Introduction of my blog

Hi there!

This is my blog about my life in Finnish Lapland. I was born in the South of Finland but moved to Lapland in 2006 mainly to study but also to explore the northern part of my home country for some years. I like to spend time out in the nature and I do a lot of photography and outdoor activities. Indoors I study and improve among other things my self-esteem and try to cope with issues coming up regarding my own aging and my children and grandchildren.

I got my Bachelor’s degree of Tourism from Rovaniemi University of Applied Sciences as an adult student in April 2010 and I have been working as a tourist worker for several service providers in Lapland during my studies, but mainly after my exam. I will tell you about the experiences I have got from my work places but also from all the outdoor activities, like ice-fishing, fishing and skiing, I have tried during my stay here as well as reports about the Lapland nature, its animals and Northern Lights as well as the Midnight Sun. I will also enlighten you a bit about the Lapish history and its culture.

Rovaniemi is the official home town of Santa Claus, so I will naturally tell you a lot about him and his life also. I happen to have some really near-by experiences from him.

The Lapish culture and its people have been of my great interest and the nature with all its special flora and fauna has impressed me a lot and given me the inspiration and motivation to start this blog.

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28 thoughts on “Introduction of my blog”

  2. Hi,
    very nice blog, I am looking for more information on dutch workers send over to rovaniemi during WW2. Do you know anyone I can contact?
    thanks
    Andre

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  3. I’m interested in the history of Finnish children fathered by German Nazi soldiers. Can you point me in this direction?

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  5. Hi,

    I really like your blog. I have quoted a sentence from your Sami Music article for an open source English Language textbook I am writing. How would you like me to cite you? As Grandma in Lapland or a proper name?

    My best,

    Akiva

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    • Hi, nice to hear from you. And I appreciate you contact me in this matter. I am absolutely content with the fact that you cite me as Grandma in Lapland. I hope you enjoy my blog in the future, too.
      Kind regards, Grandma in Lapland

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  6. Hi! Most of my DNA is Finnish and Saami … My family returned this summer to our ancestral villages and really connected with our “ancestors”. I felt mostly connected to Lake Inari and wish to return to the area.
    l would love to know if there is anyone who could teach me how to make my own drum (I study Nordic shamanism) ? It would be so much better than buying a pre-made one with someone else’s symbols! Any ideas? Thank you – love your blog.

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    • Hi! Nice to hear from you! What an interesting history you have. I know of some drum makers in Lapland. There is one girl, named Sanna Tuunainen, and she has an own company that teaches people to make their own drums on courses. You can read about the company Kannuska, among others on FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/pg/kannuskadrums/posts/?ref=page_internal . I am sure you manage to translate information from Finnish to English. I have friends who had made their own drums in drum classes, but I have bought mine pre-made. On my site you find a post called drum therapy and drum building. There I have mentioned another drum builder: https://www.thuleia.com/noitarumpu.html Good luck!

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  7. Hi,
    I’ve been reading very interesting articles on your blog and wanted to thank you for taking the time to give all those information!
    I have a book project about Sami mythology and ancient beliefs and would love to discuss some topics with you if you’re interested and have time. Don’t hesitate to email me if you’d like to talk about it!
    Cheers

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  8. Hi,

    Really great blog and thank you for all the information!
    I am journalist and I am currently organizing a photo shoot in Lapland in order to showcase the Sami culture.
    Would it be possible to talk to you more about this project?
    I would love to hear your suggestions and advice.
    You can contact me by email at manon@romanjehanno.com or maybe you can give me your email address ?

    Thanks in advance for your help.
    Best regards,
    Manon

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  9. Hi,
    I would love to talk more about this!
    My grandmothers family is also from Lapland and I am in America trying to learn what I can about the Shaman culture.
    Can you please email?
    I’d love to connect!
    Cheers,
    Asia

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    • Hello Ryxi,

      I am glad to hear from you and your plans for a global Shaman conference. I would like to recommend you to contact Helena Karhu at the university of North Carelia in Finland. She has made huge investigations concerning shamanism in northern Finland and Lapland. Here is a link to her blog, only in Finnish, but I am sure you can translate it to understand. Maybe Helena knows an original shaman from Lapland?
      You can contact Helena Karhu by mail in English. You find her contact information from this site: https://www.karhuntalo.com/karhu

      Here is an upcoming shaman course in May 2021.
      https://antroblogi.fi/2020/09/shamanismi-voimistuu-nykypaivan-suomessa/

      I wish you luck in contacting Helena Karhu.
      Best regards, grandma-in-lapland

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  11. Hello – i am a londoner who has been living in helsinki for the past 3 years. and most recently got the calling to come to lappland.
    i am in ivalo!
    i am deeply connected to nature, land, shamanism,animism.
    and would really like to meet with some authentic, non touristy sami / shamanic /nature based people in or near ivalo.
    would you be able to help recommend anyone / how i can get in touch with people?
    thank you so much!

