Traditionally the first "witches" in the islands were said to have been "Finns".
It was said that these characters, probably the indigenous inhabitants of northern Norway, had travelled to the islands with the earliest Norwegian settlers, to whom they may have served as slaves.
The Finns were powerful sorcerers with renowned healing abilities, as well as power over the weather and sea. In most cases, they were regarded as benign - precursors of the later island wise-women.
The Finns were so ingrained into the folklore of Orkney that up until the early years of the 20th century, the appellation "Finn" was often attached to anyone known to , or suspected of, practising "granderie" - e.g. the Sanday witch, Baabie Finn.
Over time, however, the lore surrounding the Finns developed - or merged with an existing tradition - into the dreaded Finfolk and selkie-folk of sea-lore. This change probably coincided with the "demonisation" of these wise-women's arts.
On top of this was overlaid the lore of the Norse witch-like wise women found throughout the Icelandic sagas.
"Norway was, and still is, home to two distinctly different people - the Norwegians, and the indigenous inhabitants of Northern Scandinavia, the Saami.
Referred to in the Old Norse sources as "finnar", the Saami were regarded as great sorcerers with the power to control the weather, travel great distances in magical trances and shapeshift - usually into the form of a sea animal or bear.
The Saami led a nomadic life, with a completely different culture and society to that of their Norwegian neighbours.
They lived primarily in the far north of Norway in a territory known as "Finnmark". The Finnmark of ancient times was much greater than the current area, with records showing that the Saami were also found in areas of southern and eastern Norway. http://www.orkneyjar.com/folklore/selkiefolk/origins/origin3.htm
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Have you seen this kind of story, but must remember that "in Viking time " word Finn mean normally same as Sami.
http://www.orkneyjar.com/folklore/witchcraft/sorcery.htm
The Development of the Orkney Witch
Traditionally the first "witches" in the islands were said to have been "Finns".
It was said that these characters, probably the indigenous inhabitants of northern Norway, had travelled to the islands with the earliest Norwegian settlers, to whom they may have served as slaves.
The Finns were powerful sorcerers with renowned healing abilities, as well as power over the weather and sea. In most cases, they were regarded as benign - precursors of the later island wise-women.
The Finns were so ingrained into the folklore of Orkney that up until the early years of the 20th century, the appellation "Finn" was often attached to anyone known to , or suspected of, practising "granderie" - e.g. the Sanday witch, Baabie Finn.
Over time, however, the lore surrounding the Finns developed - or merged with an existing tradition - into the dreaded Finfolk and selkie-folk of sea-lore. This change probably coincided with the "demonisation" of these wise-women's arts.
On top of this was overlaid the lore of the Norse witch-like wise women found throughout the Icelandic sagas.
"Norway was, and still is, home to two distinctly different people - the Norwegians, and the indigenous inhabitants of Northern Scandinavia, the Saami.
Referred to in the Old Norse sources as "finnar", the Saami were regarded as great sorcerers with the power to control the weather, travel great distances in magical trances and shapeshift - usually into the form of a sea animal or bear.
The Saami led a nomadic life, with a completely different culture and society to that of their Norwegian neighbours.
They lived primarily in the far north of Norway in a territory known as "Finnmark". The Finnmark of ancient times was much greater than the current area, with records showing that the Saami were also found in areas of southern and eastern Norway.
http://www.orkneyjar.com/folklore/selkiefolk/origins/origin3.htm