Ivanova, M. V., Shabalina, O. V. THE “UNWRITTEN RULES” OF THE TRADITIONAL HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY IN SÁMI FOLKLORE // Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2020. Vol. 42. No 8. P. 109–117. DOI: 10.15393/uchz.art.2020.555


Ethnology, anthropology and ethnography

THE “UNWRITTEN RULES” OF THE TRADITIONAL HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY IN SÁMI FOLKLORE

Ivanova
M. V. 		Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Shabalina
O. V. 		Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Keywords:
Sámi
Kola Peninsula
folklore
fairy tale
informal institutions of traditional households		 Summary: Thе goal of the paper is to examine the system of prevailing beliefs, traditions and norms (“unwritten rules”) of Sámi of the Kola Peninsula that ensured the constant reproduction of the economic model of the traditional household through the prism of Sámi folklore. In the context of neoinstitutional theory of economic history some of the published Sámi folklore sources (anthology “Sámi Fairy Tales”, compiled by E. Ya. Patsiya; “Folklore traditions in the culture of the Sámi family”, compiled by E. I. Mechkina; “In the Land of a Flying Stone”, author V. V. Charnolusky) are analized as historical ones in attempt to single out informal institutions that relayed traditional knowledge in the sphere of household (economic) way of life of the Sámi and encouraged regularity in hunting, fishing and reindeer husbandry. The role of the informal institutions in economic activities of Sámi is identified, which imposed limitations and sufficient followup mechanisms in socioeconomic processes that have been shaping specifics of the traditional household recently. It is concluded that in the present time of knowledge economy traditional knowledge of Sàmi become their basic viable economic facility and resource.



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