The Sami - Sweden - page 720

- anything from exquisitely engraved spoons, belt buckles and brooches to earrings and
pendants.
Designs differ depending on whether an item hails from northern or southern Lappland:
northern knife sheaths are typically more steeply curved and decorated with patterns of
stars and flowers, while southern craftsmen use abstract square patterns. Northern leather-
work and embroidery often feature cloth appliques, while Southern Sami favour leather-
work combined with beadwork.
Recurring symbols are found in Sami silver jewellery. These include the sunwheel that
graces women's belts; animal motifs that were once painted on sacred shaman's drums:
beavers, reindeer, elk; and komsekule , silver filigree balls that once graced Sami collars but
were then used as an anti-goblin charm when hung on children's cradles. The heavy silver
collars worn by women often feature the Gothic letter 'M'. In the Middle Ages, such 'M's
were a pilgrim sign that symbolised the Virgin Mary.
In the 1970s there was a revival of Sami handicraft; since then, genuine Sami work that
uses traditional designs and materials has borne the Sámi Duodji trademark.
People of the Eight Seasons
For centuries, Sami life revolved around reindeer. Thus the Sami year traditionally has
eight seasons, each tied to a period of reindeer herding:
Gidádálvve (springwinter; early March to late April) Herds are moved from the forests
to calving lands in the low mountains during the spring migration.
Gidá (spring; late April to late May) Calves are born. Leaves and grass are added to the
reindeer's diet.
Gidágiesse (springsummer; end of May to Midsummer) Herds are moved to find more
vegetation for calves and their mothers. Reindeer mostly rest and eat. Herders repair tem-
porary homes.
Giesse (summer; Midsummer to end of August) Reindeer move to higher ground to
avoid biting insects. Herders round them up and move them into corrals for calf marking.
Tjaktjagiesse (autumnsummer; end of August to mid-September) Reindeer build up fat
for the winter. Some of the uncastrated males (sarvss) are slaughtered in specially desig-
nated corrals. Meat is salted, smoked and made into jerky.
Tjaktja (autumn; mid-September to mid-October) Reindeer mating season. The
reindeer stay mostly in the low mountains, where they feed on roots and lichen.