Sieiddakeädgi and Kirkkopahta in Northern Finland - Saami offering places
By Tiina Äikäs
Figure 1. The sieidi stone at Sieiddakeädgi, Ohcejohka/Utsjoki. (Photo: Tiina Äikäs, 2008)
Sieiddakeädgi is a 1.5 metres high and 5 x 3.5 metres wide stone boulder that lies on the steep slope of Sieiddenjunni hill in Northern Finland. The striking feature in the stone is a cave-like hollow on its side, so wide ‘that a man can almost fit into it’ (Paulaharju 1932: 31, my translation). Sieiddakeädgi is a sacred offering place of the Saami, the indigenous people living in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Kola Peninsula. These places, called sieidi in North Saami (plural sieiddit) are most often rocks or boulders unshaped by humans. The excavations that were carried out at the sieidi in 2008 revealed several reindeer bones and pieces of antler. This is congruent with what we know about the Saami offering traditions, in which offerings were connected to livelihood. Offerings of fish, game meat, and reindeer were given to the sieidi and the sieidi was asked to ensure hunting success in return. In some cases offerings could also consist of metal objects, drink, or food. (Äikäs 2015.)
At Sieiddakeädgi, ten datings were made of the reindeer bones, indicating that these offerings were given between CE 1165 and 1660. Reindeer bones and antlers also dominated in other assemblages, as we analyzed and dated bones from seventeen Saami offering sites situated in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Other animal species that were identified include sheep or goat, fish, cattle, birds (such as wood grouse and swan), and various wild mammals, such as brown bear and beaver. Radiocarbon dates of the animal bones range from CE 540 to the present day, with a clear peak in dated samples between ca. CE 1200 and 1700. Reindeer appeared in the offering material at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries and became more prominent between CE 1400‒1650 (Salmi et al. 2018.)
Figure 2. Reindeer bones found a short distance from the sieidi at Sieiddakeädgi. (Photo: Tiina Äikäs, 2008)
At the sieidi sites we studied, offerings were usually situated in close vicinity to the stone. They could have been placed on top of the stone, in the cracks or hollows of the stone, or by the stone. At Sieiddakeädgi, however, only a small amount of bone was found in the test pits around the sieidi stone. Instead, small test pits on the slope to the northwest of the sieidi revealed an accumulation of reindeer bones. Bones were observed in an extensive area on this slope slanting away from the sieidi, where the most distant bones were 11 metres away from the sieidi. One of these test pits yielded bones in an approximately 15cm-thick layer. The datings of these bones indicated that they were not in their original place; there were older bones on top of newer ones. This might have resulted from cleaning the bones from the sieidi stone and throwing them down the slope (Salmi et al. 2011; Äikäs 2015.)
Written sources mention cases where removing the offerings resulted in bad luck or even bodily harm, but they also record sites where it was customary to move the old offerings out of the way of the new ones (e.g., Paulaharju 1932: 15, 25). Hence sieidi stones could be tidied already as part of the old ritual traditions. Another possibility is that the cleaning of the stone was related to Christianisation. There was a strong Christian influence in the 17th century, when the old habits were seen as pagan superstition and offering places were abandoned and even destroyed (e.g. Rydving 1993). This might also have led to the removal of offerings from sieidi sites. Similarly, the Christian objects such as cross pendants and tracts found at some offering sites, could be seen as a contemporary way to Christianise an old offering place. On the other hand, they could also mark the dual spirituality of the person leaving the deposit (cf. Rountree 2014: 82).
Figure 3. A cross pendant at the sieidi in Näkkälä, Eanodat/Enontekiö. (Photo: Anssi Malinen, 2014)
As researchers, we also affected the organisation of the offerings at the sites of our research. During our excavations at eight Saami offering sites between 2008‒2010 we followed the principle of leaving as many finds in situ as possible. Our osteologist, Anna-Kaisa Salmi, documented the sites during the fieldwork, though bones were nevertheless taken for further sampling for C14, DNA, and isotope analysis (for the results see e.g., Heino et al. 2020; Núñez et al. 2020; Salmi et al. 2020). In 2011, after the sampling, we returned these bones to the individual offering places from which they were taken. This was done out of respect to these places.
Figure 4. Coins are carefully placed in the cracks of the sieidi stone in Näkkälä, Eanodat/Enontekiö. (Photo: Tiina Äikäs, 2008)
The strong Christian influence did not mean a total end of the old traditions (Äikäs & Salmi 2013). At Sieiddakeädgi, in addition to bone finds, a large number of coins was documented from the cave-like hollow, the oldest of which dated to the late 19th century. In addition, green bottle glass from the 19th century was found. Coins are a common find at other sieidi sites, too. This could be because they are something that people often carry with them and as such are easy to leave on a visit. At some sites, e.g., Näkkälä, the careful placing of coins seems to be important, whereas at other places they are just found in the ground. Coins have also been part of the old offering tradition, both as perforated objects and as currency (Äikäs 2015: 163).
