A SAMI CHRISTMAS SONG!

Photo Geir Anders Hætta Berg.

Tomorrow I will release a christmas song in Sami language. Terje Andre Tovik Wollmann has written the melody, and I have written the lyrics for the song. The song is about the sami myhtological creature "Stállu".

About a year ago I met Terje at a concert in Oslo. I had not seen him for many many years. I only knew him because he is the ex-boyfriend of a girl I used to live with in Bergen.
I told him I was an artist, and he told me had started working as a music-producer, so we just figuered why not try and do something together. We kept in touch, and I told him that I had wanted to do a christmas song for may years, but never got around to it, and he was immidiately into the idea of making a christmas song together, and so we did!

The reason why I wanted to make a christmas song is that when I was a child I remember christmas as a very positive time of the year. I used to cuddle up with my duvet in a chair in front of the telly and watch Disney - cartoons, and other programs. It was dark season, so it was constantly dark outside, so we lit candles and spent alot of time togehter with my family inside playing games, making christmas decorations, bakery and toys and gifts of course.

VIKINGENES JUL - VIKING CHRISTMAS

Vikingene skålte uten stans de tre lange nettene julefesten varte.

Vikingenes jul var preget av alkohol

Før julen ble kjent som dagen da Jesus ble født, var høytiden vikingenes viktigste fest. De pyntet med blod, drakk sterkt øl og forspiste seg på svinekjøtt til gudenes ære.

23. november 2015 av Esben Mønster Kjær fra dette nettstedet: http://historienet.no/sivilisasjoner/vikinger/vikingenes-jul-var-preget-av-alkohol

Julen var et lyspunkt for vikingerne

Vinteren var en hard og langdryg årstid for vikingene. Når frost og snø la seg over landet, søkte de ly i sine mørke hus og pakket seg inn i skinnfeller for å holde varmen. Beboerne hadde knapt med varme­kilder til å motvirke trekken fra det utette langhuset. Ildstedet i midten ga god varme, men gjorde også et stort daglig innhogg i vedstabelen.
Dyrene, som holdt til i den ene enden av huset, var også med på å varme opp rommet. Hester, kyr, sauer og geiter fikk ly for vinteren og bidro til gjengjeld med kroppsvarme og melk til smør og ost.
Med dyrene så tett på måtte beboerne også holde ut en konstant eim av møkk, uansett hvor mye det ble måkt. Stanken blandet seg med røyken fra ildstedet og kunne merkes i alle kroker før den sivet ut av et hull i taket.
Mens vikingene hostet og krøp sammen under skinnfellene, hadde de god tid til å bekymre seg for matlagrene. Gjennom sommerhalvåret hadde de stått på for å få avlingene i hus, men dersom utbyttet var magert, kunne det blir en utfordring å holde liv i familie, dyr og treller hele vinteren, selv med streng rasjonering.
Det var ikke fritt for at vikingene også kjente på kjedsomheten. Tiden sneglet seg av gårde i halvmørket innendørs mens menn og kvinner fordrev tiden med å produsere klær, flette tau, ­reparere hullete seil og slipe redskapene.
Vikingene hadde bare én ting å se frem til i mørketiden: julen. All frykt for fremtiden ble glemt, og vikingene ga seg selv lov til å fråtse hemningsløst.

#WESPEAKEARTH

A few months ago my dear collegue Sara Marielle Gaup (traditional yoiker in the band Àdjagas and Àrvvas) told me about her plan for the COP21 in Paris 12th of december 2016. This is a meeting with top leaders of the world where they will discuss the global warming and climate changes in the world.

She told me she had made a yoik, and she hoped that people from all over the world would yoik this yoik on the streets of Paris during this important meeting about our earth. She was going to ask sami artist and other to make their own version of the yoik, make a video and put it on youtube. She also asked if I would want to come to Paris and participate on this event.
I have thought about me going there since the day se asked, and I still want to go, but unfortunately my shcedule does not allow it. I am hoping my shcedule for next year leaves more blanks in it, so I will be able to do more things on impulse. Especially if it is for such an importnat cause as this!

I immidiately knew that I wanted to contribute to this. Because we are talking about our world, and there is nothing more important than our earth!  

HIRAS :: DEMURE

Waiting for my single to ble released!

WHY I SING IN SAMI

-->

Promo pic by Mari A. Lorentsen from 2008.
Shot ouside the sami kindergarden in Oslo. 

I left Sápmi when I was 16 years old and swore never to come back. I felt there was nothing to do there for me. We had high suicide-rates in Karasjok and the culture there was not particurlary supportive. I had my friends, of course, but when you live in a small town everything is see-through and you can´t really do anything without someone commenting on it.

I was happy living in the city and I sang in different bands and whenever I had the chance to. But I sang in English. I went back home to visit Karasjok less and less frequent and I noticed that everytime I came back I had forgotten words, and after about 8 years I was struggeling to say anything in sami. I had always had good degrees in languages, including sami, so it started to scare me. What if I was to forget the sami language, and not speak it at all – ever? That would be such a shame! I decided to do something about it, without actually having to move back, cause I didn´t want that either.  I decided I would write lyrics in sami, so that I would have something sami in my life.

