In Sámi culture, there has been a prevailing notion that kinship and family communities have been close – downright related – to certain animal species. Depending on the region, bear or moose/deer has been the ancestral father.
The Sámi religion has also included the idea that a person could get information about the future by observing omens and signs in nature and animals. Observing also included taking omens, i.e., predicting the future, by performing various rites, such as noaidi using a witch drum as a means of divining. Ancient traditions varied by region and economic group.
Domestic animals such as reindeer, horse, cow, sheep, dogs, and cats were the most important omen animals. Among the birds, they observed the cuckoo, the great tit, the red-throated and the black-throated loons, the willow ptarmigan, the raven, the snow bunting, the swallow, the crow, the common snipe, the swan, the black woodpecker, and the white wagtail. In the forest, omen animals were, among others, the fox, and ants, in the water, frogs and fish, such as salmon, grayling and pike.
Animals also had an essential place in the lives of the Forest Sámi. This can be seen in sacrificial rites, narrative folklore, and the patterns of witch drums. The most important animals were the bear and the reindeer/deer, but also the wolf and the wolverine, among the small predators the fox, the marten, the weasel and the otter, and the beaver, which used to be hunted in Lapland as well. In later times, domestic animals such as roosters, goats, sheep, pigs, and horses were also used as sacrificial animals.
Thanks to migratory birds, Koillismaa and Lapland have a very diverse birdlife. The swan and some water birds have played a key role in the culture of the Sámi people. Among the regular birds of the north, people have been puzzled by the raven, the willow ptarmigan, and the rock ptarmigan, which change their colours, and the Siberian jay, which also likes to spend time in the company of people. The Siberian jay was especially an omen bird for the Forest Sámi, and killing it resulted in the evil eye.
The cuckoo was a witch bird that, depending on the place, time, and duration of its appearance, could foretell, among other things, death, longevity, or a good or bad harvest. In addition to the cuckoo, the good-luck birds were the white-throated dipper and the Eurasian jay, while the bad-luck ones were the woodpecker, crane, raven, Eurasian curlew, the great tit, and the red-throated loon.
In particular, the raven was believed to have a special lucky feather, leavvedolgi, which was associated with the bird’s instinct and ability to find its prey. Naturally, the hunter who got hold of the feather got the raven’s prey instinct and became successful in his chores.
According to the belief, each animal had its own haltija, which protected the animal and thus also affected the success in hunting. This was also influenced by the lord of animals/hunting place, who had to be kept sympathetic with sacrifices and rituals. Sometimes the haltija of the animals could also take a family or a clan under their protection, which then became tied to a certain species of animal.