Sami religion
Encyclopedia
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
is a Sámi
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
neo-shamanistic or neo-paganistic religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
. Though it varied considerably from region to region within Sápmi, it commonly emphasized ancestor worship and animal spirits
Animism
Animism refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle....
, such as the bear cult. Sámi
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
religion is also based on archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
remains and written sources from missionary work in northern Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and up to the early 18th century, though some of the knowledge exists as family oral tradition. Severe violations have been committed by churches in the past. There are Sámi people who have wished to return to the Sámi shamanistic religion. It has been compared to neo-shamanism or neo-paganism, but the Sámi shamanistic religion does not necessarily have to be polytheistic
Polytheism
Polytheism is the belief of multiple deities also usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own mythologies and rituals....
.
Animal Gods
Aside from the Bear Cult, there are other animal spirits such as the Haldi who watched over nature. Some Sámi people had a thunder god called Tiermes, sometimes called HoragallesHoragalles
In Sami shamanism, Horagalles, also written Hora Galles and Thora Galles and often equated with Tiermes or Aijeke , is the thunder god. He is depicted as a wooden figure with a nail in the head, and with a hammer or occasionally on shaman drums, two hammers...
. Radien or Vearalden was a sky-ruling god. The symbol of the world tree or pillar similar in Finnish mythology that reached up to the North star was marked by a stytto.
The forest-god of the Sámi, Laib olmai ruled over all forest animals, which were regarded as his herds, and luck in hunting, or the reverse, depended on his good will. His favour was so important that, according to one author, they made prayers and offerings to him every morning and evening.
Sieidis
In the landscape throughout Northern Scandinavia, one can find sieidis, places that have unusual land forms different from the surrounding countryside. Sámi shamanism considers these spiritual 'focal points' and worships them as gateways to the spirit world. At these sieidis, sacrifices were made, of animals and objects, and archaeologists have found "Samic metal depots" (due to the large numbers of metal objects) dating back to 9th-14th centuries. These objects are mostly coins from medieval Germany and England, weapons parts such as arrow-heads, and other minor findings such as antlerAntler
Antlers are the usually large, branching bony appendages on the heads of most deer species.-Etymology:Antler originally meant the lowest tine, the "brow tine"...
from reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
.
The clan and family gods of the Sámi were known in different parts of Sapmi under the name of Seita, Sieidis or Storjunkare. Each family or clan had its Storjunkare standing in the district where they lived. Every Sámi settlement had its seita, which had no regular shape, and might consist of smooth or odd-looking stones picked out of a stream, of a small pile of stones, of a tree- stump, or of a simple post. They were set up on a high, prominent place, or in a rich meadow. Under and round such seitas they strewed green fir twigs in winter, and in summer green leaves. The seitas protected their worshippers against misfortune to the herds of reindeer, gave instructions how to catch wild reindeer, and in return offerings were made to them of the hides and hoofs of reindeer, calves, and sometimes of a dog. But a private person might also have his own seita, to whom he prayed for good luck. The Storjunkare are described sometimes as stones, having some likeness to a man or an animal, that were set up on a mountain top, or in a cave, or near rivers and lakes. Honor was done to them by spreading fresh twigs under them in winter, and in summer leaves or grass. The Storjunkare had power over all animals, fish, and birds, and gave luck to those that hunted or fished for them. Reindeer were offered up to them, and every clan and family had its own hill of sacrifice.
Noaide
A noaideNoaide
A noaidi is a shaman of the Sami people in the Nordic countries representing an indigenous nature religion. Most noaidi practices died out during the 17th century, most likely because they resisted the crown; their actions were referred to in courts as "magic" or "sorcery"...
or noaidi was a mediator between earthly world and the spirit world
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
for the smallest of community problems. The noaidi used a Sami drum and a domestic flute called a "fadno" in ceremonies. The traditional Sámi chant—the joik—was used in ceremonies where a noaide fell in a trance, left their body, and transcended to the divine world of "saivo" where they negotiated with gods, spirits, and forefathers to improve the fate of their group. As with other circumpolar religions, the Sámi religion also has a hunting ceremony especially for bears as part of its bear cult. Elements of Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
, as well as Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
ideas, are found in the later years of Sámi religion.
Males confessed to sacrificial male gods, and females to female fertility gods. Sacrifice of animals and metal objects was also included in some religious ceremonies. "White" animals (white reindeer, cows, sheep, etc.) played an important role.
Sámi people in northern Scandinavia today belong to the main Christian churches. During recent years, there has been a movement in some churches to encourage the use of the Sámi language and culture in expressing the Christian faith. Official Sámi bodies exist today in the Lutheran Church of Sweden
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
and Church of Norway
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
, as well as in the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden
Mission Covenant Church of Sweden
The Mission Covenant Church of Sweden , founded in 1878, is a Swedish Reformed free church. It is the second-largest Christian denomination in the country, after the national church, the Church of Sweden...
.
Deities
- ManoMano (mythology)Mano, Manno, Aske or Manna, the Sami mythology god of the Moon. In Sami mythology Mano is a female deity. Mano personified the Moon. The Sami world view was animistic by nature, with shamanistic features. Important places had their divinities...
, Aske or Manna - The god of the Moon. - Atja - The god of thunder, also called Bajanolmmai, Dierpmis, Hovrengalles, Tordöm or Horagalles, which means "Thor- man".
- BeaiviBeaiviBeaivi, Beiwe, Bievve, Beivve or Biejje, is the Sami name of the Sun or might refer to the Sami Sun-deity. The Sami Sun-deity is mostly depicted female but sometimes also as male...
