Sámi Myths and Medieval Heritage

Abstract

Sámi landscapes are pluralistic and contain traces of a variety of activities occurring in the past and present. This includes remains of medieval houses and hunting installations that are different from the ones used in later Sámi contexts. The Sámi have created their own interpretations of these enigmatic features in the landscape, relating, for instance, so-called ‘Stállo’ house grounds, reindeer pitfall traps, and ‘circular offering sites’ to widespread and recurring motives in Sámi mythology, like the troll-like Stállo, the belligerent Čud people, and the importance of religious rituals. The three case studies in this article highlight elements of the associated myths that indicate a medieval origin, while questioning to what extent the myths can be employed in interpretations of medieval archaeological remains, and to what extent they reflect later socio-cultural conditions and the Sámi conceptions of themselves and the world. As the chosen narratives potentially reflect internal ‘central myths’ about the Sámi role and identity in the Middle Ages and today rather than historical situations and events, such an exploration may shed new light on both the myths and their medieval and later contexts.