Sámi bear graves in Norway - hidden sites and rituals

Abstract

This paper presents a research project on bear-human relationships, focusing on the Sámi bear grave rituals and burial customs in Norway. The background to this project is a study of 30 bear burial sites, of which several were archaeologically recorded. Based on this information, a typical feature of these sites are burials in natural rock cavities, caves and in screes and under large boulders. In general, these date to between c. AD 300-1800. This makes the Sámi bear burial custom one of the longest surviving burial customs of any kind known in northern Europe.