Sámi Shamanism And Spirituality

In this track, we explore the sacred world of the Sámi shaman, who walked between the visible and invisible realms through the heartbeat of the drum. Discover the spiritual relationship the Sámi hold with the land, the animals, and the ancestors, a tradition that survived centuries of suppression and is being reclaimed today. Let these teachings remind you that the earth is alive, and that listening is its own form of prayer.

Transcript

Hello friends, It's Niina. This track is one of my lecture recordings on Sami history and shamanism. It is more on the academic side, But if that is something you don't mind, I hope you enjoy listening to it. Shamanic practices. The English word shaman originates from a Siberian Manchu-Tungushkan word, Shaman, The one who sees. One of the first literal mentions of shamanism comes from a Russian Old Faith Orthodox leader, Avakum, Who lived between 1620 and 1682, Who the Tsar of Russia exiled to Siberia from the request of Orthodox leader Nikon, The starter of religious reformation in 1651. During his exile among the indigenous Evenki, Avakum participated healing rituals that he describes with the word shamanit. Later on, Shamanism as a practice became forbidden in Russia with the spreading of Christianity. During the Soviet Union, Practitioners of shamanism were exiled and executed as heretics. Shamanism is considered a worldview rather than a religion. The path of a shaman was often hard and difficult, And individuals who felt that spirits were calling them often initially resisted. The shaman was initiated through elaborate rituals that hold great importance in the eyes of the community, As they were essential of legitimizing the shaman's status. The shaman had to demonstrate their ability to journey through dreams between different worlds and communicate with spirit animals. During these rituals, The shaman would dance for hours, Often feeling overwhelmed under the weight of the spirits. Animal helpers. The shaman had two types of spiritual helpers. The first ones were controlled by the shaman and worked as their spiritual guides. The other spirits were protectors rather than helpers, And the protectors came when the shaman summoned them. These protectors could be the spirits of passed away shamans or minor deities, But they were not controlled by the shaman and came of their own free will. The spiritual guides were important for the shaman, And they were manifestations of the shaman's talents. The spiritual guides helped the shaman to find the cause of the diseases. They could find the missing souls and show the way. When the shaman was traveling in the underworld, These guides could appear to the shaman in dreams, In visions, And spontaneously in rituals. In some cultures, Shamans can trade spirit guides with one another. In the Sami culture, Spirit guides were local animals, Such as ravens, Wolves, Moose, Deer, Rabbits, Bears, And owls. The shaman was obligated to honor their spirit guide with songs, Dances, Rituals, And sacrificial gifts. The ritual was more than a play, It was an attempt to show the visual journey that the shaman experienced. Ritual is about active participation in a mystery, Leaving normal behind, And being one with the cosmos. The decorations in the shaman's clothes and drums represented the connection to the other world. Among the Sami, The shaman drum was the most important tool of the shaman. The sound of the drum was what helped the shaman to travel to the other world and fall into the trance. The Sami called the drum a reindeer or a horse, Because the drum helped them on their journey. The monotonic sound of the drum helped the shaman to concentrate and fall into a trance. In Sami drums, The patterns portray the cosmos and the universe. We can see the sun, People, Animals, And the different gods and goddesses. The sound of the drum helps the brain waves to move from the data unwritten to the theta level, Which is connected to dreams, Hypnosis, Imagination, And trance. Shamanism was dreaming wide awake. Another important tool for the shaman was singing. Shaman expressed their intentions with songs, Singing during the shamanic journey could be about finding the origin of the disease and telling the disease to return to where it came from. Animals were often divided into two groups, Those that brought benefits and those that caused problems and destruction. The latter group included animals such as mosquitoes, Bugs, Wolves, Eagles, And lynxes. Some animals were deeply connected to mythological sagas about the creation of the world. For example, The deer, Which is said to originate from the sun and its domestic counterpart, The reindeer. The bear is often depicted as the mythical ancestor of people in several tales. There were also elements associated with certain animals. For instance, The population of lemmings increases in third cycles, Which were frequently interpreted as signs of war and difficult times ahead. Animals were believed to have their own creator spirits, And when people wanted to communicate with them, They would worship these animal gods. At least the bear, Wolf, And beaver were thought to have their own creator spirits. These animal gods took the form of their respective animals, But were somewhat larger in size. It was believed that the bear spirit sustained the bear during its winter sleep by feeding it honey every day. The concept of totem animals is present in several Arctic cultures. These revered totem animals were often viewed as the ancestral representatives of the tribe, Establishing a connection to humans. Similar to humans, Totem animals were given respectful burials during hunting rituals. When the flesh of the animal was consumed, A significant celebration would take place. This ceremonial act was believed to help the animal spirit return to the other world. In Sami culture, The totem animal served as a protector of the community. Shaman drums. Many different tribes across the world use shaman drums in their rituals. In only a