Goahti
Goavddis
The drum had two functions. For the noaidi, the Sámi shaman, it was an instrument that helped him or her to enter a trance. When in the trance, the noaidi could travel to other worlds, to the world of the gods or to other places he wished to visit.
To make the drum more powerful, various amulets and objects of power were attached to it.
Help in foretelling the future: The drum could also be an instrument used to help foretell the future. The world in which the Sámi lived was drawn on its leather membrane. The drum's membrane was a picture of the cosmos. In the southern Sámi area, the main god, the Sun, was surrounded by gods, animals and other forces that were important in life. Further to the north, the world was divided into several layers. It was often perceived that the world had three layers: the underworld, the visible world and the world of the gods. Some drums even had five layers. The most common motifs on the drums were the gods, reindeer, hunting and quarry animals, encampments and residences. In more recent times more modern motifs were found on some drums, such as churches and horses.
A plumb was also laid on the drum's membrane. This could be made of antler or brass. When the shaman drummed on the membrane, the plumb moved around. By following its movements he was able to predict the future.
The noaidi's tools It was mostly the noaidi who used the drum. In addition to travelling in time and space, the drum could also be used to cure illnesses or to predict what would happen in the future. In order to cure a sick member of the group, the noaidi's job was to ascertain what offering the gods required in order to lift the illness from the sufferer's body. With the help of the drum, the noaidi could also learn about things that were important to the group. When they should go out and hunt, when they should move or which god required a particular offering.
The noaidi, with his helpful spirits and his drum, was the central figure in the group. He or she was their religious and spiritual leader.
Christianity threatened by the drum For the missionaries who worked among the Sámi, the drum and the noaidi were considered to be the greatest threat to the conversion of the Sámi. Laws were written forbidding the noaidi and the other Sámi from worshiping what were termed idols. The use of the drum was punishable by law. They were collected in, burned or removed from the environment in which they were used. At the beginning of the 18th century it was common for there to be a drum in most households. At Åsele market in 1725, more than 20 drums were collected. The people who were forced to hand them in were probably not noaidis. Even though the authorities and the priesthood maintained at the time that the Sámi had now been converted to Christianity, most groups of Sámi lived in double worlds. Around 70 drums are still preserved today. Some of these can be seen at the Átte Mountain and Sámi Museum in Jokkmokk and at the Nordic Museum in Stockholm.
Source courtesy of: The Saami. A Cultural Encyclopaedia. Ed. Kulonen, Seurujärvi & Pulkkinen (2005)
