The earliest people in Scandinavia come up the Volga River in Russia after the last Ice Age about 25,000 years ago. They settle along the coast of the peninsular lands, later moving inland.
Jump to:
Western Uralic languages include Sámi, Hungarian, Estonian and Finnish. With migration the spoken word travels to 3000 BCE Scandinavia. There's no one Sámi language, but a group of ten distinct Sámi languages, with six having written parallels.
From the Bronze Age of 3300 - 1200 BCE, the Sámi settle the area along the coast of Finnmark, a region in north Norway; and the Kola Peninsula in the extreme northwest of Russia. Other cultures turn an eye toward south and inner Scandinavia.
After the 8th century AD the Sámi have contact with Vikings for trade. Mythologies influence each other, with clear overlapping beliefs.
Other nomadic cultures also roam the land and bring their lore along. Despite regional differences the basic concepts of nature-based religions prevail.
Mythology & Nature
The Sámi create a complex culture of folklore, history and expression. The northern gods come from timeless beliefs. The basic form of religion is polytheism, the recognition of several deities. The earliest form of a nature religion is Sun worship or the Cult of the Sun.
The brilliant sphere brings warmth and abundance to the land, and marks the passing of the seasons. With the Moon, the Sun gives light.
In the far north, the sun barely peeks above the horizon in winter and never dips below it in summer. During the dark days people can only hope the sun returns and with it, life of the land.
The Sámi follow the reindeer herds, migration of fish and seasonal bounty.
Sámi religion shares some elements with Norse mythology, from early contacts with Vikings for trade.
The god Thor is worshipped by the Sámi up to the 18th century. They're last existing people to honor the God of Thunder and Agriculture.
Belief varies among tribes, but Sámi religion in general relates to the land, animism and the supernatural. It's characterized by the understanding of personal spirituality and its fusion with daily life, and a strong connection between natural and spiritual realms.
Noaidi - Sámi Shaman
The noaidi (pl. noaiddit), or Sámi shaman, is traditional healer and protector. Shamans facilitate ritual communication with the supernatural.
They might use drums; Joik, a type of song; Fadno, reed instruments used as musical pipes; chants, sacred objects and fly agaric mushroom. With a couple of exceptions, only men can be noaiddit.
Noaiddit are mediators between humans and spirits, protectors of reindeer and healers. The noaidi is able to communicate with the spirit world, there to ask the sacrifice needed by a person for health or hunting.
Sacrifices designed by the noaidi are considered to achieve balance between mortal and immortal worlds. Worship is held in sacred sites such as rock formations, mountains, springs or Siedi (unusually shaped rocks).
Petroglyphs and labyrinths also mark spiritual sites. Sámi traditional beliefs and practices commonly emphasize veneration of the dead and animal spirits.
The people develop an intricate relationship with the herds of reindeer. Bear worship and sacrifice is also a large part of the cultural religion.
The traditional drum is the most important symbol and tool of the Sámi noaidi. The Shaman can invoke assistance from benevolent spirits and conduct out-of-body travel via the “free soul”.
Sámi philosophy distinguishes between the “free soul” and “body soul”. The body soul cannot cross the boundary of life and death or spiritual progression.
In the early 19th century, Swedish minister Lars Levi Laestadius compiles a fragmented picture of Sámi paganism. He writes
"But since these noaides through their alleged or real magic skills represented the greatest hindrance for the rapid spread of the faith among the populace, it was natural that they would be hated and persecuted by the priests who saw the noaides as the Devil's instruments."
In the Middle Ages and later years the noaiddit comes under persecution, with many sentenced to death for practicing witchcraft. The Sámi guard the secrets of their religion.
This practice promotes fear among the members of the dominant ideology. The shaman is seen as an obstacle to Christian domination. In Scandinavia Christianity has strong influence, spreading from c. 830 AD throughout the lands by the 11th century.
The Three Worlds
Sámi cosmology divides the universe into three worlds.
The upper world relates to South, warmth, life and the color white. It's the dwelling of the gods.
The middle world is like the Norse Midgard. It's the dwelling of humans and it is associated with the color red.
