Forn Sed – The Fennoscandic Perspective

Perhaps one thing i can observe in Scandinavian Forn Sed (exept for the temporal, non emphasis on the “Viking Age”) is a perspective that is more Fennoscandic.

To a Swede it is only natural that both Finnish and Sámi influences are very present in our language and culture since long back.

The Vikings Had Children With Native Americans

Scanpix/Granger

The Vikings brought Native Americans to Iceland  a thousand years ago. Or so says Spanish and Icelandic researchers, who in 80 Icelanders have found a special type of DNA found only in Native Americans and East Asians.

Originally  the researchers considered that this exotic DNA came from Asians, who in modern times have settled in Iceland, but when the researchers examined the 80 Icelanders’ family tree, it turned out that all originate from the same area in southern Iceland, and that their DNA profile is at least 300 years old.

“Iceland was isolated from the rest of the world from the 900s onwards. The most likely explanation is that the genes originated from an Indian woman, brought in from America by the Vikings around the year 1000, “said DNA expert Carles Lalueza-Fox, who has participated in the new

analyzes.

The investigation  responds in historical circles, as researchers long believed that the Vikings came to America 500 years before Columbus.

Original Swedish Article: http://varldenshistoria.se/vikingarna/vikingarna-fick-barn-med-indianer

The Sami National Day

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.

Hurstwic:Viking Age History

One of the missions of Hurstwic is to educate the public on topics related to the Viking Age. Hurstwic members make themselves available to universities, schools, museums, and community groups for lectures and demonstrations

Sami Gods

• 
• (Horagalles/Thora Galles/Tiermes/Aijeke/Pajonn)
  The Sami god of thunder & lightning. His hammer was called Wetschera or Ajeke veccera which means grandfather’s hammer. Tiermes also has a bow called dauge which is a rainbow. Sometimes Tiermes is depicted with two hammers. One he uses to make thunder & lightning and the other he uses to withdraw thunder & lightning in order to prevent damage. Not surprisingly the Sami Tiermes is compared to the Norse Thor and Finnish Ukko. Even Thor’s wife Sif is linked to Tiermes/Horagalles’s mate Ravdna.
  
  “In Sami mythology Tiermes was the god of the sky and thunder and lightening, the rainbow, weather, oceans, lakes and over human life, health and well-being. He protected people and animals from “hurtful demons” and “evil spirits” (i.e. Trolls).” “who frequent the rocks and mountains, and like Jupiter of the Romans he sometimes destroys them with his lightning or shoot them with his bow (dauge) or dash their brains out with the hammer (Wetschera). Horagalles’s bow was the rainbow.”
• Mano, 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”.
• Beaivi, 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/Ipmil/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”.
• Lieaibolmmai - 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 Olmai - The main god, the great creator of the world; he was, however, passive, some say even sleeping, and not very included in active religion.
• Raedieahkka - Wife of Raedie.
• Rana Niejta - Daughter of Raedie. “Rana” was a popular name of Sámi girls.
• Raediengiedte - Son of Raedie.
• Ruohtta/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.
• Tjaetsieålmaj - The men of water.

The Noaidi

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)