The Development of Sámi Shamanism

The chapter examines how shamanism in Norway evolves through the interaction of global spiritual currents with local culture. It focuses on the creative processes that occur when practitioners blend American Indian symbolism with perceived local traditions, sparking spiritual seekers to develop new religious movements. The analysis highlights how global shamanic culture influences and is adapted within Norwegian society, leading to innovative spiritual expressions that bridge the local and the global.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The cultural creation developed by practitioners of shamanism in Norway provides insight into processes of religious creation and creativity. These developments and increasing spiritual inventiveness are the focus of this chapter. I am particularly interested in how and what happens when the global culture of shamanism interacts with a specific local culture, in this case, Norwegian society. Drawing on developments within the field of shamanism in Norway, the chapter ventures between the local and global, highlighting how American Indian symbolism might serve as a spark that prompts a spiritual seeker to step onto the path of spirituality, making what is perceived as local traditions the basis for a new global religious movement.