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    • Hello Michelle,

      Sorry for my late answer, but I have been wondering about your request…I do not know if you are still in Ivalo, or have you left for Helsinki already, but I here want to explain some things to you. I am sorry to tell you, it is not easy to get in touch with an authentic shaman. In Lapland there are many people who claim themselves to be a shaman, I think it is impossible to judge the thruth of that. Many shamans even do not want to reweal themselves as a shaman, because other people often judge them to be a bit insane…and other people are also a bit afraid of being connected to a shaman, because of the risk to be hypnotized by the shaman. I have heard people talking about how the shaman has hypnotized someone and that person never became herself again, at that scares many people. To talk about shamans among real Lapish people is not very vice. On the other hand, the touristic shamans are safe to meet and that is why they are the shamans mostly shown to visitors. The dark side of shamanism is vicely kept away from tourists and other visitors.
      Best regards,
      Grandma in Lapland

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  12. hei, i just visited your blog with some pictures of fishing on a river side. Showing a long rod but you have never fished with this!! most of the line leader rings are not in right position!! please check next time befor publishing such fotos. Sorry, with best regards from a fisherman.mike

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    • Hello Mike, thank you for your comment.I am glad you like fishing, too. The photos in my blog are all taken by myself (if no other mentions), and I want to tell you, all the rods I have in my pictures are those I have been fishing with! If there are some problems with the line leaders that is something that does not affect the chances to get fish. I have never had problems with my line leaders or rods. Best luck to you on your fishing trips!// grandma in lapland

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  13. Hello! I am from the United States and currently in Tromso / Alta, Norway area learning about cultural and environmental resilience to climate change. I am also writing a short article on the history of understanding the Northern Lights and how storytelling and science connect. Would you be interested in sharing some more of your experience? I love your post on The Sami Story of Northern Lights. Thank you so much!

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    • Hello Abigail, nice to hear from you and I am glad you like my blog. I have been studying Northern Lights for many years and I have also some times managed to take photos of them. And I have added the Sami story of northern lights to my blog. That is the only version of the northern lights I have found in stories, so I guess, you have to search for information about the northern lights from other sites, then. This is a site I like very much and I find much information about Northern lights from there http://softservenews.com/Aurora.htm. Good luch with your article! //grandma in lapland

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  14. Hello ! Thank you for this blog who’s really fascinating ! I’m currently working on a TV documentary collection about creation story around the world. We are researching a traditionnal Sami story about northern light but we are really struggeling to find a full text of a story. I have readen the one of your blog, but I was wondering if you know some related to the spirits ? Also I sometimes read the fox fire is a sami legend, sometimes its finnish ? I’ll be really glad if we can exchange together about it ! Thanks a lot !

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    • Hello! Thank you for being interested in my blog. I am happy you have found some useful material from it. The legend of the tail of the fox is a sami legend. Samis live in the area in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland. The samis uses to be one, not divided into countries as they are today. So, the legend belongs to all the nordic samis; not only Finland’s samis. In the Sami language, the aurora borealis is called by a word that means the Siberian Jay; the bird. Perhaps the motley plumage of a Siberian Jay is like the variegated colors of the northern lights, and the bird’s nimble movements are like a flock of northern lights. I have also heard about the northern lights and the spirits. The story goes like this: The stories say that the aurora borealis are the souls of dead people. The northern lights listen and understand people, and that’s why when the northern lights are visible in the sky, you have to be completely silent. Mocking them or pointing fingers would be a big mistake. Women should have a scarf or a hat on their heads, because otherwise the flaming aurora borealis might catch the hair and take it with them. It is believed that a child born under the northern lights will be exceptionally happy. According to an old Asian belief, a person who has seen the northern lights once gets to live happily ever after.
      I am more than happy to help you to interpret the different stories about the northern lights. So, if you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact me again.
      Best regards, Grandma in Lapland

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