Anders Sunna Sápmi, Sweden, b. 1985
Negotiation with Jahbme akka and Ruohtta, 2024
Mixed media on board
31 7/8 x 48 in
81 x 122 cm
81 x 122 cm
Traditional Sámi religion is generally considered to be Animism. The Sámi belief that all significant natural objects (such as animals, plants, rocks, etc.) possess a soul, and from a polytheistic...
Traditional Sámi religion is generally considered to be Animism. The Sámi belief that all significant natural objects (such as animals, plants, rocks, etc.) possess a soul, and from a polytheistic perspective, traditional Sámi beliefs include a multitude of spirits.
Jahbme akka is the goddess of the dead, and mistress of the underworld and the realm of the dead.
Ruohtta is the god and the personification of sickness and death. He is the ruler of the land of the dead, Rotaimo. Contrary to Sami practice, he travelled on horseback.
The horse is among the Sami, a feared and detested animal, probably because it was the preferred form of transportation of the Norsemen. People who did not live their lives according to the natural orders came to Rotaimo, deep underground. There they also receive a new body, but they can never leave Rotaimo again.
Jahbme akka is the goddess of the dead, and mistress of the underworld and the realm of the dead.
Ruohtta is the god and the personification of sickness and death. He is the ruler of the land of the dead, Rotaimo. Contrary to Sami practice, he travelled on horseback.
The horse is among the Sami, a feared and detested animal, probably because it was the preferred form of transportation of the Norsemen. People who did not live their lives according to the natural orders came to Rotaimo, deep underground. There they also receive a new body, but they can never leave Rotaimo again.