Circumpolar mythology

In Circumpolar mythology, the Circumpolar peoples (in the North, Arctic Circle people) have several mythological archetypes and mythemes in common between cultures:

World Order

In Circumpolar mythology, the circumpolar peoples considered the World to be divided in three layers (or in some cases three×three = nine elements): the Heaven, the Earth and the Underground. Stars and constellations also played an important role in their mythology. The World, whatever shape it may have taken, rotated around "axis mundi", the axis through the Polaris.

The cosmos was filled with spirits and demons that typically showed up on the Earth in special figures such as stone or landscapes. Those rare places were usually centres for sacrifice. Examples are the Samis' "seid" (=body-shaped figure or rock) or the Nenets' tree-gods. Most things have a "ruler" that reared and ruled over the object.

Rulers had power in a complex hierarchy. The most powerful was in general associated with the axis mundi. However, there are differences: the Nenets' god Num was both the heaven and ruler of the heaven.

Many spiritual phenomena are found in Norse sagas, as well.

From the Arctic Circle

Mythology of circumpolar ethnic groups of the Arctic Circle (extending into the subarctic) include:
* Inuit mythology
*Finnic mythology
** Finnish mythology
** Sami mythology
*Indo-European
** Norse mythology
** Baltic mythology

ee also

*Circumpolar religion
*Shamanism in Siberia
*Flat Earth