Figure 5. Elk skulls on the sieidi at Kirkkopahta, Muonio. (Photo: Tiina Äikäs, 2010)
Apart from coins, other contemporary deposits can be found at the sieidi stones. In a pine forest in Muonio lies a sieidi stone of Kirkkopahta. This 6 x 7 metres wide boulder has been mentioned as an offering place by Samuli Paulaharju (1932) but during the excavations carried out in 2009, we did not find any ancient bones indicating an offering tradition. There were, nevertheless, fresh elk skulls on the sieidi stone. In addition, chunks of quartzite, knots of hair, and cones were placed on top of the stone, and on the ground, there were a tealight and a group of sprigs tied together with string. Under the stone, there was a small cache of hashish which we did not recognise during the excavations. On later visits, I have also seen contemporary bone deposits, pieces of paper (maybe containing a note), and a small metal tube, possibly an ear tube. These finds seem to indicate a similar use to that which has been documented at other Saami offering sites both in Finland and Norway (Äikäs & Spangen 2016; Spangen & Äikäs 2020). Contemporary use of Saami offering sites has many aspects; these sites are visited by locals, some of them still in connection to livelihood, but also by tourists and neo-Pagans.
Figures 6a and 6b. Contemporary deposits at the sieidi of Kirkkopahta. (Photos: Tiina Äikäs, 2009)
The Saami offering sites have had a long lifecycle from the Iron Age to present day. Even though some of them might have been abandoned already during their pre-Christian use or in the process of Christianisation, others are still visited. The memory of these places can remain in placenames indicating sieidi or sacredness (such as sieidi, seita, bassi, áilegas) even when the exact place of the offerings has been lost. Some of these places are still known only in the oral histories of the locals and not shared with those not living in the area. This raises questions about the use and protection of these sites. Who is allowed to visit them? What are the proper ways to use these places? And how should we show our respect towards these places? Do the contemporary deposits have their place at the sieidi stones similarly to the old offerings?
Figure 7. The sieidi of Kirkkopahta in wintertime. (Photo: Tiina Äikäs, 2016)
Acknowledgements
Anna-Kaisa Salmi, Marte Spangen and Markus Fjellström have shared my journey, from visiting and excavating Saami offering sites to analysing the finds and co-authoring various articles.
Bibliography
Äikäs, Tiina 2015. From Boulders to Fells: Sacred Places in the Sámi Ritual Landscape. Translated by S. Silvonen. Monographs of the Archaeological Society of Finland 5.
Äikäs, Tiina & Salmi, Anna-Kaisa 2013. “The sieidi is a better altar / the noaidi drum’s a purer church bell”. Long term changes and syncretism at Sámi offering sites. World Archaeology vol. 45.1: 20−38.
Äikäs, Tiina & Spangen, Marte 2016. New users and changing traditions. (Re)defining Sami offering sites. European Journal of Archaeology 19(1): 95–121.
Heino, Matti T., Salmi, Anna-Kaisa, Äikäs, Tiina, Mannermaa, Kristiina, Kirkinen, Tuija, Sablin, Mikhail, Ruokonen, Minna, Núñez, Milton, Okkonen, Jari, Dalén, Love & Aspi, Jouni 2020. Reindeer from Sámi offering sites document the replacement of wild reindeer genetic lineages by domestic ones in Northern Finland starting from 1400–1600 AD. Journal of Archaeological Science Reports 35, 102691.
Núñez, Milton, Äikäs, Tiina, Aspi, Jouni, Eriksson, Gunilla, Heino, Matti, Lidén, Kerstin, Oinonen, Markku, Okkonen, Jari & Salmi, Anna-Kaisa 2020. Animal remains from Saami offering places – Glimpses of human-animal relations from Finnish Lapland AD 1000–1900. In M. Spangen, A-K Salmi, T. Äikäs & M. Fjellström (eds.), Currents of Sámi Pasts. Monographs of the Archaeological Society of Finland 9, pp. 61‒78.
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Salmi, Anna-Kaisa, Äikäs, Tiina, Spangen, Marte, Fjellström, Markus & Mulk, Inga-Maria 2018. Traditions and transformations in Sámi animal offering practices. Antiquity 92(362): 472–489.
Salmi, Anna-Kaisa, Äikäs, Tiina & Lipkin, Sanna 2011. Animating ritual at Sámi sacred sites in Northern Finland. Journal of Social Archaeology 11(2): 212–235.
Salmi, Anna-Kaisa, Fjellström, Markus, Äikäs, Tiina, Spangen, Marte, Núñez, Milton, Lidén, Kerstin 2020. Zooarchaeological and stable isotope evidence of Sámi reindeer offerings. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2019.102129
Spangen, Marte & Äikäs, Tiina 2020. Sacred nature. Diverging use and understanding of old Sámi offering sites in Alta, Northern Norway. Religions 11(317): 1‒22. doi:10.3390/rel11070317.
Tiina Äikäs is a university researcher in Archaeology at the University of Oulu in Finland and holds the title of Docent in Archaeology at the University of Helsinki. Her thesis (2011) dealt with the ritual landscapes of Saami sacred places, and her post-doctoral research has concentrated on the site biographies and contemporary use of Saami offering places. Her research interests include the archaeology of religion, heritage studies, and industrial heritage. Her most recent book co-edited with Anna-Kaisa Salmi was The Sound of Silence: Indigenous Perspectives on the Historical Archaeology of Colonialism (2019, Berghahn Books).
