Summary:

Sirpa Aalto, Exploitation or companionship? Encounters between the Sámi and Scandinavians in the Norse-Icelandic Sagas

The Sámi have long been seen as exploited by Scandinavians in the Viking Age and the Middle Ages, and the role of the Sámi in interactions with Scandinavians has been presented as receptive. However, this paradigm has recently been challenged by several researchers, and by archaeologists especially. They emphasize that the relationship was reciprocal and the interaction was an integral part of Sámi identity formation during the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. 

This article explores how this new paradigm compares with the depictions of the medieval Norse-Icelandic sagas. As a result, the article proposes that the sagas give only one, namely Norse, perspective on the past and therefore offer a one-sided view of the past. And while the archaeological results may offer a more nuanced view, at the same time they may also downplay the conflicts. All in all, the results both from archaeology and written sources show that there is no one, “right” history, but several stories of the past.