The Sami believed in several parallel worlds. In addition to the "ordinary" world, there was, among others, a realm of the dead (Jábmiid áibmu), a paradise (Sáivu), an animal realm, a heavenly realm and an underworld. We can distinguish between four different categories of gods, depending on where in the cosmos they had their sphere of activity: gods above the heavens, gods in the heavens and the air, gods on the earth, and gods beneath the earth. On the Sami runic drum the gods were usually depicted according to where they held their domains of power. Runic drums thus give an indication of how different spheres of reality were thought to fit together, and what role the gods played in the world.
Among the Sami gods, the sun god was the central force. The sun god was called Beaivi, which is also the Sami word for sun. According to Sami mythology, the reindeer came wandering to the earth along the sun's rays (Beaivvi lávžžit). On the runic drum several central gods were placed on the sun's rays. Another important god was Horagállis, also called Dearpmis, who was one of the heavenly gods. Horagállis was the thunder god, and ruled over everything from lightning, thunder, wind and weather to human life and death. The Sami often turned to him for prosperity and good fortune. Other central deities were the god of the wind and storm Bieggolmmái, the god of the hunt Leaibolmmái, and Storjunkeren, who ruled over wild animals, birds and fish.
Among the female gods, Máttaráhkká was the foremother and one of the central earthly gods. She created the human body and brought the child to Sáráhkká, one of her daughters. Sáráhkká was the mother of creation (from sárrat - "to create") and the women's god. She brought the child into the womb and helped during birth. Sáráhkká was greatly honoured and worshipped. Her dwelling place was by the árran, the hearth in the turf hut, and she received a share of all food. Juksáhkká was the bow mother (from juoksa - "bow") and could intervene in the mother's life and change the sex of the foetus. The third of Máttaráhkká's daughters, Uksáhkká (from uksa - "door"), had her dwelling at the entrance to the turf hut. She guarded the home against evil forces and watched over small children (ibid.).
Sami religion was animistic, meaning that things in nature were understood as imbued with spirits or gods. These could be invisible, or could have taken up residence in natural objects such as mountains, stones, trees and the like. Human-made figures of gods or spirits are also known. According to traditional belief, humans had helping spirits (noaide-gadze or saivo-gadze). These could look like small people, dressed in colourful Sami clothing. They could also take animal form (then called Sáivu-loddi, Sáivu-guolli or Sáivu-sarvvát). The Sami shaman, the noaidi, had many helping spirits, but it was also common to have helping spirits among other Sami. Helping spirits could be inherited, sold or given as a dowry.
Rituals and cult Shamanism was a central element in Sami religion. Shamanism involves a group of people using a "shaman," a spiritual expert with special abilities, to make contact with the world of gods and spirits. The Sami ritual and religious expert was called the noaidi. With assistance from his helping spirits, the noaidi could undertake soul journeys to paradise (Sáivu), to the realm of the dead (Jábmiid áibmu), or to any place on earth, to seek counsel and guidance from the gods or the deceased. Because of his special contact with spirits and gods, the noaidi could also help to heal the sick.
The noaidi used the runic drum to enter a trance, so that his soul could journey while his body lay lifeless behind. He also had thorough knowledge of the runic drum and the symbolism of the religious figures, and used the drum to divine. A ring of metal or a figure of bone was placed on the drum, and the drum was struck with a hammer of reindeer antler. Depending on where the ring or figure moved, answers were obtained to various questions.
Sacrifice was an important ritual act in Sami culture. In daily life, people often made offerings at home or out in nature, without the assistance of a noaidi. The offering was adapted to what one was offering for and to whom one was offering. Common offerings were fish oil, fish remains, meat, blood, or metal and coins. In special situations, more valuable things were offered, such as reindeer or horses, and the sacrificial ceremony was led by a noaidi.
Myths Many Sami myths, fairy tales and legends have survived to our own day, either as part of a still-living oral storytelling tradition or in written form. These are an invaluable source for the Sami religious world of ideas. The Sami linguist Jens Andreas Friis distinguishes between three categories of Sami stories: first, stories about animals, which concern their partly supernatural abilities, origins and characteristics. Second, stories about mythical beings and Sami gods, which have traditionally been conveyed in fairy-tale form. Third, historical myths, which often deal with the Sami's encounters with other peoples. Sami religious ideas are often conveyed in parallel with other stories.