The third world is the underworld. It's associated with the color black. It represents the north, cold, and is inhabited by otters, loons, and seals and mythical creatures.
Siedis & Storjunkare
In Northern Scandinavia, sieidis are places with unusual land forms, having strong spiritual significance. Each family or clan makes offerings to the local spirits for blessings of protection and good fortune.
The Storjunkare are stones with likeness to a man or an animal. People set the stones up on a mountain top, near a river or lake, in a cave. They're honored with fresh twigs under them in winter, and grass or leaves in summer.
The Storjunkare have power over all animals, fish, and birds. They grant luck to those who hunt or fish. Reindeer are offered up to them, and every clan and family has its own hill of sacrifice.
Sámi Gods and Goddesses
Radien (Radien-attje) rules the heavens and earth. He's known as the Good God. He created grass, leaves, greenery. With his wife Raedieahkka he gave humans their souls.
Beaivi is goddess of the sun and mother of human beings.
According to scholar Hans Sckanke, the Sami consider the sun
"... as a divine being; but the effects and the heat, which they are sensing from the Sun, they say is the daughter of the Sun, which they call Salaneide, and they consider her to have the power to make an end to snow and coldness".
Horagalles is a thunder god figure among some Sámi people. He's a god of the sky, thunder, lightning, rainbows, weather, seas and lakes. He rules over human life, wellbeing and health. He may be depicted with a hammer.
Laib Olmai is protector of forests, patron of wild animals and god of the hunt. In the hunter-gatherer culture a fortunate hunt was a necessity, and some people honored him thrice a day to win his favor.
Mano, Manna, or Aske - god of the moon
Rana Niejta (Rana Niejte) is a Goddess of Fertility and Spring. Rana Niejta blesses the trees and herbs to grow and flourish anew every year. She made the southern mountains turn green, so the reindeer would have enough food.
The symbol of Rana Niejta is sometimes the world tree or pillar. It reaches up to the North Star, finding parallels in Finnish mythology. She's often found in a trinity with Sala Niejta "daughter of the Sun", who can end snow and cold; and Saivo Niejta "daughter of the underworld".
Raedieahkka - wife of Radien-attje. With her husband she created human souls.
Complete List of Sámi Gods & Goddesses
Akka - a group of fertility goddesses, including Maderakka, Juksakka and Uksakka
Beaivi - goddess of the sun, mother of human beings
Bieggagallis - husband of the sun goddess, father of human beings
Bieggolmai 'Man of the Winds' - god of the winds
Biejjenniejte - goddess of healing and medicine, daughter of the Sun, Beaivi
Horagalles - god of thunder
Jahbme akka - goddess of the dead; mistress of the underworld & realm of the dead
Ipmil 'God' - adopted as native name for the Christian God; also used for Radien-attje
Lieaibolmmai - god of the hunt and of adult men
Madder-Attje - husband of Maderakka and father of the tribe. While his wife gives newborns their bodies, he gives them their souls.
Mano, Manna, or Aske - god of the moon
Mubpienålmaj - the god of evil, influenced by the Christian Satan
Radien-attje - Creator and high god, the creator of the world and the head divinity. In Sámi religion, he is passive or sleeping and is not often included in religious practice. He created the souls of human beings with his spouse. He was also called Waralden Olmai.
Raedieahkka - wife of the high god Radien-attje. She created the souls of human beings with her spouse.
Rana Niejta - spring goddess, the daughter of Radien-attje and Raedieahkka. Rana, meaning "green" or by extension "fertile", was a popular name for Sámi girls.
Radien-pardne - the son of Radien-attje and Raedieahkka. He acts as the proxy of his passive father, performing his tasks and carrying out his will.
Ruohtta - god of sickness and death. He was depicted riding a horse.
Stallo - feared cannibal giants of the wilderness
Tjaetsieålmaj - "the man of water", god of water, lakes and fishing
Non-Fiction Books:
Fiction Books:
READ: Lora Ley Adventures - Germanic Mythology Fiction Series
READ: Reiker For Hire - Victorian Detective Murder Mysteries