Animal Gods
Aside from the Bear Cult, there are other animal spirits such as the Haldi who watched over nature. Some Sámi people had a thunder god called Tiermes, sometimes called Horagalles. Radien or Vearalden was a sky-ruling god. The symbol of the world tree or pillar similar in Finnish mythology that reached up to the North star was marked by a stytto.
The forest-god of the Sámi, Laib olmai ruled over all forest animals, which were regarded as his herds, and luck in hunting, or the reverse, depended on his good will. His favour was so important that, according to one author, they made prayers and offerings to him every morning and evening.
Read more about this topic: Sami Religion
Famous quotes containing the words animal and/or gods:
“Man may be defined as the animal that can say “I,” that can be aware of himself as a separate entity.”
—Erich Fromm (1900–1980)
“When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.””
—Bible: Hebrew, Exodus 32:1.