I WANT MOSS

This moss is the favorite food of the reindeer. They use it for food and humans use it when need of toilet paper.

Last year when I was driving through Sweden i stopped at a place with alot of moss. It was all white everywhere and it smelled soo delicious it made me want to eat it. It had a very earthy smell. The smell made me happy. I had not heard about people eating moss. I later in Sweden heard that some exclusive restaurant actually serve this moss dried. I love that! 

When I came to this place it was on a break on a roadtrip. We had been driving for a few hours and I had to go pee, and I was happy see there was alot of moss there to use as toilet paper. But what happened when I used it I did not expect. When I used the moss it felt like healing. I was really surprised by this, and I started to think about what we usually use as toiletpaper. We don´t know what all of those papers contain. Even recycled toilet paper, how much toxcins are there really in that? If you think about it, women use that many times a day, and it is an area that gives basically access straight into your body. Except for the mouth - in many ways it is the most sensitive place on the female body. Through the mouth also comes direct access to the inside of body.  It stroke me how nice it would be to have this moss as toilet paper everyday. Reindeer hearders gather this moss to feed the reindeer with in winter, so maybe I should start gathering it for my own purpose. Haha That would be funny!

LYNXIE

As you know my latest single is called "Lynxie" - and it is my cat! (Listen to it here)
In sami tradition it´s normal to yoik your pet, relatives, animals, nature and everything, so why not make a song to my cat, cause I love her!

I was sitting on the sofa at home with a guitar - which I rarely do nowadays, and Lynxie was sitting on the other sofa sleeping. I really love her, just looking at her makes me calm and happy. So I just played something on the guitar and started yoiking her... And that was the start of this song. The refrain is actually the part I yoiked to Lynxie that day on the sofa. So it is a yoik to my cat.

I decided to write her lyrics, to let it show what Lynxie means to me and what I have learned from her. I many times wish I have her life. She is just relaxing half of the day, and then she goes to eat and drink, and goes outside to play and enjoy. And the expressions on her when she cuddles - it´s like there are no worries in the world, and life is a joy... I definately learned to enjoy life more, to take time to relax, and do fun and things that make me happy. And to claim my own territory, be more stubborn, and don´t let others decide what I should do.

And it helps that she is the most beutiful cat in the world. I wanted her because he looks like a Lynx. She is of the american breed Main Coon - one of the biggest cats in the world. But she is actually not that big. around 5,5 kilos. We will see if she grows bigger...

GOHPPU - GUKSI The sami traditional wooden cup.

Made by Jørn Are Keskitalo in Guovdageaidnu.

This is an example of the traditional sami wooden cup. Somwhere they call it guksi, and other places they call it gohppu. I am not an expert about this, but I will tell you what I know.
It is always made of some kind of wood, and sometimes decorated with pieces of reindeer antler.
When I was at elementary shcool we used to burn our names on wooden objects, and this is also common for the gohppu.

Everyone owns their own cup wich they carry in their belt with their knife, so that wherever you come - to a river, lake or visiting another camp you will be ready to get a drink.

I made this cup with my own logo in case you what to get something sami. Handmade cups made by craftsmen are  superexphensive, but the ones I bought these are "handmade in a factory" I guess... hehe cause it saiys handmade, but we know it´s not really... But anyway, it´s the best I could to not make the price not too high. You can buy it here: http://www.elinkaaven.com/store/

Lynxie likes it too!

GREEN ENVIRONMENT- GRØNNT MILJØ

Tre enkle ting du kan gjøre for miljøet:
1. Resirkuler all søppel.
2. Bruk miljøvennlige vaskemidler.

3. Ikke kast søppel i naturen. Plukk søppel (spesielt plast) når du går ute i naturen.

Three easy steps to do for the environment:

1. Recycle all waste.

2. Use environmental friendy washing products (detergents etc).

3. Don´t litter out in nature. Pick up litter (especially plastic) while hiking in nature. 

YOU ARE GOD!

Yes you are! And so am I. This is my belief. We are all part of a wholeness. Everything is energy; humans, objects, plants, animals, the earth. We are all energy, and therefore we are connected to eachother. 

I believe that God equals everything. Everything is God, and God is everything. I am a part of everything, that makes me God too. And it makes a fly God also…

A fly can change my life. Let´s say there was a fly in my kitchen one morning, and I got obsessed with trying to kill it. I bump my head on the refrigerator and have to go to the emergency where I meet my future husband. If that fly had not been there I would not have met him –not that day anyway.

Everything that happens has it´s meaning, and whatever you choose to do affects the whole world in one way or another. Your place on earth is always important, cause you affect the whole universe with your being, and we don´t even know a tiny percentage of how each and everyone of us have affected the world so far.

