Sara Margrethe Oskal: Sami Trickster traditions and theatrical modes of expressions
Research fellow of Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Faculty of Performing Arts
In this project I will as an actress research the trickster tradition within the Sami society and transform parts of that into theatrical use. In the Sami community, joik and storytelling have survived as creative art forms.
The project intends to research and develop modes of theatrical expressions taking as its basis traditional Sami artistic performing art, focusing in trickster, and transforming that to a modern stage, maybe in combination with other performing arts.
In Sami language, there are no words that convey the meaning of the trickster. The nearest word that I have found now is “skealbma” which means joker, wag, and scoundrel and lahttadeaddji which means someone who gesticulates a lot, acts, and makes sounds and utters. There by the verbs skelbmošit and láhttadit. The word skealbma is used both as a noun and as an adjective about a person. The word skealbma seems to have the same ambivalent meaning as the word trickster has in other traditions, as in some North American Native tribes or in norron mythology the figure called Loke.
By interviewing people I will try to find the Sami trickster and her way of communicating with audience. Who is the trickster? In which areas does she or he perform? Which tools does she use to express herself? What purposes, ways of expression and understanding of herself does the Sami trickster have? How has the Sámi trickster acquired those theatrical modes of expression? And what kind of knowledge is necessary for the audience to be able to understand the trickster?
I will test and recreate spaces and arenas where it will be possible to experiment with means of conveying a story; and with effects and ways of expression, in order to understand the dramaturgy and possibilities of joik, for creating a mood or an atmosphere. I will research this within my self as a Sami trickster, in meetings with young and old tradition carriers, and Sami actors and Sami audiences. The project intends to research and develop Sami Theater from the actresses’ point of view.
One of the main motives is to create performing art which includes joik as a mode of expression; combined with trickster who is often improvisational in nature, in the presence of and in direct contact with an audience. This must also be combined with modern/western acting techniques and techniques of using the voice.
The art work will end in a performance in which my experiences from performing, the results from my fieldwork and meetings with elders, makes the basis for a new performing art. I am going to be an actress- joiker- storyteller- and trickster, probably in co-operation with other actors.
This artistic project will supply the Sami minority society and also different majority societies, with knowledge about Sami performing traditions as well as insight into the potentials of Sami tricksters in a new context. The project will enrich theatre, and educational institutions both within the Sami culture and beyond.