Middle Ages In
medieval times, Sàmi people were sometimes associated with
trolls by
Norse writers, for example in
Hrafnistumannasögur, Samì descendent people were either called trolls or half-trolls. Another example is in the
saga of
Heimskringla, in which a Sámi woman,
Snæfríðr Svásadóttir, is married to
King Harald Fairhair. After her death, her body is left undecayed, however upon touch numerous "foul creatures" come out of it and the body turns completely black. This leans into yet another racist belief towards Sàmi people which lasted for many centuries, that of corruption associated with Sámi people and magic. In the saga of
Íslendingasögur, these elements are also present, with characters nicknamed "hálftrǫll" and half-bergrísi (half mountain-giants).
Modern era The Indigenous
Sámi people of
Northern Norway have inhabited the region of
Sápmi for many centuries. Beginning in the 15th and 16th centuries, Norwegian farmers began to colonize Sámi land. The Norwegian government would later encourage the colonization of Sámi land and the assimilation of Sámi people through policies known as "
Norwegianization".
Contemporary Era On 2 February 1869, the Norwegian government made a statement about the "Sàmi question" and its economic impact, stating: "the
nomadic culture is such a great burden for Norway […] one must unconditionally desire its cessation" in reference to Sàmi people's culture and customs. For many years, Sámi skeletons were kept in the collections of the Anatomical Institute at the
University of Oslo, including the skeletons of
Mons Somby and
Aslak Hætta. The skeletons were repatriated in 1997. The Sámi attempt to have their ancestors' remains repatriated is the subject of the 1999 documentary
Give Us Our Skeletons. ==Nazism and Neo-Nazism==