THE BOY WHO TEASED THE SUN, THE MOON, THE STARS AND THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
You are Reading..
THE BOY WHO TEASED THE SUN, THE MOON, THE STARS AND THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
Northern Sami Myth about the Northern Lights.
Two brothers once drove off to separate reindeer. In the morning when the sun rose, the youngest yoiked:
“The old man the sun shines. He shines on everything that is cold. Ice and snow he melts and every feather he lends life.“
“You” said the elder: – “Dear brother, don’t bother teasing God’s creature!”
The brother didn’t care. He just laughed and added even more. Not long after, a very dense snowdrift came, and the sun disappeared in a cloud. It was impossible to go any further. They set up a lávvu and laid in the stormy weather for several days.
When it cleared up again and the moon began to shine, the youngest yoiked:
Little moonlight thing, la la,
seen as the fool in a ring,
blink in the black night, naina.
what frost he empty!
He will forget the sun.
The brother told him to quit, but he didn’t care. Then it became terribly dense darkness. They were in the middle of the mountain and had to stay there for three days because they couldn’t find their way.
Then the elder says: – “Now you can see how it goes when you tease God’s creation!”
When the dark shutters lifted, the weather was fine. The stars shone brightly. Again the youngest took to yoiking:
Star dilly, star dally, yes yes,
blink a little, wave a little yes.
Then a ball of fire came and hit his reindeer. It fell to the ground and was dead. Then his brother says: – “What do you think will happen to you, as wild as you are! If you don’t stop, you’ll just have to wait and see!”
When the reindeer was dead, the youngest said: – “A reindeer dead, but one more. I’ve seen worse damage before!”
Then they went on, but the youngest had to pull the sled himself. In the evening the elder stopped to let his reindeer graze and to wait for his brother. He lit a fire and began to boil. When the food was finished, the youngest also arrived. After they had eaten, there was a very bright aurora. The youngest yoiked:
Northern lights gutter, lip, lip, lip,
fat in the mouth, lip, lip, lip.
Hammer in the neck, lip, lip, lip,
ax on the back, lip, lip, lip.
His brother refused him to do so, but he started yoiking even louder. Then the northern lights started to blow terribly strong. It slammed against the snow as if someone had struck it with a hard leather. The elder tipped the sled over and crawled under it. But the northern lights killed the youngest and burned up his beaska (coat). Then the elder drove on with a heavy heart and with sorrow in his heart for the brother he had lost.
Therefore, the old Sámi still believe that it is dangerous to tease the northern lights. If you do, the northern lights may get angry and come to get you.
They didn’t even find the body of that boy, it was said.
Source: Qvigstad: Lappish adventures and legends
Newer language suit: Arvid Hanssen
The Ramfjord, Sami history, and contemporary times in the Ramfjord area – the Ramfjord team
Freely translated and using Google Translate.
Also read: