The Sami faith was banned in the 17th century by the state churchand the art of pleasure was considered devil worship.
The Sami’s drums, which had a central place in the religion, were destroyed. Anyone who refused to obey the missionaries’ demands and become a Christian was sentenced to death.
“Time to regain faith”
Today, the situation is less dramatic. Now is the time to reclaim Sami spirituality, says Fredrik Prost.
– There is a need to elevate the traditional again, both individually and collectively, he says.
For 20 years he researched drums and Sami traditions. He thought most of it would be lost and was surprised when he dug into the archives and interviewed people.
– There is more knowledge about the subject than we think, he says.
Did inner journey myself
The research on drums has also meant an inner journey for Fredrik Prost himself, a journey that he described in his newly published book.
– Spirituality has helped me, and my path has become clearer in terms of what I have to work on.
Is it possible to bring back spirituality?
– Yes, of course it is. Those who have read my book know that there is at least one person who has regained the knowledge of his life. If I can handle it, you can too, he says to the presenter Elina Israelsson.
In Saturday’s program, poet Niillas Holmberg and chef Maret Ravdna Buljo also talk about their spiritual experiences.
Don’t miss “15 minutes from Sápmi” which this week is broadcast Saturday at 2:45 pm on SVT2. Or already now on SVT Play.
