My friend Harald Gaski, the widely-known and respected Sámi scholar, author, and professor who has written extensively about Sámi language and traditions (and to whom I am forever grateful for his advice on the anthem and other projects!), was awarded an honorary doctorate this week by Umeå University. The fact that “inspiring others” was part of the rationale for this honor speaks to his generosity; it is one thing to do good work and another to encourage it in others.

Ollu lihkku, Harald.

No stranger to Seattle, Harald has lectured here several times, and has had a less visible hand in many events. Recently his translation of poems by Áillohaš were read at Mary Sara’s rematriation, and his script for Juoiggás was enjoyed at the National Nordic Museum. Harald has generously sought contributions to Sámi literature by Americans; in 2021, I was delighted to introduce him to Gary Anderson and Vivian Faith Prescott, whose poetry he published in the journal Sámis.

In this Norwegian-language article by Ellen Kathrine Bludd, you can read some of Harald’s reflections on Sámi fire traditions. Ikke Norsk? Check out the images at the link, and then enjoy an English translation below.

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A campfire doesn’t have to be big

Even small fires can give us light and warmth, and keep mosquitoes away. But did you know that in Sámi tradition there lived a goddess under the fire to whom you could offer a drop of coffee?

The fire is an important part of Sámi everyday life. You light a fire to make coffee, cook, and warm yourself. And when you set up a lávvo (tent) or build a gamme (hut), the árran (fireplace) is at its center. But why is the fire so important to the Sámi? And can outdoor enthusiasts and others learn something from the Sámi fire culture?

– The Sámi culture is an Arctic culture. In the Sámi areas it is cold all year round, so the fire is very important. It brings light and warmth, says Harald Gaski.

Gaski is Professor II of Sámi cultural history and literature at UiT and professor of Sámi literature at Sámi allaskuvla.

– The sun is an old mythical figure for the Sámi, he says.

The professor explains that the fire and the sun are related to each other, and both provide light and heat.

There are many different types of fire in Sámi culture.

Smokeless fire

Some types of wood burn better than others, and some produce more smoke.

– I remember reading cowboy books when I was a child. I read how North American Indigenous people made fires without smoke, so they couldn’t be seen. I wanted to learn how to make a fire like that, says Gaski.

He explains that if you want to make a smokeless fire, you can use dry willow scrub. It is particularly beneficial to use willows where the bark is removed; then there is almost no smoke.

Dried willow is also fantastic for kindling, and for making just a small fire.

Small fires

Gaski explains that those who are not Sámi often have large bonfires.

– With big fires, you have to stand so far away, he says.

It is not always so favorable.

– You don’t need to make a big fire. You just need to warm up your feet. The heat then flows up through the body. You can also get coffee made and roast the meat on a small fire.

He emphasizes that it is also easier to put out a small fire.

Old Sámi myths say to offer a drop of coffee to the female deity who lives under the fire.

Mosquito fire

In many of the Sámi areas there are also a lot of mosquitoes. This can be a little troublesome when you are on a trip.

– If you are going to make a fire that keeps mosquitoes away, you need a lot of smoke. Then you can feel calmer while you eat. For this you should use green wood—birch, for example, says Gaski.

He says that when you are going to smoke fish and meat it is important to choose the right kind of wood, for it gives flavor, as spices do.

Harald Gaski received all this knowledge about fires from his family when he was younger. It was really learning by doing.

– I didn’t think that I was learning Indigenous knowledge. I was just learning by doing, says the professor.

But has the fire also had a different meaning for the Sámi than its uses for cooking, warmth and practical purposes?

Sacred fire

In the lávvo or gamme, the hearth was very important. In Sami it is called árran. When you build a lávvo or a gamme, you always start with the árran.

– Sáráhkká, a female deity, lived under the árran. She was the guardian spirit of girls and women and took care of the family’s well-being, says Gaski.

She helped both women and reindeer to give birth.

Gaski explains that in Sámi religion there are several different gods responsible for different aspects of life.

Even after the Sámi were Christianized and started baptizing their children, the child was bathed and baptized again in honor of Sáráhkká when the family returned home from church.

– When you make coffee, it is customary to give the first drop to Sáráhkká or to empty the coffee from the bottom of the kettle as a small offering. You can pour it out on the fire or next to it, says Gaski.

– It provides warmth and coziness, which makes you feel good.

The professor explains that according to Sámi belief, all children are originally created as girls, but (sometimes) another goddess called Juoksáhkká intervenes in the mother’s life and changes the sex of the fetus. She is therefore considered the goddess of boys.

The goddess Uksáhkká, “the one who guards the door,” looks after the whole household and has her abode at the entrance to the lávvo or gamme. She also cares for the mother and child after the birth.

But what about the fire today, in modern Sámi life? Is it still important?

The fire makes you feel happy

– Many people probably have memories of pleasant fishing trips and tiring cloudberry trips. The fire is a medium for evoking such memories. No matter how brief the cloudberry trip, there had to be a campfire.

– Going on a trip quickly, with a packed lunch and a Thermos . . . that is part of becoming Norwegian, because we’ve learned to be so so efficient that we no longer have time for káfestallat, for cooking coffee on a fire.

Gaski says it is very cozy to sit around a fire.

– Johan Turi, who is known as the first Sámi writer, writes several times about how happy you feel around a fire, he says.

Turi tells about the social side of a fire. Inside the lávvo, inside the gamme, and outside when it’s warm enough.

The fire is practical, for cooking coffee and food, for warmth and light, but the social aspect is also important. The famous Sámi artist Nils-Aslak Valkeapää writes in his poetry about the fire as a life-giving force that binds people together.

The fire is also a celebration that you have succeeded in what you have done, then you can sit down and relax and enjoy, says Gaski.

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Giitu, Harald!

On this cool May evening here in the city, tonight we will make a small fire in the garden, get warm, and give thanks.