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Kitka’s bird witch, šhaman

In 1970, a Sámi grave was found in Lehtoniemi, Kitka. The grave belongs to a witch, a shaman (Fin. ‘noita’, Sámi ‘noaidi’). The name “bird witch” comes from the bird shaped pendant and silver buckle found in the grave. It was believed that the spirit of this person could have turned into a bird and thus moved from place to place. However, this has only been possible in a trance-like state. It is also possible that the pendant has been a sign of belonging into a “first order of witches”.

Witches were divided into three ranks:

  1. Flying witches who moved from place to place in the form of animals.
  2. The lovi witches, who by loveen lankeaminen got in touch with the spirits, i.e., fell into a trance-like state.
  3. Ordinary witches who used verbal power to retrieve stolen goods and find out what offers the gods wanted.

A bullet hole has been found in the cadaver’s skull, so it is suspected that the shaman died a violent death. According to one theory, the Karelians would have killed them because of debts.

The cadaver and its objects have not yet been placed in any final location. The suggestions have been the National Museum/Museovirasto or the Inari Siida museum. In Kuusamo, there is no longer a place to display the cadaver.

In Kuusamo, another witch’s grave has been found on the island of Iso-Pöyliö in the early 1920s. There had only been a thin layer of moss on top of the grave, which was found when the fishermen made a campfire.

In the grave, 2 pieces of a witch drum hammer, 7 pieces of copper rings, 2 pieces of chain, 1 copper pendant, and a coin from the time of Queen Kristina were found. Thus, the grave can be dated to the middle of the 17th century. Nothing more is known about this shaman.

There was no witch drum in either grave, but it is suspected that there was a drum in the Lehtiniemi grave. However, it has been decomposed over time, as the drums were made of birch/spruce/pine and furless reindeer skin.

However, the burial sites point to powerful and respected shamans. It is possible that they chose their final resting place themselves.