Mano (mythology)

Mano, Manno, Aske or Manna, the Sami mythology god of the Moon. In Sami mythology Mano is a female deity. Mano personified the Moon. The Sami world view was animistic by nature, with shamanistic features. Important places had their divinities. Every force of nature had its so called god and sources of livelihood were guarded by beings in spiritual world which could be persuaded to be more favourable.^[1] Like other natural-deities, Mano was quite unpredictable and dangerous. She was worshipped in the time about new moon, especially in the Christmas season, and during that period it was taboo to make any kind of noise.^[2]

Christian missionaries and priests normally didn't understand these Sami concepts, but regarded them as satanic or polytheistic. Sami people were converted to Christianity by force and shamanic practices were forbidden.^[1] Sami spirituality brought unearthliness; the spirit world to the Sami. The shaman was intermediary between our world and the spirit world. Some Sami shamans had a Noaide drum and there have been at least a drum with the Mano Moon symbol discovered.^[3] Severe violations have been commitet by Church in the past. There are Sami people who have wished to return to the Sami shamanistic religion. It has been compared to neo-shamanism or neo-paganism, but the Sami shamanistic religion does not necessarily have to be polytheistic.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} 2.3.4 Sami mythology
2. ^ www.tjatsi.fo
3. ^ Sámi drums