The art of hinting and allusions in Sámi literature: a reading of Jovnna-Ánde Vest’s novel trilogy Árbbolaččat

• Published in: AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples
• Main Author: Fredriksen, Lill Tove
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publications 2021
• Subjects: Sámi
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1177180121996311; https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1177180121996311; https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/1177180121996311

Various means for levels of hinting at things or making allusions in the interaction between people are part of traditional Sámi knowledge and communication, aesthetics and interpersonal communication. A reading of the novel trilogy Árbbolaččat ( The Heirs) (1997–2005), written by the Sámi novelist Jovnna-Ánde Vest, shows how the use of hinting and allusions is depicted as birgengoansta (coping skills), an essential art to master in the life of a small community, as a way to deliver a message in a softer tone rather than saying things directly and as a way to avoid conflicts. I especially emphasize the contextual part of the yoik tradition (the ancient Sámi chanting tradition) and how it has functioned as a social device in the Sámi community. It explains the individual’s place within the community, and what people’s worldview and life philosophy tell us about life in a small Sámi village.