Sami shamanism

Sami shamanism

The knowledge of the mythology and religious practices of the Sami people is primarily based on archeological remains and written sources from missionary works in northern Scandinavia during the Middle Ages and up to the early 18th c. The religion was a form of shamanism, practiced by the shaman for the most miscellaneous problems. The shaman, termed noaide in the Sami language, had great influence on the people in the village, since he or she was the link between man and gods, spirits and forefathers.

In the landscape throughout Northern Scandinavia, one can find "sieidis", places that have unusual land forms that are different from the surrounding countryside. They are considered a spiritual 'focal point' and are worshiped as a gateway to the spirit world. At these "sieidis", archeologist have found objects called "Samic metal depots" (due to the large numbers of metal objects) dating back to 800-1300s. These objects are mostly coins from medieval Germany and England, parts from weapons such as arrow-heads, and other minor findings such as antler from reindeer.

The instrument used for ceremonies was the rune drum, but even a domestic flute, the so-called "fadno", was used. The traditional Sami chant, joik, was used in ceremonies where the noaide fell in trance and left his or her body to transcend into the divine world of "saivo", where he or she could negotiate with gods, spirits and forefathers to improve the fate of the group he or she represented.

Males confessed to sacrificial male gods, whereas females confessed 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.

As with other circumpolar religions, the Sami religion contains a hunting ceremony especially for bears, known as the bear cult. We find elements of nordic mythology as well as Christian ideas in the religious practice in the later years of Sami religion.

Sami people in northern Scandinavia today belong to the main Christian churches, though many are now secular or non-religious, as are the majority of people in the Scandinavian countries. During recent years, there has been a movement in some churches to encourage the use of the Sami language and culture in expressing the Christian faith. Official Sami bodies exist today in the Lutheran Church of Sweden and Church of Norway, as well as in the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden.

See also

* Lars Levi Læstadius
* Finnic mythology
* "Fragments of Lappish Mythology"
* Noaide

External links

* [http://www.utexas.edu/courses/sami/diehtu/giella/film/pathfinder.htm Folklore, Boundaries and Audience in The Pathfinder]
* [http://www.faqs.org/faqs/nordic-faq/part2_NORDEN/section-2.html The Sámi people]
* [http://www.tjatsi.fo/?side=491b24523f05ea96689d93e856f99618 Beivve] , including many other related topics (e.g. soul dualism of Sami)
* [http://www.tjatsi.fo/?side=f18ed9eecb220d1cf8ff2271cfe499cd The fraticide with the reindeer-antler]
* [http://www.eng.samer.se/servlet/GetDoc?meta_id=1129 Sápmi]
* [http://www.folklore.ee/folklore/vol11/meandash.htm Folktales of Meandash, the mythic Sami reindeer]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Shamanism — Shaman redirects here. For other uses, see Shaman (disambiguation). Russian postcard based on a photo taken in 1908 by S. I. Borisov, showing a female shaman, of probable Khakas ethnicity.[1] Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a… …   Wikipedia

  • Sami people — For other uses, see Sami (disambiguation). Samis redirects here. For the Samis Foundation, see Sam Israel. Sámi Mari Boine • Lars Levi Læstadius • Lisa Thomasson • …   Wikipedia

  • Sami drum — Copper carving (1767) by O.H. von Lode showing a Sami shaman with his rune drum (meavrresgárri) …   Wikipedia

  • Shamanism in Siberia — Northern Asia, particularly Siberia is regarded as the locus classicus of shamanism.Hoppál 2005:13] It is inhabited by many different ethnic groups. Many of its Uralic, Altaic, and Paleosiberian peoples observe shamanistic practices even in… …   Wikipedia

  • shamanism — shamanist, n., adj. shamanistic, adj. /shah meuh niz euhm, shay , sham euh /, n. 1. the animistic religion of northern Asia, embracing a belief in powerful spirits that can be influenced only by shamans. 2. any similar religion. [1770 80; SHAMAN… …   Universalium

  • Sami history — The Sami peoples (originally known as Saami) have inhabited the northern regions of Fenno Scandinavia and Russia for a long time in coexistence with other peoples. The traditional Sami life style, dominated by hunting, fishing and trading, was… …   Wikipedia

  • Imitation of sounds in shamanism — Shamanism in various cultures shows great diversity.[1] In some cultures, the music related to shamanistic beliefs or practice may intentionally mimic natural sounds, sometimes with onomatopoiea.[2] Of course, in several cultures, imitation of… …   Wikipedia

  • Karuppu Sami — Hdeity infobox| Caption = Lord Karuppanaar Name = Karuppu Sami Devanagari = Sanskrit Transliteration = Pali Transliteration = Tamil script = Script name = Script = Affiliation = God of = Protection Abode = Mantra = Weapon = Aruval Consort = Mount …   Wikipedia

  • Saami — (Sámi)    Also known as Lapps. Indigenous to northern Finland, Norway, Sweden, and northwestern Russia, the Saami’s primary traditional mode of subsistence is reindeer herding. Their traditional shamanism is sometimes said to have been crushed by …   Historical dictionary of shamanism

  • Bibliography —    As the scope of the dictionary entries and extent of this bibliography make clear, there is a huge range of literature on shamans, from introductory works, general discussions on such topics as definition, and culture specific ethnographic… …   Historical dictionary of shamanism

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”