In the Christmas calendar, the children Ristin and Aila meet a boy from the Saajvoe people. A people who live in Saajvoe – where the water is clearer, the reindeer herds bigger and the fish fatter. But it is also a dangerous place where you can get stuck forever.
Their uncle notes that he usually sacrifices part of his food sack to the Saajvoe people. And that he always carries a brass ring that protects him from getting stuck if he ends up there.
A different upbringing
For the Sami audience, this is nothing new. It is part of Sami mythology that is often retold within families even today.
These stories, which have inspired parts of the Christmas calendar, are now highlighted by Marit Kuhmunen Blom in the Sami opening on SVT Play. These are stories that can be educational and warn children of dangers.
– It can be a little more for the Sami, that they get a little more than just the Christmas calendar. But it can also be fun for Swedish parents to see that the Sami bring up children a little differently, says Marit Kuhmunen Blom.
Stállu will take you – if you don’t clean up
In Sami mythology there is, for example, Stállu. A large and insidious figure who can pretend to be kind but wants to kidnap children. To protect yourself from Stállu, you should clean – especially before Christmas.
At the same time, the mountains are often described as sacred. Anyone who disturbs the mountains can get hurt.
– Do not disturb, clean up after yourself and leave no traces in nature. That is the most important thing in this story, says Marit Kuhmunen Blom.
The details of the stories may vary between different areas and different families. But to a large extent, it is the same essence and warnings that recur within Sami mythology throughout Sápmi.