what is happening! I have spent too much time in the way of thinking that everything has to go according to plan and work out perfect, and and go smoothly all the time – or else it is not good enough. My mother or father would never react that way. They would simply say: “Oh, how nice! Now I get to enjoy this forrest in peace, and I don’t have to think about taking photos.” </em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>We would say that what makes indigenous people indigenous is their connection to the nature they live in. If there is no connection to the nature, you might as well live anywhere in the universe. Native people know how the nature surrounding them functions and works, they know every tree and every plant and what grows, and what does not grow there. The native people know how to use, give back and exchange with the nature they live in. The meaning of the word “</strong><em><strong>indigenous</strong></em><strong>” as simply “</strong><em><strong>the people who came there first”</strong></em><strong> does not cut it for us. Native people are protectors of the land – wherever you live or wherever you came from, and whatever your tribe is called. </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We know now that the Sami people are officially the indigenous people of the Barents-region/ arctic Europe. But are we loosing sense of what it means to be native, what is means to be Sami? <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-people/">How can we contribute to the western society </a>? Who are we, really, – today? And who did we use to be? </p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-beneath-northern-lights"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="uqYYOJp9PI"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-people/">Sami people – How can we contribute?</a></blockquote>
<iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-people/embed/#?secret=uqYYOJp9PI" data-secret="uqYYOJp9PI" width="600" height="338" title="“Sami people – How can we contribute?” — Beneath Northern Lights" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
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<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/what-do-indigenous-people-have-in-commom/">WHAT DO INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMOM?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/57037392019-04-02T04:03:51-04:002019-08-27T03:59:40-04:00Reconstructing culture through art- for the memory of Sámi Noaidi Aikia Aikianpoika
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Written by guest blogger, postdoctoral researcher <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://lacris.ulapland.fi/en/persons/francis-joy(759d019c-8859-4af5-8408-497bee2dd189).html" target="_blank">Francis Joy</a>, also posted on <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Agon.fi. (opens in a new tab)" href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E" target="_blank">Agon.fi </a> 2018. </p>
<h3>Abstract</h3>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The practice of Sámi shamanism is a cultural phenomenon, which has a long and ambiguous history throughout <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/what-and-where-is-sapmi/">Sápmi,</a> which are primarily, the northernmost areas of Norway, Sweden, Finland and north-west Russia, where the Sámi live, who are Europe’s Indigenous People. Because, Sámi spirituality is undergoing a revival throughout the aforementioned countries within the past two decades, there is a rise in interest in this topic. In scholarly discourses both past and present, much emphasis has been placed on the Sámi noaidi, the religious specialist within Sámi society who have been the subjects of persecution and repression by evangelical priests and missionaries of the Christian Churches for over 800 years. In relation to these events, the subject matter of the proposed study is concerned with local history and cultural memory with regard to circumstances as such, conveyed through an art exhibition called Multiformes, at Lapin Maakuntamuseon (Provisional Museum of Lapland), Rovaniemi, Finland, which opened on the 26.01.2018 and will remain there until 15.4.2018. The research undertaken is in connection with the story of the fate of Sámi noaidi Aikia Aikianpoika who recieved a death sentence in court for alleged crimes of witchcraft in 1671. The material brings together past, present and future for evaluating in what ways the noaidi’s memory has recently been reconstructed in one part of the art exhibition by one of his descendants, and how this is important for both culture and heritage regarding local history. In short, the foundation of investigation is centralized on the 17th century around the areas of Kitka and Kemi, when Finland was a part of the Kingdom of Sweden, Kitka being where the noaidi lived and Kemi where his trial took place.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Key words: <em>Sámi noaidi, court records, exhibition, remembering, witchcraft</em></p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator">
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>“The intent of the Christian priests seems to have been the complete destruction of old world-view, not just the shamanistic practices” Sámi historian Veli-Pekka Lehtola 2002.</em></p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator">
<h2>Introduction</h2>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The study presented to you below is important with regard to local history and indigenous religion because the events surrounding the fate of Sámi noaidi (shaman), Aikia Aikianpoika (1591-1671), and his death sentence reflects the story of the persecution of an entire community who are less than 10,000 people in Finland. “The Saami, [are] living in the northern parts of Scandinavia and Finland and in the Kola Peninsula, [and] are the only indigenous people in the EU to have their own language, culture, means of livelihood and identity. The history of the Saami in the areas occupied by them dates far back to before the formation of the present states in the region. Sápmi, the present area settled by the Saami, extends from central Norway and Sweden through the northernmost parts of Finland and Norway to the Kola Peninsula in the Russian Federation” Kulonen, Pulkkinen and Seurujärvi-Kari (2005: 3)<sup><a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#fn1">1</a></sup>.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Up until recently, the Sámi were a nomadic reindeer herding society. As indigenous peoples, from within the context of colonialism, they have faced ruthless persecutions for centuries by various denominations of Christianity through ludicrous displays of authority. The underlying causes for use of such brutal force against them is because the Sámi practiced an ancient pre-Christin religion, which was animistic and preserved through oral traditions linked with hunting, fishing and trapping practices, where noaidivuohta, today known more commonly as shamanism, took up a central position. The religious practices of the Sámi, which was characterized by sacrificial traditions, was centered on reverence for nature, ancestral spirits and veneration towards the ruling powers of their cosmos. This in turn, produced a vibrant and colourful cosmology portrayed on the magic drum, which the noaidi used to invoke spirits with through trance states and divination practices. These traditions and customs were interpreted as sorcery by the authorities of the Swedish church and state, to which Finland was a part of for approximately 600 years.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In terms of the death sentences that were handed out against Sámi noaidis’ who practiced noaidivuohta, in Norway, Sweden and Finland, the reconstruction of the events leading to the death of Aikia Aikianpoika from Kitka, which are described below, are very much concerned with the past, present and future of Sámi people in Finland and are therefore, the purpose for writing this paper.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The persecutions against the Sámi people have taken place on every level of their society from the arrival of Christianity and continue to the present day by both the churches and governments in Finland, Sweden and Norway, who have sought to assimilate the Sámi and their cultures into each of the aforementioned Nation States. Henceforth, the social, religious, cultural, oral, material, historical, emotional, mental and physical dimensions of their culture have been oppressed and denied, in order to destroy traditional Sámi ways of life. The actions of bigoted and misinformed missionaries and priests of the northern districts to convert the Sámi to Christianity from their pre-Christian religion is well known throughout literature sources both past and present, by for example the scholarly works of Rydving 1991 and 1993; Lehtola 2002 and Pulkkinen 2005. Thus, Swedish author Kurt Kihlberg (2003: 27) briefly describes a summary of persecutions against the Sámi, in the following manner.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“During their pre-Christian period, the Sámi in Lapland were subjected to a ruthless persecution by the Swedish State, through which the nomads were tried in summary proceedings by malevolent and habitually drunken clergymen on account of their original beliefs. In other respects too, there is a great deal to criticize concerning the clergy’s harassment of the Sámi in former times. The role of the Church during the conversion of the reindeer-owning nomads to Christianity can in many respects be considered a disgrace in the history of religion in Sweden”.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In terms of understanding the historical background in relation to in what ways the Sámi people and their religion have been portrayed by outsiders regarding what can be described as being contributory factors towards the witch hunting craze and persecutions throughout Fennoscandia, Norwegian scholar of religion Rune Hagen (2006: 625-626) states the following points. Because the Sámi were known to be skilled in wind magic “the Lapland witches and the knotted winds had already become somewhat notorious by then (1591). Authors like Olaus Magnus and Jean Bodin had already told Europe that the Sámi were immensely dangerous magicians and sorcerers. The conjuring of the Lapland witches was so great that people believed they could use sorcery instead of weapons while in combat with their enemies. Rumours indicating that the Swedes used techniques of Sámi sorcery in warfare dogged Swedish military forces throughout the seventeenth century. When they won several significant battles and advanced deep into German territory during the Thirty Years’ War, it was insinuated that their success was due to sorcery by Sámi troops assisting them”<sup><a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#fn2">2</a></sup>.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Hagen has produced some further important data concerning “the number of people convicted of Witchcraft in Finnmark between 1598 – 1692 and regards the ethnic specifications as reliable. Nonetheless, one should assume that a greater number of individuals were involved and that the 26 Sámi is a minimum figure” (Hagen 2005: 308)<sup><a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#fn3">3</a></sup>.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In addition to what has been described above, a further contribution from Hagen (2005: 323) expands on in what ways “during the huge and brutal witch hunt in the region of Vardøhus (known today as Finnmark), the northernmost county in Norway, near the Russian border), about 140 people were prosecuted for the crime of witchcraft from 1601 to 1692. In a few small fishing communities along the coast of Finnmark 85 people were burned, three beheaded and some others died in prison or were killed by torture following the witch-hunt. Compared with the small size of the population, this is one of the worst cases of witch persecutions in Europe”.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Additional scholarly sources outlining in particular, details about noaidi who were given death sentences, are found in studies by Norwegian scholar Liv Helene Willumsen (2013: 318), who describes in more detail how and when the “famous court case of 1692 in Vadsø, Finnmark, Norwegian Sápmi of the old Sámi noaidi Anders Poulsen who was given a death sentence for using a drum and alleged sorcery, took place, that ‘at the same time, […] the trial of the Sámi Lars Nilsson from Piteå Lappmark took place in Arjeplog in Sweden. Lars Nilsson used a rune drum and wooden figures. He was sentenced to the stake, and both the drum and the wooden figures were burned before he himself was burned (Granquist ‘du skal inga andra gudar hava Jämta mig’, 71-88).</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">[Willumsen also goes on to say how] another case from the Finnish Sámi area at the beginning of 1671 was the trial of […] [Aikia Aikianpoika] from Kittka in Kemi Lappmark. He was accused of using the rune drum and singing a special Sámi song called joik. The local court sentence him to death, but on way to the place of execution he died, allegedly due to the use of sorcery (The court records are found in Fellman, I., Handlingar och uppsatsar angäande Finska lappmarken och lapparne, vol I (Helsingfors, 1910), 383-86)”.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Other ways information about the Sámi and their religion was circulated from early sources compiled by missionaries and priests, which were collected in the early seventeenth century, was published for example, in the works of German linguist and professor of law and rhetoric in Uppsala, Sweden, Johannes Schefferus. Through Schefferus’s ambiguous portrait of the Sámi people in his book titled Lapponia, first published in Latin in 1673 under its uniform title, and to follow in 1674, the first English edition was published. and titled The History of Lapland, which contains two chapters about the religion of the Sámi people, there are numerous accounts of tainted representation concerning the Sámi and their religion.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">More recently, Swedish historian of religion Håkan Rydving in his scholarly works The End of Drum Time Religious – Change Among the Lule Saami, 1670s-1740s (1993), and Finnish scholar Juha Pentikäinen in his works titled Shamanism and Culture (1998) and his edited works titled Fragments of Lappish Mythology (2002) have all contributed to discussions about the history of the Sámi people and their religious and cultural practices in relation to the use of the sacred drum by the noaidi in Sámi society and the subsequent persecutions that resulted as a consequence. In addition, it should be noted how many sacred drums were taken from the Sámi and burned, whilst about 70 still remain today and are deposited in the archives of museums in Germany, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden and Italy.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Therefore, the case of persecution against Aikianpoika in Kemi reflects similar court cases pertaining to the alleged use of witchcraft by other Sámi noaidi from Norwegian and Swedish Sápmi from the seventeenth century, who were likewise, given death sentences for use of the drum and singing.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In terms of other forms of punishment for practicing Sámi religion, Håkan Rydving states the following points in relation to this subject matter. ”In both Norway and Sweden the penalty for ‘sorcery’ was death, but the use of capital punishment for the possession of a drum or for sacrifices, was very uncommon” (Rydving 1993: 55). 26</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Furthermore, Rydving (1991: 29) has also described to what degree “the role of the drums as symbols of Saami resistance is well attested in the sources from the 17th and 18th centuries. For the Saamis, the drums represented their threatened culture, the resistance against the Christian claim to exclusiveness, and a striving to preserve traditional values — i e ‘the good’ that had to be saved. For the Church authorities, on the other hand, the drums symbolized the explicit nucleus of the elusive Saami ‘paganism’ — i e ‘the evil’ that had to be annihilated”.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In a description concerning the works of Finnish clergyman Gabriel Tuderus in Sápmi, “who converted the Kemi Sámi to Christianity [it has been noted how] as a result of Tuderus’ missionary work, the Kemi Saami renounced practices connected with their ethnic cosmology, including the use of the shaman’s drum. […] [In addition] in an intensive pastoral inspection that was carried out throughout the kingdom in the years 1686-89 not a single shaman’s drum was found in Kemi Lappmark” (Pulkkinen 2005: 418). Whether this can also be attributed directly to what happened to Aikia Aikianpoika is not known.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We have heard above contributions from scholars outside of Sámi culture and therefore, it is important to include a more recent series of narratives by Sámi scholars concerning why the noaidi as a religious functionary was seen as a threat by the ecclesial authorities. Beginning with Sámi historian Veli-Pekka Lehtola (2002: 28), who describes some of the roles and functions the noaidi undertook as a means of employment within the Sámi cultural context.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“In the old culture, human relationships with the two realms of reality, the physical world (“this side”) and the spiritual world (the other side), were bridged by the activities of special men and women – noaidi. Just as the world was divided into the seen and the unseen, the tangible and the intangible, so human beings were composed of two parts: the body souls and free souls. In a non-active state – in dream, trance or coma – a free soul may leave the body and take on another form outside of the person. The <em>noaidi</em> had the skill to reach this state at will. It is described in different ways. The <em>noaidi</em> in trance leaves the body and moves as a spirit of breath of wind.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">They have the ability to change into a wild reindeer or hide under the reindeer’s neck or hoof; they can fly over the treetops or travel under the ground; they may swim in the shape of a fish; and the Sea Sámi recount that they may even move mountains. The traditional shamanism was an integral part of the hunting culture. Shamanic activities were related to crisis situations in a village or family; the <em>noaidi</em>a ttempted to find a remedy. The greatest crisis for this people dependent on nature, were illnesses and problems concerning obtaining a livelihood. Illness and disturbance of the balance between the two souls and between the two realms of reality. The <em>noaidi</em> in the spirit form, leaves and goes to “the other side” to restore harmony”.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Other references by Sámi scholars and in this first example Louise Bäckman in her article titled: The Noaidi and his Worldview: A Study of Saami Shamanism from a Historical Point of View (2005), relay the following points. “According to the source writers, the Saami shaman was a man. In his teen years, he was “called” by spirits to be noaidi and was introduced to his future by helping spirits. An old woman could act as healer or prophet, but she had no access to helping spirits and did not use a drum” (Bäckman 2005: 33).</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">A second description from another of Bäckman’s writings about the noaidi in Sámi society is encountered in her published works titled The Noajdie and his Ecstasy – A Contribution to the Discussion (1982). “Concerning the Saamis themselves, the Noajdie<sup><a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#fn4">4</a></sup> was regarded as the soothsayer and diviner, but above all he was associated with what was looked upon as passe, (bissie in Southern Saamian), the sphere of the spirits and the gods, the sacred one might say. He was the true mediator between man and the supernatural powers on which man was dependent” Bäckman (1982: 123).</p>
