Samiska offerplatser : En studie av syfte, brukningstid och kontinuitet i den samiska offerkulten

Sammanfattning: Sámi sacrificial sites were a central part of the Sámi pre-Christian belief. The Sámi saw the world from a holistic point of view where nature, humans and spirits were all connected. The interest for sacrificial sites have a long history and both older research and some more recent studies are available with new analysis methods. There are still unresolved questions regarding sacrificial sites such as those concerning how long the sacrificial sites have been used and what kind of continuity can be seen in the sacrificial practises. The aim of this paper is to analyse purpose, timespan and continuity of the sacrificial sites by combining a study of archaeological and historic material. The study concerns sacrificial sites that were separated from the living area and analyses the material from the two sacrificial sites, Unna Saiva and Viddjavárri. The study shows that the main purpose of the sacrifice was to gain wellbeing and good fortune in your everyday life as well as to maintain a good relationship with the nature and sprits. The overall timespan of the sacrificial practice was from the 6th and 8thcentury to 19thand 20thcentury with some traces to older and more recent dates. The continuity in the sacrificial practises can mainly be seen through the continuous purpose of the sacrifice and the continuity in selecting what parts of the animal to sacrifice.