few cultures is the entire cover of the drum painted with different symbols. We can find these drums from the Sami and some tribes from Siberia. For example, The Mongolians who practiced Tengrism painted an image of their god, Tengri, In the middle of the drum. The hands of Tengri divided the world into two, The human world and the spirit world. In Native American cultures, Painting the drums was rare, And the style of the drums varies. Their drums are usually larger and bigger than the Sami drums. Some of the drums rested on specially made stands so that several people could play the drums together. Only 70 original Sami shaman drums have remained in Scandinavia after the mass burning of the drums in the 19th century, At the beginning of the 20th century. All these drums are carefully depicted in the books of Swedish ethnographer Ernst Mankle. Die Lapische Zaubertrommer is the German name of the book. The first edition was published in 1938 and the second in 1950. Hundreds of drums were preserved and kept in the Museum of Copenhagen in Denmark. They all burned in fire in 1795. The majority of the destroyed drums had come from the Lapland of Finland and Norway. When Sami were converted to Christianity, Missionaries burned hundreds of shaman drums. Assistant spirits Shamans had both human and animal-shaped spirit guides. A male reindeer named Saivasarvas served as the animal alter ego of the shaman and represented their power. The shaman could send this alter ego to confront the alter ego or assistant spirit of another shaman. If the shaman's alter ego lost in battle, It usually meant death for the shaman as well. Saiva Gjeri, The fish of the other world, Acted as the shaman's guide during their journey in the afterlife. Saiva Ledi, The bird-shaped spirit, Guided the shaman to heaven and delivered messages between the living and the dead. Saiva Olma, The human-shaped spirit, Provided guidance and assistance to the shaman. When the shaman passed away, They joined the group of Saiva spirits. Healing rituals The most common job of a shaman was healing, Which was particularly important in a society that believed illnesses were caused by attacks from outside forces. It was thought that sickness resulted from the loss of one's soul. During the night a person's body might remain in bed while their free soul wandered and could get lost in the underworld. The healing process was straightforward but required significant effort. The shaman had to venture into the underworld with their free soul to retrieve the lost soul. This task was challenging, Because the spirits of the dead were often reluctant to allow their soul to escape. Typically, This exchange involved offering sacrificial gifts to the deceased or to the goddess of the underworld, Chapmidakka. Those who had lost their free soul were often seriously ill or in a coma. Milder ailments could be treated with spells and herbs. Unfortunately, Sometimes the attempt to retrieve the soul would fail, Resulting in the patient passing away. Just as shamans could capture a person's free soul in the underworld, They could also catch animal spirits. In some instances, They would capture a reindeer spirit that belonged to another shaman, Which could create tension between them and sometimes lead to duels. During difficult times, Shamans would compete for access to herds of deer and other animals. One of the traditions associated with this practice was called Juosavitkottit, Meaning the magical ability to lure reindeer to the hunters. In trance, The shaman would catch the reindeer, Usually sitting near the seitaa. With the combined powers of the seitaa and the shaman, The reindeer would gather around the seitaa. Historical mentions The oldest mentions of Sami shamanistic accession dates back to the Middle Ages. It is referenced in a Norwegian chronicle called Historia Norvegia, Written around the 12th century. Once a group of Norwegian merchants sat together with the Sami, When their mistress suddenly fell to the ground and passed away. The Norwegians were deeply saddened, But the master insisted that she wasn't dead. Instead, An evil spirit had come to take her spirit away, And they would retrieve it. A shaman was invited to help. The shaman had metallic ornaments hanging from his drum, Which represented a reindeer, Sleigh, A whale, Boat, And skis. These objects were tools he could use while traveling in the Outer World, Navigating snowy slopes and deep lakes. After singing and dancing, He fell to the floor, Foaming at the mouth. He began to shiver and ultimately passed away as well. Another shaman was then invited to retrieve two souls. He succeeded in bringing back the woman, Who was completely healthy. However, The first shaman could not return, As one of his enemies in the Underworld had captured his soul. Despite the writer's dislike for the pagan and shamanistic customs of the Sami, The story still provides valuable insights into the shamanistic rituals practiced in Norwegian Lapland during the Middle Ages. The role of a shaman was not without a risk, As dangers existed even in the Underworld. Magical battles between shamans are also mentioned in later sources. In some stories collected from the coastal Sami tribes, A whale appears as a spirit animal, While ornaments often take the form of a fish or snakes. Additionally, The Underworld is frequently described as being beyond the sea or at the bottom of the sea. Another early mention of the Sami comes from Olaus Magnus. His book, The History of Northern Nations, Had a significant impact on perceptions of life in Northern Europe. Olaus Magnus was born in Sweden in 1490 and was a well-educated, Well-traveled clergyman who extensively explored Sweden and northern Finland. He wrote his famous book in Rome in 1555. In the far north, Witchers, Shamans and practitioners of magic abound. The Arctic is their home. They possess the ability to change their appearance and deceive others with their cunning ways. Their spells are powerful and their magic is incomprehensible. They