<h2>Aims of the research and why local history is important with regard to cultural heritage</h2>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The methodological framework in which this subject matter is presented is through a descriptive research method, which examines different kinds of research data, consisting of interviews, exhibition texts and court records. The approach is in one way observational, whilst at the same time; the method validates and exemplifies the trend of existing conditions concerning discrimination in relation to recognition, by the Nation States of Norway, Sweden and Finland against the Sámi people, which is still evident today. Therefore, demonstrating a long and sustained campaign of oppression and thus why in this case, it is important to reflect on this historical event.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The purposes for wanting to cover this major, controversial case regarding the fate of Aikianpoika, is for two reasons. The first is it provides an example of one of the ways the harshest implementations of colonialism has taken place throughout the Nordic countries, as likewise, seen reflected in persecutions of Sámi persons in both Norway and Sweden in the seventeenth century. The second reason is the research brings forth what appear to be errors in judgement surrounding the persecution of Aikianpoika and his subsequent death sentence, regarding the presentation of sufficient evidence that would provide plentiful reason for prosecution. Moreover, the story surrounding Aikianpoika’s fate helps to contextualize the severity of the types of punishment given by the courts and likewise, helps us understand how priests from outside of Sámi culture have treated the Sámi people because of misinformation about them and their religious practices. In addition, and with reference to cultural heritage, the death sentence and events, which followed can be seen as part of the living history of the Sámi people, which still influences their culture and traditions through the ways they adapt and survive regarding their historical background and struggles they have, especially in Finland, regarding the freedom to practice their traditional ways and protection of their heritage.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The formulation of both the aims and approach to the subject matter are as the consequence of meeting two Finnish persons who are the descendants of Aikia Aikianpoika. The first is Irene Kangasniemi, A Finnish speaking woman who is from Kemijärvi and who currently lives and works in Rovaniemi as an artist and handicraft person with her husband Ari Kangasniemi who is a Sámi man from Inari. The second person is Simo Ruokamo who is a Finnish speaking man who lives in Kiiminki in the city of Oulu and who has written a book, which was published in 2011, about his family’s history, which provides much interesting information about the life of Aikia Aikianpoika, titled: Aikkian Pojat ja Tyttäret – Posiolaisen Metsäsaamelaissuvun Aikio-Sarven Jälkeläisiä Karjalainen. (All Boys and Daughters. The Descendants of the Aikio-Sarven Offspring of Posio Forest Sámi). I met Simo in February 2018 at his home in Kiiminki.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Having spoken with both Ruokamo and Kangasniemi, and interviewing Kangasniemi previously in 2011, 2013 and 2018 about her work and more recently about her discovery of her being a descendant of Aikia Aikianpoika, the foundation for the reconstruction of local history has been characterised through Kangasniemi’s decision to build an exhibition in Rovaniemi in honour of and for the memory of the death of her ancestor. As a result, Kangasniemi has created the exhibition called Multiformes in partnership with Oda-Liv Koivisto. The exhibition text written by Kangasniemi in the Multiformes booklet regarding the content of the part of the exhibition, which she has displayed regarding the life of Aikianpoika, consisting of a selection of ritual artefacts made by the artist. These are representative of the noaidi’s life and his subsequent fate, which was determined through alleged charges of sorcery, which according to the outcome of a court case in the town of Kemi, resulted in the death of the man.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“My ancestor Aikia Aikianpoika was the most renowned witch of the village Kitka in the 17th century. In 1671, the Crown’s local representative challenged him to appear before the Kuolajärvi court to respond to a murder charge. Already in his eighties, Aikia had promised a few years earlier to conjure up some good salmon fishing fortune for a peasant from Kemi. The peasant had promised Aikia a fur coat of sheep’s hide, but he ended up only with a pair of wool socks and mittens. Infuriated by this, Aikia had cursed the peasant down his salmon dam to drown the following summer. He had cast the spell by means of drumming and singing. Aikianpoika’s confession found in the court records is the most detailed description of the use of a shaman’s drum” (Kangasniemi 2017: 5).</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In addition to the aforementioned sources of data, analysis of written court records from the trial of Aikia Aikianpoika are likewise, included in the paper for the purposes of both examining and portraying the chain of events, which led to prosecution of Aikianpoika on charges of witchcraft and the end of his life.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://agon.fi/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-1-768x1024.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Figure 1. The sheepskin cloak, which is decorated inside with scenes from the story of Aikianpoika’s life as interpreted and portrayed by Irene Kangasniemi. Above the cloak is a headdress. Below is a painted drum with a reindeer bone hammer used for playing it, a pair of boots made from white reindeer parchment, a pair of woolen socks, gloves and an axe. Behind the garment on the wall are the original court records concerning the sentencing of the noaidi. These are written in old Swedish text. Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018." /></figure>
<p>Figure 1. The sheepskin cloak, which is decorated inside with scenes from the story of Aikianpoika’s life as interpreted and portrayed by Irene Kangasniemi. Above the cloak is a headdress. Below is a painted drum with a reindeer bone hammer used for playing it, a pair of boots made from white reindeer parchment, a pair of woolen socks, gloves and an axe. Behind the garment on the wall are the original court records concerning the sentencing of the noaidi. These are written in old Swedish text. Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018.</p>
<h2>The court records and charges against Aikia Aikianpoika</h2>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In relation to the written court records from the trial of Aikianpoika, Professor Carl Martin Edsman in Uppsala translated the original old Swedish text into the modern language in 1943. Marianne Bengtsson, who works at Hässleholms Museum, Sweden, has translated Edsman’s text from the old Swedish language into English for the purposes of including it in this paper. The modern Swedish text translated by Edsman has come from the archives of priest Erik Nordberg’s Church archives, and is titled: Magical Searches in Lapland 1649-1739. The case of Aikianpoika begins on page 25, and states as follows.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">”District court was held in villages Kuolajärvi, Kitka and Maaselkä, March 8. 1671.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Attendants the command of the court Right Honorable Arendt Graap including members of the committee: Hindrich Jöransson (’interpreter’ or his name was ’Tolch’ as well), Erich Nilsson Noppi, Matts Savvasson from Kuolajärvi, Tomas Michielsson ibidem (= Kuolajärvi), Hans Michielsson from Kitka, Nils Andersson from Maaselkä.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">This day command of the court Arendt Graap, Kemi, presented an accusation from the preacher of ”Lappmarken”, Mr Gabriel Tuderus, and the verger Oluf Olufsson, Kitka. The accusation is dated January 1. 1671. Commander of the court said that he got the accusation in Enare village February 24. from Mr Gabriel himself.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">It tells that Aikia Aikianpoika in Kitka January 3, had acknowledged that a farmer from Kemi called Mordula Tobias, some time ago had asked him if he could give him good luck in his fishing using his witchcraft. Aikia Aikianpoika was promised a sheepskin coat if he agreed to help. When the farmer did not fulfill the bargain, although he had luck fishing, Aikia Aikianpoika had taken his life, at the salmon fishing site.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Mr Gabriel, soul caregiver for the accused, had in Enare claimed that Aikia Aikianpoika would be arrested and taken to court according to the allegation. This is now done and Aikia Aikianpoika, 80 years old, has answered the courts’ question if he had acknowledged the crime for Mr Gabriel Tuderus and the verger Oluf Olufsson.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">At first he said that he could not remember what he had acknowledged to his soul caregiver since he was very drunk. After further pressure (inquisition?) to tell the truth he acknowledged that it was true. True that a farmer from Kemi and Mordula Tobias ”be:dh”, about four or five years ago had asked him to use witchcraft to bring the farmer luck in his fishing. He had promised him a sheepskin coat for the effort.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Had he brought the man fishing luck? Yes, he admitted that he had used witchcraft. He had in payment only recieved a pair of wool mittens and a pair of knitted socks. He was asked if he generally had used drum, “song” and singing in his deed. Yes, and it had never failed.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Then he was asked if he was willing to commit that he using witchcraft had brought the farmer to death at his own salmon fishing site because Aikianpoika never got the promised coat. He could not deny it, since this had been his intention. Tobias had therefore the following summer at his fishing site fallen in the river and drowned. Aikia had heard the news from a Finnish man, Nickarin Kaupi from Kemi, who told him so when they met in Soulajärvi.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Aikia Aikianpoika was asked what words and formula he had used, drumming and singing, to bring good fishing luck. He answered that he now was so old that he could not remember how he had sang. He had now ceased in using the drum since he no longer had the strength to hold it in his left hand. But he acknowledged that he remembered that he put five brass rings on the drum. By the drumming the rings move on the skin until they stop by a certain symbol and do not move further despite continued drumming, unless they were removed by hand.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Then he was asked, which witchcraft was used when Tobias died. He answered that he had sang some evil words, although he could not remember precisely what words, drumming the rings downwards where hell and the evil were painted. On the opposite, if he wanted good for a person he managed to move up the drum where the angels, sun, moon and the stars were painted.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">At last he acknowledged that he had been ten years old when his father taught him how to do it. He did not admit anything besides of this.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">This case was put to the court for deliberation and it agreed of a judgement. Since Aikia Aikianpoika from Kitka in public had agreed to have used witchcraft against a farmer from Mordula Tobias, be:dh, and did not know any other reason to why the farmer was killed, drowned, on his own fishing place, he was then sentenced to death and ”stegling” (Swedish word, a punishment after death, being put to a wheel to break the bones ), according to 6. Chapter. ”Höghm:s B. Landslagen (the Swedish law in Finland). The case went to the Supreme Court for further review.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Now the Supreme Court has made its conclusion, that the judgement from District Court should be enforced. (This is a free translation of the generous and repetitive letter from the Supreme Court to the District d:o).</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">To Johan Gran about the process at the execution of the accused Aikia Aikianpoika.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We, Peer Brahe etc, greet you Governor Johan Gran. We have, among other investigations and sentences about some serious cases, made a decision about Aikia Aikianpoika and his witchcraft. The judgement from District Court should be executed in public, where everyone in the village is to be present. We are deeply concerned of the use of witchcraft in the village and the execution is a warning that the justice and the ruling authorities do not want any more of witchcraft, which is a divorce of God’s holy name. Any further crimes like this should be strongly punished, no mercy. The preacher should teach and urge the people the right way. Stockholm June 9. 1671. J. G. A. Jfv<sup><a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#fn5">5</a></sup>:”</p>
<h2>The artistic exhibition concerning Aikia Aikianpoika’s life and subsequent fate.</h2>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I have included 12 photographs I took at Irene Kangasniemi’s home and one photograph 1 took at the Multiformes exhibition at the museum (pictured above), in the research, which consists of a headdress, sheepskin coat, woolen socks and mittens as well as a painted drum. The sheepskin coat contains a series of illustrations that portray the life of Aikianpoika and events that led to his death sentence, which have been burned into the sheepskin by Kangasniemi.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://agon.fi/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-2-1024x768.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="“Depicts a sheep skull, which has been decorated with paint, leather and wool that also has horns and hooves hanging from it that are reminiscent of amulets” Kangasniemi (2018:1). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018." /></figure>
<p>Figure 2: “Depicts a sheep skull, which has been decorated with paint, leather and wool that also has horns and hooves hanging from it that are reminiscent of amulets” Kangasniemi (2018:1). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://agon.fi/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-3-1024x768.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Figure 3. “The illustration depicts a young Sámi boy Aikianpoika being taught how to use the drum and what the symbols and figures mean, by his father who was a noaidi” Kangasniemi (2018:1). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018." /></figure>
<p>Figure 3. “The illustration depicts a young Sámi boy Aikianpoika being taught how to use the drum and what the symbols and figures mean, by his father who was a noaidi” Kangasniemi (2018:1). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://agon.fi/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-4-Aikianpoika-article-961x1024.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Figure 4. “Depicts mythical beings and animals that are found within Sámi oral traditions, such as the Raven and shamanic bird. These animals are typically called upon to help the noaidi with their work as well as providing guidance and protection when and where needed” Kangasniemi (2018: 2). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018." /></figure>
<p>Figure 4. “Depicts mythical beings and animals that are found within Sámi oral traditions, such as the Raven and shamanic bird. These animals are typically called upon to help the noaidi with their work as well as providing guidance and protection when and where needed” Kangasniemi (2018: 2). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://agon.fi/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-5-1024x768.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Figure 5. “In the center of the robe, the illustration depicts Mordula Tobias, on his knees asking Aikianpoika, who is standing by sieidi sacrificial posts, to help bring salmon to his fishing place because he is hungry. Mordula promises to make the noaidi a sheepskin coat in return for his help. In the illustration at the left, Aikianpoika can be seen singing and playing his drum into a trance, in front of the sieidi spirits, which are anthropomorphic wooden posts pictured behind him, after making sacrificial offerings to them, and then asking them for help to bring salmon” Kangasniemi (2018: 2). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018." /></figure>
<p>Figure 5. “In the center of the robe, the illustration depicts Mordula Tobias, on his knees asking Aikianpoika, who is standing by sieidi sacrificial posts, to help bring salmon to his fishing place because he is hungry. Mordula promises to make the noaidi a sheepskin coat in return for his help. In the illustration at the left, Aikianpoika can be seen singing and playing his drum into a trance, in front of the sieidi spirits, which are anthropomorphic wooden posts pictured behind him, after making sacrificial offerings to them, and then asking them for help to bring salmon” Kangasniemi (2018: 2). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://agon.fi/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-6-1024x768.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Figure 6. “Mordula Tobias is depicted in this illustration putting fishing nets into the water to catch the salmon” Kangasniemi (2018: 2). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018." /></figure>
<p>Figure 6. “Mordula Tobias is depicted in this illustration putting fishing nets into the water to catch the salmon” Kangasniemi (2018: 2). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://agon.fi/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-7-1024x768.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Figure 7. “Shows how Mordula Tobias looks on as the net is filled with salmon” Kangasniemi (2018: 2). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018." /></figure>
<p>Figure 7. “Shows how Mordula Tobias looks on as the net is filled with salmon” Kangasniemi (2018: 2). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://agon.fi/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-8-Aikianpoika-Article-1024x876.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Figure 8. “The illustration on the right shows Tobias cooking salmon over the fire. The illustration on the right depicts how instead of Tobias giving Aikianpoika the coat made from sheepskin as promised in exchange for bringing the fish to his nets, instead he gives Aikianpoika some woolen socks and mittens” Kangasniemi (2018: 3). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018." /></figure>
