The Two-wood Bow – an old Sami Craft Tradition

Sami craftsmen were known for making very good bows that were accurate at long distances. Written sources from the 17th and 18th centuries give us a more detailed description of how these were built using a distinctive technique.

The two-wood bows are put together from two different types of wood, each of which is not well suited as a bow material. In combination with each other, however, birch and compressed pine wood work very well. Birch’s properties withstand tension, and the compression wood is good under pressure. A bow with such a combination can be compared to a gunpowder weapon. Making a two-wood bow required a skilled and knowledgeable craftsman.

The oldest two-wood bow that we know of has been found in our region. In 1934, an elegant and peculiar piece of wood was found in a bog near Frovåghamn on Senja. The piece of wood was made up of two different parts and was lashed into bark. It is later identified as a two-wood bow and dated to c. 1610-1445 BC. The bow from Senja is an important find that shows that Sami presence and tradition in the region have roots far back in time. It is one of the oldest archaeological traces that confirm our region’s Sami past.

Skis as identity markers

Skis have been found in bogs and graves in many Sami areas. Findings of old skis point to a skiing tradition that stretches back several thousand years – probably as long as humans have lived in snowy landscapes.

In the written sources, the use of skis is linked to Sami hunting and trapping. Skis were central to hunting, and for transport during winter. The Sami mastered specific skiing techniques and were also known as skilful producers of skis. Skiing was probably so closely linked to Sami culture that skiing and the use of skis became a cultural identifier for the Samis.

One of the oldest skis we know of from the Norwegian part of Sápmi, has been found in our region. The ski piece was found on Sauøya outside Henningsvær in the 1960s and is dated to 160-10 BC. The ski from Sauøya have many similarities with ski finds from old Sami settlement areas on the Swedish and Finnish sides.