Sarahkka Goddess Of Children Painting

Some of you might already know this: I am from Finland, and I have Sámi ancestry from my great-grandmother's side. When I did ancestry research, I was able to track my grandmother's Sámi line to 15th-century northeast Finland. Pretty cool! 

Sámi are the indigenous people of northern Europe. One of my absolute favorite Sámi goddesses is Sarahkka. She is the protector of children, the goddess of birth, and the protector of women and girls. 

Back in the days when birth was successful, women sacrificed porridge for Sarahkka. If a couple wanted to have a baby girl, they hung Snow Grouse feathers on the komsio (a Sámi cradle). 

I love these stories about Sarahkka. In my painting, you can see all kinds of symbols connected to her. The patterns in the komsio are authentic. I spent some time in my local museum, the Sámi exhibition, looking at all the traditional patterns. 

The original painting was created with watercolors and acrylics. I have some wonderful prints available here.