<p>Figure 8. “The illustration on the right shows Tobias cooking salmon over the fire. The illustration on the right depicts how instead of Tobias giving Aikianpoika the coat made from sheepskin as promised in exchange for bringing the fish to his nets, instead he gives Aikianpoika some woolen socks and mittens” Kangasniemi (2018: 3). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://agon.fi/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-9-Aikianpoika-Article-1024x960.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Figure 9. “Depicts Mordula Tobias lying face down, dead as he drowned in the water, supposedly as a consequence of Aikianpoika’s witchcraft” Kangasniemi (2018: 3). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018." /></figure>
<p>Figure 9. “Depicts Mordula Tobias lying face down, dead as he drowned in the water, supposedly as a consequence of Aikianpoika’s witchcraft” Kangasniemi (2018: 3). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://agon.fi/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-10-1024x768.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Figure 10. “In the courtroom people: I don´t remember exactly who they are. When I made this picture, first I thought that the man on right is this Gabriel Tuderus. I made this face first. Then I made Aikia Aikianpoika in front of the judge passing the death sentence. After that, I made the people and I thought that some of them are people in courtroom. Some of them are like Aikia Aikianpoika who must die because they were shamans. I don´t know why I made the ropes - I don´t even remember why I made ropes” Kangasniemi (2018: 3). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018." /></figure>
<p>Figure 10. “In the courtroom people: I don´t remember exactly who they are. When I made this picture, first I thought that the man on right is this Gabriel Tuderus. I made this face first. Then I made Aikia Aikianpoika in front of the judge passing the death sentence. After that, I made the people and I thought that some of them are people in courtroom. Some of them are like Aikia Aikianpoika who must die because they were shamans. I don´t know why I made the ropes – I don´t even remember why I made ropes” Kangasniemi (2018: 3). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://agon.fi/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-11-1024x768.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Figure 11. “The people are dead people, passed away, and died of hunger. The people are local people from Kemi area, they are not only farmers, they are Lappish people (Sámi) too. This farmer Mordula felt that he wanted to help people because he arrived to Kemi area and Lappish people teach him to fish for salmon” Kangasniemi (2018: 4). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018." /></figure>
<p>Figure 11. “The people are dead people, passed away, and died of hunger. The people are local people from Kemi area, they are not only farmers, they are Lappish people (Sámi) too. This farmer Mordula felt that he wanted to help people because he arrived to Kemi area and Lappish people teach him to fish for salmon” Kangasniemi (2018: 4). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://agon.fi/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-12-1024x768.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Figure 12. “The hands belong a person who suffers from hunger. Empty bowl is for example, that people didn´t have food and the farmers asked help from many people in Kemi area - not only him. When he went to ask help from Aikia Aikianpoika he was sincere - in good faith- he didn´t ask help only for himself and his family - but for many families who didn´t have enough food in West Lapland. I think that in that time salmon from Tornio river was very good food for people even though they got food from the fields and the cattle as well” Kangasniemi (2018: 4). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018." /></figure>
<p>Figure 12. “The hands belong a person who suffers from hunger. Empty bowl is for example, that people didn´t have food and the farmers asked help from many people in Kemi area – not only him. When he went to ask help from Aikia Aikianpoika he was sincere – in good faith- he didn´t ask help only for himself and his family – but for many families who didn´t have enough food in West Lapland. I think that in that time salmon from Tornio river was very good food for people even though they got food from the fields and the cattle as well” Kangasniemi (2018: 4). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://agon.fi/wp/wp-content/uploads/Figure-13-768x1024.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Figure 13. “Depicts a drum made from birch burl and reindeer hide, which at the top shows the Angels, Sun, Moon and Stars. Below are the symbols of hell and the devil. The ‘T’-shaped hammer made from reindeer bone is used to beat the drum with and the circular piece of reindeer bone is called Arpa and is typically used for practices related to divination. The creation of the symbols on the drum have been painted based on what Swedish ethnographer Ernst Manker (1938) has written in his book about the original ones on Aikianpoika’s drum” Kangasniemi (2018: 3). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018." /></figure>
<p>Figure 13. “Depicts a <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/the-sami-shamans-drum-an-introduction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">drum</a> made from birch burl and reindeer hide, which at the top shows the Angels, Sun, Moon and Stars. Below are the symbols of hell and the devil. The ‘T’-shaped hammer made from reindeer bone is used to beat the drum with and the circular piece of reindeer bone is called Arpa and is typically used for practices related to divination. The creation of the symbols on the drum have been painted based on what Swedish ethnographer Ernst Manker (1938) has written in his book about the original ones on Aikianpoika’s drum” Kangasniemi (2018: 3). Photograph and copyright Francis Joy 2018.</p>
<h2>Discussion</h2>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">When taking into account what has been presented above, it could be argued, how the construction of the exhibition is important for the local culture because we see a series of links created towards a unique, ancient living heritage and history that has been inherited from a painful past legacy, which extends on into the present time. Moreover, where the persecution of religious practices such as those described by Rydving (1991 and 1993), Lehtola (2002) and Bäckman (1982 and 2005), are further brought out into the open in relation to the enslavement of the Sámi people through colonialism in terms of their rights and freedoms to practice their pre-Christian religion, which many Sámi still consider sacred. However, the outlawing of such practices in the past still has a detrimental effect upon the culture today. Consequently, discrimination and oppression continues both inside and outside the Sámi areas throughout Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula in north-west Russia. This is visible through cultural appropriation of their spiritual heritage into tourism and assimilation of Sámi culture through education, the Christian religion and denial of the rights to language and culture.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The creation of the exhibition and presentation of the data from the court case of Aikianpoika and the subsequent outcome, which ended up with a death penalty also means there are grounds to review what has been written and to examine the disappointingly weak evidence that Aikianpoika’s spell actually caused Tobias to drown, from a different perspective in terms of the witch hysteria that spread throughout Scandinavia.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">To begin with, it could be argued how there is no evidence at all that proves the spell or curse Aikianpoika made against Tobias cause him to drown in his fishing waters. Has as already been mentioned, the use of alcohol was widespread throughout Sápmi in the seventeenth century. It may be the case the aforementioned was drunk and fell into the water and drowned. On the other hand, his death may have been caused by other causes. However, this is not certain because there is no mention of a post-mortem examination, therefore, the blame was solely placed on Aikianpoika.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">A further important point must likewise, be taken into consideration. It seems odd that according to data presented in the court records, it took a long time for Aikianpoika’s spell of alleged punishment because of deception, to work against Mordula Tobias, whereas Aikianpoika’s spell to bring the salmon to his fishing nets appears to have happened within a relatively short time. Therefore, how can this be explained? It may well be the court decided on the sentence based on Aikianpoika’s confession, and for using the drum and joiking, which was considered evil by the Church and state. The court records state Aikianpoika was put under pressure – duress in order to reveal what he had done, but it does not state clearly what methods were used in order to get him to confess, and whether or not what he told the court had been altered so he would be found guilty?</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Another grey-area regarding the fate of the noaidi concerns how he actually died. There are contradictory evidence statements with regard to this also. In the court record presented above, there is no mention as to whether or not the execution was carried out and if so where?</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">According to what Willumsen (2013: 318), describes above in relation to Aikianpoika’s fate, “The local court sentence him to death, but on way to the place of execution he died, allegedly due to the use of sorcery’ (The court records are found in Fellman, I., Handlingar och uppsatsar angäande Finska lappmarken och lapparne, vol I (Helsingfors, 1910), 383-86)”. It can be suggested here that Aikianpoika killed himself by use of magic. But as Aikianpoika himself had told the court he was quite old, frail had a poor memory and definitely did not have the drum with him when he died. Therefore, is this account true? If it is, it demonstrates how Aikianpoika still retained his magical powers at the age of 80 years old.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In the Finnish translation of the court case it says how “according to Tornio’s vicar Johannes Tornaeus, he [Aikianpoika] cursed himself to death when he was being transported to Piteå county prison (northern Sweden)<sup><a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#fn6">6</a></sup>.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">There is further controversy in these statements, which need to be given further consideration. In the court records, it states the court ordered Aikianpoika to be executed in his village in front of everyone in order to deter anyone else from practicing witchcraft. Aikianpoika was tried in Kemi but lived in Kitka, which is some 200km away in the opposite direction. Also, the distance between Kemi and Piteå is 200km and the distance between Piteå and Kitka is 400km and in the opposite direction.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Could it be the case Aikianpoika was destined to be held in Piteå until a date was set for his execution in Kitka or is there something missing from the story?</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I talked with Simo Ruokamo and Irene Kangasniemi about the whereabouts of Aikianpoika’s body and neither of them has been able to locate his remains. Therefore, his resting place remains a mystery at this present time.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Many Sámi people still struggle to come to terms with the shame and terror of what has happened to their ancestors with regard to persecution because they are a small community in Finland. In their hearts and minds the effects of the past is one of the reasons why there are many taboos and customs around the practice of their pre-Christian religion, which is done, for the most, especially in Finland, in secret.</p>
<h2>Concluding remarks</h2>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The treatment of the Sámi people in terms of their religion and culture by the Nation States of Norway, Sweden and Finland with regard to their historical background reflecting the case of Aikia Aikianpoika and the other members of the Sámi community who were murdered because of practicing their religion is one of state sponsored terror and oppression. As a consequence, we find today how the pre-Christian religious practices of the Sámi people and in particular their cosmology have been assimilated into both Christianity and also in relation to their cultural heritage concerning oral traditions, we find false representations of these within the tourist industry in all of the aforementioned countries.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">However, in Norway, there have been shifts in the ways the Sámi people have been treated concerning their religion and the freedom to practice it. For example, there has been an awakening in what is referred to as neo-shamanism amongst the Sámi where elements of old traditions are combined with new ones, in particular in the north, as described by Trude Fonneland (2015: 33).</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>“As a manifestation of these trends, a local shamanic association concerned with the preservation of both Sami and Norse shamanic traditions was granted status as a separate religious community on March 13, 2012, by the County Governor of Troms, Northern Norway. This means that according to the laws regulating religion in Norway that they may perform religious ceremonies like baptism, weddings, and funerals, and, additionally, obtain financial support relative to membership”.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The people involved in these organizations share a common cause with each other that unites them together in that both Norwegian and Sámi persons as noted earlier by Hagen (2005), have ancestors who were victims of state-sponsored murder and thus put to death and persecuted because of their religious beliefs and practices, which have a direct bearing on the persecution and subsequent death of Aikia Aikianpoika.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Addressing this dark heritage throughout Sápmi, particularly in Norway has seen a recent development in acknowledging the crimes committed against both Sámi and Norwegian persons that in 2011 a project called the Steilneset Memorial, Vardø, Norway was opened in memory of the 91 victims of the Finnmark Witchcraft trials who were burned to death between 1600 and 1692 (a total of 135 people were prosecuted)<sup><a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#fn7">7</a></sup></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">From the literature published in Finland about the Witchcraft trials between 1500 and 1700, Finnish scholars Marko Nenonen and Timo Kervinen in their book Synnin Palkka on Kuolema (The Wage of Sin is Death, 1994) have published a list of 103 persons who were given death sentences, including whole families, for alleged practice of sorcery. Aikia Aikianpoika’s name is also on the list (number 72). It must be noted however, as explained by the authors that the list maybe incomplete and contain errors<sup><a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#fn8">8</a></sup>.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">By comparison to Norway, there is nothing remotely like the memorial in Norway, in Finland concerning the crimes committed against the Sámi people by Church and State. It is the same situation in Sweden also. In fact, the persecution of the Sámi people in terms of their religion continues where their cosmology and religious practices are reduced to superstition and joiking is considered to be the language of the devil.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">With regard to the memory of Aikia Aikianpoika, the work continues to try and establish his resting place and the exhibition presented to you above is currently travelling to different locations in Finland as a way of educating people about his fate, as the only known Sámi noaidi in Finland to be given a death sentence for the alleged practice of sorcery.</p>
<h2>Acknowledgements</h2>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I would like to express my sincere thanks to Irene Kangasniemi, Simo Ruokamo and Marianne Bengtsson for their assistance in writing this article.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://lacris.ulapland.fi/en/persons/francis-joy(759d019c-8859-4af5-8408-497bee2dd189).html">Francis Joy PhD.</a></strong></p>
<h2>Literature</h2>
<ul>
<li>Bäckman, Louise. 1982. The Noajdie and his Ecstasy – A Contribution to the Discussion. In: Holm, Nils G. (ed.) <em>Religious Ecstasy, Based on Papers Read at the Symposium on Religious Ecstasy held at Åbo, Finland on the 26-28 of August 1981. </em>Published by Almqvist and Wiksell International 1982. Series: Scripta Instituti Donneraiani Aboensis II: 122-127.</li>
<li>Bäckman, Louise, 2005. The <em>Noaidi </em>and his Worldview: A Study of Saami Shamanism from an Historical Point of View. In: <em>SHAMAN – The International Journal for Shamanistic Research (ISSR), Volume 13. Nos 1-2. </em>Spring/Autumn 2005: 29-40.</li>
<li>Fellman, Isak. 1910. <em>Handlingar och uppsatser angående Finska Lappmarken och lapparne. I-IV</em>. Documents and papers about Finnish Lappmark and the Lapps. Helsingfors (Helsinki) 1910-15.</li>
<li>Fonneland, Trude. 2015. The Rise of Neoshamanism in Norway: Local Structures-Global Currents. In: Kraft, Siv-Ellen; Fonneland, Trude & Lewis, James R. (eds.) <em>Nordic Neoshamanisms. The International Society for the Study of New Religions. </em>Palmgrave Macmillan, New York: 33-54.</li>
<li>Hagen, Rune. 2005. Traces of Shamanism in the Witch Trials of Norway; The Trial of the Sámi Shaman Anders Poulsen. In: de Waardt, Hans. Schmidt, Jürgen, Michael H.C. Midelfort, Erik. Lorenz, Sönke und Bauer, Dieter R. (eds.) <em>Dämonische Besessenheit – Zur Interpretation eines kulturhistorischen Phänomens, Hexenforschung Band 9 (Hg.) </em>Bielefeld: Verlag für Regional Geschichte: 307-325.</li>
<li>Hagen, Rune. 2006. Lapland. In: Golden, Richard M. (ed.) <em>Encyclopaedia of Witchcraft – The Western Tradition, Volume 3, K-P. </em>ABC-CLIO, Inc. Santa Barbara, USA: 625-627.</li>
<li>Itkonen, Toivo Immanuel. 1948. <em>Suomen Lappalaiset Vuoteen 1945, Volume II. </em>Werner Söderström osakeyhtiö Porvoo – Helsinki – Juva.</li>
<li>Kihlberg, Kurt. 2003. <em>Masters of Sámi Handicraft Duodji. </em>RC Tryck i Piteå AB, Sweden.</li>
<li>Kraft, Siv Ellen, Fonneland, Trude & Lewis, James R. (eds.) 2015. <em>Nordic Neoshamanisms. </em>The International Society for the Study of New Religions. Palgrave Macmillan, New York.</li>
<li>Kulonen, Ulla, Maija. Pulkkinen, Risto., & Seurujärvi-Kari, Irja. (eds.), 2005. Introduction in: <em>The Saami. A Cultural Encyclopedia: (pp.3). </em>The Finnish Literature Society-SKS, Helsinki, Finland. Published by Vammalan kirjapaino Oy.</li>
