Brita Hallnor. Trekking at Áhkális, September 2018.
Sámi names and their meanings
Where to find a mountain on the map? Check here: kso.etjanster.lantmateriet.se ”Lantmäteriet” map the country. Fjällkartan scale of 1: 100,000 covering the mountain area from Salen to the south to the boundary in the north. It is available both as a digital image and printed map.
Please take a look at the map of Lapland. There are a lot of exciting names. Top of Arjeplog trying to tell you more about their meaning from the Sami language. Here´s a couple of them written by Ann-Charlotte Sjaggo. Áhkális (~Áhkalisbuavvda): a low mountain with a treeless summit 784 m a.s.l. on the isthmus between Hornavan, Tjårvek and Ajsjávrre, Assjjávvre. Directly south of the mountain are the lakes Áhkálisjávrre, Áhkálisjávvre and Varrajávrre, Varrajávvre. The mountain has a strategic location and a marvellous view in all directions. Áhkalis~Áhkalisbuavvda was recorded by Wallström in 1939, by Grundström in 1935 and by Pellieff in 1958 as “Akkelis”, “Akkalis”, “Akkalispouta” and “Akkelisbuoda”. Áhkalis~Áhkalisbuavvda is a derivation from áhkka:áhka ‘goddess:goddesses’, to which the addition of the ending lis gives a different meaning, although we do not know what that is in this case. In Sámi belief there were several goddesses such as Saráhkká, Juksáhkká, Uksáhkká and Maddaráhkká. The name Áhkalis~Áhkalisbuavvda indicates that it is a holy mountain dedicated to the goddesses, and it is conceivable that there was a place on the mountain where offerings were made. The final element (Lule Sámi) buovdda, (Pite Sámi) buavvda ‘mountain that is treeless at the summit’ is dropped in everyday speech. Buavvda serves to describe the character of the mountain as being located in forested land but having no trees at the top. S I LV E R R O A D / M A G A S I N S I LV E R VÄ G E N 2 0 1 9
Áhkális
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