BRIEFLY ABOUT TRADITIONS DURING CHRISTMAS IN SÁPMI AND NORWAY.
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BRIEFLY ABOUT TRADITIONS DURING CHRISTMAS IN SÁPMI AND NORWAY.
This article is written by Aage Solbakk and translated to english.
The Sami Christmas customs can be traced back to the old Sami pre-Christian religion – noaidevuohta.
Some of the customs are concretized as Christmas symbols in drawings on the skin of the drum – “goavddis” that the Sami spiritual chief – the noaidi used. Here you will find symbols of the Sami deities that were sacrificed to during the Christmas weekend.
It was e.g Čáhcealmmái – The water god who presided over hunting and fishing in the sea, rivers and lakes.
It was Bieggaalmmái – the wind god who ruled over weather and wind, was important during the hunt for wild reindeer, e.g. determine the wind direction.
It was Sáráhkká – the mother of creation and the goddess of womanhood, who lived under the fireplace in the dwellings- goahti. She was ensured the fertility of animals and people, and she helped pregnant women and assisted births.
It was Juoksáhkká – the bow goddess who watched over the boys so that they could become good hunters, and Uksáhkká – the door goddess, who guarded the door so that evil spirits did not enter through the door.
And finally, the sacrifice was made to Áski – the Christmas moon, which gives light during the dark time. Towards the Christmas moon, a brass or horn ring was often hung up in the smoke opening of the dwelling, so that evil spirits did not get in through this opening.
The Sami also had another deity who was connected to Christmas. It was Juovlahearrá (loanword from Norwegian). Reindeer blood (also liquor) was sacrificed to him at Christmas. The sacrifice was supposed to bring hunting luck. In other places, small Christmas bread was offered to him. These loaves were hung from the trees in small birch bark jars. In other places, some parts of the reindeer and sheep that were slaughtered at Christmas were sacrificed. These offerings were placed in small boats made of pieces of birch bark and hung in the trees. They put boiled meat from i.a. reindeer calf that had been slaughtered on Christmas Eve, some butter, cheese and bread in the boat. Then they pulled together trees and twigs in a big pile and put this birch bark boat on it. It remained there throughout the Christmas season.
This tradition was preserved in the coastal Sami areas of Finnmark well into the 1700s, writes Knud Leem who was a missionary in coastal Finnmark 1725-1734. His book on “Finnmarkens lapper” was published in 1767.
These Christmas customs were maintained until well into the 19th century. But they were practiced in secret for fear of being discovered by priests, who wanted these Sami, “pagan” customs to die.
Johan Turi (1854-1936), born in Kautokeino, writes i.a. the following about Sami Christmas customs in the book “Muitalusat samiid birra“, 1910 (My book about the Sami), translated from Sami:
The day before the Christmas weekend is called “ruohtta” – “the evening”, and it is the most dangerous evening. If the children make too much noise, they will encounter ghosts..
They get ready everything they need during the Christmas weekend. They slaughter reindeer, and sew everything they need for Christmas, and they chop a lot of wood. And when they have enough to last the Christmas weekend, they clean around the chopping block, remove all the remains and stack the wood perfectly – nothing should stick out for the stállo‘s caravan to get stuck in. And a branch must be put behind the chopping staff, in which the stallo can tie his caravan, as he enters the dwelling/goahti. Then the Sami placed a kettle completely full of water for him – so that the stallo will not have the power to do anything.
Anders Larsen (1870-1949), born in Luokta in Kvenangen, writes this about Christmas customs among the Sea Sami in the book “Mearrasámiid birra” – “About the Sea Sami”, 1950, 2014, translated from Sami:
In the past, there were many superstitions about Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve. Old people forbade the children to go skiing on Christmas Eve. They told the children that then the Christmasfellow (juovlagállát) took them in a sack. They didn’t want the children to be noisy at Christmas. On Christmas Eve, the old Sami put a cup of water on the table, so that the Christmasfellow would find water to drink for his thirst when he came in. If he can’t find water, he sucks the blood of the people of the house, and then they get sick.
This article written by Aage Solbakk is taken directly from this site, and translated to english from Norwegian by us: https://calliidlagadus.org/web/index.php?odas=310&giella1=nor .
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