<li>Laestadius, Lars-Levi. [1838-1845] 2002. <em>Fragments of Lappish Mythology. </em>Juha Pentikäinen (ed.) Beaverton: Aspasia Books, Canada.</li>
<li>Lehtola, Veli-Pekka. 2002. <em>The Sámi People: Traditions in Transition. </em>Kustannus-Puntsi, Aanaar – Inari.</li>
<li>Manker, Ernst Mauritz. 1938. <em>Die Lappische Zaubertrommel. Eine Ethnologische Monographie. 1, Die Trommel als Denkmal Materieller Kultur. </em>Acta Lapponica; 1, Stockholm: Thule.</li>
<li>Nenonen, Marko and Kervinen, Timo.1994. <em>Synnin Palkka On Kuolema (The Wage of Sin is Death). </em>Edited by Anne- Riitta Isohella. Otava, Helsinki.</li>
<li>Nordberg, Eirik. <em>Trolldomsrannsakningar i Lappmarken a-b) 1649 – 1739. </em>Uppsala, ULMA-Accession number 29428. Church Archive Writings. Volume 25: 43. Translated from Old Swedish text by Professor Carl Martin Edsman, Uppsala 1943. Court document translated from Swedish to English by Marianne Bengtsson 2018.</li>
<li>Pentikäinen, Juha. 1998. <em>Shamanism and Culture. </em>3rd Revised Edition. Helsinki: Etnika.</li>
<li>Pulkkinen, Risto. 2005. Tuderus, Gabriel. In. Kulonen, Ulla, Maija. Pulkkinen, Risto., & Seurujärvi-Kari, Irja. (eds.), <em>The Saami. A Cultural Encyclopedia. </em>The Finnish Literature Society-SKS, Helsinki, Finland. Published by Vammalan kirjapaino Oy: 418.</li>
<li>Rydving, H. 1991. The Saami Drums and the Religious Encounter in the 17th and 18th Centuries. In Ahlbäck, Tore, Bergman., Jan. (eds), <em>The Saami Shaman Drum. Proceedings of the Symposium on the Saami Shaman Drum in Åbo, Finland, 18–20 August 1988. </em>Åbo, Finland: The Donner Institute for Research in Religion and Cultural History, Åbo Akademi: 28-51.</li>
<li>Rydving, Håkan. 1993. <em>The End of Drum Time; Religious Change among the Lule Saami 1670s-1740s. </em>Almqvist & Wiksell International, Stockholm, Sweden.</li>
<li>Schefferus, Johannes 1673. <em>Joannis Schefferi Argentoratensis Lapponia. </em>(Latin edition). Frankfurt am Main und Leipzig: Martin Wallerborden/Buchhåndlern.</li>
<li>Schefferus, Johannes 1674 = <em>The History of Lapland, wherein are shewed the original, manners, habits &c. of that people. </em>37</li>
<li>1971. Suecica rediviva 22. Facsimile ed. Stockholm: Bokforlaget Rediviva.</li>
<li>Willumsen, Liv. Helene. 2013. <em>Witches of the north, Scotland and Finnmark (studies in medieval and reformation traditions). </em>Leiden, the Netherlands: Koninklitjke Brill NV.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Interviews</h2>
<ul>
<li>Kangasniemi, Irene. 2018. The Aikian Aikianpoika Exhibition Multiformes. Rovaniemi, Finland 1-10.</li>
<li>Ruokamo, Simo. 2018. Interview Concerning the Book: Aikkian Pojat ja Tyttäret – Posiolaisen Metsäsaamelaissuvun Aikio-Sarven Jälkeläisiä Karjalainen. (All Boys and Daughters. The Descendants of the Aikio-Sarven Offspring of Posio Forest Sámi). Book published in 2011 by Pohjalan Painotuote Oy, Oulu, Finland.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Exhibition text</h2>
<ul><li>Kangasniemi, Irene and Koivisto, Oda-Liv. 2017. <em>Tarinallisia Taidekäsitöitä Lapista. Multiformes – Arthandicrafts with Stories of Lapland. </em>Waasa Graphics Oy.</li></ul>
<hr class="wp-block-separator">
<h2>Viitteet</h2>
<ol>
<li>Note to the reader. There are different ways the terms Sámi, Saami and Sami is used, for example in north Sámi and Swedish Saami. <a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#rf1">↶</a>
</li>
<li>This is a note I have taken from Hagen (2005: 307), which I consider to be beneficial for the reader. “Jean Bodin, D la démonomanie des sorciers, Paris 1580, repr. Hildeshiem 1988, p.98b, see also Bodin’s chapter on ecstacy, book 2, ch. 5, pp. 90a-94b. Bodin got his information about >>les sorciers de Lappie< < from Olaus Magnus, Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus, Rome 1555, see the English translation by Peter Foote (ed.), Description of the Northern Peoples, London 1996-1998, esp, book 3 in the first volume”. <a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#rf2">↶</a>
</li>
<li>It should also be noted that my figures concern only one (Finnmark) of the three counties in Northern Norway. In Troms and Norland the Sámi are involved in more than 20 per cent of the witch trials. According to Karin Granqvist, 73 Sámi men and three Sámi women were prosecuted for practicing sacrificial rituals and using drums in Swedish Lapland (Karin Granqvist, > Thou shalt have no other Gods before me (Ex. 20.3). Witchcraft and Superstition Trials in 17th and 18th Century Swedish Lapland, in: Peter Sköld/Kristina Kram (eds.), Kulturkonfrontation i Lappmarken, Umeå 1998, esp. p. 17). <a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#rf3">↶</a>
</li>
<li>There are different ways of spelling this term Noaidi,<br>Noid and Noajdie. <a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#rf4">↶</a>
</li>
<li>http://www.foark.umu.se/sites/default/files/arkiv/25/sefoark2543ab01.pdf According to the information, the text is from a Machine-written manuscript with excerpts. Titled: Magical Searches in Lappmark a-b) 1649 – 1739. (The manuscript is a photocopy of Nordberg’s original, as before The donation to Umeå UB [library] was in the Dialect and Folk Memory Archives in Uppsala, ULMA, ULMA Accession Number 29528. Photocopy made in February 1987 following an investigation of the case made by Professor Carl- Martin Edsman, Uppsala. It should also be noted how the priest Gabriel Tuderus was known as a drunken brawler, who used violence against the Sámi in order to terrify and convert then. <a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#rf5">↶</a>
</li>
<li>Sources and literature: S. Ervasti, Y. Vasari, Kuusamon historia I. 1978; T.I. Itkonen, Suomen lappalaiset vuoteen 1945 II. 1948. Writer(s): Ilkka Mäntylä. Published 16.9.1997. A link to the document can be found at: https://kansallisbiografia.fi/kansallisbiografia/henkilo/338 <a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#rf6">↶</a>
</li>
<li>For a comprehensive description of the memorial, see Stein A. Mathisen’s chapter: Contextualizing Exhibited Versions of Noaidivuohta, in: Nordic Neoshamanisms. The International Society for the Study of New Religions (2015). <a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#rf7">↶</a>
</li>
<li>http://www15.uta.fi/yky/arkisto/historia/noitanetti/kuolemantuomiot.html <a href="http://agon.fi/article/reconstructing-culture-through-art-for-the-memory-of-sami-noaidi-aikia-aikianpoika/?fbclid=IwAR1Ri9ISsUaWcGmXGap95SZ1KL1Y-9epdIKjnV_p3ro08MmjWwxkd5uCT0E#rf8">↶</a>
</li>
</ol>
<p>More about Francis Joy <a href="https://lacris.ulapland.fi/en/persons/francis-joy(759d019c-8859-4af5-8408-497bee2dd189).html">here.</a></p>
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Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/56941112019-03-26T07:54:09-04:002021-04-26T15:29:55-04:00JOIK – THE OLDEST VOCAL TRADITION IN EUROPE
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><em>JOIK or YOIK : Originally, joik referred to only one of several Sami singing styles, but in English the word is often used to refer to all types of traditional Sami vocals. </em></strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">• LUOHTI, JUOIGGUS – Northern Sami </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">• VUELIE – South Sami </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">• VUOLLE – Lule Sami</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">• LEVD – Eastern Sami (Russia) </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In Skandinavian and English language the word joik/yoik refers to the verb “juoigat” which means “to joik/yoik”. From this verb the substantive “joik/yoik” was made. In Sami language the words luohti, vuelie, vuolle and levd are only substantives, – and juoigat is the verb. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">And there are more words used in connection to joik. Here are two examples: </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>DOVDNA</em> – a joik for children (usually more simple melody).</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">ÁRMME – A lament. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>The Sami verb for presenting a joik (e.g. Northern Sami juoigat) is a transitive verb, which is often interpreted as indicating that a joik is not a song about the person or place, but that the joiker is attempting to evoke or depict that person or place through song – one joiks one’s friend, not about one’s friend (similarly to how one doesn’t paint or depict about a flower, but depicts the flower itself). </em>– From wikipedia.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The oldest vocal tradition in Europe</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>As the Sami culture had no written language in the past, there are no references to how or where joik originated. According to oral traditions, the fairies and elves of the arctic lands gave joiks to the Sámi People. Just Quigstad, who recorded the Sami oral tradition, has documented this legend in several works. Music researchers believe joik is one of the longest-living music traditions in Europe. </em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>The sound of joik is comparable to the traditional chanting of some Native American cultures. There are also features shared with the shamanistic cultures of Siberia, which mimic the sounds of nature. </em>– From Wikipedia</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">I would also add that joik is comparable to Greenlandic way of using the voice. I think that another description of joiking is that in sound it is in-between song and Mongolian throatsinging. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Part of the daily life </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Originally joiks where used in everyday life. It is not until the later years that the joik has been adapted so that it is suitable to perform on a stage. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Originally the Samis would joik impulsively in any occasion. A joik could be a part of telling stories, when alone on the mountain, to the reindeer, or to a beloved one. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">For example: </p>
<ul>
<li>If you have visitors, and you want to tell a story about someone, you could joik that person – or that event. </li>
<li>You can joik to the memory of deceased relatives or friends. </li>
<li>Joik your son to give him good self-esteem, and so that he feels loved and seen. </li>
<li>Joik a friend who you are missing. </li>
<li>Give a joik to someone you are in love with for flirting purposes. </li>
<li>
</li>
</ul>
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<figcaption>The sami legend Nils Aslak Valkeapää is the one who introduced joik to the world outside Sápmi in the 1970is. Here he is joiking the Tundras in Sápmi. </figcaption></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Variations of joik </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">There are many different types of joiks. The joiks can be categorized like this: </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Animal joiks and sounds, Nature joiks and sounds , Personal joiks, Children joiks, Place joik, Event joiks, Improvised joiks, Ritual joiks. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">All joiks aim to give the listener a <em>feeling</em> of what is joiked in such a way that the listener almost can experience that person, animal or place through sound of the joik. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Shamanism and joik</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>During the Christianization of the Sami, joiking was condemned as sinful. The assimilation policies (Norwegianization and similar) and the views of churches and ecclesiastical movements on joiking as sin have played important roles in its devaluation. One of the reasons that joiking was controversial may be its association with noaidi (Sámi shamans) and pre-Christian mythology rituals, with joiking said to resemble magic spells. In the 1950s, it was forbidden to use joiking in Sami area schools[clarification needed]. In 2014, a parish council discussed “if they should implement a total ban against music other than [church] hymns in the churches in Kautokeino and Maze. The proposal was shot down, but many still wonder why joiking in church is such a controversial issue”.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Despite this suppression, joiking was strongly rooted in the culture and its tradition was maintained. Joiking is still practiced and is used as a source of inspiration. Recently, joiks are sung in two different styles: a traditional style, known as the “mumbling” style; and a modern style sung mostly by young people, and used as an element in contemporary Sami music.</em>From Wikipedia: </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Personal joiks</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Joik can be perceived as an extra name for the person who is joiked. Nature (personality) and characteristics of the person are depicted using rhythm, tact, melody and text. Personal joiks usually describes only positive features of the person. It is perceived as a compliment to hear their own joik, and one becomes happy. When we say we are joiking someone, this is the same as mentioning the person by name. When we joik someone, we refer to this person with a tone or melody name, which is a joik. We do not say that we tell about the person’s name, but we say what the person is called. Therefore, it is not common to say that one is joking about anyone.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">It has not been a Sami tradition to joik oneselves. If you give yourself a joik, or joik yourself you will be looked upon as very vain and conceited. Instead it is considered a great gift to receive a joik. It is one of the biggest honors you can be shown. It was common to give joiks as gifts at weddings and other celebrations. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">As a child you will be given a joik from relatives when you are born to grow your self esteem, and so that you feel seen and loved. This joik is called <em>Dovdna</em> and is a very simple joik, that the child can easily recognize. Later in life the joik will be adapted to fit better a grown person, or you might get a whole new one. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">One person can have many joiks. One for your characteristics and nature, one for what skills you have, another when you where a great friend to someone and so on. So if you have a lot of joiks it means that you are very popular, and rich person (rich in the sense of having many people who care about you).</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Dajahusat and personal joiks</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Dajahusat are the lyrics in joiks, but far from all joiks have them. Dajahusat in personal joiks can be the name of the person that you are joiking, and a few words to describe what aspect of that person you are joiking. For example, a typical <em>dajahus</em> can describe how pretty he or she is, or that he / she is kind, good at throwing lasso, has beautiful daughters or skilled sons. Dajahusat in other joiks can be small stories, or methaphores. There were also long epic joiks or narrative joiks – that could tell a whole life story or the story of a “siida” (Sami settlement unit) through generations.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>“Sami people feel that all people should have a joik. A joik is like a friend. When you are alone in the forest, and you remember a friend, and “fetch” his joik will get you in a good mood. Our ancestors made the joiks according to the human – according to their nature. When the person is quick and active then the joik is fast. Someone who is not that fast has a slow yolk. The dajahusat in the joik are to make that uplift that person. The words will show what is unique to that person. Even if you have not always done only good, you are still unique. Joik is for me the most precious thing a human can have”, s</em>ays Ándaras Ànde. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Alf Issát says: “<em>I only know of joik in the world that works in this way that it belongs to the person you are joiking. Elsewise it is always like that that when the name follows the poem or song, then it belongs to who has made it.” </em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Freely translated from the book “Dajahusat” by Nils Jernsletten (1976)</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The person joiks are considered very personal and sometimes even private and intimate. When joiking a person in public, like we do nowadays in concerts and online, with thousands of listeners it can feel overwhelming for that person who is joiked. That person might feel uncomfortable with the fact that his/her personality/personal history is made public. That is why it is important to ask the person you are joiking if they want their personal joik – thus themselves to be exposed in that manner. Not everyone wants their privat life in public. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">And like Alf Issát says: According to Sami tradition, the joik of a person belongs to that person who is joiked, not the one who is joiking it. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">If the Sami people would make decisions of who should get paid when a joik is performed on a stage then the money would go to what is joiked. If someone joiks “Deanu Máijjá” on a concert then she – “Deanu Máijja” would get paid, not (only) the joiker. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">This also has to do with the Sami world view. According to Sami belief the joik comes to you. It can come to anyone. No-one creates it in a modern sense of composition. When a joik comes to you you are joiking that person or thing. You as a joiker did not create that thing, you are a medium – messenger for what already excist. As a joiker you cannot take the credit for “Deanu Maijjá” being such a beautiful person that everybody falls in love with just by hearing her joik, and wants to learn it, and hear it again and again. If the joik becomes popular its because “Deanu Máijja” is such a beautiful person – not because of the “composer”. More simply explained: the message is more important then the messenger.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The book “Dajahusat” was written in 1976. Since then the <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/new-generation-of-sami-female-singers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Samis who work as musicians (opens in a new tab)">Samis who work as musicians </a>also have started to claim ownership to personal joiks they have performed. There are occasions though where Sami artists have to stop joiking certain people in public, because the person has requested so. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Flirt joiks </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In the past, it was usual to use joik for flirting. Then it was common for popular girls to get a joik as a gift from boys who liked them, and then other boys learned these joikes and joiked them at markets and other events. It was important to learn the yoik of a girl or boy you liked or fell in love with. Elements of this “yoke flirting phenomenon” still exist.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">A joik usually describes only the positive aspects of a person, and can be compared to a compliment. For example, a typical <em>dajahus</em> can describe how pretty he or she is, or that he / she is kind, good at throwing lasso, has beautiful daughters or skilled sons. A person is often happy to hear their own joik when others are joiking it.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>When I discovered joik</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Even though I grew up in Karasjok, which is considered a Sami town, I did not learn to joik as a child. I never heard joiking at home or close relatives joiking. I thought that joiking only was for the reindeer-herding Samis. I did not hear my aunts, uncle and grandmother joik until I was way past 20 years old. I think part of the reason for that is because we lived in the town. And in the towns it was easier to control and punish people who did any of the outlawed things in Sami culture (which was most of it). Reindeer-herders are traveling all the time, and hard to control what they do on the tundras, and in that sense they could joik all they wanted without getting punished. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">It was not until I had been touring a while in Europe with my Sami songs, and repeatedly got the question why I didn’t joik more, that I started looking into what joiking really is. And people in Europe where right! I DO have the right to joik! Because I am Sami! I SHOULD joik! </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">A year or so before I released my third album “Eamiritni-Rimeborn” (2014) I started my quest on learning joik. From then on many things have changed in my world view. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Because learning joik is not the same as learning a new sining-technique. It is to learn about culture, worldview, traditions, rituals and sami life itself. The very act of joiking connected me to our Sami heritage, history and tradition in a new and unexpected way.</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">When I started to explore joiking and understood what it truly was, I found that it was impossible to joik something I am not connected to in some form. Therefore it falls natural to joik things you love; mountains, lakes, animals, people, events and so on. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The first joik I ever gifted anyone was to my niece Enya. This was the first time I experienced the nature of personal joiks. I gave it to her as a gift on her baptizing ceremony in Karasjok. After that I joiked her every time I saw her. It was an overwhelming experience to see her reaction when I joiked her. I could see how it affected her in a deep way, – I could she how loved it made her feel by the way she smiled in her timid way, and it made me so happy it brought tears to my eyes every time. To speak any words of love where not necessary at all. </p>
