No, the sámi - my ancestors  - were never organised in tribes (as often erroneously stated). The traditional sámi hunting-community was the siida - a group of related extended-families - often not more than 50 or so people.

The sámi and the finns/suomi are related, in fact the sámi languages are closest related to finnish and estonian.

There are no evidence of military clashes between vikings and sámi - since the latter never had any substantial military organisation to offer recistance. For example, the 9th century Ottar relation speaks of sámi reindeer hunters forced to pay tribute to the norwegian chief Ottar. But there were some fighting - not with the norse people but against other finno-ugric peoples. Many sámi legends speak of resistance against maurauding chuds - identified with karelians and ests. These fights were probably small guerilla operatons rather than real battles

/Mikael

 I can just picture a Hatfields-McCoys type scenario with that.

The Tchuds or Ests, which are both names for Estonians, as far as i know. Russians called us (Estonians) Tchuds, it means something in the area of "stupid people". I don't know the exact meaning of Ests being Estonians as Ests could have ment any ethnicity in the East.

"Did the Finns and Estonians live similarly to the Sami before the Germans/Vikings conquered them?"

HHmmmmmmm..... i am no expert on the matter of Finns, but Estonians lived in  farms mostly and were of peasant descent. Estonians are known to have lived off of farming since 2000 B.C. (i think). Barley has been grown here for nearly 4000 years, that i know. We were rather sedentary people and didn't migrate out of our present day borders (only for some raids against the Swedes, Latgals, Livonians, Semgals or some of our fellow tribes) since we arrived in the Baltics. We had ancient countys where kings(Kuningad) ruled. The kings can't be seen as a king of England in the 16-17th century who had absolute power, but more of an elder, not a dictator. We didn't hunt nearly as much as Sami or Suomi because we had pretty good land for fields. So, yea, we were born farmers since the beginning of times we arrived in our present day area.

About the matter of Sami fighting the norsemen, i can't believe the Sami could offer any resistance to the berserker might of a viking. The Sami don't present to me as people with any weaponry except for killing a reindeer. It wouldn't be profitable to slay them anyway as they are experts at getting fur to anyone taking tribute from them so i don't think it was a regular thing to attack them.

I forgot mentioning that the norse Sagas revered the sámi as excellent archers and the quality of their bows. In a legend, the mightiest God Odin actually posses a sámi bow!

Of course a sámi archer could have taken out a swordsman. Steel spears, javelins and knifes were also used

You're right, they perhaps didn't use steel, but they did used iron spears - traded from norse and baltic peoples

Do you seriously question that sámi have the ability settle down? What about my sámi acestors then, who were farmers for generations?

Not caucasians you say? I'm 50 % sámi - why then am I white-skinned (in fact I'm really pale ), blu-eyed and blond?

Sure it did exist, from the early 11th century and onwards. But then, it depends on what you mean with early medieval era 

Yes, but much later - 1815-1905 

As pointed out, Sweden existed. The earliest reference of the Swedes is probably Tacitus, and if I am not recalling erroneously, Beowulf contains the first physical mention of the kingdom itself (Swiorice in Old Saxon, Svíariki Old Norse).

And also in a brief period in the 14th century - Magnus Eriksson was king of Sweden and Norway 1319-50 (and sole king of Sweden to -64, and king of Skåne 1332-60).

I can say for myself, that I'm certainly NOT. I think their language is beautiful, but yet again reflecting the cold homeland of the Sàmi. I also admire their way to preserve their culture and way of life until the 21st century and beyond. I shouldn't think that Finns on the whole are ashamed of the Sámi either. I can't say for sure about Estonians, but I'd think they're not ashamed either.

Thanks and bye for now  

It sounded like that in the discussion above.

Genetically, Finns and Sámi are 'very' different. Finns are much closer to Swedes than Sámi. The languages are distant relatives.

During the viking age, the Sámis were mostly taxed by Norwegians, vikings if you will, Kvens (Fin. Tribe on both sides of Bothnia) and Karelians. I doubt the Sámi waged war on a large scale against anyone ever.

Hi all. I am a nebie. Now I know I should lurk first, but I have some serious work to do. I am in need of info. I am a psychic reader and over a year ago, I predicted something and this week it came to pass. It was only one of many things to follow. This is not the adverage prediction. I have these visions with images and the funny thing is, they come and stay on my bathroom wall or floor. Considering the attack the other day in London, this was the beginning of my prediction. I had a vision of the 5 Olympic rings and a man skiing in motion. The same day this attack occured, London won the bid for the next place for the Olymics. I found that a bid baffling. Yes, I know this is a weird post, but since I see this first piece falling into place, I need help with the other. I know they say history repeats itself. So, I stumbled across you group. The following things are what were in my vision next. I would appreciate any information on the history of Japan and the Vikings please. I did find that the Vikings were from England in the beginning. I think. London maybe?

Ok, on to the vision and symbols in my bathroom. I know it's weird, but please help me if you can with info.

The 5 Olympic rings and a man skiing in motion on my bathroom floor. The stickman with a stick through his head/globe? Looks like a globe more than a stickman. A Japenese soldier man with the wound and bandage over his right eye and across his nose, and a heavy Viking man in the back ground shaking his fists up in the air. An Eagle flying in motion with his wings spread. Blue dophins and Mother Teresa. A man with White glowing Angels coming out of his clothes. I know somehow all of these connect. Could this have been a prediction of a world attack? Using the Olympics as a battleground? There are so many more symbols and faces in my bathroom. And I wonder if these are the people eho are innocent bystanders or if they are the Angels and Guides of the innocent bystanders? This has me baffled and amazed! Never did I ever dream my Olympic rings and the Skiier would be so profound!

Any help would be fantastic please. Thank you.

I remember reading somehwere that a few Sami traveled around telling telling stories, or sagas....like traveling mintrel types.

...but now I can't find that reference....

Does anyone know if this is true?

Hrodger

Quote:

Had always felt that Saami and Karelians must have mixed once upon a time at least and had also always suspected some Saami 'bloodlines' in the family.

Now that relatives DNA-tests are coming in with lines that can be traced back to my g-g-grandmothers (on both sides), my suspicions have been validated.

Am I ashamed to be related to Saami ? No way ! If anything, I am so very proud of this connection. (Hence revitalized this old thread).

Shouldn't go calling myself Saami though, as "Saami" is very much a cultural-identity thing, but nevertheless this has helped me understand the psycho-spiritual connection which did become apparent with the Saami I have known.

I don't think that "our" (Saami-Karelian) ancestors discriminated between "races".  People were given names according to their lifestyles, according to their livelihoods. Have read that the term "Lapp" originally didn't mean Saami as such, the term was given to anyone who preferred to remain living the hunting and gathering lifestyle. (One side of my family was also given a name, and this was because they practiced agriculture supplemented by hunting and because of the particular Nature Deity they worshipped).

I also did read somewhere that with the arrival of more Germanic peoples later; - onto the scene, people became more "racially categorized".

Don't know, could be.

Sounds somewhat familiar anyway.