Large attendance at lecture on sacrificial sites

09 February 2026

Last week, Øksnes Sami Association arranged a week-long celebration of Sami People’s Day on 6th of February. On Saturday, there was a free lecture and film screening in collaboration with Øksnes museum. Around 30 attendees heard filmmaker Tom Kappfjell talk about sacred mountains and sacrificial sites in the region.

Kappfjell referred to various sacrificial stones and the like that were used for thanksgiving offerings in Sami tradition. Here, fertility was emphasized, where the sacrificial stones represent the primordial mother’s sex (madteraahka). Thus, this type of ritual was not talked about after the Sami were attempted assimilated into Christianity.

Knowledge about the rituals is a type of intangible cultural heritage, which risks disappearing if you do not practice or talk about it. After the lecture, there was a break with discussion, and the sale of coffee and cakes. Then a half-hour clip from the upcoming documentary film “Bissegh” that Kappfjell has been working on in recent years was shown. Here, it was demonstrated how, among other things, fat, intestines and blood of reindeer could be used in sacrifices, and various Sami people spoke about their experiences, especially related to reindeer herding and the transfer of knowledge.

A big thank you to everyone who showed up, and thanks to Tom Kappfjell and Øksnes Sami Association for a great collaboration!