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<figcaption>Album version of “Enya” by Elin Kåven</figcaption></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Karl Tirén´s phonograph cylinders.</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://musikverket.se/svensktvisarkiv/karl-tiren/medverkande/?lang=fiu">Karl Tirén’s phonograph cylinders recordings</a> are the first recordings of joik, in some cases with biographical information. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Karl Tirén’s first contact with the joik came through a meeting with Lars Erik Granström at the fiddler’s contest in Luleå in 1909. After this, Karl Tirén was caught – collection, exploration and dissemination of knowledge regarding Sami culture and its music would follow him for the rest of his life.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Later that year, Tirén met the craftswoman Maria Persson. She was to be his main informant and guide within Sami joik culture, a milieu that few outsiders had previously had access to.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong> “Lapponia” by Johannes Schefferus</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The first mention of joik is in the book <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/lapponia/">“Lapponia” (1673) by Johannes Schefferus. </a>Schefferus was a German professor, and Olaus Sirma was his Sámi informant. Sirma got educated and wrote down a few poems from his hometown Kemi. They where joiks with <em>dajahusat</em> – words. The man in one of the poems was asking his reindeer to look into her beloved eyes to see if she still wants him after he had been away for so long, and a pray to the mountain to let the travel go smoothly to his beloved. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">When released in 1673 “Lapponia” was an instant success in Europe because of Olaus Sirmas joiks. “Lapponia” was translated to German, Dutch and English. Poets all over Europe wrote poems inspired by this. In a way these joiks started the romanic epoch in Europe. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">That Sami joiks could have such effect in whole of Europe is not something given attention in history books, or in the school system, probably because the joik was persecuted all over Sápmi during the same time. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The paradox in this, I would say is is that the upper class in for example Paris enjoyed joiks, and joik inspired poetry, while the Sámis where persecuted for practicing joik. </p>
<p><strong>Sources:</strong></p>
<p>Source 20.03.2019: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joik </p>
<p>Freely translated from the book “<a href="https://www.nb.no/nbsok/nb/cfd86ac8e02a6ff1b029af00b674e0fc?lang=no#9">Dajahusat</a>” by Nils Jernsletten (1976) </p>
<p><a href="https://musikverket.se/svensktvisarkiv/karl-tiren/medverkande/?lang=fiu">https://musikverket.se/svensktvisarkiv/karl-tiren/medverkande/?lang=fiu</a></p>
<p>Samernas tid, SVT tv-series : <a href="https://urplay.se/serie/203240-samernas-tid">https://urplay.se/serie/203240-samernas-tid</a></p>
<p>Nordligefolk.no : <a href="http://nordligefolk.no/hjem-2/kunst-musikk-litteratur/joik-2/?lang=sa">http://nordligefolk.no/hjem-2/kunst-musikk-litteratur/joik-2/?lang=sa </a></p>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="qvBTP6ObPq"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/lapponia/">Lapponia – one of the first written documents about Sami people</a></blockquote>
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<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/joik-the-oldest-vocal-tradition-in-europe/">JOIK – THE OLDEST VOCAL TRADITION IN EUROPE</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/56856822019-03-19T05:08:36-04:002019-08-27T03:57:57-04:00SHAMANISM – LEGAL OR NOT?
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In a previous blog post; ” <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/bieggaolmmai-interesting-trainride/">Bieggaolmmái – An interesting train ride</a>” I spoke about the idea to go to the Amazon to fill in the blancs of sami culture. To learn the part of my own culture that had been forgotten – most of the <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/introduction-shamanism/">shamanism.</a> </p>
<p>Also read :<a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/illegal-to-be-sami-a-performance/"> Illegal to be Sami – a performance.</a></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">A few years later that thought became reality. I spent about 7 years in the Peruvian Amazon. First as a student with a native shaman for some years. Then I got employed as a shaman at a healing centre, where I worked for a year before I was ready to return home.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Well, all this is a long story with many adventures, but for now, let’s talk about what happened when I came home after 7 years. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>I got arrested!</strong> In 2012. For being what I am. Just like many of my ancestors.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">It took us one and a half year to win the case and for me to become the first Sami shaman in history to win over the government. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">That earned me an invitation to a woman rights conference OSCE in cooperation with the UN.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/55512070_482856328916079_1510934151446921216_n-1024x577.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">This is the paper I handed in and the speech I held at the human rights conference in Warsawa, 2014. The UN encouraged the Swedish and Norwegian governments to take this seriously.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>“My name is Jungle Svonni, and I am a Sami shaman. We Sami are the indigenous people of northern Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula. Currently our land is occupied by Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. My family migrates with our reindeers between Sweden in winter and Norway in summer.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Our ancestral culture and religion is shamanic. However, the colonizing countries, like Sweden and Norway, have for centuries acted to exterminate our religion. By cutting our spiritual connection to nature through shamanism, the connection of all our culture is lost.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Practicing shamanism has been illegal for centuries. Any cultural expressions related to shamanism, such as joik (the Sami way of singing) or having a shamanic drum was severely punished, even by death. The heavy persecution resulted in the near extinction of shamanism among us. The persecutions of our roots have created social marginalization, a high rate of suicides and environmental problems, due to a decreased understanding for nature.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>My grandfather and great grandfather were both shamans, but without any possibility to know or practice it fully. As a child I realized that this destructive situation must be fixed, if we Sami people are going to have any future. About 10 years ago I left on a journey to the Peruvian and Ecuadorian Amazon, to rediscover my shamanic roots. I stayed with the native people for eight years, learning my own culture. In the end I worked as a shaman on a large healing center, where we among other things were curing drug addictions with great success.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Two years ago I moved back, to share the shamanic knowledge with my people. Swedish authorities arrested and jailed me for 18 days. They confiscated my sacred plant medicine, the San Pedro cactus, and I was accused of smuggling narcotics – mescaline. The San Pedro plant is completely legal and can be bought in any Swedish flower shop. It was only the shamanic context that triggered the judicial to actions and imprisonment.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Media portrayed me as a criminal, fueled by ignorant and false statements from the prosecutor. Surprisingly it took the judge one and a half year to find that the legal San Pedro has nothing to do with mescaline or the drug market. I became the first Sami shaman ever to win against the Swedish authorities, without denying being a shaman. But the core problem remains. One of the most important shamanic and natural sacraments Ayahuasca, is still not fully legalized.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Today shamanism is supposed to be legal in Sweden and Norway, protected by the fundamental rights. In reality shamanism is still persecuted. It is only accepted as a “play” for eccentric adults. If it is serious, if you gather knowledge from the nature as our forefathers did and use the natural plants sacraments, you can still today get arrested and imprisoned. The Swedish authorities would use the excuse that you allegedly have violated their narcotic law. But the shamanic ceremonies of Sami people have no connection to the drug problems of Swedish society. What about our human rights to search our roots and practice our religion, shamanism?</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Today, the Sami people are prevented by law to educate us directly from nature through natural medicine. Plant medicine is a fundamental part of shamanism and to prevent people to practice their traditional religion is a serious violation of human rights and minority rights.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>The wounds on my people are so deep after centuries of persecution that we must turn to our shaman brothers in the Amazon for our cultural survival. For centuries we were forced to practice a foreign religion, and speak a foreign language, our own being forbidden. Our mountains are destroyed by foreign mining companies, the liken necessary for our reindeers are polluted by a foreign society. Our forests are cut down by foreign companies with foreign technology. But WE are NOT allowed to share the shamanic plant knowledge from our shaman brothers and sisters, which we so badly need to recover our own culture.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>I was imprisoned and prosecuted. The reason was not the fully legal San Pedro itself. The prosecutor tried to incriminate me because it would be used in my shamanic practice. The human rights violations in my case show the arrogance and ignorance of Swedish authorities. Sami shamanism is finally reawakening after centuries of oppression. Sweden and Norway must reconsider how to deal with it, in order to hinder further violations of our fundamental rights!</em>” – Jungle Svonni.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Well this was a few years ago now. And change is happening very slowly but its still a very positive thing that humanity won in my case and that more light was shed on this subject. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">A thing this comes down to is how the authorities are controlling and censoring our education. You are only allowed to learn from other humans: school, university and books. Learning directly from the nature is off limits. The legally approved and mandatory school education is also many times a serious obstacle for indigenous people, like myself for example. Since the confinement to the schools in the citys and smaller towns many times prevents you from learning other things related to the nature and indigenous lifestyle. It is harder for an adult than a kid, to learn how to live in and with the nature, to develop a spiritual connection to the nature. And that is what shamanism is about. The <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/introduction-shamanism/">spiritual connection to the nature.</a> </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">So this subject is about indigenous rights, human rights, shamanism, our history and most important of all, our future as a species here on this planet. </p>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="0KE5jaXaZV"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/illegal-to-be-sami-a-performance/">ILLEGAL TO BE SAMI – A PERFORMANCE</a></blockquote>
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<p> </p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/shamanism-legal-or-not/">SHAMANISM – LEGAL OR NOT?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/56856832019-03-18T18:48:37-04:002019-08-27T03:57:42-04:00VISIT OUR WEBSHOP
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We have created a cute little<a href="https://BeneathNorthernLights.threadless.com/"> Beneath Northen Lights.com shop</a> with some beautiful nordic designs. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><em>THE SHOP IS LAUNCHING TODAY! SPECIAL OFFER: </em></strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><em>Get Free Shipping! Use Code “FREESHIP319e0f7b7”</em></strong><em>Order minimum $45 US/$80 INTL. Ends Mar 31 ’19 11:59PM CDT. Excludes INTL Wall Art and Shoes.</em></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Ancient nordic and sacred designs</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We have been missing sami designs on everyday clothes. Thats why we decided to make designs we ourselves would want to wear. The designs are beautiful sacred Sami ancient symbols. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Neither of us are supporters of mass-produced items. We are all into good old fashioned handicraft and sustainability. But we all need simple everyday clothes and items at some point, and we want to make them count as well. Thats why we think that this shop is a good option, because every garment and item gets printed when someone orders it – and only then. That means that there will not be any garments or items overproduced in our shop. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.threadless.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Live-Laugh-Love-Drink-Coffee.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Some of our products in our<a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.threadless.com"> shop</a>.</figcaption></figure>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/visit-our-webshop/">VISIT OUR WEBSHOP</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/56856842019-03-12T08:40:58-04:002021-09-16T01:04:07-04:00THE SAMI SHAMAN´S DRUM – AN INTRODUCTION
<p>Written by guest blogger Ove Kåven. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The most outstanding symbol of the Sami shaman may very well be his drum. Every drum is different, ideally crafted specifically for its owner, and typically by the owner. Each drum has its own personality and spirit, which ideally matches the personality and spirit of its shaman. <br>And on the drumhead, the Sami shaman would paint their own personal map of the spirit world, based on their own journeys through it.</p>
<p>Also read: <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/introduction-shamanism/">Shamanism – an introduction. </a></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The design and construction of the drums varied considerably across the Sami territories. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Bowl drums</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In the North, shamans typically used bowl drums. They were oval, relatively small (easy to carry around and hold), and the maps typically showed the various realms of the spirit world as if they were floors in a house. An example of this design is the drum of Anders Paulsen, which has been interesting to historians because, when he was arrested for witchcraft, he cooperated with the authorities and explained what all his symbols meant, so this information was written down. (It is unfortunate that, although the authorities were planning to drop charges because he had not harmed anyone, he was killed by an insane jailmate.)</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Sami_drum_from_lule_lappmark_bottom-768x1024.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /><figcaption><br>Back of a bowl drum. <br><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runebomme">From Wikipedia:</a> Sami drum, probably from Lule Lappmark. Bowl drum. 40 x 27 cm. Described and depicted by no:<a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/lapponia/">Johannes Schefferus in his book </a><em><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/lapponia/">Lapponia</a></em><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/lapponia/"> (1671)</a>; later described as <strong>No 64</strong> in Ernst Manker’s <em>Die lappische Zaubertrommel</em> (1938). Schefferus says that it belonged to chancellor Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie; later in 1693 in Antikvitetskollegium. Statens Historiska Museum, Stockholm (SHM 360:2) Now at Nordiska museet, Stockholm</figcaption></figure>