DENDROPHILIA - LOVE OF TREES

One result of my dead tree obsession period.

I like trees. Alot. Sometimes a bit obsessive. There was a period in my life when I was obsessed with photographing dead trees. Meaning trees that have fallen, broken, cut down, burning or just got old and rottened.

In wikipedia you can read this:

Dendrophilia (paraphilia)

Dendrophilia (or less often arborphilia or dendrophily) literally means "love of trees". The term may sometimes refer to a paraphilia in which people are sexually attracted to or sexually aroused by trees. This may involve sexual contact or veneration as phallic symbols or both.^[1]
One such example is Emma Mccabe who has said that she is in love with, and has plans to marry, a poplar tree named Tim.  


I think definately I am dendrophil, cause I love trees. I think of each and everyone of the trees as different individuals - like us humans. They all have their own energy and personality. For me it is very logical and natural. A old big tree would be like an old human -wise, calm and determinded. A small tree is like a child - playful and active. Active meaning it would make alot of seeds, or grow in different ways, get rid of some parts, and grow new for example.  

I have had times when trees have inspired me greatly, like they have inspired millions of people before me. The thing with threes is that they represent life in a great and wise way. We have all heard the "tree of life". 

LOOSING THE SOUL

Photo: Majja Eriksen

I was lucky enough to know at a early stage in life that I was a singer. Many people have no idea what they want to do in their lives, but I knew when I was around 4 years that I wanted to be a singer. My whole childhood I really truly thought I was a singer.

My aunt Sonja has told me that when I saw my father up on stage playing the guitar and singing, I had said "When I grow up I want to sing in a band just like my dad".

All my childhood I remember singing all the time everywhere, and dreaming about releasing albums and singing on stages. I was a part of the sami shows at the Sami radiostation and TV - NRK Sápmi when I was in elementary shcool, you could say that´s where I started my carriere.

ULDDAID VIESUS - I HULDRENES HUS

Muitalus ulddaid birra - En huldrehistorie

Máŋgejuvvon dás http://www.nrk.no/sapmi/78.-ulddaid-viesus-_samegillii_-1.12111861   lobikeahttá.

Eatnanvuolážat leat riggábut go olbmot mat leat eatnan alde: sis leat čáppa orohagat, hearvás fiinna biktasat ja ollu ruhta. Ja visot gollit ja silbbat mat gávdnojit eatnama vuolde, dat leat sin. Ja dasa lassin leat velá sin hálddus visot diet čiegát, máid olbmot áiggi mielde leat bidjan eatnamii, dakkár árahávddit. Ja dat leat biddjon eatnamii dakkár sániiguin ahte eai oaččo váldit iežát go lagas olbmot. Ja jus iežát váldet, de ráimmahallet.

Ja nu de báhcet ollu čiegát ulddaid háldui, go bárdni dahje nieida ii gávnna áhčis, iige áhkus čiegá. Ja ulddat eai atte daid čiegáid earáide go daidda rievttes maŋisbohttiide.
Visot, mii lea eatnama vuolde, ulddat hoidejit čábbát, ja seammá čábbát dat dikšot guovžža, mii nohkká dálvvi su biejus. Ulddat dat addet dasa borramuša, vaikko oaidnit gal ii sáhte ahte das lea biebmu čoavjjis.

WHEN I STOPPED DRINKING COFFEE

I stole this pic from hyttemag.no

This is the story about when I stopped drinking coffee. I was around 15 years old when I had a terrible coffeine-shock and got so nauseas and ill that I have never drank coffee again (I tried a few times after but I could not).
Many sami parents used to give their babies coffee. They would give them like a teaspoon a week or something like that. It was supposed to improve their health in some way, so it is very common for everyone to drink cofee. You can start drinking whenever you want, and most sami people I know start drinking coffee everyday from they are teenagers.
I never liked coffee that much so I didn´t drink it everyday like some of my friends would when I was 13 years old. I only drank it when we where going tell the future of one another. We used to read fortune-telling books and read each others futures in the coffee. We only had coffee for boiling then, no instant coffees or other fancy stuff.

KOMSAFJELLET - KOMSA MOUNTAIN

When I moved to my house in Alta 3 years ago I realised I had bought the best house ever!
One of the reasons being that it is close to the moutain Komsa. It´s said that is is a old sami holy mountain. Sami people used to go there an do offerings.
I was thrilled by this of course, and it made me feel more home here. I started doing walks there and in witer I go skiing there. Alot of people go there hiking cause there is a path that goes right up there and it a known well place to go hiking there. In winter they make ski-trails for people to go skiing there. Always when i go there I feel like I an enetering a totally different world. Lynxie likes to go hiking with me in the summer as well. And I have special spot there that I always visit.

I have noticed that the water we have in the house is the best water I have ever drunk. I like to think it is because we get it from this magical mountain, thats what I believe anyway. I drink alot of water from Komsafjellet every day. 



Ger Hesbeen gave me this link to read more about this: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komsa_culture