An area rich in history, shrouded in magical and traditional legends that, according to Lapland mythology, tell us about the life and culture of a country in Northern Europe, whose characteristic feature is that it is divided between the states of Norway, Russia, Sweden, and Finland.
Religion in Lapland
The inhabitants of this area of Europe originally practiced shamanism or animism, which consists of believing that all animals, minerals, nature, and plants are living souls.
This lost its popularity in the 17th century when they tried to convert to Christianity. Today, the country’s traditional customs are being revived in what is known as the “rebirth” of Sami culture.
Deities of Lapland mythology
There is not much information about this Lappish mythology, but two figures that have prevailed over time are mentioned:
1) Baeiwe
Recognized as the Sun God, he is depicted in the center of a large number of magical drums, in the shape of a circle, square, or triangle, and on it can be seen the names of the three Norwegian holy men:
- Friday.
- Lava (Saturday).
- Sod nabaeiwe (Sunday).
The purpose of displaying these names is to represent the holy days of each of the religions that form part of the culture.
- Christianity (Sunday)
- Islam (Friday).
- Judaism (Saturday)
This deity was the only one to whom the Lappish people offered sacrifices and gifts to protect them from disease and to increase their herds.
2) Noaide or Noaydde
He is a shaman who acts as a mediator between humans and the gods, as his job is to seek a balance between the mortal and immortal worlds.
His job was to communicate with the gods to find out what they wanted humans to offer them in sacrifice or in the case of a sick person who wanted to get better.
The Noaide was paid for his services, as he was known as a wise being, but he was eliminated in the 17th century with the arrival of the crown, as he was considered a witch.
