Luondu
The online exhibition shows how various places in Nesseby municipality are connected to Sami religion, mythology and Christianity. We have chosen places that are registered cultural sites in the municipality, and older than 1917, which is the automatic conservation limit for Sami cultural sites.
People's relationship with nature is very prominent in Sami religious practice. The individual places in nature, such as places of sacrifice, are points of contact with various figures. The sacrifice has been linked to livelihoods and to the health of people and animals. There are many personified figures that one should keep in harmony with, through proper behavior and offerings. Dead people, especially close relatives, also play a role. They can affect the lives of the living, for better or for worse. The underground people are known by many names, but the common feature is that they live in certain places, where people must pay attention to them and adapt their behavior. Then they can be of help, otherwise they punish. Such a duality lies in all relationships – there are no good or evil forces. It depends on how you as a person relate to them. The wind can provide good sailing weather, or lead to shipwreck. Fishing luck can make you get good catches, while loss of fishing luck can make you poor. It is one's own actions that determine how the response will be. In order to survive you have to adjust your actions according to the powerful forces that control weather and wind, life and health, catch and crops. You have to know how to deal with other people and nature with respect, otherwise it backfires negatively on yourself. One must see oneself as part of a larger whole, which must be kept in balance.
The transition to a Christian life of faith has been long and varied, probably from the time the Norse population and ethnic groups in present-day Finland and Russia embraced Christianity. Through trade and other interactions, the Sámi in Finnmark have been in contact with representations of Christ, customs and stories about Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit, as well as all the saintly figures. We only know how the local population in Varanger understood this content from second-hand sources from the 17th century onwards.
Both the Danish and Swedish kings, as well as the Russian tsar, deliberately used the priests' activities and church building as part of the colonization of Sámi areas. But at the same time, the Sámi adopted Christianity on the basis of their own faith. The result has been a Sámi understanding of Christianity, which was not in accordance with the authorities' official dogmas. The popular understanding is rarely entirely consistent with the theologians' view, regardless of where in the world Christianity has been established. The local customs are all characterized by cultural preconceptions. The understanding of Christianity in Varanger builds on Sámi relations to nature, and does not distance itself from the old faith, if we are to take the written sources seriously. That is to say, a form of animism was kept as a basic understanding, to which God, Jesus and all the church's magical rituals were incorporated into the local faith.
The biggest difference apparently came in how to relate to dead relatives. The dead were no longer buried with all their personal belongings in order to be resurrected in Jábmiid áibmu – the realm of the dead. Instead, the dead had to lie in their graves and wait for Jesus' resurrection. Ironically, this brought the dead closer to the living, since they were still present in our áibmu – our realm, and had not left the earth. In this way, old notions of closeness to dead relatives could be continued, within a Christian understanding. Also in relation to nature, seeing the Creation as a gift from God made it possible to accept and value a respectful relationship with all the elements. Not as idolatry, but as gratitude for all that has been created, which no human can have a full understanding of. The mysterious in our existence is referred to in Norwegian as "There is more between heaven and earth..." and in Sámi as "Guovtte ilmmi gaskkas..." - between two worlds. Herein lie the linguistic dimensions, which make it possible to maintain an idea of parallel worlds, even today.
There are many sacrificial sites around the Varangerfjord. They were used to ensure good luck in hunting, trapping and fishing, and to keep health and happiness in life. It was part of the old Sámi social order that people met several times a year and held joint sacrifice ceremonies. Then they could slaughter a whole animal, which was eaten and the bones buried. Sacrifices related to hunting were to ask for luck in the hunt, to get advice on where to hunt, and as thanks for a successful hunt. Sacrifice related to fishing often consisted of smearing fat on a sacrificial stone, which could also act as a mark of a good fishing spot. Fishing from open, small boats could be life-threatening, both at sea and in lakes. It was therefore important to stay in the favor of the forces that controlled the weather and the catch.
In connection with sea fishing, certain places on land were used to find good fishing grounds at sea. It's called taking méd, or mearkka váldit. This practice is still in use, and has meant that many old place names have been preserved. In the past, the méds were often linked to sacrificial places, either sieidi (sacrificial stone) or bassevárre (sacred mountain), and sacrifices were made at these places to ensure success in fishing. In modern times, médmarks are often houses, which require that you know personal names. Then the marks no longer have any connection to sacrificial customs, but are only practical references. After the sonar came into use, the need for knowing about such marks became less.
