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HELSINGIN SANOMAT

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IN FINNISH

Seitas, sacred places of the indigenous Smi

people, have become subjects of renewed

interestArchaeologists excavate bones of sacrificial animals

from the vicinity of sites; the Ukonkivi seita has been

nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

By Jussi Konttinen in

Inari, Finnish Lapland

The low rays of thesun caress the roughsurface of a strange stonearrangement on the shoreof Inari Lake in Spmi, or

Finnish Lapland.In the shallow watersits a boulder, on top ofwhich rests the Pllyskivi(Top Stone), the shapeof which resembles thehead of an elk. The topstone is supported bythree smaller stones.

Everything suggests that this is a seita", says InariSmi seita expert Ilmari Mattus, while observing theconstruction.

An old tale that even embraces Christianitysupports the notion. According to the tale Pivn Olavi(Olavi of the Day), a famous seita destroyer, wouldhave snatched the rock here.Seitas, or the old sacred places of the Smi people,have become the subject of renewed interest. Thename varies, depending on the local Smi dialect, andthe places are also known as sieidis orStorjunkare.

The Academy of Finland is funding a four-yearresearch project, in connection with which six seitashave already been examined. The archaeologists fromthe University of Oulu have performed small-scaleexcavations in the vicinity of the seitas.

The studieshave already produced some results.Based on radiocarbon dating, the oldest findings

have been dated back to the 12th century, saysarchaeologist Tiina iks.

Next to most of the examined sacred places thebones of animals, such as reindeer, goats, sheep, orvarious types of bird and fish species have beenlocated.

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Animal offerings were presented to seitas in hopesfor better luck with fishing or hunting. Sometimes suchproceedings included brushing the stone with blood orfat.

This summer season the excavations will continuein Termisvaara in the far northern municipality ofEnonteki. Divers will start exploring the seitassurrounded by water.

Most known seitas are unusually shaped stones. Atone time Christian priests destroyed seitas, but theindigenous Smi people themselves are also known tohave taken them apart, if they have not beenpropitious.BehindInari LakesPllyskiviseita rises theUkonsaari Island, or ijih in Smi, the holiest of theholy places for the Inari Smi people, The name refersto the highest-ranked of the gods.

A previously unknown seita was discovered onUkonsaari when the Oulu archaeologists combedthrough it in 2007.

It is a stone with a face resembling that of anangry animal. From a nearby hole more than 400bones were discovered, many of which had beenburned. The oldest of them according to dating was thehumerus of a swan, explains Ilmari Mattus.

Another known ijih is located on Inari Lake closerto the village of Inari itself. It is a peculiarly shaped highisland, where there is a sacrificial cave.

Even though the island was already examined inthe 19th century, there, too, new discoveries have beenmade in connection with the recent years excavations.

The island has been put forward as a possibleUNESCO World Heritage Site.

But how dothe present Smi people view theirseitas?

Are the old sacrificial sites perchance still in usetoday?

Nobody would admit that they worship naturegods. But I do believe such practices still exist, saysIlmari Mattus.In Finland, around 50 seitas have been registered ashistoric relics, but in reality there are many more.

Some of the sacred places are known only tolocals, who do not wish to tell their precise

whereabouts.A few wooden seitas, so-called kerop seitas,also still exist. I cannot reveal where they are, for Ihave been told about them in confidence, saysarchaeologist Eija Ojanlatva.

This is a typical problem a researcher can run into.An archaeologist should strictly speaking inform theNational Board of Antiquities of his or her findings.


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In the ongoing projects only seitas that are publiclyknown have been studied. The bones that have beencollected for closer analysis will be returned later.

In the future the seita studies may be broadened insuch a way that sacrificial places are sought based onhints from place-names.

Some of the Smi people take a reserved stand onthe studies."One shouldask what the benefit of this study is.The Smi community should first hold an internaldialogue on the subject. When information is enteredinto a registry by the National Board of Antiquities thisspeaks volumes of how the situation is not under thecontrol of the Smi people, says former chairman ofthe Sami Council Pauliina Feodoroff.

Feodoroffs personal opinion is that the sacredportion of what is considered "cultural heritage" shouldbe off-limits to outsiders.

Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 13.6.2010

Links:

Smi Shamanism - Sieidis (Wikipedia)

JUSSI KONTTINEN / Helsingin [email protected]

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seitas,sacred places of the sámi.pdf

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