<p>Also read: <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/lapponia/">Lapponia – one of the oldest documents about Sami people. </a></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Frame drums</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In the South, frame drums were more popular. They were larger, elliptical, and the drumhead maps typically had a concentric design, usually with the Sun in the center, the Earth realm along the drumhead edge, and the spiritual realms inbetween. The symbol for the Sun was a <br>diamond shape, with four rays shooting out in the four cardinal directions (North, South, East, West). This can be used to separate the drum into four regions. A good example of a design of this type, where the meaning of the symbols is also believed to be understood, may be the <br>Bindal drum (“Bindalstromma”).</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Freavnantjahke_gievrie_Koch_2005_04.tif" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /><figcaption>Backside of a frame drum. <br>From <a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runebomme">Wikipedia</a>: The sami drum <a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%B8yningsfjelltromma">Frøyningsfjelltromma</a>; confiscated by norwegian or swedish ministers in 1723; since 1837 in Meininger Museum, Meningen</figcaption></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Sacred objects</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Shamanic drums were sacred objects, and treated as such, although they could be used in a limited capacity by people who were not proper shamans. Many people had access to family drums, which would be stored in a special place in their dwellings (like in the sacred space behind the fireplace). The drums would be brought out whenever necessary, to ask the spirits for protection or guidance. To get answers from the spirits, an indicator (e.g. a brass ring, or a carved piece of reindeer antler) could be placed on the drumhead, so that beating on the drum would move the indicator around. The path it took around the drum could <br>then be interpreted to get some idea of what the spirits want.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Proper shamans, on the other hand, could use the drum in several other ways. The most well-known is, of course, that the monotonous drumming would allow the shaman to go into a trance, where a journey into the <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/realm-saivu/">spirit world</a> becomes possible. Once in the spirit world, the shaman can ask spirits and gods for answers or favors, and/or do various kinds of <br>healing work.</p>
<p>Also read: <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/realm-saivu/">Realm of Sáivu.</a></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Surprisingly, however, that was probably not the most common way to use the drum. After all, strong spirits can, in many cases, intervene directly in this world, as long as they have access to a power source here. To that end, the sound of one or more drums can by itself fill a room with enough energy to allow the spirits to do many things. Or, the <br>energy of the drumbeat can be directed directly towards a person. <br>Furthermore, some shamans have been said to be so good that they could get answers from the drum just by holding it up in front of them, without having to beat on it at all.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">All in all, there are many fascinating mysteries surrounding the shaman’s drum. It is certainly no mere musical instrument (and you should think twice before using it as one!)</p>
<p>More about Ove Kåven: <a href="http://www.ovekaven.com">www.ovekaven.com</a></p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-beneath-northern-lights"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="5BcirDwgtL"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/legacy-of-johan-kaaven/">Legacy of Johan Kaaven</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="f5ZtPwRqfU"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/introduction-shamanism/">Shamanism – An introduction</a></blockquote>
<iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/introduction-shamanism/embed/#?secret=f5ZtPwRqfU" data-secret="f5ZtPwRqfU" width="600" height="338" title="“Shamanism – An introduction” — Beneath Northern Lights" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="i7JbrOCpZH"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/lapponia/">Lapponia – one of the first written documents about Sami people</a></blockquote>
<iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/lapponia/embed/#?secret=i7JbrOCpZH" data-secret="i7JbrOCpZH" width="600" height="338" title="“Lapponia – one of the first written documents about Sami people” — Beneath Northern Lights" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
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<p>More articles by Ove Kåven: <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/legacy-of-johan-kaaven/">Legacy of Johan Kåven</a></p>
<p>Also read: <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/introduction-shamanism/">Shamanism – an introduction. </a></p>
<p>Also read: <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/the-sami-flag/">The Sami Flag – Sami are the children of the sun.</a></p>
<p>Link til Wikipedia: <a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runebomme">https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runebomme</a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/the-sami-shamans-drum-an-introduction/">THE SAMI SHAMAN´S DRUM – AN INTRODUCTION</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/56856852019-03-05T12:37:49-05:002019-08-27T03:59:20-04:00LÁVVU – SAMI TIPI/TEEPEE NOW AND BEFORE
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The lávvu/ lávvo is a traditional sami dwelling. It is also used around the globe throughout Russia and North America. You could call it a Sami tipi. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The <em>lávvu</em>, <em>goahti</em> and <em>dárfegoahti </em>(peat hut) are the original traditional sami dwellings. To generalize it – the lávvus where mainly used by the reindeer-heading samis, and darfegoahti was mainly used by sea-samis or samis living inland on hunting and fishing. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Jungles father lived in a time of big transition and change in sami lifestyle. He was born and raised living in a lávvu until he was 15, until they got a house in the 1950s. The house was used mainly in spring and fall. Summer and winter they spent in a lávvu elsewhere due to the reindeer migration. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In the 1950s the Swedish government decided that everyone should have a house. The law said that everyone had a right to humanly decent living conditions. And a lávvu was not considered to be that. So every family received a house. The same happened in Norway and Finland. The next thing that happened was the arrival of the snowmobile in the middle of the sixties. This revolutionized the reindeer-herding, and had the biggest impact on the reduced use of lávvu. It was no longer necessary to live in immediate connection to the reindeers at all times. It started to become and more possible to live in houses, for example by having one in the summer area and one in the winter area. The snowmobile made it possible to cover long distances in short time. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Construction of the lávvu </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The Lávvu usually consists of 3 forked poles, and many straight poles leaned to the top. It can be covered by any soft material. In the very old days either animal skin or birchbark was used as cover. Later wool became more common, and today canvas is most commonly used in Sápmi. The floorspace is the ground covered with branches (preferably birch). This construction allows for a designated fireplace in the middle, since there is a hole on the top for the smoke to get out. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Once you have the poles and the cover it is very fast to put up and take down. That is why lávvus are great dwellings when following the reindeer herds and it is necessary to move camp often.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The poles where usually transported during the migrations to save time, not having to make new ones. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">If the lávvu is used regurarly on the same spot, for example for hunting, then the poles are left for next time and only the cover is taken down. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The kitchen in the lávvu is on the opposite side of the entrance – on the other side of the fireplace. This is where the food and utensils are kept, because it is the most hygienic place -furthest away from the entrance, and protected by the fire. No one sits in this area – no dogs either. It was considered holy, where the goddess <em>Juoksáhkká</em> had her dwelling, and the shaman drum was kept. This is a area that you should never go across. If you want to go to the other side of the fire, you have to go towards the entrance first to get there. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">It is common to have a chain hanging from the top of the lávvu for hooking up a pot over the fire. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The entrance is marked with two logs on each side. There are no branches on the entrance ground. Traditionally all guest should sit on the logs until they are invited inside the lávvu. This practice is not very common anymore. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Firewood and dogs have their place close to the entrance. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Use of lávvu today </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Lávvu is still used today as a temporary dwelling during migrations with the reindeers, on hunting and fishing trips, for smoking meat or just a alternative to a tent when camping. The advantage of the lávvu over a tent is that there is a fireplace inside. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">A difference between a tipi and a lávvu can be seen on the way the door is built. </p>
<p>Also read: <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/a-sami-finding-back-to-his-roots-in-mongolia/"> A Sami finding back to his roots in Mongolia. </a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/lavvu-sami-tipi-teepee/">LÁVVU – SAMI TIPI/TEEPEE NOW AND BEFORE</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/56856862019-02-26T13:25:01-05:002019-08-27T03:58:27-04:00ILLEGAL TO BE SAMI – A PERFORMANCE
<p class="has-medium-font-size">This week I am on a mini-tour with the dance and video performance “Arv/Heritage” produced by <a href="http://www.draugproduksjoner.no/produksjoner-under-arbeid/arv/">Stina Rávdná Lorås.</a> This performance contains stories Stinas grandmother Agnethe Nikoline Margrethe Lorås Hansen has told the last six years. The topics in this performance are seamonsters, the war, shamanism, the burning of the witches, the underworld people, and city/nature. Topics I am specially interested in, thats why I said yes to compose music to this performance. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Agnethe hid her Sami background for 70 years, because of shame. When she was 80 years she could finally admit that she indeed was Sami. Last year she was elected “Sami of the year” by the Sami newspaper “Ávvir” for sharing her story. </p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Arv-plakat-2-724x1024.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="619" width="438" /></figure></div>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>In 1933 Agnethe enters the classroom and sits down at her desk as usual. She is just a child. The teacher Larsen with his arms crossed and says strictly: “<em>Today a new law has been passed. It is not legal to be Sami any longer. So you must stop speaking Sami and thoughts shall not be in Sami anymore!</em>” Who speaks Sami must be punished with detention corner, swats and violence. </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The 11-year-old girl is shocked. The friend next to her gets pale and changed. She feels shivers down her back. She is a conscientious girl who obeys the teacher. This is just the beginning of Agnethes path to change who she is, by order from the Norwegian state. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In 1944, she and 60,000 others were forcibly evacuated south due to the war. Agnethe then works as a maid and child care taker for a merchant in Kvalsund (near <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/repparfjorden-doesnt-need-saving-humans-do/">Repparfjord</a>). She stands on the ship’s deck and sees hundreds of fires burning. The smoke spreads out over the fjord. The Germans have set fire to most of Finnmark. As a big sister she is thinking of her little siblings. She has no idea where the other family members are. or if they even are alive. 22 years old she arrives at Trondheim by boat. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Agnethe is dirty after a week in a crowded boat. The clothes she arrives in are burned. There is too much lice detected in the evacuation boat. She is scared and insecure. “Are you Sami or Norwegian?” They ask at the evacuation reception. “- Norwegian, Agnete answers. With Larsen in memory, she is reminded that she must always answer that you are Norwegian when it comes to identity. Since that day she lived life as a Norwegian. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">She goes to a work- home in town and eventually that place will be her home. She asks for a job and a bedroom next door, because she has no place to live. After some years she meets the love of her life. In over 50 years they shared sorrows and pleasures of life. It was only one secret Agnete kept hidden. That she is Sami. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">During more then 70 years, anything related to Samis was a shunned topic in her home. Because the Norwegian government had indoctrinated that it should be wiped out with silence, she felt. Like thousands of others, she was a child under the severe Norwegianisation policy. The Sami had to be wiped away and hidden. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>All Sami were to become Norwegians. That was Norway’s official policy for 100 years. </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><em><strong>The Norwegianisation was brutal. Really brutal. It was abusive, </strong></em><strong>she says today</strong><em><strong>. They could just as well have shot all of us, then we had not existed and it had not been worse</strong></em><strong>, says Agnethe.</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In the performance “Arv/ Heritage” Agnethes grand-daughter, Stina has collected some of the stories into a performance with dance, video and music. </p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/vX7RfG1Q-1-737x1024.jpeg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="503" width="362" /></figure></div>
<p>Manuscript and director: Stina Rávdná Lorås / Draug Produksjoner</p>
<p>Music: Elin Kåven og Roger Ludvigsen. Choreography: Atle Hoff </p>
<p>Dansers: Atle Hoff, Stina Rávdná Lorås and Tonje Sannes </p>
<p>Background story: Agnethe Nikoline Margrethe Lorås Hansen, Gerd Elen Lorås, Alf Lorås, Eli Lorås Juliussen </p>
<p>Contributers: Elin Kåven, Atle Hoff, Tonje Sannes og Stina Ravdna Lorås. Voices and technical assistance: Grethe Mo, Andreas Røst, Fredrik Jakobsen, Theis Irgens, Øystein Flemmen, Sigbjørn Hessaa. </p>
<p>Read more about the production here: <a href="http://www.draugproduksjoner.no/produksjoner-under-arbeid/arv/">Draug Produksjoner</a>.</p>
<p>Post partly translated from this article 26.02.2019: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="https://www.nrk.no/sapmi/xl/det-var-ulovlig-a-vaere-agnete-1.14181910 (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.nrk.no/sapmi/xl/det-var-ulovlig-a-vaere-agnete-1.14181910" target="_blank">https://www.nrk.no/sapmi/xl/det-var-ulovlig-a-vaere-agnete-1.14181910</a></p>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="rXPEL3gnsk"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/repparfjorden-doesnt-need-saving-humans-do/">REPPARFJORDEN DOESNT NEED SAVING – HUMANS DO.</a></blockquote>
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<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/illegal-to-be-sami-a-performance/">ILLEGAL TO BE SAMI – A PERFORMANCE</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/56856872019-02-23T16:54:25-05:002019-08-27T03:58:22-04:00NEW GENERATION OF SÁMI FEMALE SINGERS
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>We see clearly that the generation that is growing up now has a whole new pride and impetus to be Sami, which their parents and grandparents did not have the opportunity to show. </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>When asked what is changed for the Sami people in the past 20 years – the answer would be that we are still colonized, but one important thing has changed: Now we have the rights and opportunities to rediscover ourselves, to show the world what we the Sami – as a people have to offer. <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-people/">What good we can contribute to the world? What values do WE have?</a> We have that opportunity now. Our parents and grandparents couldn’t do that – since everything Sami was forbidden. </strong><br></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">At present, in 2019, in <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/what-and-where-is-sapmi/">Sápmi</a> (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia) there are young forward-thinking ladies in their 20s who have made their mark.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">On Finnish side of Sápmi:</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Hilda Länsmann and her mother Ulla Pirttjärvi with their band Solju.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Reindeerherders. They have been nominated to many awards in Finland. </p>
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<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>On Swedish side of Sápmi:</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Sara Ajnnak, reindeerherder. Nominated to the Swedish award “Grammis”.</p>
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<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>On Norwegian side of Sápmi:</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen, won “singing with the stars” TV show in Norway, and has been involved in several major TV productions. Of the age 20, she has already won Sami awards, and certainly wins Norwegian prize soon, we expect.</p>
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<p class="has-medium-font-size">Unfortunately it is very hard to keep track what happens in Russia. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong> Today’s generation takes advantage of all the possibilities and it gives me hope for the future – a resurrection for all the Sami who have been opressed. </strong></p>
<p>Also read: <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-people/">How can we contribute?,</a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/new-generation-of-sami-female-singers/">NEW GENERATION OF SÁMI FEMALE SINGERS</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/56856882019-02-19T13:19:07-05:002019-08-27T03:58:12-04:00REPPARFJORDEN DOESNT NEED SAVING – HUMANS DO.
