The Saami religion contains many gods who steered the powers of nature in differing ways. The will of these gods was interpreted by saami shamans called nåjd. However, the arrival of Christian missionaries brought with it the edict that man's consciousness could be ruled by only one god.

Pre-Christian Religion

The Saami religion grew from the hunters' relationship to their prey and the nature that surround them both. The wind god, Bieggaålmaj, sent warming or chilling winds and therefore was given sacrifices of appeasement. Gods were called upon during periods of hunger, sickness or when hunting, and their messengers were the nåjd. In daily life, the nåjd were like others in the group, but through their ability to enter into a trance and take on the spirit of animals they were freed from time and space.

Christian Mission

With the support of the King the church condemned the Saami faith as magic and idolatry. When the Saami refused to submit they were made examples of. In the Spring of 1693, a nåjd named Lars Nilsson was burned in the square at Arjeplog.

The Symbolic Importance of the Magic Drum

After drumming, an object on the drum comes to rest pointing to one of the symbols on the drum and the nåjd interpretes the message of the gods. The symbols on the magic drum were representations of images from nature. As they were passed down through the generations, over time these images were refined into symbols.