Product Description for Sami Style Noaide Drum Pendant

Maker: Jonny Walker Nilsson (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 3736
Item weight: 0.50 oz.
Description: Noaide is the Sami name for the shaman or spiritual leader of the indigenous Sami people who have inhabited northern Scandinavia for 8000-10000 years. The noaide used the drum and the joik - Sami chanting - to awaken to other levels of reality to cure illness, find the right path during migration, and help the community in times of crisis.
The drum reads like a map of Sami cosmology, covered with symbols depicting the gods and goddesses of the Sami nature religion. In ancient times, every family owned a drum, each one unique, depicting the animals and familiar surrounding that were significant to them. Outlawed by the church and state, most drums were confiscated and destroyed. Today there are about 70 known Sami drums in existence, kept in museums around the world.
This unique piece of jewelry is a miniature art version of the magic Sami drum. The necklace is designed, handmade and initialed by the well-known artisan and knifemaker Jonny Walker Nilsson. The materials are reindeer horn, Arctic birch burl and leather. Jonny has personally collected the horn and wood. The reindeer shed their antlers naturally every year. Only horn of the right coloring and density are used and it has been dried at least a year. The engravings are handmade and carved freehand with a sharp engraving tool. Bark powder is rubbed into the engravings before the horn is polished. Arctic birch burl is extremely hard and because the wood has been dried for a long time before using, it is extremely stable. The wood is stained with a mix of bark powder and ammonia to bring out the beautiful birdseye pattern. The wood can be gently oiled with mineral or camellia oil to enhance the coloring and pattern if necessary, however be careful not to get the oil on the reindeer horn since it could stain.
The reindeer leather necklace is 30" long and can be adjusted with the reindeer antler clasp. The drum measures approximately 1.4" across and 1.7" in height.
Availability: Not currently available