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The banners say « Save the fjords». But who really need saving are the people… </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The Norwegian government just made the decision to open a copper mine in Repparfjorden, in northern Sápmi.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">This is the most environmentally damaging project in the country’s history. The mine will have the privilege to to dump 30 million (2 millions a year) tons of mining waste in the see. Some of it containing toxic heavy metals. And mind you, this will happen in the same country, where every household recycles, and dumping snow in the sea is illegal (because there could be rubbish hiding in it). Furthermore only 2 % what is digged up from the mines are actually going to be used, sold abroad to use in electric devices. The rest will be dumped in Repparfjorden – on of the purest fjords in Euorope. Six sami reindeerherding families will be affected. The mine will be built on the land where the reindeers go to give birth to calves. A massiv contamination of both land and see will occur. The decision is made by the government of Norway, going against the advice of the Sami parliament, the Sami council and environmental organizations. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Some call this a declaration of war.</strong></p>
<p>Read more about <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/norway-copper-mining-arctic-finnmark-pollution-environment-damage-fjords-a8778891.html?fbclid=IwAR0fN1X9xqzfF_pxqiGXRGkVDulfjvViEeUKzoXIG2nF1oQsqBjAS_xO7ek">the shocking news here. </a></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Obviously the emotions are high and there are plans being made about how to stop this disastre. Demonstrations, signing petitions, letters sent to the government, and chaining to the site if nothing else fails. (By the way, our parents generation had to go through all that in the 70s when the Norwegian government decided to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alta_controversy">interfere with nature close to the same area, Alta). </a></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">And we have had many similar cases all around the world the last few years, havent we? They pop up almost every year, somewhere in the world, and every time the indigenous and environmentalist have to fight the same fight. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">It is good that people react when things like this happen. It would be a collective suicide not to care. When issues like this come up we are forced into using a crisis-plan (protest and demonstrations). But here are some thoughts about this problem seen in a bigger perspective:</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">When something like this happens the tendency is to put all the focus on preventing a specific disaster to happen. Weather its a mine, pipeline, damm, clearcutting, road or a contaminating factory. Sometimes it even works, the people and the nature wins! A few mines and other destructions have been stopped from the efforts. But when a large group of people have all their attention on for example stopping a mine, fighting with the government and/or the corporation. The greedy ones create more disasters in other places outside of the spotlight. And because the whole world is interconnected, what happens in for example Borneo effects us here in Sápmi also. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The demonstration approach – typical in politic matters – are necessary in a crisis situation, because it is a political problem ALSO, – but it will not solve the problem – only the symptom. (But be sure we will do it anyway, we will chain ourselves to the site, because this is URGENT and a crisis)</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Because where lies the problem? What is the core of the problem? Nature and animals might be threathed by pollution? But if we look at what really is their threat, in most cases we could say it is ignorance, arrogrance and stupidity from us humans. The threat Repparfjorden is facing are us humans. The greedy ones of us.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>So what can we do?</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Instead of keeping the focus on building shields and weapons, we can focus more on the people, because there is really only one thing that can fix the problem of these reoccurring problems:</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">If the human race would evolve. Evolve into more concious beings, evole beyond greed. If everybody understod that we are all one with each other and with the nature. This also includes future generations. All life is one and life is all.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Then the whole structure of our global society would change if that insight came to us all. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Many times you can understand something on a intellectual level, for example that certain things are not good for you to eat, white sugar for example, but you still keep doing it.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Committing a murder on the other hand you probably understand is bad, not only on an intellectual level. You also feel it in your heart that its wrong. Thats why you dont do it. Or even feel the desire to do it. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">This is the kind of heart insight that we need when it comes to taking care of nature, globally, the whole human race.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">That only comes with spiritual growth. We as a human race have to evolve spiritually. Or perish.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">That is why Jungle and other shamans have traveled the world doing ceremonies, in some places illegal and thus faced the risk of imprisonment. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>What can we expect? </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">This particular case is not only a political matter. It goes deeper than that. Beyond politics. It is about survival. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">What can Samis expect from the government? We have said that the government of Norway DO support us Samis and they do what they can for us Sami people to. What THEY can is a key word here. They do what THEY can. Because what can THEY do? </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">They can give us funding, cultural events, conferences, the Sami parliament, and other byrocratic inventions that they find valueable. This is what they CAN give us and they DO give us. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We cannot expect from them to understand our culture, because it is not their world. It is not in their interest to make a world where our views are taken into consideration. They couldnt even if they tried – we know that for sure now in 2018. Cause they have tried to do it – on their terms. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">They cannot give us back what was taken from us – only we ourselves can, only we can know who we are and what we stand for, what we value in life. As you can <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/not-one-culture-but-many">read here, the sami culture is not ONE culture, but many.</a> And we don´t seem to have a <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-people/">common ground to stand on,</a> knowing what it means to be a Sami. We cannot expect from them to know who we are if we dont know it ourselves. </p>
<p>Also read : <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-people/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">The Sami people, how can we contribute? </a></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But actually there is something that all Sami have in common. WE WANT TO PROTECT THE NATURE.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>This situation is beyond politics, it is not a Sami issue or a local issue. There is no need to understand sami culture to know that this decision is wrong. Because this is a global issue! </strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>But what we CAN expect from the government is to protect the country from getting destroyed and polluted. To protect the inhabitants of this country, to serve the Norwegian citizens. The Sami citizens are </strong><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/what-and-where-is-sapmi"><strong>colonized and never asked to be a part of this country anyway,</strong></a><strong> so the discriminations goes on… </strong></p>
<p>#iifalnussir #jeglenkermeg #neitilnussir</p>
<p><em>We are sorry if we have not gotten all the facts right in this case. We will do revisions if anything comes up.</em></p>
<p>Link : <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/norway-copper-mining-arctic-finnmark-pollution-environment-damage-fjords-a8778891.html?fbclid=IwAR0fN1X9xqzfF_pxqiGXRGkVDulfjvViEeUKzoXIG2nF1oQsqBjAS_xO7ek">https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/norway-copper-mining-arctic-finnmark-pollution-environment-damage-fjords-a8778891.html?fbclid=IwAR0fN1X9xqzfF_pxqiGXRGkVDulfjvViEeUKzoXIG2nF1oQsqBjAS_xO7ek</a></p>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="Q5S9CgFTKG"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/not-one-culture-but-many/">Not ONE culture – but many</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="R4kmpTTRll"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/what-and-where-is-sapmi/">WHAT AND WHERE IS SÁPMI</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="eodolLjwxh"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-people/">Sami people – How can we contribute?</a></blockquote>
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<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/repparfjorden-doesnt-need-saving-humans-do/">REPPARFJORDEN DOESNT NEED SAVING – HUMANS DO.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/56856892019-02-16T04:00:46-05:002019-03-19T14:50:44-04:00WHY LEARN ABOUT SAMI CULTURE?
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Why learn about sami culture if you are not Sami? </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Once when we mentioned something about the Sami culture, an aquientance openly stated that he didnt like culture. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">His reason for not liking culture in general was that a large part of the problems and conflicts in the world comes from cultural practice. Social norms not based on what works best, rather just norms, many times very old ideas/norms that results very inconvenient for many. Sometimes even murder and torture is supported by culture. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Well that is true, when we are talking about some cultures in the world. But if we talk about indigenous cultures and especially arctic indigenous cultures, the situation is quite different.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We guess that the living conditions themselves are so harsh and extreme that unnecessary social norms/rules never had space to grow.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Instead our culture works more as a bank or knowledge. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">For example how to make skiis, clothes, boats, sleds, lassos, and so on. Since techniques for all this have been tried out for many thousands years, the best ones became the culture.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/gohppu-guksi-sami-wooden-cup/">The guksi (sami wooden cup)</a> has a round shape in the bottom so that it stands firmly on the floor of the lavvu made of branches. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The best skin to make pants of is the skin from the reindeers legs. The shape of the knife sheets is curved so that it slides to the side when you sit down. This is common knowledge in our culture that has been tried out for centuries. We can tap into this cultural knowledge, so that we, so to speak, dont have to reinvent the wheel over and over again. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We where all indigenous once upon a time. But nowadays the majority of the earths population are considered non-indigenous. Humanity is loosing touch with nature – with the basics. More and more people around the world start to understand this. The now common way of living in developed countries will not work for long. In fact the earth is already out of balance with severe consequenses although its not so obvious to se if you live in a «privileged» part of the world/city.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We need to reconnect with our roots to be able to have a future. Today indigenous cultures are the link to our roots in a global perspective.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">We are not suggesting that we should go back to the exact same lifestyle we had a 100, 500 or a thousand years ago. But to be able to create a future we all need to consider the wisdom and knowledge of the indigenus cultures. <br></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/why-learn-about-sami-culture/">WHY LEARN ABOUT SAMI CULTURE?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/56856902019-02-12T01:37:13-05:002021-08-09T21:03:17-04:00A SAMI FINDING BACK TO HIS ROOTS IN MONGOLIA
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Since I was a kid I had a dream to go to Mongolia and Siberia, to get to know the nature there, meet the shamans and ride on reindeers (they are bigger there). Finally the opportunity came, a few years ago. For Mongolia.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">After landing in Ulan Batar I quickly realized that traveling in Mongolia is quite difficult, at least if you dont speak the language. And I wanted to travel far, to the reindeer people by the Siberian border. But there I was standing next to a busy street in the capital Ulan Batar, scratching my head. Then I remembered my Hungarian friend now living in the Peruvian Amazon without road connection since many years. He had spoken about a Mongolian friend, that spoke english, so I sent my fiend a message on FB, although he sometimes spends over a month in the jungle without coming in to town for checking messages. This time however miraculously I got answer right away, short like the communication with my friends usually is. Call this number, tell him your my friend.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">So I did and got invited for lunch. The Mongolian guy spoke english and worked as a guide but was not familiar with the remote tribe the Dukha people in the north consisting of only 300 people that I wanted to visit. When I showed him on a map, he concluded that it was a place very far away, very hard to get to and no roads towards the end. Also there would be language complications even for a mongol.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">But I owe him a lot of gratitude because he was very helpful, started phoning around, pulling strings and going trough his contacts. Finally he said: “Ok, there is a family driving up to Mörön tomorrow thats where the road ends and it will take over 12 hours. The driver only speaks some words of english but knows your plan now and will continue the journey with you, help you rent a jeep for the next part of the journey (one day) and then horses for the last part, the day after that. All this for a quite reasonably price.”</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The journey in jeep from Mörön was beautiful. Over the Mongolian grasslands, that wasnt as flat as I had imagined, there where a lot of hills, patches of forest and rivers that we had to cross. Late in the evening we arrived at the last house, belonging to a nomad family, where we slept. In the morning we rented horses from them and continued up the mountains, towards Siberia. This was in May so on one frozen mountain lake we had to turn the horses around because the ice was breaking up. Instead we had to find our way around it crossing an open river.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Arriving the camp of the Dukha people, the reindeer people, I rode straight up to one lavvu (or tepee). That happened to be the lávvu of the shaman and his family. We got to stay in a smaller lávvu next to them.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/11427191_10152815790562665_7512757561765585030_n.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/1922189_10152815792332665_116014966579997042_n.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Now, Im calling them reindeer people, not reindeer herders, because they live very much <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/what-and-where-is-sapmi/">like we Samis did</a> 500 years ago, before we had developed the actual reindeer herding. A family has only about 20 reindeers that they use for transport and milk. While they live on hunting, mainly roe deer, moose and wild reindeer, they considered bear to have the best meet, something that I never heard before where I been traveling like North America, Greenland or at home. They only slaughtered their own reindeers when the reindeer started to lose their teeth sometime after the age of 12 years. The loss of teeth being a sign that the reindeer is about to die from old age.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Needless to say their relation with their reindeers are very close. In Sápmi a reindeer herding family needs about 400 reindeers to make a living from it. Some have well over a thousand reindeers. Everything is different here in sápmi, since about 500 year ago we where heavily taxed by the colonizing countrys, that led to the large scale reindeer herding that also by itself consumes large amounts of money to function, snowmobiles and ATVs are used a lot, we are also more integrated in the colonizing countrys, we have houses, cars and pay tax. But not long ago things where different, my father was born and raised in a lávvu, with no snowmobiles around, he used to tell me about how different the reindeers behaved when he was young, they where much more tame. Everything changed very fast for us in the 60s and 70s. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">So for me this was in many ways like a trip back in time, to my roots. That first evening I took part in a shamanic ceremony, listening to the drumming of the shaman by the fire in their lávvu. He had recognised me as a shaman when he saw me, that was the reason for this ceremony, we wanted to learn about each other. And I really hope that we will meet again, then he would drink ayahuasca with me. Like he put it: You are like me but I can se that your way to work is different. We concluded that we need to learn more from each other.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/10693_10152815791227665_361074245145931711_n.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="639" width="477" /></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Mongolian <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/introduction-shamanism/">shamans</a> are somewhat more like mediums then what I am used to and they have elements found in some Caribbean practices, like controlled possession.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">During my 10 days with the Dukha people I got many opportunities for reindeer riding, I always rode on the shamans white reindeer, that I – to their surprise never fell off. But according to me its way easier to ride on a reindeer then on a horse. An opinion that most people seem to disagree with. But the trott of a reindeer is so much smoother then that of a horse.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/jungleklapparren.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></figure>
