?dn?ris?
att b?ja st?nger till t?ltk?ta
This thesis is my exploration of the immaterial heritage that is the craft of bending of ?dn?ris?
out of spruce. It?s a broken tradition that is scarcely described, mainly through Yngve Ryd?s
report T?ltk?tor (1999) that contains interviews with two knowledge keepers, Nilas Tuolja
and Johan Rassa. Yngve Ryd?s report went against the earlier opinion by the mid 20th century
ethnologist Ernst Manker who claimed that they were only made exclusively out of mountain
birch that has curved growth.
As a background, I discuss the special importance of heritage conservation, both material and
immaterial, in a S?mi context as being an indigenous people. This as our heritage has become
a main argument in court cases for S?mi rights.
I analyze this immaterial heritage through the concept ?rbbediehto (S?mi immaterial heritage)
and it?s parts diehto (knowledge) and m?htto (skill) defined by Gunvor Guttorm (2011). With
the goal of both collecting diehto to reproduce m?htto related to this craft tradition.
Through comparing Yngve Ryd?s report with other sources, mainly older kept ?dn?ris? and
interviews with other craftsmen in similar craft traditions I?ve been able to confirm this
tradition and recreate a possible execution. My thesis resulted in both diehto and m?htto,
through a description of the studied craft but also multiple craft experiments.