Abstract
Finland hosts approximately 120 rock paintings, originating from within a pre-historic hunting culture. The metaphors, which depict symbols and figures in the art relate to Sami cultural history, religious practices and shamanism. Many of the painted sites are located close to waterways. Due to the growth of the tourist industry and expansion of urban areas in central and southern parts of the country, approximately ten present of rock paintings in Finland have been extensively damaged. Analysis of photographic material and correspondence with the National Board of Antiquities in Helsinki, which oversees heritage management in Finland, has revealed that recorded vandalism and the on-going vulnerability of many sites is linked to unclear structures and policies aimed at protecting the sacred areas. At the present time, and despite documentation of these occurrences, academic discourse has not dealt with this topic and therefore, which is what this paper aims to address.
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Notes
- 1.
The inspiration for this chapter is concerned with the desecration of rock paintings, and has emerged as a result of papers presented in two conferences in 2013 and 2014. The first presentation (2013) was in the international conference titled: ‘Protecting the Sacred: Recognition of Sacred Sites of Indigenous Peoples for Sustaining Nature and Culture in Northern and Arctic Regions’, held at The Arctic Center, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi and Hotel Pyhätunturi in Pyhä, Finland. The following presentation (2014) was during the second international conference in Inari Finland, Lapland at the Sámi Educational Institute; titled: Indigenous Rights-holder Workshop: ‘Experiencing and Protecting Arctic Sacred Sites and Culturally Important Landscapes – Creating Partnerships with Mutual Respect’.
- 2.
The terms seitakivi has a counterpart in Sámi called Sieidi; both refer to a sacrificial or offering stone. These stones are regarded by the Sámi as cultural monuments and have similar value as a Church altar would have for a Christian person.
- 3.
see Luukkonen (1994–2016) http://www.ismoluukkonen.net/kalliotaide/suomi/kue/kue.html
- 4.
I have made extensive use of archaeologist Antti Lahelma’s material, because his work is the only up to date comprehensive data, concerning attitudes and interpretations and also theories and dating, written in English, concerning rock art research in Finland.
- 5.
I received this information from rock painting photographer and researcher Ismo Luukkonen via e-mail correspondence on February 23rd 2016. Cooperation work with Ismo Luukkonen has been vitally important for the research because the photographic material supplied by Luukkonen has been digitally retouched in order to help bring the images and scenes from the rock paintings out more clearly.
- 6.
The Sámi noaidi is often referred to in literature sources today, as a shaman figure who is a healer, diviner, sacrificial specialist, tradition bearer, who is endowed with magical powers. For further reading about some of the theories linking rock paintings in Finland with noaidi drum symbolism, see my article: To All Our Relations: Evidence of Sámi Involvement in the Creation of Rock Paintings in Finland (2013).
- 7.
- 8.
Note for the reader. There are different ways the term ‘Sámi’ is used depending on the language and area, for example there are variations amongst north: Sámi and South: Sami and Same, as well as the Swedish: Sámi. The areas where the Sámi people live across Fennoscandia are called Sápmi.
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Joy, F. (2017). External and Internal Factors the Desecration and Destruction of Pre-historic Rock Paintings in Finland?. In: Heinämäki, L., Herrmann, T. (eds) Experiencing and Protecting Sacred Natural Sites of Sámi and other Indigenous Peoples. Springer Polar Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48069-5_9
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