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<p class="has-medium-font-size">Another interesting thing I noticed was that the reindeers where unmarked, Samis mark their reindeers in the ears to see who it belongs to. I asked about that. They said they recognise them, their color, facial features and so on. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">My conversations with the shaman where translated by the only person in the camp consisting of 14 lávvus that spoke english. A Mongolian woman that had been an exchange student in Colorado and later married a Dukha man, a hunter with reindeers. So with them I could also talk and learn about their life.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The main problems for the tribe where the wolves and the government thats trying to stop them from hunting in their land that is now declared a national park. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Every night all the reindeers where brought in to the middle of the camp, with the lávvus surrounding them to provide some protection for the reindeers. One night we all woke up because the dogs where barking and howling, it was the wolves trying to get the reindeers. So the wolves were always a very common topic to discuss. The loss of for example one reindeer trained for riding would be severe for a family.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">At home (where we dont have wolves today) my family are more concerned with lynx, wolverine and bear, so I asked about that. They said that wolverine they hardly ever se, about lynx they just laughed and said that yes it can happen that a lynx kills a reindeer but its over 10 years since the last time it happened and they sad that the dogs would probably kill a lynx if it tried to get to close. Bears, yes they can go crazy sometimes but they also have the best tasting meat.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Siberian tigers and snow leopards none of them had encountered but they knew stories about encounters from grandparents that had already past away. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Wolves on the other hand was a serious problem.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Although the wolves also function like a pharmacy in Mongolian folk tradition. If you have a heart problem, then eat a wolf heart, and so on, liver, kidneys… </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">As the spring advanced we moved higher up in the mountains towards the Siberian border. Reindeers dont like heat. The border was another problem for the Dukhas. Their ancestors used to migrate across the border but the Sovjet Union and Mongolia put a stop to it. So some got closed in on the Mongolian side and some on the Russian side in the Tuva province. Some families where split because of this. Although it still happens that they cross the border while they hunt, I met a man that had been jailed because of this and was facing 20 years in Mongolian prison. He was very lucky though, his mother was a known shaman that had saved the life of a family member to the provincial governor. That got him out of prison, sometimes corruption can be a god thing.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/10455805_10152815790222665_6120030930080598375_n.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/11428036_10152815790332665_1293133103900571901_n.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Well, my visit came to an end but I hope to se my friends there again some day and exchange more with the shaman. Here is another <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/bieggaolmmai-interesting-trainride/">story from my travels.</a> </p>
<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/12118854_10153035629742665_1613228015761893885_n.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Also read : <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/what-and-where-is-sapmi/">What and where is Sápmi. </a> and “<a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/i-am-from-sapmi/">I am from Sápmi</a>“. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">“<a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/introduction-shamanism/">Shamanism – an introduction</a>” and “<a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/bieggaolmmai-interesting-trainride/">Bieggaolmmái – an Interestin trainride</a>“</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/a-sami-finding-back-to-his-roots-in-mongolia/">A SAMI FINDING BACK TO HIS ROOTS IN MONGOLIA</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåventag:elinkaaven.com,2005:Post/56856912019-02-05T11:41:32-05:002019-08-27T03:58:33-04:00SAMI SOGA LÁVLLA – THE SAMI ANTHEM
<p class="has-medium-font-size">The lyrics to the Sami Anthem is the poem <em>Sámi soga lávlla</em> written by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isak_Saba">Isak Saba</a>. He was a Norwegian school teacher and a researcher of Sami folklore and politics from <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nesseby" target="_blank">Unjárga,</a> Norway. The poem was first published on April 1, 1906 on the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-languages" target="_blank">Northern Sami language </a>in the Sámi newspaper <em>Sagai Muittalægje.</em> The same year he became the first Sami to be elected to the Norwegian Parliament (he was a deputy in 1906-1912). </p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/isak-saba-liten.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /><figcaption>Isak Saba Photo: www.isaksaba.no</figcaption></figure></div>
<p><a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-languages" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Read about the Sami languages here. (opens in a new tab)">Read about the Sami languages here.</a></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In August 1986, the 13th <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A1mi_Conference">Sámi Conference</a>, was held in the Swedish village of Åre, the poem <em>Sámi soga lávlla</em> was declared the national anthem of the Sami. The music written for these words were by the Norwegian composer <a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arne_S%C3%B8rli">Arne Sørli</a>, was approved in 1992 as the official national anthem at the 15th Sámi Conference in Helsinki. There is also a traditional joik-melody that has been used to this song.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">This song is used as an National anthem for all Samis, no matter which country they live in. Same goes for the <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/the-sami-flag" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Sami Flag. (opens in a new tab)">Sami Flag. </a></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Messages of the song</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">There has been discussions of the last sentence in this song; “S<em>ámieatnan Sámiide</em>” – “<em>The Saamiland for the Saami!</em>“. This for many has been interpreted as a nationalistic demand or wish, seen from todays perspective. Harald Gaski (Sami writer and literary researcher) has stated that even some Samis dont want to sing this song because of the last sentence. But I think also that we have to remember the context in which this song is written.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Harald Gaski states that </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>the message in this song is to raise awareness of the Sami people. That is why the song is full of allusions to Sami myths and the old epic joiks that tell how the Sami people found the land that was meant for them.</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The son of the Sun <br></strong>In his call for continued Sami self-awareness and pride over our own cultural background, Isak Saba chose to point to a mythical past that explains the Sami origin back to the sun. Of the sun, the Sami got the wild reindeer that the women later tamed. The son of the Sun found his bride in the land of the <em>jiehtanas</em>, sprites. Together they got Gállábártnit, who were famous moose hunters, and also those who invented the skis. So never to be forgotten they were elevated to heaven after their death, where they today constitute the constellation Orion’s belt (which is in Sami called Gállábártnit).</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>These mythical people are the Sámi descendants of, and it should therefore be obvious that enemies never manage to overcome “Beaivvi bártni nana nálli” (the strong kin of the son of the sun) if the Sami only take care of their mother tongue and remember the words of their ancestors to us: “The Saamiland for the Saami!”</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Saba had in a previous issue of <em>Sagai Muittalægje</em> told about how impressed he had been with the mythical stories of the Sami people’s proud past, which he had become acquainted with through the Finnish researcher Otto Donner’s book <em>Lappalaisia lauluja</em> from 1876.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/standard_Sagai_Muittal_gje-804x1024.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="398" width="313" /><figcaption>Sami Soga Lavlla on the frontpage of the Sami newspaper <em>Saǥai Muittalægje</em> in 1906.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Fight against forced assimilation</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In the article, Saba promises that he will contribute to that the mythical stories never will be forgotten. Therefore, he advocates writing a national anthem in line with the tradition of national anthems, which mentions former grandeur while pointing forward by continuing to promise the people and culture existence, through pride over their own background and belonging. This is the main reason for the last line of the Sami people’s song, not primarily a desire to comment on the later debate on the right to land and water. But as any important work of art, this text is also timeless, in the sense that every age of course is in its full right to read in new interpretations and meanings in the text.</p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>For Saba, however, it was imperative to fight against the forced assimilation that was official Norwegian/Swedish/Finnish/Russian politics at the beginning of the 20th century, where the aim of the education was to destroy Sami language and culture.</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Like the shaman representing the Sami voice in Fellman’s text “The Thief and the Shaman”, Saba wants to urge his Sami brothers and sisters to actively resist the assimilation policy, not least by insisting on the importance of preserving their own language! </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In Saba’s eyes, losing Sami language meant cultural deprivation – a point of view that probably still has great sympathy among the majority of those who, for the full throat, today also endorse especially the latest strokes of “Sámi soga lávlla”. </p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Source: <a href="https://www.nrk.no/sapmi/hva-betyr-_sameland-for-samene__-1.6462879">Article in Norwegian here</a> </p>
<p>Also read: <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/the-sami-flag" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The Sami Flag (opens in a new tab)">The Sami Flag</a></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Elins version of the song</strong></p>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">In 2014 – I had deeply been longing back home to Sápmi for many years. I got a taste of the national-romatic feeling and wanted to sing this song. So I made my own very intimate version of the song with all the focus on the lyrics. Growing up, singing this song in elementary shcool it was so full of strange old-fashioend words I didn´t understand much of, and also we only sang the first and last verse, because it was too difficult for us. But when I read the lyrics (there are a few northern- sami versions of the lyrics), and looked up every word I didnt know in the dictionary, I realised how beautifully this song was written. For me it was like Isak Saba was writing about everything I was longing for and feeling at the moments when I was longing home. And it felt very right for me to make this version of the song. Here it is:</p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe width="840" height="473" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w9rGCc4HHYU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
<figcaption>Sámi Soga Lávlla – The Sami Anthem – Elin Kåven</figcaption></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">Here is an live version of the Sami anthem from 2017</p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe width="840" height="473" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/syGNhTRqIy0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
<figcaption>Sami Anthem Live by Elin Kåven</figcaption></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size">And here is the “classic” version of Sami Anthem</p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe width="840" height="630" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UTWUkip6Yok?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
<figcaption>The “classic” version of the Sami Anthem</figcaption></figure>
<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>SÁMI SOGA LÁVLLA </strong></p>
<p>Guhkkin davvin Dávggáid vuolde<br>sabmá suolggaid Sámieatnan.<br>Duottar leabbá duoddar duohkin,<br>jávri seabbá jávrri lahka.<br>Čohkat čilggiin, čorut čearuin<br>allánaddet almmi vuostái.<br>Šávvet jogat, šuvvet vuovddit,<br>cáhket ceakko stállenjárggat<br>máraideaddji mearaide.</p>
<p>Dálvit dáppe buolašbiekkat,<br>muohtaborggat meariheamit.<br>Sámesohka sieluin mielain<br>eahccá datte eatnamiiddis:<br>Mátkkálažžii mánoheabit,<br>giđđudeaddji guovssahasat, –<br>ruoškkas, ruovggas rođuin gullo,<br>juhca jávrriin, jalgadasain,<br>geresskálla máđiid miel.</p>
<p>Ja go geassebeaivváš gollut<br>mehciid, mearaid, mearragáttiid,<br>golli siste guollebivdit<br>suilot mearain, suilot jávrriin.<br>Gollin čuvget čáhcelottit,<br>silban šovvot sámedeanut,<br>šelgot čuoimmit, šleđgot áirrut,<br>luitet albmát lávllodemiin<br>geavgŋáid, guoikkaid, goatniliid.</p>
<p>Sámeeatnan sohkagoddi<br>dat leat gierdan doddjokeahttá<br>godde čuđiid, garrugávppiid,<br>viehkes vearre-vearroválddiid.<br>Dearvva dutnje, sitkes sohka!<br>Dearvva dutnje, ráfi ruohtas!<br>Eai leat doarut dorrojuvvon,<br>eai leat vieljain varat vardán<br>sámi siivo soga sis.</p>
<p>Máttarádját mis leat dovle<br>vuoitán vearredahkkiid badjel.<br>Vuostálastot, vieljat, miige<br>sitkatvuođain soardiideamet!<br>Beaivvi bártniid nana nálli!<br>Eai du vuoitte vašálaččat,<br>jos fal gáhttet gollegielat,<br>muittát máttarmáttuid sáni:<br>Sámieatnan sámiide!</p>
<p><strong>LYRICS IN ENGLISH – </strong></p>
<p>Translated byRagnar Müller-Wille and Rauna Kuokkanen</p>
<p><strong>1.</strong> Far up North ‘neath Ursa Major<br>Gently rises Saamiland.<br>Mountain upon mountain.<br>Lake upon lake.<br>Peaks, ridges and plateaus<br>Rising up to the skies.<br>Gurgling rivers, sighing forests.<br>Iron capes pointing sharp<br>Out towards the stormy sea. </p>
<p><strong>2.</strong> Winter time with storm and cold<br>Fierce blizzards.<br>Saami kin, with hearts and souls<br>Their lands do love.<br>Moonlight for the traveller,<br>Living Aurora flickering,<br>Grunt of reindeer heard in groves of birch,<br>Voices over lakes and open grounds,<br>Swish of sled on winter road. </p>
<p><strong>3.</strong> Summer’s sun casts golden hues<br>On forests, seas and shores.<br>Fishermen in gold, swaying <br>With the golden seas, golden lakes.<br>Silver Saami rivers gurgling <br>’round sparkling poles, shining oars. <br>Singing, men float down <br>Rapids, great and small, <br>And waters calm. </p>
<p><strong>4.</strong> Saamiland’s people<br>With unbending strength<br>Defeated killing enemies, bad trades,<br>Sly and evil thieves.<br>Hail thee, tough Saami kin!<br>Hail thee, root of freedom!<br>Never was there battle,<br>Never brother’s blood was spilt<br>Amongst the peaceful Saami kin. </p>
<p><strong>5.</strong> Our ancestors long ago<br>Trouble makers did defeat.<br>Let us, brothers, also resist<br>Staunchly our oppressors.<br>Oh, tough kin of the sun’s sons,<br>Never shall you be subdued<br>If you heed your golden Saami tongue,<br>Remember the ancestors’ word.<br>The Saamiland for the Saami! </p>
<p></p>
<p>Sources 05.02.2019</p>
<p>Alot of this post is translated to English from this article: <a href="https://www.nrk.no/sapmi/hva-betyr-sameland-for-samene_-1.6462879">https://www.nrk.no/sapmi/hva-betyr-</a><em><a href="https://www.nrk.no/sapmi/hva-betyr-sameland-for-samene_-1.6462879">sameland-for-samene_</a></em><a href="https://www.nrk.no/sapmi/hva-betyr-sameland-for-samene_-1.6462879">-1.6462879</a></p>
<p> All translations of Sami Soga Lávlla here: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A1mi_anthem">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sámi_anthem</a></p>
<p>ALSO READ: <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-languages">Sami languages </a> <a href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/the-sami-flag">The Sami Flag</a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com/sami-soga-lavlla-the-sami-anthem/">SAMI SOGA LÁVLLA – THE SAMI ANTHEM</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://beneathnorthernlights.com">Beneath Northern Lights</a>.</p>
Elin Kåven