Samisk mytologi og folkemedisin

Jagi 1609 Várggáid ladni hoavda oaččui dieđu gonagas
Christian IV:s ahte buohkat geat gávnnahalle
noaidevuođa bálvaleamen, galge dubmejuvvot
jápmimii. Govva čájeha Christian IV 1599:s, dan jagi
go son dagai mátkki gitta davvi ja nuorta Sápmái,
bealuštit Dánmárkku ja Norgga vuoigatvuođaid
dáppe.
I 1609 fikk kommandanten på Vardøhus festning
bud fra kong Christian IV om at alle som ble tatt i å
utøve trolldomskunster, i hekseri som det også ble
kalt, måtte bøte med livet. Om det ryktes at samene
bedrev sine noaidikunster, så måtte de jages bort fra
Sápmi. Kongens befaling om noaidiene skulle få en
slutt på samenes egen religion – noaidevuohta.
In 1609, the Commander at Vardøhus Fortress
received an order from King Christian IV commanding
that everyone who was caught in the act of
practicing sorceries, or witchcraft which it was
also called, had to pay with their life. If there were
rumours that the Samis were practicing their noaidi
skills, they had to be driven away from Sápmi. The
King’s order against the noaidi was supposed to put
an end to the Samis’ own religion – noaidevuohta.
Dát ruoŧa sárggus 1670:s čájeha noidošanmeanuid.
Ovddabealde noaideáhkut ja noaiddit. Gasku gurutbealde
noaiddit mat leat váldon gitta; daid ovddabealde
dutkkadankommišuvdna mii guldala nissoniid
ja mánáid váidalusaid. Duogábealde noaidedolla.
Dette svenske kobberstikket fra 1670 viser en
trolldomsprosess i dens ulike faser. I forgrunnen
hekser og trollmenn. I midten til venstre drives en
flokk fangne hekser og trollmenn fram. Foran dem
hører en forhørskommisjon på anklager fra kvinner
og barn. I bakgrunnen heksebålet omgitt av djevler,
hekser som bortfører barn, flyvende hekser og
demoner.
This Swedish copper engraving from 1670 shows
a sorcery process in its different stages. In the
foreground, witches and sorcerers. In the centre on
the left, a group of captured witches and wizards are
pushed forward. In front of them, an interrogation
committee listens to accusations from women and
children. In the background, the witches’ bonfire
surrounded by demons, witches who are abducting
children, flying witches and demons.
name, called sámenamma – “Same-Nabma”
or sáivonamma – “Saiwo-Nabma”. They believed
that the Christian baptism and the
Norwegian name could make the child sick,
and hamper his/her development.
Diseases and cures
The drum as a Bible and medicine
When they (the noaidi) want to cure
diseases and bad health with the drum,
they do it in the following way: The
sick person must give the person who
owns the drum a brass and a silver ring,
which he/she ties around the drummer’s
right arm as payment for his troubles.
Later, the drummer ties the rings in his
bunch of rings, which is always used
when he beats on the drum. While he
beats on the drum, all the men and
women who are present have to sing.
The men sing with a loud voice, and
the women with a softer voice. Then
the drummer discovers whether the
disease is of natural causes or a result
of someone casting the disease on the
sick person (Samuel Rheen, 1671.
According to Brita Pollan, 2002).
This is how the Swedish-Sami priest Samuel
Rheen describes how the noaidi used the
drum to interpret and cure diseases.
In Sami folk medicine, the drum –
goavddis, gievrie, kyömdes – held a central
position. With the drum, the noaidi could
read both the cause of the individual disease
and how it should be cured. The drum
functioned as both Bible and medicine, and
the noaidi was both priest and doctor
When the noaidi beat on the drum,
“the pointer” – vuorbi, árpa – wandered
amongst the figures and gave the noaidi
advice and answers. If the vuorbi moved
in the direction of the sun or towards the
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