There are several accounts of the creation of the world and of humankind in Sami mythology. The myths vary among different groups of Sami, and seem to a great extent to be influenced by nature and living conditions. Most often the stories concern gods or other powers reshaping the world - that is, it is not a matter of creation out of nothing. One story is about the god Ipmil, who is troubled by the spirits of the underworld making noise. He therefore wants to make a new world. Ipmil sacrifices a reindeer cow from the holy mountain Passevare, and builds a new world from the body parts of the animal: the bones become the earth's skeleton, the flesh becomes soil, the blood vessels become rivers, and the hairs become forests. The cow's head Ipmil turns into the vault of the sky, and the eyes become the sun and moon. Ipmil's son, the sun god Beaivi, is appointed ruler over the new world. Another story concerns the origin of today's human race. According to this myth, the Earth is like an island in an enormous sea, which has been inhabited from time immemorial. But once the god Jubmel turned the world upside down, so that the water flooded the whole land. All people thus drowned, except for a boy and a girl, whom the god rescued onto a mountain. From these two descends all of humanity that lives on the Earth today.
Different spirit beings the Sami believed in:
Arja (ns): Female gazzi (spirit) being. The name means energy, determination.
Barbmoahkku (ns): Ensures that all the migratory birds return safely from warmer lands, Barbmu. Is helped by Guorga, the crane.
Beaivi (ns)/Biejvve (ls)/Biejjie (ss): The Sun. Sun worship is important in the Sami faith.
Bieggaolbmai (ns): The "Wind Man" determines the direction of the wind. He was, among other things, important during the wild reindeer hunt.
Boazzuahkku (ns): Goddess who rules over boazzu and grants luck in the hunt. Possibly identical with Juksahkku.
Čahceolbmai (ns)/Tsjaetsieolmaj (ss): The "Water Man" rules over the lakes and the fish.
Čahcerravga/guovdi (ns): Lives in the river or the sea. Used to frighten children, as part of child-rearing.
Čahkalakkat (ns): The Tsjakkalaks live by springs. They are small and naked. In their heads they carry remedies, and their bellies are full of silver coins. One can obtain the remedies and the silver coins by tricking them and killing them.
Fasto-olbmai (gs): The Fast Man. Makes sure that the Sami observe the fasting days.
Gieddegeasgalgu (ns): Wise female being who lives on the outskirts of the settlement and to whom one can turn when one is having an especially hard time. Known from North Sami areas. In later times gieddegeasgalgu has taken on the negative meaning of "chatterbox."
Gufihtar (ns): The good wights live in a gufihtarčohkka, "good-wight mound." The good wights lure children to themselves, and the children must not eat or drink anything while they are inside the mounds, for then they will never come out again.
Guolleipmil (ns): The "Fish God" rules over fishing. Many sacrificial stones by lakes, seas and rivers are called Guolleipmil.
Halddit (ns): Protect animals and plants and rule over areas in nature. Sometimes represented by seita stones.
Ipmel/Ibmil/Jubmel/Jupmele (gs): Some noaidis held that Raedieaehtjie and Raediegiedtie were the same, namely Ipmel/Ibmil. He is regarded as the highest god. During Christianisation the missionaries adopted the name Ipmel/Ibmil, and it became the Sami name for the Christian God.
Jabmiidahkku (ns)/Jabbmeahkku (ls)/Jaemiehaahka (ss): The goddess of death who reigns in the realm of the dead, Jabmiidaibmu.
Jabmid (ns): The deceased, who live beneath the earth.
Joeksaahka (ss)/Juksahkku (ns/ls): The "bow" or "rifle goddess." Lives in the boaššu, the holy part of the dwelling behind the hearth. Involved when children are created. Can turn an unborn child into a boy.
Kirvaradien (gs)/Tjaervieraeie (ss): The "Horn Ruler."
