Talk:Sami religion

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[edit] Sami or Saami?

Spelt both ways in the article.... Brian Sayrs

It should be 'Sami' - some use the double 'aa' spelling but there's no consensus among us for using that variety. Best regards Aanta

[edit] Sacrifice

Changing the sacrifice bit to what I believe original intent was. Please adjust if necessary.

[edit] POV

The last two or three paragraphs seem especially questionable, as does the first paragraph ("are clearly biased"). I realize that inauthentic practicioners (whatever their intentions may be) styling themselves as noaide do exist, but the article as it is now paints the saami traditions as entirely dead, as if anyone claiming to adhere to them must be a liar. Can someone back up these statements and come up with a way to state them in a more neutral manner?Lucky number 49 23:37, 15 July 2006 (UTC)

The ancient sami spitituality is not entirely dead, the shamanistic practice did however go away for a time. And thats the problem with the description you have here, describing out faith as a "form of shamanism" only. Thats only part of the story, its a nature religion and not limited to shamanistic practises only.

Best regards Aanta

Someone should rework the part that goes Missionaries did a thorough job in wiping out

They certainly didnt, and yes strange way of putting it. Best regards Aanta

... finished off ..., too. If violence or other unappropriate methods were used to convert people, it's better to mention that specifically, than hinting at it by using words associated with violence.

It was a forced conversion to christianity yes, and that could very well be told. Best regards Aanta

JöG 18:23, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

According to this article [1], there is evidence that elements of Sami religion were practiced well into the 1940s. That doesn't sound as if the tradition had been completely dead at any time. 213.47.127.75 22:25, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes the author there refers to the same fact as I do above here, and thats a better way of describing it that 'elements of this world view' still are around. Best regards Aanta

I have a book which shows that the Sami were the last Pagans in Europe to be converted to Christianity. Unfortunately, it isn't very specific; it simply shows that they were still there in 1483. Steve Lowther 07:46, 30 November 2006 (UTC)


Yes we we're the last people in continental Europe to be 'officially' converted. The Inuit of Greenland which belongs to Denmark are the last but that area are generally not considered to be part of Europe even though Greenland are part of the European union. The year 1483 are way early, the missionaries started their work on one organized way about 400 years ago a work that led to a sharp decline of the original belief system over the next 200 years. But that process have not finished completely and perhaps it will not either.

You ask for reliable sources, to my knowledge there's none printed in english so I have left the presentation on the front unchanged and leave it to you official editors to get back to me or do the changed yourself.

Best regards Aanta