Or more correctly sámi álbmotbeaivi (aprox: The day of the Sami peoples).
Celebrated in Sweden,Norway and Finland on Febr 6, marking the first Sami Congress in Trondheim, Norway 1917.
The day has been celebrated since 1992 after a decision by the Congress in Helsinki, Finland.
Sapmi (the lands of the Sami) encompasses areas in northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.
The Samer are the only official indigenous people wthin the EU.
Åke Siikavuopio, Naimakka´s only inhabitant.
Skating in Naimakka, Laplandia / Sapmi (Northern Sweden).
Naimakka, Northern Sweden (Laplandia / Sapmi)
A noaidi (Northern Sami: noaidi, Lule Sami: noajdde, Southern Sami: nåejttie, Skolt Sami: nōjjd, Ter Sami: niojte, Kildin Sami: noojd/nuojd) 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” (cf. witchcraft). Several Sámi shamanistic beliefs and practices were similar to those of some Siberian cultures.
Noaidis are said to have the role of mediator between humans and the gods. To undertake this mediation, the noaidi communicated with the gods, asking what sacrifice needed to be made by a person so that they might return to good health, be successful in their hunt for food, and even for good weather. Sacrifices were designed by the noaidi to reestablish the balance between the mortal and immortal worlds.
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, as well as Christian 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.
A noaidi could engage in any kind of affair that demanded wisdom; it is said they took payments for their services. The activities included healing people, helping children, making decisions and protecting reindeer, which represented the most important source of food and were also used as tribute payment.
The sources from which we learn about noaidi are court protocols, tales, excavated tools (such as belts), and missionary reports. The image rendered by missionaries should in most cases be considered mere fable. That Noaidis were punished and in some cases sentenced to death for their “sorcery” should perhaps rather be interpreted as an attempt to obliterate opposition to the crown.
It is probable that the word has come down to both Sámi and Finnic languages from the ancient Proto-Uralic language, as there is a possible cognate word also in the distant Uralic language Mansi.
Tiermes, God of thunder (notice hammer)
Sámi shamanism is a Sámi neo-shamanistic or neo-paganistic religion. Though it varied considerably from region to region within Sápmi, it commonly emphasized ancestor worship and animal spirits, such as the bear cult. Sámi religion is also based on archaeologicalremains and written sources from missionary work in northern Scandinavia during the Middle Ages 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.
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 Horagalles. 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.[1]
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.
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 antler from reindeer.
The clan and family gods of the Sámi were known in different parts of Sapmi under the name of Seita, Sieidis orStorjunkare. 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.
Birkarls (birkarlar in Swedish, unhistorical pirkkamiehet or pirkkalaiset in Finnish; bircharlaboa, bergcharl etc. in historical sources) were a small, unofficially organized Finnish group that controlled taxing and commerce in central Lappmarken in Sweden during the 13th to 17th centuries.
The most probable assumption is that Birkarls were originally Finnish traders mainly from historical Tavastia. King Magnus III Birgersson is traditionally claimed to have granted their privileges to control the trade and taxes in the north in the later half of the 13th century, possibly just legalizing an already existing situation. Birkarls (bircharlaboa) are first mentioned in 1328, when they are listed as one of the settler groups in northern Hälsingland that covered the western coast of Gulf of Bothnia all the way up and around the gulf to Oulu River. Origin of the name birkarl is probably in an ancient Scandinavian word birk that has been used in reference to commerce in various contexts. In the late 16th century, claims about birkarls coming from Great Pirkkala (a parish in northern Tavastia) emerged, propagated by birkarls themselves in their battle to prevent the state from stripping their privileges. This is at least partly true, since men from Pirkkala appear as witnesses in a document from 1374 about local borders in northern Pohjanmaa. Later in the 19th century a Finnish term pirkkamiehet or pirkkalaiset was invented as a “domestic” name for birkarls. It never appears in any of the documentation or traditions, but is commonly used in Finland today to mean birkarls. In total, some 20 theories are estimated to exist to explain the origin and name of the birkarls. The “runic” looking signs are “bomärken”. Housemarks or brands (a bit like the ones American ranches puts on livestock).