Leaibeolbmai (ns)/Liejbalmaj (ls)/Liejpalmaj (ss): The "Alder Tree Man." The god of the hunt, ruling over the wild animals of the forest. Receives offerings before the bear hunt to protect the hunters. The alder tree is regarded as holy. The red colour from the bark was used, among other things, to paint on the drums, and the sap was sprayed on returning bear hunters.
Mailmenraedie: Mailbmi (ns) + raedie (ss) = Ruler of the World.
Maadteraahkas (ss)/Mahtarahkku (ns/ls): The "Primal Mother" or "great-grandmother." Mother of the three goddesses Sahrahkku, Juksahkku and Uksahkku. Involved when children are created.
Noaidegazzi/saivugazzi (ns), noaidegadze/saivogadze (gs): Helping spirit. Can be translated as "companion" or "comrade." They can look like small people dressed in colourful Sami clothing. They can be ancestral spirits. They can select people whom they train to become noaidis and accompany them for the rest of their lives, including on soul journeys. A gazzi can also be inherited or come along as a dowry.
Noaideloddi/saivoloddi, noaideguolli/saivoguolli and noaidesarvvis/saivosarvvis (ns): The noaidis can have helping spirits in animal form. These can be a bird (noaideloddi/saivoloddi), a fish (noaideguolli/saivoguolli) or a reindeer bull (noaidesarvvis/saivosarvvis). The strongest noaidis have reindeer bulls as helping animals.
Oksaahka (ss)/Uhksahkku (ns/ls): The "Door Goddess." Lives beneath the threshold and guards the dwelling against all evil. Watches over children in their first years of life, especially when they learn to walk.
Radien kieddi (gs)/Raediegiedtie (ss): Raedieaehtjie's son.
Radien-acce/-attje (gs)/Raedieaehtjie (ss): The highest god, the primal father, the most high.
Rananiejte (ss): The "Spring Girl," "reindeer calf girl" or "the green girl." Ensures, among other things, good reindeer pasture.
Rohttu (ns): The god of sickness and death. Dwells in a gloomy realm of the dead, Rohttuaibmu.
Ruđot (ns): Female gazzi beings. The name may mean the one who brings misery.
Serge-edni (gs): Raedieaehtjie's or Ipmel's wife. The one who creates the human spirit and brings it to Matharahkku when children are created.
Stallu (ns): A giant or troll-like figure. Children are frightened with Stallu as part of child-rearing.
Storjunkeren (no): Rules over wild animals, birds and fish. Regarded as the deputy of the highest god, Tiermes.
Saajve/saajveolmai (ss), saivo/saivo-olmai (gs): spirits connected to holy mountains that are also called saajve (saivo) or "inheritance mountains." The one who owns a saajve has helping animals at their service, see below.
Saaraahka (ss)/Sahrahkku (ns/ls): An important goddess in South Sami areas. Lives beneath the hearth. Given offerings of everything that can be drunk. Important when children are created. Helps women during menstruation and childbirth. Children were baptised in Sarahkku's name.
Tiermes (gs)/Dierpmis (ns)/Bajanolbmai (ns)/Aijeke (gs)/Atjek (ls)/Horagalles (gs)/Hovrengaellies (ss)/Thor: Different names for the thunder god. Rules over human life and death. The men's most important god. Symbolised by a hammer or a bow, the rainbow. The god can summon thunder, kill trolls, aid in revenge and prevent unwanted visits.
Ulddat (ns): Subterranean beings in human form. Dwell in particular mountains.
Sources:
Parts of the text are taken from: Margrethe Løøv (2012) "Samisk religion," at www.religioner.no (https://religioner.no/ressurser/fagartikler/samisk-religion/) Mebius, Hans, 2007: Bissie. Pollan, Brita, 1993: Samiske sjamaner. Rydving, Håkan, 2003: Traditionell nordsamisk religion omkring år 1700, in Sveen, Arvid: Mytisk landskap. Solbakk, Aage, 2007: Samisk mytologi og folkemedisin, in John T. Solbakk (ed.): Tradisjonell kunnskap og opphavsrett.
Compiled by Stig Daniel Johnsen
