The S疥i Peoples of the North: A Social and Cultural History (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781787380318)

There is no single volume that encompasses an integrated social and cultural history of the S疥i people from the Nordic countries and northwestern Russia. Neil Kent's book fills this lacuna. In the first instance, he considers how the S疥i homeland is defined: its geography, climate, and early contact with other peoples. He then moves on to its early chronicles and the onset of colonisation, which changed S疥i life profoundly over the last millennium. Thereafter, the nature of S疥i ethnicity is examined, in the context of the peoples among whom the S疥i increasingly lived, as well as the growing intrusions of the states who claimed sovereignty over them. The Soviet gulag, the Lapland War and increasing urbanisation all impacted upon S疥i life. Religion, too, played an important role from pre-historic times, with their pantheon of gods and sacred sites, to their Christianisation. In the late twentieth century there has been an increasing symbiosis of ancient S疥i spiritual practice with Christianity. Recently the intrusions of the logging and nuclear industries, as well as tourism have come to redefine S疥i society and culture. Even the meaning of who exactly is a S疥i is scrutinised, at a time when some intermarry and yet return to S疥i, where their children maintain their S疥i identity.

Author: Neil Kent
ISBN-10: 1787380319
ISBN-13: 9781787380318
Publisher: Hurst & Co.
Language: English
Published: 04/01/2019
Pages: 288
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.40w x 0.90d