, Biejje or Biejvieh - The great Goddess of the Sun, mother of humankind. - Bieggagallis - The god of the storms, father of human kind, consort of Beaivi.
- Bieggolman or Biegkeålmaj - God of the summer winds.
- Biegkegaellies - God of the winter winds.
- Biejjenniejte - Goddess of healing and medicine; her name means "Daughter of the Sun" or "Maiden of the Sun", and she was especially helpful against sicknesses caused by her mother, the sun.
- Jabbmeaaakka - Goddess of death and queen of the underworld and the kingdom of death.
- Ipmeláhcchi/IpmilIpmilIpmil or Ipmilbalolaš means God in Northern Sámi. Ipmil has been used by Sámi Christians for God. The Creator and ruler of the universe. There are Sámi Christians who believe in Laestadianism that use Ipmil for God. Ipmil can also be used when translating God from other cultures. Names of God:...
/Jipmel/Ipmilbalolaš (trans. Heaven Father) - "God" ; possibly this was a late lative name of the Christian God, but it could also have been a name to include all good deities - Juoksahkka - The protecter and guardian of children; "The woman with an arrow".
- LieaibolmmaiLieaibolmmaiLieaibolmmai or Leibolmai was the deity for hunting in Sami mythology. He was the ruler of the wild animals in the forests, and the hunters made sacrifices in his honour to obtain good hunting fortune....
- God of the hunt, the god of adult men. - Maadteraahka - Mother of the tribe, Goddess of women and children, she who gives humans their body; women belonged to her, and boys belonged to her until they were declared men. Maadteraahka is popular among modern Sámi feminists.
- Maadteraajja - The father of the tribe, husband of Maadteraahka; while his wife gives humans their body, he gives them their soul; and thus, they are born.
- Mubpienålmaj - "The evil one"; possibly the Christian god of evil, but also a name that included all the evil deities.
- Oksaahka - The former of the fetus; she shaped the fietus in the mother's womb and gave humans their gender. She was the sister of Juoksahka.
- Raedie, Väraldarade or Waralden OlmaiWaralden OlmaiWaralden Olmai, also known as Maylmen Olmai, Radien-attje, Jubmel or Vearalden Olmai, was a major Sami god. Sami people come from Sápmi, or modern day Finland, Sweden, and Norway. These ancient Nordic people were polytheistic and "Waralden Olmai" was their "world-god". Waralden Olmai is also an...
- The main god, the great creator of the world; he was, however, passive, some say even sleeping, and not very included in active religion. - RaedieahkkaRaedieahkkaRaedieahkka or Radien-akka was a female deity and the wife of the Sami deity Radien-attje in the Sami mythology....
- Wife of Raedie. - Rana NiejtaRana NiejtaRana Niejta and Rana Niejte are Ume Sami names on a goddess in sami mythology. In Northern Sami she is called Rana Neida and Rana Neide .Rana Niejta is the goddess for spring and fertility...
- Daughter of Raedie. "Rana" was a popular name of Sámi girls. - Raediengiedte - Son of Raedie.
- RuohttaRuohttaRuohtta is personification of sickness and death in Sami mythology. He ruled the land of the dead Rotaimo. Contrary to Sami practice, he travelled on horseback. The horse was among the Sami, a feared and detested animal, probably because it was the preferred form of transportation of the Norsemen...
/Rohttu - The god of sicknesses and therefore also a death-god. He was depicted riding on a horse. - Saaraahka - The Goddess of fertility, menstruation, love, sexuality, pregnancy and childbirth. Saaraahka was the most important female god; she is sometimes sister of Juoksahka and Oksaahka, sometimes they are a trinity of the same Goddess.
- Stallon/Stalu/Stalo - The feared giant of the woods.
- TjaetsieålmajTjaetsieålmajTjaetsieålmaj or Thjathjeolmai controlled lakes and rivers, and gave fishing fortune to people in Sami mythology. The word Thjathje means water, and is said to be the origin of the name of the Norse giant Tjatsi....
- The men of water.
See also
- Lars Levi LæstadiusLars Levi LæstadiusLars Levi Læstadius was a Swedish Lutheran pastor of partly Sami ancestry. From the mid 1840s and onward he became the leader of the Laestadian movement...
- Finnic mythologyFinnic mythologyFinnic mythologies are any of the various mythologies of the Finnic peoples , such as the Volga Finns, Baltic Finns, Permians, and Sami.The mythologies of the Finno-Lappic speakers have some common aspects; the Sami people are deeply shamanistic and these traits are present also in Finnish-Karelian...
- Fragments of Lappish MythologyFragments of Lappish MythologyFragments of Lappish Mythology is the detailed documented account of the Sami religious beliefs and mythology during the mid-19th century. It was written between 1838–1845 by Swedish minister Lars Levi Læstadius, but was not published until 1997 in Swedish, Finnish in 2000 and in English in 2002...
External links
- Folklore, Boundaries and Audience in The Pathfinder
- The Sámi people
- Beivve, including many other related topics (e.g. soul dualismSoul dualismSoul dualism or a dualistic soul concept is a range of beliefs that a person has two kinds of souls. In many cases, one of the souls is associated with body functions and the other one can leave the body . Sometimes the plethora of soul types can be even more complex...
of Sami) - The fraticide with the reindeer-antler
- Sápmi
- Folktales of Meandash, the mythic Sami reindeer