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The indigenous religious traditions of the peoples of the Arctic and Sub-Arctic areas were and are very diverse. Despite their diversity, these traditions have often been presented as similar. In resent research, however, variations and local characteristics have gained increasing attention. The emphasis in this volume is exactly on differences and on nuances. Therefore, critical analyses of earlier research, different forms of source criticism, and comparative methods that look for more than just similarities are all applied as essential analytical tools.
Some of the chapters focus on aspects of the traditional cultures of these northern peoples, others are critical readings of research about them. The themes of the chapters that deal with traditional practices and narratives vary from hostage traditions to ancestor mountains, from bear rituals and sweat baths to the ritual drum. The research historical chapters discuss source critical and terminological problems, or consider the contributions of scholars in the emergence of what eventually become identified as religions.
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