Juoksáhkká (also Juksakka, Joeksaahka ; Stäukedne ) is a goddess in
Sámi shamanism
Traditional Sámi spiritual practices and beliefs are based on a type of animism, polytheism, and what anthropologists may consider shamanism. The religious traditions can vary considerably from region to region within Sápmi.
Traditional Sá ...
related to childbirth. She is one of the daughters of
Máttaráhkká along with
Sáráhkká
Sáráhkká (also Sarakka, Saaraahka, Sadsla-akka and Saredne) is a goddess in Sámi shamanism connected to childbirth. She is one of the daughters of Máttaráhkká along with Juoksáhkká and Uksáhkká. After Radien-attje hands a fetus to Mà ...
and
Uksáhkká and lived in the ground under the
goahti
A goahti (Northern Sámi), goahte (Lule Sámi), gåhte (Pite Sámi), gåhtie (Ume Sámi) or gåetie (Southern Sámi), (also ''gábma''), (Norwegian language, Norwegian: ''gamme'', Finnish language, Finnish: ''kota'', Swedish language, Swedish: ...
, at the back according to some sources.
She was only known to
Sámi
Acronyms
* SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft
* Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company
* South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...
in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
n parts of
Sápmi
is the cultural region traditionally inhabited by the Sámi people. Sápmi includes the northern parts of Fennoscandia, stretching over four countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Most of Sápmi lies north of the Arctic Circle, boun ...
but not, for example, in the area of modern day
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
.
Juoksáhkká helped with the development and birth of a child, and if she was brought offerings enough, she could change the child's sex from female to male in the womb. As sons were more wanted than daughters, she was given plentiful offerings.
According to
Christfried Ganander in 1789, she also helped women during
menstruation
Menstruation (also known as a period, among other colloquial terms) is the regular discharge of blood and Mucous membrane, mucosal tissue from the endometrium, inner lining of the uterus through the vagina. The menstrual cycle is characterized ...
and protected children from shots and falls. Ganander gave many of Juoksáhkká's features to Uksáhkká and vice versa and claimed that she was always at odds with
Lieaibolmmai.
After a woman had given birth, she ate the porridge of Sáráhkká. In the case of a son, a small bow and arrow were put in the porridge in three pieces total, and if the mother hit any of the pieces with her spoon while eating, the future of the child was attempted to be predicted from this. The little bow and arrow was put next to the cradle of the son so he'd grow to be a skilled archer, and he was supposed to keep the items in the future as well.
In
Salten
Salten is a traditional district in Nordland county, Norway. It includes the municipalities of Gildeskål, Bodø, Beiarn, Saltdal, Fauske, Sørfold, Steigen, and Hamarøy. Salten covers an area of about and has a population (2016) of about ...
, ''Jiukom-akka'' ("carer woman") refers to either Juoksáhkká or Uksáhkká. Some researchers have considered the two the same being, but this is not the case according to
Uno Holmberg. He thought Juoksáhkká was born out of foreign influence since Sámi women were not even permitted to touch a hunting bow, a man's tool,
but Juoksáhkká is a goddess depicted holding a bow.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Juoksahkka
Sámi goddesses
Fertility goddesses