Noaidi

A noaidi (Northern Sami: noaidi, Lule Sami: noajdde, Southern Sami: nåejttie, Skolt Sami: nōjjd, Ter Sami: niojte, Kildin Sami: noojd/nuojd) is a shaman of the Sami people in the Nordic countries representing an indigenous nature religion. Most noaidi practices died out during the 17th century, most likely because they resisted the crown; their actions were referred to in courts as "magic" or "sorcery" (cf. witchcraft). Several Sámi shamanistic beliefs and practices were similar to those of some Siberian cultures.^[1]

Description and history

Noaidis are said to have the role of mediator between humans and the gods. To undertake this mediation, the noaidi communicated with the gods, asking what sacrifice needed to be made by a person so that they might return to good health, be successful in their hunt for food, and even for good weather. Sacrifices were designed by the noaidi to reestablish the balance between the mortal and immortal worlds.

A noaidi could engage in any kind of affair that demanded wisdom; it is said they took payments for their services. The activities included healing people, helping children, making decisions and protecting reindeer, which represented the most important source of food and were also used as tribute payment.^{[citation needed]}

The sources from which we learn about noaidi are court protocols, tales, excavated tools (such as belts), and missionary reports. The image rendered by missionaries should in most cases be considered mere fable. That Noaidis were punished and in some cases sentenced to death for their "sorcery" should perhaps rather be interpreted as an attempt to obliterate opposition to the crown.

It is probable that the word has come down to both Sámi and Finnic languages from the ancient Proto-Uralic language, as there is a possible cognate word also in the distant Uralic language Mansi.^{[citation needed]}

Remnants in music tradition

Some of the yoiks were sung on shamanistic rites,^[2] this memory is conserved also in a folklore text (a shaman story).^[3]

Yoiks were sung on shamanistic rites.^[4] Recently, yoiks sung in two different styles, one of these are sung only by young people. But the traditional one may be the other, the “mumbling” style, resembling to magic spells.^[5]

Several surprising characteristics of yoiks can be explained by comparing the music ideals, as observed in yoiks and contrasted to music ideals of other cultures. Yoiks, in some instances, intend to mimic natural sounds. This can be contrasted to another music ideal, bel canto, which intends to exploit human speech organs on the highest level to achieve an almost “superhuman” sound.^[6]

The intention to mimic natural sounds is present in some other cultures as well: overtone singing, and it can be present in certain shamanic songs of some other cultures as well.^[7][8] It may serve also entertainment (game)^[9][10] or practical (luring animals in hunt)^[9] functions.

See also

• Sami shamanism
• Seiðr
• Gonagas
• Saman (Evenks shaman).

Notes

1. ^ Voigt 1966: 296
2. ^ Szomjas-Schiffert 1996: 56, 76
3. ^ Voigt 1966: 145
4. ^ Szomjas-Schiffert 1996: 56, 76
5. ^ Szomjas-Schiffert 1996: 64
6. ^ Szomjas-Schiffert 1996: 74
7. ^ Hoppál 2006: 143
8. ^ Diószegi 1960: 203
9. ^ ^{a b} Nattiez: 5
10. ^ Deschênes 2002

References

• Deschênes, Bruno (2002). "Inuit Throat-Singing". Musical Traditions. The Magazine for Traditional Music Throughout the World. http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/inuit.htm. 
• Diószegi, Vilmos (1960) (in Hungarian). Sámánok nyomában Szibéria földjén. Egy néprajzi kutatóút története. Budapest: Magvető Könyvkiadó. http://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02181/index.phtml.  The book has been translated to English: Diószegi, Vilmos (1968). Tracing shamans in Siberia. The story of an ethnographical research expedition. Translated from Hungarian by Anita Rajkay Babó. Oosterhout: Anthropological Publications. 
• Hoppál, Mihály (2005) (in Hungarian). Sámánok Eurázsiában. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó. ISBN 963-05-8295-3.  The title means “Shamans in Eurasia”, the book is published also in German, Estonian and Finnish. Site of publisher with short description on the book (in Hungarian).
• Hoppál, Mihály (2006). "Music of Shamanic Healing". In Gerhard Kilger. Macht Musik. Musik als Glück und Nutzen für das Leben. Köln: Wienand Verlag. ISBN 3879098654. http://dasa.baua.de/nn_35984/sid_2C8A99B3F31A58C62BBE3312986DC568/nsc_true/de/Presse/Pressematerialien/Sonderausstellung_20Macht_20Musik/Schamanen-Musik.pdf. 
• Nattiez, Jean Jacques. Inuit Games and Songs • Chants et Jeux des Inuit. Musiques & musiciens du monde • Musics & musicians of the world. Montreal: Research Group in Musical Semiotics, Faculty of Music, University of Montreal . The songs are online available from the ethnopoetics website curated by Jerome Rothenberg.
• Szomjas-Schiffert, György (1996) (in Hungarian and English). Lapp sámánok énekes hagyománya • Singing tradition of Lapp shamans. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó. ISBN 963 05 6940 X. 
• Voigt, Vilmos (1966) (in Hungarian). A varázsdob és a látó asszonyok. Lapp népmesék. Népek meséi. Budapest: Európa Könyvkiadó.  The title means: “The magic drum and the clairvoyant women. Sami folktales”, the series means: “Tales of folks”.