are particularly skilled in knot magic, Using various types of knots to control the weather and winds. To ask for their assistance, One must offer something in return. The shaman enters a trance while a friend or companion keeps watch over them. Empowered by their magic, The shaman travels to the Otherworld to seek wisdom from those who came before us. Magnus describes the practice of tram divination. A small object, Such as a pebble or metallic ornament is placed on the tram. As the tram is beaten, The object moves, And the pattern in which it lands is used for divination. The role of the helper is to watch over the shaman while they are in a trance, Ensuring that no one can approach the fenceless shaman, Particularly enemies. These enemies could even take the form of a fly to distract ritual. The following information comes from a clergyman named Nikolaus Lundius, Who included it in his book Lapponia in 1673. His father, Andreas, Was the first Sami priest in Sweden, Which suggests that Nikolaus may have witnessed Sami rituals during his childhood. Quote, People gathered around the shaman as he entered a trance and began to chant. Slowly he returned to this world, Took his tram and entered a meditative state. He then shared with us where he had been. He spoke of a group of people living underground. They adorned themselves with fine clothing and jewelry. Among them was the spirit of a sick person. The shaman explained that the earth dwellers possessed something that belonged to the sick person. In Sami tradition, If the individual is strong enough, They can reclaim this item and regain their health. If not, There is no hope for recovery. The earth dwellers are aware that the sick person comes to them, So they close all doors and entrances to keep them in. However, If the person has enough will, They might find a crack or a cave to escape through. Once free, The shaman will pick them up in his sleigh and together they will travel as swiftly as possible across water, Mountains and tantra to evade anyone who might pursue them. In Sami tradition, The shamanic role was traditionally reserved for men, While women could participate in shamanic rituals and serve as helpers during these ceremonies. Shamanic practice. Shamanic practices always have a meaning. If you are interested in trying some of these practices yourself, I would recommend keeping a notebook of your progress. This also helps to find deeper meanings in these practices. Many different kinds of things were part of shaman's life and work. These were recognizing signs in nature and learning about animal behavior and interactions with animals, Different trance techniques and shamanic journeying. It was believed that the Sami shamans had the ability to perceive things without entering a trance. Some shamans possessed the power to see visions of people and places. This ability may have been one of the crucial requirements for selecting a new shaman. Black magic. The concept of black magic among the Sami is largely associated with feelings of envy and jealousy, As well as the intention to harm others through negative wishes. During the Middle Ages, A belief emerged that Sami shamans were especially skilled at casting curses on their enemies. Flies were often linked to black magic, As it was believed that some Nordic shamans could summon small flies and insects to inflict harm on others. This group of flies was referred to as Gant. One story tells of a bird spirit named Vuokko, A shaman's helper, Which was described as being the size of a hawk and primarily known in the northernmost regions of Lapland. According to the tale, Vuokko would shake its feathers, Causing poisonous flies and bugs to fall to the ground, Where the shaman could collect them for use in their magic. Gant flies could be passed down from father to son, And they were believed to spread diseases and bring misery. Some sources suggest that the story of the Gant flies is fictional and was likely propagated by neighboring communities who feared the Sami shamans. Initiation Information about shamanistic initiation is scarce, With most available details coming from the notes of 17th century priests. Nikolaus Lundius described his experience as follows. When he first received the spirit of the Noiti within himself, He behaved as if he were possessed for six months. During this time he could not be around his wife, Children or staff, Preferring instead to remain in solitude in meadows and forest. He did not eat much, But his children reported that the spirit of the Noiti was that sustained them during this period of transition. Potential of becoming a Noiti, A shaman, Would often be observed in children. If a boy dreamed of Saivo Gätze, The shaman spirit, It was considered a sign that he might possess a special gift. In these dreams, Saivo Gätze would teach the child the ways of a shaman and take him to the holy places of Saivo where he could meet the spirits of the Noiti. Certain signs in children indicated their potential to become Noitis. For instance, A child born with a tooth in their mouth was viewed as having this potential. According to some folk tales, Babies born with black hair were also seen as candidates for becoming a shaman. Some parents, Eager for their child to embrace a shamanistic path, Began training them from an early age, As the status of a shaman was highly respected. To prepare children for this role, Parents would provide them with foods and drinks reserved for the shamans. Initiation ceremonies typically occurred on Christmas night, A time when it was believed that spirits were especially active. The ceremony was led by an experienced shaman. During this event, The old and young shamans would stand outside the cottage. With the young shaman chanting and drumming, The young shaman would feel the presence of Saivo spirits surrounding him. While the old shaman though, Unable to sense them, Knew they were there.

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Loved learning more about the Sami. Thank you so much