Sámi Shamanic Drums

The Sámi peoples of northern Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula in Russia were renowned for their drum divination skills. They used divination to determine the future, luck or misfortune, location of game, diagnosis, and remedies. The Sámi practiced an indigenous form of shamanism until the religious repression of shamanic practices in the mid 17th century. The runebomme, an oval frame or bowl drum, was an important trance and divination tool of the noaidi, or Sámi shaman. The reindeer, which was central to Sámi culture and livelihood, provided the hide for the drumhead, the sinew to lace it together, and the antler bone for the drumstick or hammer. The Sámi believed that the reindeer’s antlers were conduits to the Upper World. Read more.