Examples of old marks are the mountains Álda, Stuorrastivrran, and Murggiidgahpparas. Áillesgeađgi, which was located by Nesseby church, and Bálddesgeađgi, which is located on the south side of the Varangerfjord, are two stones that have been used as méd-points, and which, like the aforementioned mountains, are referred to in old sources as sacrificial places. There are also combinations of marks that are natural formations and houses. For example, Aldon to the church (Álda Girkui), that is, you see the mountain Álda directly behind Nesseby church.
Many places around the Varangerfjord are distinguished by special formations. Some are man-made, like the labyrinth, while most have probably been there since the Ice Age. It is people who decide whether places are considered sacred. In this lies an understanding that there are places that offer a contact with other forces, or give an experience of being in contact with something special. In Sámi, terms such as bassi or áilegas are used. Álda as a place name also refers to sacred mountains. Sacrifices have been associated with most sacred sites, often on sacrificial stones. Today, we no longer know the meaning of all the customs associated with these places, but the sacred sites are still sources for understanding Sámi relationships with their surroundings.
The custom of burying the dead in rock crevices or rock fills may have begun as early as 1,000 BC. This is considered by researchers as a characteristic of Sámi burial customs. Personal belongings were placed in the grave with the dead, and the corpse was often wrapped in birch bark. According to written sources from the 17th century, it was believed that the dead would resurrect in another, parallel reality. It was therefore important that they brought equipment that they would need in the next life. The choice of a rock crevices may have been perceived as an easier gateway to the realm of the dead, Jábmiidáibmu.
There was contact between the dead and the living, including through the custom of naming children after dead relatives. The part of the soul that was free from the body could then be transferred from the dead and live on in the named child. If the child fell ill, it was assumed that the wrong name had been chosen, and one therefore had to find out which dead relative wanted to be named. It was thought that the dead could have an influence on the living, by causing illness if they longed for a living relative. Then you had to negotiate with the dead, and give them a sacrifice as payment to be allowed to live on. In some cases, the dead could also help the living, as is told in Morten's last sea voyage.
With the transition to Christian burial customs, the second realm of the dead disappeared, and according to popular belief, the dead were left in their graves to await the day of judgment and Jesus' resurrection. Therefore, people were careful around graves, so as not to disturb the dead. Place names with gálbmi and hávdi indicate that there are dead people buried in the area.
According to Sámi tradition, a noaidi is a person who sees what is invisible to others, and who can learn to control the weather and wind, obtain good hunting and fishing luck, heal or cause disease in people and animals. It was a trait that was passed down within the family, and to act as a noaidi you needed training to control the powers you possessed. A noaidi could help people, by curing illness or finding lost objects. But a noaidi could also cause people harm, and kill people and livestock. It was a demanding role to have in society, and could also be a personal strain. A noaidi could see and speak with the dead, the underground people, or other figures. There are many stories about noaidi, but in this context we have chosen those that are linked to special places.
Gufihttarat is referred to as govetter or the underground people in Norwegian. They often live near people, and one must beware of them. They can help if you respect them, or they can cause problems if you don't pay attention. Certain places may also be associated with hálddit, who are a kind of guardian keepers of their area. In our Sea Sámi area, we also have hálddit who live under the sea. Máddu is a guardian figure, who looks after fish and frogs. There are many stories about these various figures, and we have chosen some examples linked to places in Nesseby.
Stallo was a sinister figure, who particularly enjoyed eating human children. Stallo was big and strong, but rather stupid and gullible. There are many stories about how small, clever children managed to trick the big, strong Stallo. There are also stories of adults who challenged Stallo to a fight, both to save their own lives and to get hold of his wealth, for Stallo was known to have treasures. It was possible both to create a Stallo, to fight with others, or to transform oneself into a Stallo, to become more powerful. If you challenged Stallo to a fight, it was important not to kill him with his own knife, because then it would be turned against you. You always had to kill Stallo's dog too, because if it got to lick Stallo's blood he would come back to life.