Starry Night. Sami Mythology as Inspiration for Contemporary Artistic Expressions.

This abstract deals with experiences working with contemporary artistic expressions based on the indigenous Northern Sami peoples’ performance of the starry sky. Stars are used as graphic figures from early historical times but have different meanings in different cultures. The Sami constellations symbolise characters in a cosmic hunt for a reindeer (Sarvvis). The Sami mythology is little known in our culture, but the story narrated is closer and more anchored to our common arctic life and mindset compared with the Greek mythology. Through a location-based interdisciplinary teaching project, we focus on characters in the cosmic hunting scene and their positions. This project exemplifies of how artistic tools and methods provide insight into the mythological narratives and traditions of indigenous people while illustrating the relationship between arctic people and nature.